Category: tutorial

No Roll Chocolate Pie Crust

No Roll Chocolate Pie Crust in a glass pie plateThis No Roll Chocolate Pie Crust recipe is an all butter pie crust with cocoa powder added – it’s a chocolate pastry crust. Bonus: it’s no roll so it’s a no fuss crust – just mix and press it into the pan! Just think – your favorite pie recipes…with a chocolate all butter crust. Like…banana…

No Roll Chocolate Pie Crust in a glass pie plate

This No Roll Chocolate Pie Crust recipe is an all butter pie crust with cocoa powder added – it’s a chocolate pastry crust. Bonus: it’s no roll so it’s a no fuss crust – just mix and press it into the pan!

No Roll Chocolate Pie Crust - an easy pie crust recipe that's CHOCOLATE! Just mix it up in a food processor and press it into the pan , no rolling!

Just think – your favorite pie recipes…with a chocolate all butter crust. Like…banana coconut pie with a chocolate crust, pumpkin pie, candy pie. You guys, I just. Can’t. Even.

This Chocolate Pie Crust is like a pastry pie crust – not a crushed cookie crust. It’s like eating chocolate pie dough!

I had the idea to make a no roll pie crust. Everyone hates rolling things out, right? Flour, mess, arm workout. Why not just dump the crumbly pie dough into the pie plate and press it in? IT WORKED – no rolling pin needed for this pie. You also don’t have to chill the disk of dough first – you just press it into the plate. Not only does it taste good, but it makes your house smell like a chocolate factory.

Ingredients in chocolate pie crust on counter.

Ingredients Needed

  • Unsalted Butter: If you only have salted butter you can swap it and omit the added salt. Butter needs to be COLD when making pie crust – dice it and then place it back in the fridge until you’re ready to use it.
  • All-purpose flour: Be sure to measure flour correctly so you have a perfectly flakey crust.
  • Salt: Just a bit, if using unsalted butter.
  • Cocoa Powder: You can use natural unsweetened cocoa powder or Dutch Process cocoa.
  • Ice Water: The water needs to be ice cold!
  • 9-inch Pie Dish: this recipe is written for this size pie pan.
  • Food Processor: Optional, but makes making from scratch crust SO much easier!
flour and cocoa powder in a food processor
No Roll Chocolate Pie Crust being mixed in a food processor
No Roll Chocolate Pie Crust being mixed in a food processor
No Roll Chocolate Pie Crust being mixed in a food processor
No Roll Chocolate Pie Crust being put into a glass pie plate
No Roll Chocolate Pie Crust being pressed into a glass pie plate

How to make Chocolate Pie Crust

  1. Mix your flour, sugar, salt, and cocoa powder in a food processor. Just pulse it a few times.
  2. Add one stick of very cold, diced butter.
  3. Pulse the machine a few times to get it worked into the dry ingredients.
  4. Then add 1 tablespoon of water and let the machine run for several seconds, adding up to an extra tablespoon (one teaspoon at a time) until the dough comes together like in the photos – it shouldn’t be powdery. It should be able to pinch together.
  5. Dump the chocolate pie crust dough into a 9-inch pie plate. You can use a plate that’s smaller than 9″ but there is not enough dough for a bigger pie plate.
  6. Just press the dough into the bottom and up the sides of the plate, easy peasy!! Be sure to chill it for at least an hour (or 10-15 minutes in the freezer) before baking it.
No Roll Chocolate Pie Crust in a glass pie plate

Expert Tips

This no roll chocolate pie crust works for both baked pies and pre-baked crust (filled) pies. If you’re baking a pie (like pecan) just fill the pie crust like you normally would and then bake as directed. If you are making it as a pie crust for a filled pie, like a pudding pie you’ll want to follow the recipe for blind baking pie crust, which involves lining the crust with parchment paper and beans or pie weights and baking before filling.

Ways to use a Chocolate Crust:

FAQ

Can you make pie crust ahead of time?

This crust can be made up to 3 days ahead and stored in the refrigerator covered well with plastic wrap. You can also freeze it for several months. For easier freezing, you can freeze the disk of dough before pressing it into the pie plate; thaw before attempting to place in pie dish.


