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    Home » Recipes » Top Amish Recipes

    Amish Pat-A-Pan Pie Crust

    Published: Nov 23, 2022 · Updated: Nov 23, 2022 by Kevin Williams | 49 Comments

    Jump to Recipe

    This easy Amish make-in-the-pan pie crust (Amish cooks call it pat-a-pan pie crust) will transform your baking world.   I've been tempted before to "cheat" on pies and use a frozen pre-made pie crust and there's nothing wrong with doing that.  But, when you can have a homemade crust in literally 5 minutes?  I mean, this crust is amazing.  It does not take long to make at all.

    Jump to Recipe

    What we like about this is that you don't have to roll it out, you just make it right in the pan! So no worrying about where you put your rolling pin or finding a medium bowl, mixing bowl, or any other kind of bowl!  Just mix it up in the pie pan, press, and presto, you have a really good pie crust. This is a great one for kids to work on and hurried adults. My daughters have helped make this pie crust and it's just super easy. 

    This Amish pat-a-pan pie crust recipe is also very forgiving, if you mess up and add too much flour, just moisten by adding more liquid. This is a crust recipe that is tough to screw up.

    The top photo is a whole-wheat version of pat-a-pan crust. The whole wheat flour makes it darker, the photo directly above is all-purpose flour which makes a lighter crust.

    On the other end of the age spectrum, my grandma always marveled over the crust, For someone who still loves to cook but doesn't have the dexterity to roll out a crust, this is a great option.

    Amish Pat-a-Pan Pie Crust

    I'm always amazed that this crust only has like five ingredients.

    I've used this pie crust recipe for many kinds of pies: lemon meringue, pumpkin pie, pecan pie, blueberry and the like.  It really works for almost any pie recipe.  The only thing I've not tried it for and I have my doubts it would work is for a lattice-top pie crust. I think lattice would be tough to construct with this recipe, but the crust really does cut well.  I've never used this recipe for a full top crust. I think you could do it with some imagination, but the beauty of this crust is its easy so if you going to get into top crusts you might be better off with another recipe.

    Wash your hands and then mix the dry ingredients in a pan with your fingers just like above(yes, that's me).

    You can use your fingers and the tines of a fork as your main tools on this.  It works in either an 8 inch pie pan or a 9 inch.  I usually use a 9 inch.  SIGH, the only additional advice I'd give...I used this nice glass pie dish that has bevels or "flutes" in the side, because you mix in the pan, the flour can get into the grooves and you have to clean that out.  A minor nuisance, but just a regular smooth glass or metal pie pan is the easiest for this.

    The only other dish you really need for this is a separate bowl (I just a measuring cup) for the milk and vegetable oil and then pour it right over the dry ingredients in the pan. I stirred the vegetable oil and the milk together for about 30 seconds briskly. You can use a whisk. I used a fork. But, really, 30 seconds was all it needed.

    Amish Pat-A-Pan Pie Crust

    Since I was going by feel on this, I realized quickly the dough was going to be too moist so I simply added more flour until it felt right (not too moist, not too try...think Goldilocks)

    Amish Pat-A-Pan Pie Crust

    The only time I've ever tinkered with this recipe is by swapping out all-purpose flour for whole wheat. You get a nice, dark crust and wheat flour is widely considered to be more nutritious than white flour.

    Amish Pat-A-Pan

    I know a lot of pie crust recipes call for ice water, ice cubes, or cold water and this one calls for cold milk. I've not experimented swapping milk out for water, this recipe works so well I've never felt the need to tinker with it.  I do use all-purpose flour.  Like many Amish recipes, this one is short on specifics. But all-purpose flour performs well.   I just use vegetable oil for this recipe.  There is no butter, salted or unsalted butter, in this crust.  No shortening either.  And I've never been tempted, again, to tinker with the recipe since it works so well.

    I've made this crust many times and that I can now make it without even using measuring spoons and cups, which cuts down even more on the mess.  Once you get a feel for the proportions, you'll be able to do that too.

    Definitely a great, flaky crust! This is a picture of the crust we used for the lemon pie.

