Sour Cream Pie Crust (3 Ingredients)

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Hi Bold Bakers!

WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE: My Flaky Sour Cream Pie Crust is made with just 3 ingredients and comes together in one bowl—no food processor needed. Compared to a traditional flaky pie crust, the secret ingredient — sour cream adds flavor and richness for the flakiest, most tender crust you’ll ever bake.

• Only 3 Ingredients: Just flour, butter, and sour cream create this simple yet perfect dough.
• No Special Equipment: Mix everything by hand in a single bowl for easy prep and cleanup.
• Sour Cream Swap: Compared to regular crusts made with water or eggs, sour cream adds tangy flavor, extra fat, and a dough that’s easier to handle.
• Ultra Flaky Texture: Bakes up with tender, buttery layers every time.
• Sweet or Savory Versatility: Ideal for pies, galettes, tarts, turnovers, and more.

No joke—out of all my pie crust recipes, this one is my absolute favorite. Using sour cream instead of water or eggsadds incredible flavor and extra fat, which creates a crust that’s even more tender and flaky. Do yourself a favor during the busy pie season: double or triple this recipe, wrap and label the dough, then pop it in the freezer. When the holidays or summer fruit season roll around, you’ll be ready to whip up perfect pies without the stress—because the hard work will already be done!

Bold Bakers Loved This!

“Made this pastry last night for some leftover beef stew – to make a beef pie. I used the leftover excess to make some mincemeat rolls. Oh my giddy aunt!!! It is the best flakey pastry ever. Definitely a keeper and my go to for mince pies/rolls. And so easy. Thank you. Another of your recipes to add to my hoard.” — Marie

“Once again, you have created an amazing recipe. This is going to be my new go to pie crust. ” — Lisa

“I have to say that for me, this is the easiest pie crust recipe to make. I still need work on making my crust look beautiful but it tastes so good!” — Cathy

IMPORTANT NOTE: This recipe was improve and updated on 10/22/2025, to include NEW step-by-step photography, make ahead and storage instructions, and Pro Chef Tips. 

Table of Contents

• What is Sour Cream Pie Crust?
• Tools You Need
• Key Ingredients and Why
• Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips
• Make Ahead and Storage Instructions
• FAQs
• More Pie Crust Recipes

What is Sour Cream Pie Crust?

• Flaky Sour Cream Pie Crust differs from standard pie crust recipes because water is replaced with sour cream.
• Sour cream is the superhero in this pie crust recipe, adding both tenderness and depth of flavor.

Tools You Need

• Mixing bowl
• Measuring cups and measuring spoons
• Pastry blender (optional)
• Rolling pin
• Pie dish or tin (optional)

Key Ingredients for Sour Cream Pie Crust and Why

All-purpose flour (aka “AP” flour)

• AP flour has a low-protein content of 8-10% which is perfect for a tender (and not chewy!) pie crust.
• Make sure you have the right amount by checking out How to Measure Flour.

Salt

• When a recipe has very few ingredients, every element is crucial.
• Salt adds a necessary spark of flavor to Flaky Sour Cram Pie Crust, and ties the ingredients together.

Full-fat sour cream

• Enriches: Full-fat sour cream replaces the water and its higher fat content contributes to the dough’s richness and softness.
• Softens: Unlike water binding with protein to create gluten strands, the acid in sour cream will break down protein in flour to make a crust softer.
• Moistens: In the meantime, the protein won’t have big holes so moisture will be locked in, making it more pliable and supple.
• Balances: Sour cream adds a very subtle tang that balances the sweet or savory flavor profile.
• You can whip up your own version using the recipe here How to Make Sour Cream.

Butter

• Butter is the better choice over shortening for quality and taste.
• When cold butter or frozen butter is used in baking, water from the cold/frozen butter will evaporate during baking to help the dough rise and create layers.

How to Make Flaky Sour Cream Pie Crust

1. Combine dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, add the flour and salt.
2. Cut in the butter: Rub the cold, diced butter cubes into the flour using your fingers (or a pastry blender) until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.