No Roll Chocolate Pie Crust in a glass pie plate
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No Roll Chocolate Pie Crust Recipe

This easy No Roll Chocolate Pie Crust starts with my all butter crust recipe and adds chocolate! Plus, it’s NO ROLL! No mess, just press and bake!
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 12 servibgs
Calories 186kcal
Author Dorothy Kern
Cost $5

Ingredients

  • ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter
  • 1 ¼ cups (155g) all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons (10g) unsweetened cocoa powder (or Dutch Process cocoa)
  • 2 tablespoons (25g) granulated sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1-3 tablespoons (15-45ml) ice water

Instructions

  • Dice butter into small cubes. Place back in the refrigerator.
  • Place flour, cocoa, sugar, and salt in a food processor. Pulse a few times to combine.
  • Add the cold diced butter into the food processor. Pulse a few times until the butter is worked into the flour mixture.
  • Add 1 tablespoon of ice water. Let the food processor run for several seconds, until the dough becomes crumbly. Add more water, 1 teaspoon at a time, until the dough comes together and is no longer powdery.
  • Pour crumbly dough into a 9-inch pie plate. Use your fingers to presss across the bottom and up the sides. Chill for at least one hour (or freeze for 10-15 minutes) before baking.
  • To blind bake the pie crust: Chill at least 1 hour. Line the pie crust with parchment paper and fill with beans or pie weights. Bake pie at 400°F for 10 minutes, then remove the weights and parchment (carefully), poke holes in the bottom and sides of the crust, and place it back into the oven until it's cooked through, 10-15 additional minutes. Cool crust before filling.
  • If making a baked pie, fill chilled pie crust as directed and bake as the recipe directs.
  • Pie crust can be made up to 3 days ahead and stored in refrigerator wrapped well with plastic wrap. It can also be frozen.

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 186kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 1242mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g

Favorite Pie Recipes

How to Make a Lattice Pie Crust

berry pie with decorative pie crust on top surrounded by slice fruit.Learn how to make a lattice pie crust easily – really I promise! A woven lattice crust is stunning on top of a fruit pie but they’re easier to make than you think. With step-by-step photos and a video, you’ll be a pro in no time. What is a Lattice Pie Crust? Lattice top pie…

berry pie with decorative pie crust on top surrounded by slice fruit.

Learn how to make a lattice pie crust easily – really I promise! A woven lattice crust is stunning on top of a fruit pie but they’re easier to make than you think. With step-by-step photos and a video, you’ll be a pro in no time.

berry pie with decorative pie crust on top surrounded by slice fruit.

What is a Lattice Pie Crust?

Lattice top pie recipes are so gorgeous, don’t you think? A lattice pie crust looks really hard and confusing to do, but it’s much easier to make a woven crust than you think. Once you visually see the method, how to weave a lattice clicks into place and becomes really easy to do.

Lattice top pies are perfect for all sorts of fruit pies, like apple or blackberry or any fruit pie you love. It’s actually the easiest way to make a gorgeous pie!

Ingredients Needed

  • Pie crust: You can use my all butter pie crust recipe or you can use a refrigerated pie crust. Don’t use a frozen pie shells – you need a crust that will lay flat. My homemade pie crust is the best…in case you were wondering.
  • Tools: A knife or pizza cutter or pastry wheel for cutting the strips and a ruler to keep your edges straight.

How to make a lattice pie crust

pie dough on work surface cut into strips with ruler and pie cutter next to it.

1. Roll out the top pie crust. It should be chilled a little bit, but not so long that the crust is so cold you can’t handle the strips. Using your sharp knife and ruler, cut wide strips of dough that are about 3/4 to 1-inch thick. Once your lattice is cut, you’ll have several strips.

pie with fruit filling topped with vertical strips of pie dough.

2. Place a bottom crust in your pie dish and fill with your desired filling. Take strips of the lattice and lay them on your pie vertically, leaving small gaps between. I like to line up the short strips from the edges with the edge of the pie plate and use the long strips in the middle.

pie with fruit filling topped with vertical strips of pie dough - every other one is folded up and one strip is horizontal across.

3. To weave your lattice,  pull back every other vertical strip and place a new strip of pie dough perpendicular to the strips you already laid.

pie with fruit filling topped with vertical strips of pie dough and a few weaved horizontally with hand holding one strip.

4. Replace the dough strips you folded over. Then, do the same thing with the alternating strips, placing horizontal strips of dough across. Keep going until the entire pie is covered in basket weave.

unbaked lattice pie on work surface.

5. Once your lattice is fully on the pie, cut off any excess dough and crimp the edges as desired. I like to brush it with egg wash and add a little sparkle with sanding sugar.

How to use a Lattice Crust

pie with blueberries baked in and with lattice design on top.

