Whole Wheat Pie Crust
By
Making pie crusts has never come easy to me. In fact, if you recall…I put out an all call many months ago and used YOUR recipes to put together the free ebook, For the Love of Pie!
Since that time, I have discovered a delicious and healthy way to make whole wheat pie crust! I am SO excited!
The secret ingredient is Tropical Traditions Palm Shortening. We all know to stay away from regular shortening (like crisco) right? I’ve tried making pie crusts with butter, and that works too (especially in these Mini Apple Pies). But, since I tried using Palm Shortening from Tropical Traditions, I feel like my days of frustration with pie crust may be over. When I tried making a whole wheat crust with Palm Shortening, it formed perfectly. It rolled out like a dream. I could be heard shouting out Whooops and Woohoos from my kitchen for miles around. I’m telling you, this from the lady who never could make a pie crust.
Here’s how you make the crust…
Whole Wheat Pie Crust
1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/3 cup Palm Shortening (or butter)
4-5 Tablespoons cold water
I found this recipe to work best in my food processor. If you don’t have a food processor, you can cut the shortening into the flour with a pastry blender. If you’re interested in soaking the flour in this recipe to break down the phytates, substitute cultured buttermilk for cold water, cover and let dough sit overnight or at least 12 hours.
Place flour, salt and shortening in food processor. Blend until shortening is cut throughout the flour and the mixture resembles crumbs.
Admire the crumbs…
Begin adding water and processing (or stirring). If your dough looks like this, it doesn’t have enough water in it yet…
Add little bits of water until your dough will form a nice round ball.
Roll out your dough on a well floured surface. Fold it in half.
Then fold it in half again.
Place your dough in your pie dish with the folded corner in the center.
Unfold the dough, shape it into the dish and make the edges pretty.
Here’s a little video tutorial I made that will maybe (hopefully) give you an idea about how I shape my pie crust. There are all kinds of different ways to make it pretty…this is just the way my grandma taught me.
Poke your dough a few times with a fork to keep it from poofing up in the oven.
Bake at 450° for 10-12 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.
Mmmm…pretty dutch apple pie! (I just used this Mini Apple Pie filling and crumb topping recipe with the crust for this pie…in case you feel like you must try it right NOW!) I must say, a glass of milk helps this pie go down real nice.
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I would love to make a homemade pie crust – I have yet to accomplish this task.
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Here is my “bonus entry” for the palm shortening! Looks yummy!
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Here is my bonus entry.
I’ve used Crisco to season cast iron cookware.
Will this palm shortening work well for this purpose too?
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Laura Reply:
April 22nd, 2010 at 7:54 am
I don’t know why not!
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Brenda Reply:
November 14th, 2011 at 9:26 pm
I just ordered some Palm Shortening – I can’t wait!!
But, just to answer the cast iron question, I use coconut oil all
the time and it does a GREAT job of seasoning my cast iron stuff.
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I love how you make desserts healthy. It makes me feel better about letting my kids have them. Would love to try the palm shortening.
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I would love to try this recipe with the palm oil!
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I’ve been struggling to find a good ww pie crust recipe – this looks good!
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Looks good! Would love to try palm oil shortening. Have only been making crusts with butter.
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Thank you for the tutorial. It would great to have totally healthy dessert that tastes good. My teenage son is the pie maker in the family.
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bonus entry for palm oil shortening…but this crust does look good! :)
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I normally use a recipe passed down for generations where I sub in the palm shortening, but the whole wheat flour would be a good change too.(bonus entry)
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I have pie crust problems too. I’m excited about trying this recipe!
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How cool is that?! I bet the palm shortening would work in my “Better than Hardee’s” cinnamon raisin biscuits too! It’s the only thing I still use Crisco for… *blush*
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A healthy and yummy pie crust…yay and thank you!
Please use this comment as the extra entry for the Palm Shortening giveaway. :)
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id love to try it, enter us!
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Bonus entry for the palm shortening! cant wait to try the pie crust with some strawberry rhubarb pie!
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I would live to try this and winning the shortening would be even better. Thanks for a bonus entry!
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Yum! Looks amazing! Would love to win some of that shortening!
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Is a whole wheat pie crust yummy? I have been afraid to try because my experience has always left me disappointed. I read that I should use whole wheat pastry berries and even bought them. But I haven’t used them. After watching your cute video, I think I am going to give it a try! Thanks for the bonus entry as well.