    This recipe makes a single crust, not a married crust (okay, dumb "Dad joke").  But, yes, it makes one crust.  But if you need to make two, that's easy also. Also, some recipes may call for this crust to under go a "blind bake" or par-bake, you can read more about it here from someone who can explain it better! But for most pie recipes this works fine. I've used this for pumpkin pie without a problem, but you can par bake if you want an extra crispy crust.

    🥧 Ingredients

    • 1 ½ cups of flour
    • 1 ½ teaspoons sugar
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ½ cup vegetable oil
    • 3 Tablespoons cold milk

    🥄  Instructions

    1. Place the flour, sugar, and salt in the pie pan and mix with fingertips until evenly blended.
    2. In a measuring cup combine the oil and milk and beat until creamy.
    3. Pour all at once over the flour mixture. Mix with a fork until the flour mixture is completely moistened.
    4. Pat the dough with your fingers, first at the sides of the plate and then across the bottom.
    5. Flute the edges.
    6. Shell is now ready to be filled.
    7. If you are preparing a shell to fill later or your recipe requires a prebaked crust, preheat oven to 425.
    8. Prick the surface of the pastry with a fork and bake 15 minutes.
    9. Check often and prick more if needed.

    🥧 Perfect Pie Recipes

    Deep Dish Apple

    Amish Lemon Pie

    Traditional Pumpkin Pie


    🥧 Full Recipe

    Amish Pat-A-Pan

    Pat A Pan Pie Crust

    The most perfect pie crust - no mess, no fuss, just pat it in a pan and done!
    5 from 4 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine Amish

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 ½ cups of flour
    • 1 ½ teaspoon sugar
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ½ cup vegetable oil
    • 3 tablespoon cold milk

    Instructions
     

    • Place the flour, sugar, and salt in the pie pan and mix with fingertips until evenly blended.
    • In a measuring cup combine the oil and milk and beat until creamy.
    • Pour all at once over the flour mixture. Mix with a fork until the flour mixture is completely moistened.
    • Pat the dough with your fingers, first at the sides of the plate and then across the bottom.
    • Flute the edges.
    • Shell is now ready to be filled.
    • If you are preparing a shell to fill later or your recipe requires a prebaked crust, preheat oven to 425.
    • Prick the surface of the pastry with a fork and bake 15 minutes.
    • Check often and prick more if needed.
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
    « Last-Minute Amish Thanksgiving Recipes: Gravy, Mashed Potatoes, Cranberry Salad, and More!
    Amish Leftover Turkey Soup »

    About Kevin Williams

    Hi, my name is Kevin Williams and I am owner of Oasis Newsfeatures and editor of The Amish Cook newspaper column.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Julie

      April 11, 2014 at 3:55 pm

      I actually have an easier recipe yet! 1 cup flour, 3 T. powdered sugar, 1 stick of melted butter. Mix together and pat into pan. Bake 400 for 10-12 min.

      Reply
      • Kevin

        April 11, 2014 at 3:58 pm

        Wow, Julie, thanks for sharing...I'm not sure it would be possible to have an easy crust recipe than that! We'll have to try it!

        Reply
      • Pat

        August 26, 2021 at 7:46 am

        Can this pie Crust be rolled if desired?

        Reply
        • Kevin Williams

          August 26, 2021 at 9:28 am

          Hmmmm, Pat, I have actually wondered the same thing, but I don't think this would work as a roll-out crust, the texture is meant for "patting." You can try and let me know if it works!

    2. dynnamae

      April 11, 2014 at 6:21 pm

      I have not heard of either of these pie crust recipes. Usually I would buy a frozen pie crust if I were going to make a pie. But, both these crust recipes sound like something I would be glad to try out. Thanks for sharing them with all of us readers.

      Reply
      • Kevin

        April 11, 2014 at 6:28 pm

        Sure, good luck with it, if I can do this crust, ANYONE can!:)

        Reply
      • Faye

        October 18, 2020 at 1:40 pm

        Thanks for easy recipe. Came out great. Will be my go to recipe from now on.