Expert Tips

  • For cutting the strips I like using a pastry wheel or pizza cutter. A flat edge cutter will give straight strips, a wavy edge cutter will give the jagged wavy edges shown.
  • Once you have the lattice made, it’s good to brush it with egg wash. You don’t have to, but it makes for better browning. To make your egg wash, just whisk up your egg and use a pastry brush to lightly brush it all over the crust. Don’t have a pastry brush? Just use your fingers.
  • I also add a bit of sanding sugar on top for a little sparkly crunch.
  • Always bake fruit pies on a cookie sheet in case it spills over.
  • Use a pie shield or strips of aluminum foil to protect your crust while it’s baking.
  • Make a decorative pie crust that looks like a lattice using cookie cutters if you’re still worried about doing a lattice from scratch.

FAQ

Can you lattice store-bought crust?

As long as it’s a flat crust (typically refrigerated, not frozen in a pie shell) you can make a lattice with it.

How thick should crust be? How thick should lattice strips be?

A bottom crust in a pie plate should be at most 1/4-inch thick (usually between 1/8-inch and 1/4-inch) so it bakes all the way. A lattice should be a bit thicker – usually minimum 1/4-inch (a tiny bit thicker is fine, but not too much). The strips should be a little thicker so that they’re easier to handle and not too fragile.

What if I don’t have a pastry cutter?

You can use a sharp knife or pizza cutter to slice your strips of dough.

berry pie with decorative pie crust on top surrounded by slice fruit.
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Lattice Pie Crust Recipe

This how to make a lattice pie crust tutorial is an easy method for making a decorative pie crust!
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 30 minutes
Chill time 30 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 1 9-inch lattice pie
Calories 1899kcal
Author Dorothy Kern
Cost $8

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Roll one pie crust out to fit your pie plate. Place the crust in the pie, letting the edges overhang. Chill 30 minutes.
  • Roll the second pie crust a bit thicker than you would for a bottom crust. I do at least 1/4-inch thick or just slightly thicker (you want to be able to handle the strips without them being too fragile).
  • Fill pie as desired using your recipe.
  • Remove rolled out crust from the refrigerator. Using a knife, pizza cutter, or pastry wheel, cut strips in the pie crust that are 1/2-inch to 1-inch thick. Use a ruler to help keep them straight, if needed.
  • Pick up strips of the pie crust and lay them over the pie with gaps between that are the same width as the strips. Try to use the size strip that matches with the location on the pie (smaller strips close to the sides, longer strips in the middle).
  • Fold over alternating strips and place a new strip perpendicular to the ones you already placed on the pie. Unfold the strips, then repeat using the alternating strips. Continue the basket weave until the pie is covered with the lattice.
  • Brush the lattice crust with a bit of egg wash (just beat an egg with a fork like you’re making a scrambled egg and use a pastry brush or your fingers to lightly brush it over the crust). This is for browning. Sprinkle with coarse sugar, if desired.
  • Trim edges and crimp as desired. Chill pie for 20-30 minutes, then bake according to recipe directions.

Video

Notes

  • Always bake your pie on a cookie sheet just in case of spill over.
  • Always cover the edges of your pie with foil or a pie shield.
  • If, during the lattice making process, your pie strips begin to get too warm from handling and/or start breaking, stop and place the strips in the freezer for 5 minutes to chill back up quickly.

Nutrition

Serving: 2pie crust | Calories: 1899kcal | Carbohydrates: 194g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 109g | Saturated Fat: 34g | Cholesterol: 186mg | Sodium: 1707mg | Potassium: 457mg | Fiber: 10g | Vitamin A: 270IU | Calcium: 104mg | Iron: 11.3mg

Favorite Fruit Pies

Blackberry Pie Recipe

Blackberry Pie is one of the easiest pie recipes and perfect for summer berry season! You can make this pie with fresh or frozen berries and choose your topping: lattice, double crust or crumble topping. Why You’ll Love This Pie When I was young, my Aunt and Uncle lived in Washington. They’d come down every…

The post Blackberry Pie Recipe appeared first on Crazy for Crust.

Blackberry Pie is one of the easiest pie recipes and perfect for summer berry season! You can make this pie with fresh or frozen berries and choose your topping: lattice, double crust or crumble topping.

pie with lattice top with blackberries behind on wood surface

Why You’ll Love This Pie

When I was young, my Aunt and Uncle lived in Washington. They’d come down every August to visit and my aunt would make a two crust blackberry pie. My dad was practically salivating two full weeks beforehand in anticipation. Blackberry is his favorite. This recipe came from my aunt and I’ve been making it for so many years!