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Oh, whole wheat flour, how little I get to use you! Cooking gluten-free for my husband is definitely interesting, but I get to use all kinds of fun and healthy flours like millet, sorgum, and teff instead! Have you ever tried rolling out a pie crust on wax paper? That allows me to easily transfer it from the counter to my pie pan (and not stick to my rolling pin!).
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this looks so good my kids saw the pic and said can we make that mom? the palm shortening looks like it works good. I have tried butter and oil and just not liked it as much. I grew up using lard to make pie crust!! I would love to win the palm shortening!
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Here is my “bonus entry” for the palm shortening! Your pie and crust look yummy!!
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Yum… I would love to make this!
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Your pie and pie crust look absolutely amazing!
I definitely have to try this recipe,
(and winning the Tropical Traditions shortening to use would be awesome too!)
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I love making pie crusts all spring and autumn long when I make a greens “pie” or quiche once a week while all the local fresh greens are in season! It should be starting up again soon this year…we can hardly wait!
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Pie crusts can be tricky! Thanks for the tutorial!
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The crust looks so good and I would love to try making pie crusts with palm shortening!! Thanks for the bonus entry!!
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Would love to try the Palm shortening! This is my bonus entry. My favorite part of the pie crust tutorial is the simple tip of folding the pie crust in fourths to move it into the pie plate. Saves a bunch of trouble right there!
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Mmmm, that looks so good! I’d love another chance to win some yummy palm shortening!
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Too bad I didn’t get this in time to sign up for the pie contest at our annual church picnic this weekend!
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YUM! I have some apples all ready to go!
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The crust looks great. The shortening also works well for biscuits.
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Looks like a good crust recipe. (This is a bonus entry for the palm oil)
I always use what is called spoon pie dough it is very simple and turns out every time. If I win the palm oil I will let you know if it works in that recipe. :)
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I’m looking forward to trying out this pie crust recipe.
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I tried 3 different pie crusts last fall, and didn’t like any of them! Maybe the shortening is the secret?
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thanks for sharing this recipe. I love that it can be soaked to help with phytic acid.
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This looks fabulous! I can’t wait to try it out!
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Please enter me in the contest for the coconut shortening.
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Here’s my BONUS entry! Just reading this entry makes me want to bake a pie, maybe I’ll surprise my husband with one!
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Thanks for the great recipe (and another chance to win the palm shortening)! I’m looking forward to trying this for a healthy celebration with my family!
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Laura,
I, too, have used the TT organic palm shortening. The only problem I have encountered (and have had a mess on my hands trying to make cake icing with it and the balls sticking in the tips jamming the opening) is that it seems to be composed of many tiny “balls” of the substance. These do not mix or roll out and show up in the crust. When I bake it then, there are little “ball-sized holes” left in the crust. Not so attractive.
I’m curious as to whether you have had this problem and what to do about it. Love the palm shortening otherwise.
Thanks!
Beth
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Laura Reply:
May 19th, 2010 at 6:51 am
I haven’t tried using it for cake icing yet. I’ve really only used it a few times in pie crust so haven’t noticed the little holes. So far, I’ve used it mostly for frying foods. I’ll have to make a pie soon to try to see about the holes. I’ll get back to you if I figure anything out!
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I think I might have to try this!
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Thanks for the tip about folding the crust. I never thought to do that.
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Can I use coconut oil instead of palm?
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LindseyforLaura@HHM Reply:
October 7th, 2011 at 12:06 pm
You sure could!
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Thanks for the recipe, I am going to the kitchen right now to make it for my Pumpkin Pie.
Wishing you Happy Holidays!
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Um, your research is out of date. The only reason not to use shortening was that it used to be made of trans-fats. At the time this article was written, Crisco has ZERO trans fats and half the saturated fat of butter (same as Palm shortening), and is made from soy and PALM. Go ahead and use it, no need to pay 40%+ more for palm shortening.
