This Whole Wheat Pie Crust is made with whole wheat pastry flour for a tender, slightly crumbly texture and a rich, nutty flavor that pairs well with both savory and select sweet pies.
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This Whole Wheat Pie Crust, made with whole wheat pastry flour, has a delicate texture that’s more crumbly than flaky and a nuanced flavor compared to an all-purpose flour crust. I know when people hear "whole wheat," they often expect something dense, tough, or overly wheaty—at least, that’s what some of my friends and family told me before they tried a few pies with my whole wheat crust. But once they took a bite, they were hooked! So don’t let the name fool you—whole grain crusts can be a fantastic addition to a pie when made well.
What I love about this crust is that it’s made with 100% whole wheat flour, rather than a blend with all-purpose flour. The combination of cream cheese and butter adds a soft tang that complements the whole grain perfectly. If you prefer not to use cream cheese, you can swap it for the same amount of additional butter, though I highly recommend keeping it. A little baking powder is also added to give the crust a slight lift, preventing it from feeling too dense from the whole wheat.
A whole wheat pie crust works really well for savory pies. It’s sturdy enough to support a heavier filling and won’t overpower a savory pie, which typically has stronger flavors. It can also complement certain sweet pies, like this Apple Butter Pie or Honey Walnut Pie.
Ingredients Needed and Substitutions
Here is a brief overview of the ingredients needed for this recipe. The full recipe with quantities is listed below this text in the recipe card.
- whole wheat pastry flour: Find this in the aisle where you find other flour, it typically comes in a much smaller bag than regular flour.
- cream cheese: Just a little bit adds a soft tang and helps tenderize the whole wheat crust...if you prefer, you can swap it for the same amount of butter, but I highly recommend keeping it.
- unsalted butter: This recipe is designed for regular American butter. If you use higher-fat European butter, you may need less liquid and a bit more flour, so it's not recommended.
- baking powder: not typically included in pie crusts, but it is useful with the whole wheat flour to help tenderize and aerate it.
- salt: This recipe was tested using Diamond Crystal coarse kosher salt. If you use Morton's kosher salt or fine salt, decrease by half for volume or use the same amount by weight. Want to learn more about this? Check out this Guide to Baking with Salt.
- cold water: It doesn't need to be ice water, but it should be very cold.
Whole wheat pastry flour is different than regular whole wheat flour. The pastry flour is milled from a softer white wheat (as opposed to the hard red wheat that regular whole wheat flour is) and has a lower protein content. It retains a lot more of the nutritional benefits since it is a whole grain but it has less gluten proteins than common wheat. This makes it more tender and delicate, but it also means this this dough is can be more fragile when you are moving it around. The finish dough has the consistency of soft play dough. Treat it gently and you will find it simple to work with.
Step-By-Step Recipe Overview
This is a quick visual overview of the steps needed to make this recipe, and not intended to be the full recipe. The full recipe is located towards the bottom, keep scrolling!
Step 1: Add the dry ingredients and the cream cheese. Pulse until the cream cheese is blended into the flour.
Step 2: Add the butter.
Step 3: Pulse until the butter is broken down into small pieces about the size of a pea.
Step 4: With the motor running, stream in the water, then stop once all the water is added. Don't let the dough gather around the blade.
Step 5: Empty the flour mixture onto a work surface and if there are any dry spots, moisten them with a drip (or spray) of water.
Step 6: Gather the dough together.
Step 7: Use the dough immediately.
Step 8: Or wrap tightly in plastic and store for later.
Baking + Storing Information
All pie crusts should be thoroughly chilled before baking. While most crusts bake at a high temperature (around 425ºF), this whole wheat dough does best at a slightly lower temperature, around 375ºF (but no higher than 400ºF), to prevent burning. However, every pie filling is different, so balance this with the specific recipe you’re using. On this website, each pie recipe includes baking instructions for the crust, so be sure to follow those for the best results.
You can roll out the dough right away, though it’s softer than traditional pie dough. Use plenty of flour and a gentle touch, or chill it first if it feels too tricky to handle.
Even though it rolls out immediately, it still needs to chill in the pie tin before baking—at least an hour in the fridge or 30 minutes in the freezer. If you’re not baking it right away, wrap it in plastic and store it for about 2-3 days in the refrigerator. It can be frozen for 3-6 months. Thaw out frozen dough in the refrigerator the night before you plan to use it.
More Pie Crust Recipes
For more reading and resources, check out these recipes and tutorials:
I am so honored when you make a recipe from my site! If you make this Whole Wheat Pie Crust recipe, please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating with your experience! If you have any questions about this recipe outside of what is covered in the article, please comment below and I'll respond as soon as I'm able.
Full Recipe
Whole Wheat Pie Crust
This Whole Wheat Pie Crust is made with whole wheat pastry flour for a tender, slightly crumbly texture and a rich, nutty flavor that pairs well with both savory and select sweet pies.
- Total Time10 minutes
- Yield1-9" Pie Crust
Ingredients
- 1-½ cup (180 grams) whole wheat pastry flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon coarse kosher salt (see note)
- ½ cup (113 grams) cold unsalted butter, diced
- 2 tablespoons (30 grams) cold cream cheese
- ¼ cup cold water, more if needed
Instructions
- Add the whole wheat flour, baking powder and salt to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until combined. Add in the cream cheese and pulse, 2-3 times to combine. Add in the butter and pulse 7 times, until the butter is barely visible.. With the motor running, slowly pour the water into the flour. The dough should be crumbly and it should hold together when squeezed.
- Empty the flour mixture onto a work surface. If there are any dry spots, drip (or spray) a bit more water on them then bring the pile of dough together.
- The dough can be rolled out immediately, but you must let it chill in the pie tin before baking for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator or 30 minutes in the freezer. Or you can wrap it in plastic wrap and keep it for up to 2 days in the refrigerator or up to 6 months in the freezer.
Notes
Weighing your flour is the most accurate way to measure it. If you’re not weighing it, spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level it off. This website consistently uses 120 grams per cup of flour. Scooping directly with the measuring cup can pack in more flour, often exceeding 120 grams, which may affect the final result.
This recipe was tested using Diamond Crystal coarse kosher salt. If you use Morton's kosher salt or fine salt, decrease the volume by half.
You can store this pie dough in the refrigerator for 2 days or the freezer for up to 3 months. If you plan to store it for an extended period of time, wrap it in a double layer of plastic wrap.
Since this pie dough includes whole wheat, bake it at a slightly lower temperature than an all-purpose flour crust. It’s best at 375ºF but can go up to 400ºF—just keep an eye out for burning.
This recipe tutorial was originally published in 2019. Since then, I've updated the accompanying article and step-by-step tutorials to offer the best possible guidance on how to make it.
- Prep Time: 00:10
- Category: Pie Crust
- Method: Food Processor
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Hannah Altman
If I only have white whole wheat flour on hand, is it a direct 1-1 substitute?
Kelli Avila
Yes, that should be fine!
Lucy Havard
Is this a good recipe to make fried pies or meat pies? Thanks. I have not used pastry flour or whole wheat flour.
Kelli Avila
I haven't tried frying it yet, but I think it should be fine!
Matias
Your whole wheat crust was a lifesaver! I'd followed a blueberry pie recipe from a well-known baking website that left me with barely enough dough for the top crust, much less a lattice. Hoping to salvage at least some portion of my failed results, I scraped off the edges and covered up my sad-looking lattice with your wonderful whole wheat crust. Your crust baked up beautifully and no one was the wiser! Everyday Pie to the rescue!! ♥︎