This pie can be made with fresh or frozen blackberries and you can use a double crust, lattice crust, or make a crumble topping. The juicy blackberry filling pops in your mouth – this is the perfect summer pie recipe!

One slice of blackberry pie with crumble topping on a plate

Ingredients in Blackberry Pie Filling

  • Blackberries: Use fresh or frozen, see below for how
  • Sugar: Granulated sugar works best. The ratio of sugar to filling is also very important: I use 5 cups of fruit to 2/3 cup of sugar. Any more sugar than that and you’re going to get a pie that doesn’t set properly.
  • Lemon Juice: For a fresh flavor to brighten the pie, you could also add some lemon zest.
  • Cinnamon: I add ground cinnamon to all my fruit pies – even peach pie.
  • Cornstarch: I make all my fruit/berry pies with the same basic recipe and it works. I find that a blackberry pie with cornstarch really is the way to go; flour doesn’t thicken the filling enough.
  • Homemade Pie Crust: I love my all butter pie crust recipe, but you can also use a store bought crust (Pillsbury is the best one I’ve found).

Fresh vs Frozen Blackberries

This is one of the things I love about making fruit pies with my recipe: you can use fresh or frozen fruit.

How to use fresh blackberries: If blackberries are in season, by all means, make this a fresh blackberry pie. To prepare your berries just wash and drain them and remove any stems.

How to use frozen blackberries: If you want to make a pie when fruit isn’t in season you can definitely use frozen blackberries to make this recipe. Simply thaw and drain frozen berries. Be sure to drain them very well so there is no extra liquid in your filling.

Overhead shot of blackberry pie with a crumble topping with one slice on a plate

How to make Blackberry Pie

It’s important to get the pie crust and topping ready before you make the pie filling so that once you toss the berries with the sugar you immediately place it in the pie, top, and bake it. Decide how you’re going to top your pie: Lattice Pie, Double Crust Pie, or Crumble Topped Pie.

process shot of pie crust.

1. If you’re making my pie dough recipe, decide if you need 2 crusts or just one. Roll out one disk of dough and place it in a 9-inch pie dish. Chill until ready to fill.

crumble in a clear bowl.

2. If using my crumble topping, make that recipe by placing butter, sugar, flour, and salt in a large bowl and using a pastry blender or two forks to work the mixture into crumbles.

How to make a lattice pie crust tutorial

3. If making a lattice top, roll out the second dough and cut 1-inch slices, or if using a double crust just roll it out and set aside.

4. Make the filling by tossing blackberries with cornstarch, sugar, cinnamon and lemon juice. Immediately place pie filling in prepared pie pan.

How to make a lattice pie crust tutorial

5. Top with the second crust and cut slits in the top crust for steam to escape, or design your lattice on top of the filling. Or just top with crumble.

6. Place pie on a baking sheet and cover with a pie crust shield or strips of aluminum foil. This ensures your edges don’t get over done.

One slice of blackberry pie with crumble topping and a scoop of ice cream on top on a plate

How to Avoid a Soggy Bottom Pie

To make sure the bottom crust is baked properly and not soggy, I bake the pie at a high temperature for a short amount of time, then lower the temp to 350° to finish baking. I prefer baking in clear pie plates – I find they bake best that way plus I can see when the bottom crust is done baking.

How to Serve Blackberry Pie

While it’s important to completely cool your pie before slicing so it has time to set, I like the pie warmed or at least room temperature. If you want to warm it, just heat in the microwave a few seconds.

My preferred way to serve fruit pie is with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.

slice of blackberry pie with lattice crust on white plate on brown surface.

Expert Tips

  • I brush my lattice topped pie with egg wash to get it nice and golden.
  • Don’t mix your berries with the sugar and cornstarch until the crust and crumble are ready, or it will be too liquidy after baking.
  • This pie is a bit more liquidy than my other berry pies, but it firms up more as it sets.
  • Always bake your fruit pies on a cookie sheet in case they spill over.
  • Use a pie shield so your pie crust doesn’t get too brown.

Storage

Store pie in refrigerator covered loosely with plastic wrap. You can make the pie up to 24 hours ahead – it needs to cool anyway and I find chilling helps with setting the pie filling. Serve it room temperature. You can also freeze a completely cooled pie – make sure to seal it completely with plastic wrap.

FAQ

How do you know when a berry pie is done?

When the crust is golden on top and the filling is bubbly, then the pie is done.

Why is my blackberry so runny?

