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How to Make a Lattice Top for a Pie Crust

How to Make a Lattice Top for a Pie Crust

A woven lattice pie crust can make a homemade pie look so pretty. As intimidating as it might look to the non-weavers among us, weaving a lattice pie crust top is actually quite easy to do. Watch out though, you might experience flashbacks of kindergarten and construction paper.

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How to Make a Lattice Top for a Pie Crust

  • Prep time: 10 minutes

Method

1 Before starting the lattice top, roll out half of your pie dough and line your pie dish with it. The dough should extend beyond the rim of the pie dish by about half an inch. Put it in the refrigerator to chill while you work on the lattice. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the other half of your pie dough to the same extent as the first half (about 3 inches beyond the diameter of your pie dish). It's easier to work with the dough if it is chilled, so if it the dough has softened too much, put the rolled-out piece on a flat cookie sheet and chill it in the refrigerator or freezer for a few minutes.

lattice-pie-crust-1.jpg lattice-pie-crust-2.jpg

2 Cut the dough into even strips, 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch wide, depending on how thick you want your lattice strips. You can use a blunt knife with or without a ruler or straight edge to guide you, or you can use a pizza wheel or a pastry wheel if you have one.

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3 Fill your pie shell with the pie filling. Lay out 4 to 7 parallel strips of the pie dough, depending on how thick your strips are, on top of the filling, with about 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch space between them. Fold back every other strip.

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4 Place one long strip of dough perpendicular to the parallel strips as shown. Unfold the folded strips over the perpendicular strip.

lattice-pie-crust-7.jpg lattice-pie-crust-8.jpg

5 Now take the parallel strips that are running underneath the perpendicular strip and fold them back over the perpendicular strip, as shown. Lay down a second perpendicular strip of dough next to the first strip, with some space between the strips. Unfold the folded parallel strips over the second strip.

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lattice-pie-crust-11.jpg lattice-pie-crust-12.jpg

6 Continue this process until the weave is complete over the top of the pie.

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7 Trim the edges of the strips flush with the dough of the underlying pie dish, which should be about half an inch over the sides. Fold back the rim of the shell over the edge of the lattice strips, and crimp to secure.

lattice-pie-crust-15.jpg lattice-pie-crust-16.jpg
Left: 3/4-inch strips. Right: 1/2-inch strips

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29 Comments

Very cool. Thanks for the photos.

Posted by: Mary on May 18, 2007 7:04 PM

I am duly impressed (she who has only made a couple of pies in her whole life, and never with lattice crust.) My grandma Peterson made the best pie and she used to do this, so it brings back great memories.

Posted by: Kalyn on May 18, 2007 8:24 PM

Thanks for the tip. I haven't made a lattice top in years, but being reminded is nice.

Posted by: Maggie on May 18, 2007 11:04 PM

Beautiful crust, and I'm amazed that you can get such great pictures while you're doing everything step-by-step! Good reference.

Posted by: Sara, Ms. Adventures in Italy on May 19, 2007 12:03 AM

Lovely crust. Thank you for making it so easy. I now want to make a pie. My project for the next week.

Posted by: joanne on May 19, 2007 9:12 PM

All that work - and then the pie disappears in seconds! But it makes you feel good.

Posted by: Trig on May 20, 2007 7:44 AM

Thanks for the step-by-step pictures! I love making homemade pie crust, but I've never tried a lattice top.

Posted by: Deborah on May 20, 2007 9:12 AM

What a great post! Your pictures are gorgeous.

Posted by: Tea on May 21, 2007 1:50 AM

Elise
I really appreciate your step by step photos
and instructions.

Linda

Posted by: Linda on May 21, 2007 6:03 PM

The real skill here is that you made a lattice pie crust with...only one hand!

How you photographed it, while putting it together, is quite a feat. I've never seen anyone do that before.

Quite impressive Elise! : )

Posted by: David on May 22, 2007 4:33 AM

This is great. I could never figure out how and your pictures explain all. Thanks.

Posted by: Rasa Malaysia on May 22, 2007 12:46 PM

Wow, this is fantastic, and so easy!, Thanks!

Posted by: Renee on May 24, 2007 9:50 PM

As a novice baker, I really appreciate this post. I have ambitions to make some fruit pies this summer, and with your step-by-step photos, I might just work up the courage to do a lattice top. Thanks, Elise!