        Reply
        • Kevin

          October 19, 2020 at 11:17 am

          Glad it turned out, Faye, definitely is my go-to crust!

    3. Jen

      April 11, 2014 at 7:10 pm

      5 stars
      Thanks, Jen, glad you like that crust!

      Reply
    4. Nancy A.

      May 03, 2014 at 7:45 am

      I am so glad to get the crust recipe as I cannot make a pie to save my life! Hate rolling out the crust and trying to get it in the pan without tearing it all up! Thank you for this, I will definitely try it!

      Reply
      • Kevin

        May 03, 2014 at 8:34 am

        Good luck with it, Nancy, it definitely is a much more hassle-free alternative yet still a delicious homemade crust!

        Reply
        • Sandy

          January 31, 2022 at 8:37 am

          My Mother passed this recipe on to me years ago only we didn't add sugar and rolled it out on floured wax paper. What is great is if it tears just wet a piece of dough and repair. Only crust my husband will let me use. I'll have to try patting it in pan next time. Thanks, Sandy

        • Kevin Williams

          January 31, 2022 at 9:27 am

          It is a great recipe, Sandy, yeah, try it directly in the pan next time, it's so easy!

    5. Shinika

      July 09, 2014 at 6:12 pm

      This is the only pie crust recipe I have been using since I found it in an old cookbook 1 year ago. It is tender, flaky, and very forgiving. Unlike the butter/shortening crusts, it does not have to be refrigerated prior to rolling so that the crust will not shrink. I use it for pies, quiche, pot pies of course adjusting the sugar.

      Reply
      • Kevin

        July 10, 2014 at 6:02 pm

        We love this crust, so easy and it really is good!

        Reply
    6. Linda Zoetewey

      May 25, 2016 at 7:13 pm

      My granddaughter cannot have any dairy or eggs.she likes sweets every so often. I make her pie dough cookies using veg. Oil, and almond milk in the pat in the pan recipe. I roll the dough between parchment paper .put crust on the paper,sprinkle with cin. And sugar mixture. Bake 10 - 15 min. On 400 % Yummy [ bake on cookie sheet.]

      Reply
      • Kevin

        May 26, 2016 at 2:36 pm

        Thank you for sharing that variation, Linda!

        Reply
    7. Angie

      October 10, 2016 at 3:54 pm

      Do you use plain flour or self rising flour?

      Reply
      • Kevin

        October 10, 2016 at 3:56 pm

        Plain!

        Reply
    8. monica young

      November 10, 2016 at 2:28 pm

      This one of my favorite piecrusts I found it in marsha adams cookbook 'Cooking from quilt country'; however I would like to know if using olive oil or melted butter instead of veg oil would still give me a flakey, tender crust, as I have experimented with using coconut oil & bacon fat in this recipe instead of the veg oil and both produced crusts that were rock hard, I tried these in an attempt to try to avoid using the highly processed canola oil, which unfortunately is the only oil that I have tried so far that actually gives this crust the tenderness & flakeyness that its supposed to have. Also if use either butter or olive oil would I have to heat the milk up first to avoid have the fats solidify once it hits the cold milk? thank you so much for sharing these wonderful time tested heritage recipes with all of us so they'll never be forgotten.

      Reply
      • Kevin

        November 14, 2016 at 5:44 pm

        Monica, melted butter would be your best bet for the flaky, tender crust.Actually, lard would be the best of the best, but if you can't do lard, use better. Thank you for the kind words and good luck! - Kevin

        Reply
        • Barbara Glynn

          March 14, 2021 at 7:32 pm

          Can I use Butter Crisco? Can I use a metal aluminum pie pan?
          To fill the pie before baking, do I bake it at 425 degrees or follow recipe instructions? If not filled, do I bake it 425 degrees for 15 minutes? Thanks for this recipe. I can’t make a crust, but only buy the frozen kind. I will try this soon. Barbara

        • Kevin Williams

          March 14, 2021 at 7:36 pm

          Barbara, butter Crisco is fine...metal, aluminum, ceramic, glass...I have used them all for this pie crust. And don't pre-bake the pie crust...I've never done it that way, just put whatever filling it is in the crust and bake according to pie instructions. It is a super easy pie crust and tasty!