This pie recipe should produce a mostly set pie. If it’s too liquidy, then the following things may have happened: You cut it too soon. You should let it cool completely – and even chill it – before slicing. Is the pie a day or two old? The berries will weep the longer they sit. Did you drain your berries – especially frozen ones – completely? Letting the pie sit before baking will also make the pie wetter.

How do you thicken blackberry pie filling?

Recipes call for either cornstarch or flour, but I find cornstarch does a better job thickening fruit pies.

pie with lattice top with blackberries behind on wood surface
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Blackberry Pie Recipe

This blackberry pie is one of my family favorite recipes. The lattice-top is really easy to do using the how-to photo tutorial! Or use a crumble topping on top instead!
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings 10 servings
Calories 102kcal
Author Dorothy Kern
Cost $10

Ingredients

For Lattice or Double Crust Pie

For Crumble Topping Pie

  • 1 recipe all butter pie crust from a package or from scratch
  • 12 tablespoons (170g) cold unsalted butter , diced or grated
  • ⅔ cup (133g) granulated sugar
  • 1 ½ cups (186g) all-purpose flour
  • Pinch salt

For Blackberry Pie Filling

  • 5 cups blackberries (about 24 ounces or 650g)
  • ⅔ cup (133g) granulated sugar plus more for sprinkling
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 4 tablespoons (30g) cornstarch

Instructions

Lattice Pie Instructions

  • Roll out your two pie crusts into circles with approximately 9-10” diameter. Place one pie crust in your 9” pie plate (standard size, not deep dish). Chill both the pie plate and the rolled out pie crust for at least 30 minutes.
  • Remove the rolled out pie crust from the refrigerator. Slice it into strips, about 1/2-3/4” per strip. Chill for 10 more minutes.
  • Make filling (see below). Add to chilled pie crust.
  • Remove the sliced crust from the refrigerator. Starting at one edge of the pie, use every other strip from the cut slices and place them equally distant from each other on your pie (space them about the same distance as the width of each strip).
  • Starting at one end of the pie, fold back every other strip and place the shortest remaining strip perpendicular to the strips already on the pie. Lay the folded strips flat.
  • Now, working at the opposite end of the pie, fold back the strips you didn’t fold back the first time. Take the next smallest strip of crust and place it parallel to the strip you just put down. Re-lay the folded strips flat.
  • Continue this process until all the crust has been used. Crimp the edges of the pie as desired.
  • Brush the crust with eggwash and sprinkle sugar on top. Cover the edges with a pie shield. Bake on a cookie sheet (in case of spillover) for 10 minutes at 425°F then reduce the oven temperature to 350°F for an additional 35-45 minutes until the crust starts to turn golden brown. It won’t get fully golden but some parts will start to turn.
  • Preheat oven to 425°F.

Crumble Topped Pie Instructions

  • Roll out your pie crust into a circle with approximately 9-10” diameter. Place pie crust in a 9” pie plate (standard size, not deep dish). Chill for at least 30 minutes.
  • Add sugar, flour and salt for crumble into a large bowl. Whisk to combine. Add the cold diced or grated butter and use a pastry blender to cut in the butter until it forms small crumbs.
  • Remove chilled pie crust from the refrigerator. Add filling (see below). Top with crumble and cover the edges with a pie shield. Bake on an cookie sheet (in case of spillover) for 10 minutes at 425°F then reduce the oven temperature to 350°F for an additional 35-45 minutes until the crust starts to turn golden brown.

How to make Blackberry Pie Filling

  • Mix the berries, sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, and cornstarch in a medium bowl. Toss with your hands. Make sure your berries are thawed and drained before using them so your pie isn’t too liquidy.
  • Immediately place the filling into chilled pie crust, top and bake as directed above.
  • Cool completely before slicing. To help the pie not run, it’s best to chill the cooled pie for a few hours before cutting.
  • Serve with ice cream and/or whipped cream, for garnish.

Video

Notes

  • Frozen Berries: Thaw completely and drain of all excess moisture before using in pie.
  • Be sure to add the berries at the last minute before baking.
  • Always bake on a cookie sheet in case of spillover.
  • I like using a pie crust shield so the outer crust doesn’t get too brown.
  • See my entire post about making crumble topping for more details.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 102kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 16mg | Sodium: 8mg | Potassium: 123mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 178IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 23mg | Iron: 1mg

Other favorite fruit pies:

Tools for success:

The post Blackberry Pie Recipe appeared first on Crazy for Crust.