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Laura Reply:
January 20th, 2012 at 10:27 am
Glad to know that crisco is made from palm, but I will prefer to stay away from soy if at all possible. :)
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Brenda Reply:
January 20th, 2012 at 12:02 pm
Hi Bex,
The thing about Crisco is that even though it is made with palm it
is hydrogenated. The palm shortening that Laura recommends is
non hydrogenated. If you do a quick google search for the dangers of
hydrogenated oils you will see just how terrible they are for you. Also,
unless it is labeled non-gmo, most soy has been genetically modified.
This is another real controversy but personally I stay completely away
from anything that is GMO. Again, a quick google search will give you
a ton of info on that as well. I’m happy to pay the extra money to
make sure my family is getting healthier versions of the stuff we
love. :-) I hope this helps!! Have a great day!
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Bex Reply:
January 20th, 2012 at 3:33 pm
I am aware of the fact that it is hydrogenated. Hydrogenation is
basically a fancy name for turning fats that are liquid at room
temperature into fats that are solid at room temperature. The danger
of hydrogenated fats is that they, in the past, all contained trans
fats. Now they do not. Is your Palm fat liquid? No? Then they contain
high levels of saturated fat, which makes it no better than using
butter. Unless you are a vegan, there is no real benefit here. Now
the Crisco is made of soy and palm oil, with 1/2 the sat. fat of
butter (because of the soy) and no trans fat. Again hydrogenated oils
were bad due to the fact that they contained trans fats. Crisco and
many other shortenings do not. I am aware of the GMO issues with soy
and any other non-100% organic product (regular ‘organic’ product can
still be up to 30% GMO), which is why I get the 100% organic
versions. Here is one of the many articles (which a simple Google
search will produce) explaining that while hydrogenation can produce
trans fats, it is actually the trans fats themselves that are the
issue.
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-hydrogenated-oil.htm
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Bex Reply:
January 20th, 2012 at 3:42 pm
Slight correction: There is some unsubstantiated research that
suggests palm & coconut oils are better for you than other
saturated fats, with the usual provisos regarding 100% organic
(not just organic)content.
Alicia Reply:
March 2nd, 2012 at 2:45 pm
Zero Trans Fat on a label is misleading.If the per serving amount is less than .5g, then they can label it Zero Trans Fat-which is not true. Their website info says per serving and the ingredient list has partially hydrogenated palm and soybean oils. Sat. fat isn’t the problem in foods. Here’s a great article I read today:
http://preventdisease.com/news/12/030112_World-Renown-Heart-Surgeon-Speaks-Out-On-What-Really-Causes-Heart-Disease.shtml
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Hi,my name is Sylvia and I am sending this message from Malta Eourope.
I have made your recepie for the Whole Weat Pie Crust today and it came out fantastic. I made chicken pot pie, I would like to knowe that if I double or tripple the reciepie if I would double or tripple all the ingredent’s,and can I freeze it.
I would like to here from you as I would like to make more crust tomorrow,and by the way the time difference between Malta and the US is that Malta is 9 hrs ahead of.
Thank you
keep it up
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Sylvia Debono Reply:
January 29th, 2012 at 9:21 am
Hi,my name is Sylvia and I am from Malta Eroup. I made the pie crust but made it with butter and made chicken pot pie with the crust and it came really good. Would I would like to knoe that if I want to double or teipple the recipie,do I double or tripple all the ingredents and can I freeze it and how long can I freeze it for.I would like to make this crust tomorrow
Thank you from Eroupe Malta
I do so hope someone will answer
Sylvana
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Laura Reply:
January 29th, 2012 at 9:37 pm
Yes, if you want a triple batch, simply triple the amount of ingredients called for in the recipe. You can freeze it for 3-6 months in airtight packaging.
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Hi Laura, thanks so much for your wisdom and your website! I would like some advice about pie crust making… I’m so frustrated I could cry! This is the second pie crust I’ve made using your recommended ingredients and it cracks when I roll it out and folding it??? That is a joke, it just breaks along the seams and by the time I get it into the pie pan I have to piece it all back together from the 12 different fractions it has broken in to… good thing to have the PC rolling pin for that. But with my luck, I might as well not even roll out the crust in the first place and just press it into the pan… Please give me some suggestions of what I’m doing wrong. I’m using very cold water, my flour comes out of the freezer, but the palm shortening is room temp. I have the same problem with any other pie crust unless I just buy a refrigerated one… Please help… I really want to make a pretty pie crust! BTW… this recipe does taste wonderful…. Thanks in advance!
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