How to Make a Lattice Pie Crust

Our Lattice Pie Crust Recipe is a beautiful way to finish fruit pies, holiday pies, and any pie that deserves a pretty homemade touch. This buttery homemade pie dough is rolled, cut into strips, and woven over the filling for that classic lattice pattern.

We love using this for Apple Pie, Cherry Pie, Blueberry Pie, Peach Pie, and berry pies because the filling can bubble through the openings while the crust bakes golden and flaky. It takes a few extra minutes, but the finished pie always looks so special.

Why you’ll love it + Why it works:

Bakery Style Results: A lattice crust gives homemade pies a beautiful, professional looking finish.
Easy to Learn: Once you understand the weaving pattern, it becomes quick and simple.
Even Strips: Uniform strips create a neat lattice pattern that bakes evenly.
Impresses Every Time: It’s an easy technique that makes any homemade pie look extra special.

Lattice Pie Crust Ingredients

Prepared pie dough: Forms the woven lattice top and bakes into a flaky, golden crust. Homemade or store-bought pie dough both work well.
Flour (for dusting): Prevents the dough from sticking to your work surface while rolling and cutting.
Egg wash (optional): Brushed over the finished lattice to create a beautifully golden, glossy crust during baking.

Use Homemade Pie Crust

Use our no-fail Homemade Pie Crust recipe. It makes two crusts, and we use one for the bottom and one for the lattice pie crust on top.

How to Make a Lattice Pie Crust

Homemade pie crust ingredients in mixing bowl.

Homemade pie crust recipe being made in mixing bowl.

Do you remember making checkered placemats with two different colors of paper in grade school? Creating a lattice pie crust is a lot like that! It’s a fun way to weave strips of dough into a beautiful pattern. Here’s a tutorial on how to do it with step-by-step photos:

PREP. Chill your dough in the fridge for about 30 minutes before you begin. This helps it stay firm and makes it easier to roll out.

Sprinkle flour over your work surface, then grab a rolling pin to roll out the pie crust on that lightly floured surface. Roll the dough into a circle about 2 inches larger than your pie plate. Then, use a pizza cutter to cut the dough into longer strips, about ½ to 1 inch wide.

An unfinished homemade apple pie without the top crust.

An uncooked apple pie with the beginning step of making a lattice pie crust.

WEAVE. Take half of the dough strips and lay them vertically across the pie filling, spacing them evenly apart.

Fold back every other strip halfway, then place a horizontal strip across the unfolded strips.

Unfold the folded strips back over the horizontal strip.

Fold back the remaining vertical strips that weren’t folded before, then lay down another horizontal strip next to the first one.

Repeat the folding and laying process with the remaining strips until you’ve created a lattice pattern.

Finished lattice pie crust recipe on top of apple pie.

FINISHING TOUCHES. Use a sharp knife to trim the excess dough from the edges of the pie dish. Press the edges of the lattice strips and bottom crust together to seal them. Crimp the edges of the pie using your thumb and index finger to create a decorative border.

Use a pastry brush to apply an egg wash to your lattice crust for a golden brown finish.

Kristyn’s Recipe Tips

Keep the dough and butter cold throughout the process so the crust bakes up flaky and the lattice strips stay easy to lift and weave.
Add the ice water slowly, using just enough for the dough to hold together without becoming wet.
Chill the dough for at least 2 hours before rolling, and if the strips get too soft while weaving, refrigerate the pie for 10 to 15 minutes before continuing.
Use a ruler or pizza cutter if you want perfectly even strips for a more uniform lattice, but don’t worry if one tears, just press it back together with your fingers.
Make-ahead tip: prepare the dough discs up to 2 days ahead and keep them wrapped in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Lattice pie crust design on top of apple pie recipe.

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Lattice Pie Crust Recipe

By: Kristyn Merkley

This Lattice Pie Crust is flaky, buttery, and made with a classic homemade pie dough, perfect for fruit pies and holiday desserts.

Servings: 16

Ingredients

▢ 2¾ cups all-purpose flour
▢ 2 teaspoons sugar
▢ 1 teaspoon salt
▢ 1½ cups unsalted butter, cold and cut into tablespoons
▢ 6-9 tablespoons ice cold water
▢ 1 egg for egg wash
▢ 1 tablespoon water or milk for egg wash
▢ coarse sugar optional

Instructions

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt.
Cut the cold butter into tablespoons and add it to the dry ingredients. Using a pastry blender, cut the butter into the flour mixture until the butter is in pea-size pieces.
Add 6 tablespoons of ice cold water and mix with a fork until combined. If the dough is too dry, continue adding water 1 tablespoon at a time until the crust comes together and looks clumpy. The dough should be shaggy and slightly dry, not wet.
Turn the mixture onto a lightly floured surface. Fold the dough into itself, kneading lightly, until it comes together. Form the dough into a ball and divide it into two equal pieces.
Pat each piece into a flat disc, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
On a lightly floured surface, roll one dough disc into a 13-inch circle. Place it into a 9-inch pie dish and gently press it into the bottom and sides. Add your desired pie filling.
Roll the second dough disc into a circle about 12 inches wide. Use a pizza cutter or sharp knife to cut the dough into long strips, about ½ to 1 inch wide.
Lay half of the dough strips vertically over the pie filling, spacing them evenly apart.
Fold back every other vertical strip halfway. Place one horizontal strip across the unfolded strips, then lay the folded strips back over it.
Fold back the opposite vertical strips, then place another horizontal strip next to the first. Continue folding and layering strips until a lattice pattern covers the pie.
Trim any excess dough from the edges of the pie dish. Press the lattice strips and bottom crust together to seal, then crimp the edges with your fingers.
In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and 1 tablespoon water or milk. Brush the egg wash over the lattice crust. Sprinkle with coarse sugar, if desired.
Bake according to your pie filling recipe, or until the filling is bubbling and the crust is golden brown.

Notes

Recipe Tips

Chill the dough before rolling so it stays firm and easier to work with.
Use very cold butter and ice water for the flakiest crust.
If the lattice strips get too soft while assembling, place them in the refrigerator for 5 to 10 minutes.
A thicker strip, about 1 inch wide, gives a more rustic look. A thinner strip, about ½ inch wide, looks more delicate.

Nutrition

Calories: 237kcal, Carbohydrates: 17g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 18g, Saturated Fat: 11g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 56mg, Sodium: 152mg, Potassium: 32mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 547IU, Calcium: 10mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Recipe FAQ

Make ahead of time?

Assemble the lattice top ahead of time and keep it covered in the fridge until you’re ready to bake. Just be sure not to let it sit out for too long to avoid sogginess.

Can I freeze a lattice pie?

Freeze the assembled pie before baking. Just wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil, then bake it directly from the freezer when you’re ready.

Do I need to pre bake the bottom crust?

It’s usually not necessary to pre bake the bottom crust unless your pie recipe specifically calls for it. Most fruit pies will bake just fine with the lattice top applied directly.