    9. Kate

      September 27, 2017 at 12:03 am

      5 stars
      In a two crust pie, can one of these be put on top or will it fall apart?

      Reply
      • Kevin

        September 27, 2017 at 9:46 pm

        Sure, Kate, absolutely you can do that. Enjoy!

        Reply
    10. Marilyn

      November 05, 2018 at 7:47 am

      I have been looking for this recipe for years. My grandmother used to make her crust like this. There is none better. It always tastes like home.

      Reply
      • Kevin

        November 11, 2018 at 10:28 pm

        Marilyn, this is the single easiest - and tastiest - pie crust recipe ever, glad you found this version of the recipe!

        Reply
    11. Betsy Taylor

      October 19, 2020 at 8:38 pm

      Hi! I am excited about trying both of these recipes. Since I cannot eat wheat, I will try them with a good gluten-free flour blend. It is so difficult to roll out a gluten-free pie crust compared to a regular crust, that this may be a dream come true. Thanks for the recipe!

      Reply
      • Kevin

        October 20, 2020 at 9:19 am

        Let us know if that works, I am thinking it would. This pie crust doesn't "roll" well, but it tastes great, bakes and firms up fine, cuts well, it really is a perfect scratch-made crust and it is quick!

        Reply
        • Betsy Taylor

          October 20, 2020 at 4:33 pm

          Kevin, this pat-in-pan pie crust is really a dream come true for those who cannot eat wheat flour. I made a pie today and used “Better Batter” Gluten-free flour, and the crust came out perfectly. I made a Southern Buttermilk Pie, and was wonderful. My husband loved the crust! I imagine that another quality gluten-free flour, such as Cup-4-Cup would work just as well. Love your website, your blog and all the good recipes. Thanks, Betsy

        • Kevin

          October 21, 2020 at 4:16 pm

          Thanks, Betsy, for letting me know...nice that the crust can be adapted for gluten-free, I'll have to make a note of that for others!

    12. Marsha Jo

      November 24, 2020 at 2:11 pm

      5 stars
      Made this for Pumpkin pie. Looks wonderful and baked up well. Hope it tastes as good as it looks.

      Reply
      • Kevin Williams

        November 25, 2020 at 9:43 am

        Glad it looks good, hope you like the taste, I always do!

        Reply
    13. Michael

      December 01, 2020 at 11:33 pm

      What size pie pan do I use?

      Reply
      • Kevin Williams

        December 02, 2020 at 2:22 pm

        9 inch pan, you can use an 8", you'll just have a slightly thicker crust (which I like!)

        Reply
    14. Linda

      March 15, 2021 at 12:18 pm

      Does this crust hold up well when cut? Especially if there is a heavier fruit filling?

      Reply
      • Kevin Williams

        March 15, 2021 at 12:25 pm

        Hi, Linda - I've made this crust many times and, yes, I've been surprised how well it holds up...even when pressed super thin. For a heavier fruit filling I might try to make the crust in a hair thicker, but, no, I don't you you'll have a problem at all. I don't think I'd ever do a "roll-out crust" again...

        Reply
    15. Angelina

      October 07, 2021 at 9:31 am

      I've used this recipe multiple times for pumpkin pie and I love it! It is not quite as flaky as regular pie dough but it takes WAY less time.

      I also tried the recipe from Julie in the comments (1 cup flour, 3 T. powdered sugar, 1 stick of melted butter. Mix together and pat into pan. Bake 400 for 10-12 min). This one was not good at all, as the sides just collapsed while baking.

      Reply
      • Kevin Williams

        October 07, 2021 at 11:46 am

        I do like the pat-a-pan, as you said, it's maybe not quite as flaky as a rolled out crust, but the savings in time and convenience of just patting it in the pan make it worthwhile!

        Reply
    16. Linda

      November 11, 2021 at 2:48 pm

      Wow, what a great recipe for those of us who hate making pie crust! I can't wait to try it for pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving.