Posted by: Susan from Food "Blogga" on May 25, 2007 10:37 AM

Hmmm.. been making lattice top pies for years but always the hard way (tucking each individual crust slice under then over then under and NOT rolling the crusts back!). I'll have to give this a shot.. Thanks!

Posted by: Jon on May 30, 2007 4:37 PM

Thank you. Your detailed instructions and clear photographs give me courage and confidence!

Posted by: Lattice Novice on November 20, 2007 5:25 PM

Thanks for sharing your tips. This was my first time making a lattice crust. The step by step instruction were great. My customer is going to be very surpised.

Posted by: Stephanie on December 24, 2008 8:08 PM

Thank you for these tips! I've never made lattice tops before, but want to try it for an apple pie this weekend. If it works out, it'll be on my blog. ;)

Posted by: Rachelle @ "Mommy? I"m Hungry!" on April 29, 2009 5:01 PM

Thanks for your easy instructions on making a lattice top. My 11 yr old daughter decided to make a cherry pie. After careful consideration, she tried to bow out of making a lattice top as it looked difficult for her. I brought her in front of the computer and found your instructions. We did it step by step. As we neared the end, I asked her, "Now, it wasn't as hard as you thought, huh?" The only thing extra we did was brush egg white for a lil' glaze to it.

Thank you so much for your directions. The pie looks fabulous.

Posted by: Lynne & Nia on June 17, 2009 3:47 PM

That's awesome and just what I was looking for! Thank you so much!

Posted by: John Deere Mom on August 5, 2009 9:56 AM

Lovely instruction with clear step-by-step pictures to follow! I now have a little more confident to perhaps try out this technique sometimes soon!

Thanks for posting and for sharing!

Posted by: Adelina on August 20, 2009 10:43 AM

I'm a new baker/cooker.

I really want to try my hands at making a lattice topped pie. Thanks for the instructions because I always wondered how it was done.

Posted by: dani on September 1, 2009 9:49 PM

Thanks so much! I had to make an apple pie for a project and I use this. It was simple and easy! I am only 13 and you made it clear and simple for even me to understand! Thanks! :)

Posted by: Ma-Ryssa Martin on October 13, 2009 4:52 PM

Hello Elise,
Thank you so much posting this. I wanted to make the lattice top for a pie,but was withholding it because I thought it was so difficult. But your step by step instructions was really good that I never thought this was such fun and easy thing to do. Thanks once again for posting this.

Posted by: Meghna on January 8, 2010 4:48 PM

Thank you so much! I just made my first lattice crust on a boysenberry pie, and was so incredibly proud. :) The pictures helped me a lot!

Posted by: Alex on July 12, 2010 11:36 PM

Thank you soo much! Im in a foods class right now, and tomorrow we have a practical test on making a lattice top (we've never done this before) and were not allowed to ask questions, so this really helps and the pics are really detailed

Posted by: meg on May 9, 2011 4:44 PM

Darn! I just made this, but forget to do it longer than the actual pan & fold up. If anyone reads this within the next hour, any heads up if it will be problematic? Thanks, JBR.

Posted by: JBR on November 1, 2011 8:47 AM

Well the bottom crust will at least still be great! The crust will shrink a little bit while baking so the lattice top on the pie is going to just be sitting on top, so the presentation isnt going to be splended by any means but it wont be a total failure either. At least people who will look at your pie will see the time consuming lattice work (without knowing your tricks)and realize that you just didnt have enough dough to tuck it all in and fold it all together on the edges. GOOD LUCK!

Posted by: For JBR on November 4, 2011 11:53 AM

what is the purpose of putting the dough inside the refrigerater before cooking?

You mean before rolling it out, or trying to make a lattice crust? Lightly chilled dough will be easier to handle. If it is too chilled, you won't be able to easily roll it out. If it is too warm, the dough may be too sticky and may stretch too much when you work with it. ~Elise

Posted by: noraili hasidin on November 21, 2011 12:31 AM

Thank you so much for wonderful instructions!!! We made a beautiful lattice pie based on your recipe! It was a family affair and we had a great time!

Posted by: Mimi Wan on November 23, 2011 6:49 PM

I apologize for the inconvenience, comments are closed. ~Elise

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