3. Mix in the sour cream: Stir the sour cream into the butter-flour mixture and quickly bring everything together until a rough dough forms.

4. Roll out the dough: On a floured surface, roll the dough into a rectangle about ¼ inch (1½ cm) thick.

5. Fold and chill: Fold the dough in thirds, like a letter, then fold it in half. Press down to flatten, wrap well, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or until ready to use.
6. Bake or store: Bake according to your recipe’s directions, or store the dough in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can also freeze it for up to 2 months and defrost overnight in the fridge before using.

FULL (PRINTABLE) RECIPE BELOW! 

Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips

• Keep ingredients cold: Always make sure your butter and sour cream are cold before starting.
• Grate the butter: To ensure the butter stays cold and prevent it from warming up, grate frozen butter, mix with a small amount of flour, and freeze the small pieces of butter until ready to use.
• Handle dough gently: Work quickly and handle the dough as little as possible for the most tender and flaky results.
• Refrigerate before rolling: Wrap your unrolled pie crust and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. This helps the gluten relax and makes rolling easier.
• Freeze pre-rolled crusts: Roll out your pie crust and place it in a pie plate. Wrap well and freeze it this way for up to two months. When ready to use, bake directly from frozen.
• Skip blind baking: If using this crust for pies that normally require blind baking, you can bake it as-is from frozen—no  needed.
• Great for blind baking: This crust works wonderfully for blind baking—bake it as-is, with no beads, beans, pie weights required.
• Use for any pie: This crust works beautifully for any sweet or savory pie alike.

Make Ahead and Storage Instructions

• Refrigerate: The unbaked pie crust can be made up to 2 days in advance. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and keep in the fridge until ready to use.
• Freeze: For longer storage, freeze the dough for up to 2 months. Wrap well in plastic wrap and place in a freezer-safe bag or container.
• Use from frozen: Defrost overnight in the fridge before using, or bake directly from frozen if your recipe allows.
• Pre-rolled crusts: You can roll out the dough, place it in a pie plate, and freeze it this way. When ready to use, bake directly from frozen.
• Double or triple for convenience: During busy pie seasons, I recommend making extra, wrapping, labeling, and freezing. This way, you can easily whip up pies without extra prep.

FAQs

Can I use another type of flour?

• All-purpose flour or pastry flour are the best choices here. Pastry flour is finer-milled has a slightly lower protein content (about 9%) than all-purpose flour, and it will give you a tender result while still providing enough structure. Bread flour is not suitable for making pastry because has a higher protein content than all-purpose flour, and would give you a tough result. Cake flour is also unsuitable here because it won’t give the dough enough structure to form a pie crust that will hold its shape.
• If you’re looking for a gluten-free pie crust option, try The Flakiest Gluten-Free Pie Crust.

Is there anything I can use instead of sour cream?

• The best alternative to sour dairy cream is strained yogurt.
• Strain the yogurt through a fine sterile muslin-type cloth, in a sieve, over a bowl in the fridge for about four hours. You can also strain plant-based yogurt in the same way to get a thick Greek-style yogurt.

What’s the best baking temperature for this pie crust?

• This is a basic crust that works wonders in many recipes.
• Use it in your favorites from my Pies and Tarts recipes, and follow the baking temperature as directed in the recipe.

Do I need to blind bake this sour cream pie crust?

• Whether to blind bake this pie crust depends on what recipe you’re using it for.
• Check out my How To Blind Bake A Pie Crust for detailed professional tips.

More Pie Crust Recipes

• 5-Minute No-Roll Pie Crust
• How to Make a Perfectly Flaky Savory Pie Crust
• Pâte Sucrée Recipe (French Sweet Shortcrust Pastry)
• Pâte Brisée (French Savory Pie Crust Technique)
• How to Make a Cookie Pie Crust
• The Flakiest Gluten-Free Pie Crust

IMPORTANT NOTE: This recipe was improve and updated on 10/22/2025, to include NEW step-by-step photography, make ahead and storage instructions, and Pro Chef Tips. 

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