      Thanks for all the good recipes and interesting stories.

      Reply
      • Kevin Williams

        November 11, 2021 at 3:22 pm

        Good luck with it, Linda, it's super easy and super!

        Reply
    17. John Lade

      November 12, 2021 at 10:11 am

      5 stars
      Hi Kevin,
      I always enjoy your articles. Being a retired weather person from Environment Canada; you have a feeling for weather, recognizing changes with the movement of lows and fronts. I have experience as a teacher in the training school for Air Traffic Controllers. They had to learn something about meteorology in a pass-fail course before tackling driving airplanes. I would emphasize movement to begin to understand weather. Understanding Lapse rate was to follow.
      I write because I was trying to make a pie crust this week. It was a total failure. I will use your way from now on.

      Reply
      • Kevin Williams

        November 12, 2021 at 4:49 pm

        Good to hear from you, John...I'm envious, I always wanted to be a meteorologist when I was a child, but life has its own plans sometimes. Yes, try the pat-a-pan pie crust, you'll never need another recipe!

        Reply
    18. marie

      November 16, 2021 at 9:37 pm

      please tell me if i can make this a week prior to using, keep in refrig or freeze them and cover with plastic wrap???? then fill with pie filling.

      Reply
      • Kevin Williams

        November 17, 2021 at 9:57 am

        Hi, Marie - I once made this pie crust and kept it in the fridge for a couple of days and then used it and it was fine. Freezing it? I've never tried. You'd have to freeze the pan too, I don't see any reason at all why that wouldn't work as long as you covered it so it didn't get freezer burned. Good luck with it! - Kevin PS - ifyou try freezing it, let me know how it worked out!

        Reply
        • Nancy Pitts

          November 18, 2021 at 10:08 pm

          Hi, I would like to try this recipe for making mini quiches. Could I roll it into a ball and then pinch off small sections to press into little tins?

        • Kevin Williams

          November 19, 2021 at 10:05 am

          I've not tried it like that, but, yeah, I think that should work. If you try it, let me know....I can't think of a reason that wouldn't work. Good luck!

    19. Traci McDonough

      December 20, 2021 at 4:12 pm

      I am planning to make this crust tonight to use it for a quiche. I read through the comments and saw that one person had indeed used this recipe for quiche but she mentioned she had adjusted the amount of sugar in the recipe. I am not a very experienced cook just yet and don't think I could wing the amount of sugar I should use when making this crust for a savory pie instead of a dessert pie.
      As you may have guessed by now, my question is how much sugar do I use to make this crust for a quiche?
      I've had this recipe written down for years but never tried it because I wasn't sure it would work with quiche. I got it from some Amish friends of our family but contacting them to find the answer has been difficult because they live in another state and neither of us have traveled during this pandemic and they are without telephone and computer service. Wow. I guess I could have actually written a letter to ask my question, I did not even consider that until this very moment... That's a little bit sad when I think about it.
      Sorry for digressing, if you can give me the sugar adjustment I'd be exceptionally grateful. Thank you!!

      Reply
      • Kevin Williams

        December 21, 2021 at 9:10 am

        I am sorry, Traci, I wanted to get back to you last evening but I was traveling and I couldn't, so I am assuming you've already made your crust. I hope it turned out! But the recipe only has a 1 1 /2 teaspoon of sugar, that is not much for a crust that size. The addition of sugar makes for a more tender pie crust by inhibited gluten development, so the sugar isn't really in there for taste as it is for tenderness, so I'd just leave it as is....or adjust downard to a teaspoon...hope this helps!

        Reply

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    Kevin Williams - The Amish Editor Amish Cook Column

    Hi There, I'm Kevin!

    Welcome to Amish365, where I share my knowledge of Amish cooking and culture! I’ve spent almost three decades exploring Amish settlements and kitchens from Maine to Montana and almost everywhere in between. I’ll occasionally throw in stories of my travels, journalism adventures (I’m a Pulitzer prize-nominated journalist), fascination with grocery stores and Kmarts, and much more!

    More about me →

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