What are the ingredients in Tenderflake pie crust?

November 7, 2025 •

4 min read

Over 70 years of baking tradition is behind Tenderflake, with a key differentiator being its use of lard for flakiness. Understanding what are the ingredients in Tenderflake pie crust reveals that the formula varies depending on the specific product, with both classic lard-based and vegetable shortening versions available for different dietary needs and preferences.

Quick Summary

This article details the specific ingredients found in both the traditional lard-based and the all-vegetable shortening Tenderflake pie crusts, explaining how each component contributes to the final pastry's texture and flavor. It provides a comprehensive overview of the different product formulations.

Key Points

Lard-Based Ingredients: The classic Tenderflake pie crust is made with flour (wheat), lard, water, whey powder (milk), sugar, sea salt, and sunflower lecithin.
Vegetable Shortening Alternative: For those avoiding animal products, Tenderflake offers an all-vegetable shortening version with modified palm and canola oil instead of lard.
Lard's Role in Flakiness: Lard has a high melting point, which creates pockets of steam during baking, resulting in an exceptionally flaky texture.
Other Key Components: Ingredients like whey powder and sugar contribute to browning and flavor, while cold water binds the dough and helps prevent excessive gluten development.
Homemade Recipe: Traditional homemade versions of Tenderflake pie crust often include flour, lard, salt, cold water, and sometimes an egg and vinegar to achieve maximum flakiness and tenderness.
Comparison for Bakers: The choice between lard and vegetable shortening affects both the texture and flavor, with lard providing richer taste and slightly superior flakiness.

Tenderflake's Classic Lard Pie Crust: A Look at the Ingredients

For generations, the name Tenderflake has been synonymous with flaky, tender pie crusts, a reputation largely built on its classic lard-based recipe. The secret to its signature texture lies in the high-quality rendered lard used, which creates steam pockets during baking for a layered, flaky result. The ingredients in the original Tenderflake pie crust include: Flour (wheat), Lard, Water, Whey Powder (milk), Sugar, Sea Salt, and Sunflower Lecithin. Each component plays a crucial role in the crust's final quality.

Flour (Wheat): Provides the fundamental structure for the pastry. The type of flour used, typically enriched wheat flour, ensures the dough can be worked and rolled without falling apart.
Lard: The star ingredient, lard is rendered pork fat with a higher melting point than butter, which is why it excels at creating extra-flaky crusts. As the lard melts in the oven, it creates pockets of steam that lift the layers of dough.
Water: Acts as a binding agent, holding the dough together and helping to form the gluten structure. Using cold water is a key technique to prevent the fat from melting too early during the mixing process.
Whey Powder (Milk): A dairy-based ingredient that contributes to the crust's browning and flavor. The milk solids help create a golden finish and a slightly richer taste.
Sugar: A small amount of sugar is included to aid with browning and to balance the savory flavors, making the crust versatile for both sweet and savory pies.
Sea Salt: Enhances the overall flavor profile of the crust.
Sunflower Lecithin: An emulsifier that helps bind the fat and water, ensuring a consistent texture and smooth dough.

The All-Vegetable Shortening Alternative

Recognizing a need for different dietary options, Tenderflake also produces an all-vegetable shortening version of their deep-dish pie shells. This alternative offers a similar flaky texture but with a different fat source. The ingredients list for the vegetable shortening deep-dish shells includes: Flour (wheat), Modified Palm and Canola Oil Shortening, Water, Sugar, Whey Powder (milk), Sea Salt, Sunflower Lecithin, and Baking Soda. The key difference here is the use of plant-based shortening instead of animal-based lard.

Comparing Lard vs. Vegetable Shortening in Pie Crusts

When it comes to the fat used in pie crust, the choice between lard and vegetable shortening has a significant impact on the final product. The difference is more than just dietary; it affects texture, flavor, and how the dough handles during preparation. Lard is often praised for its ability to create an exceptionally flaky, tender crust due to its unique crystalline structure and high melting point. Vegetable shortening, made from hydrogenated vegetable oils, also has a high melting point, making it easy to work with and resulting in a crisp crust. However, it is often considered to have less flavor compared to lard.


Feature	Lard-Based Tenderflake Pie Crust	All-Vegetable Shortening Tenderflake Pie Crust
Fat Source	Rendered Pork Fat (Lard)	Modified Palm and Canola Oil Shortening
Flakiness	Exceptionally flaky due to large fat crystals and high melting point	Very flaky, but may be slightly different in texture compared to lard
Flavor	Rich, savory, and traditional flavor	Neutral flavor, allowing the pie filling's taste to dominate
Workability	Higher melting point makes dough easy to handle and less prone to melting	High melting point also makes this dough easy to work with and roll
Suitability	Ideal for classic, traditional pie recipes, both sweet and savory	A suitable vegetarian alternative that still delivers a flaky crust

Homemade Tenderflake-Style Pie Crust

For those who prefer a hands-on approach, replicating the Tenderflake style at home is a popular practice. Many classic recipes, often based on the instructions formerly found on the side of the original Tenderflake lard box, call for simple ingredients: flour, lard, salt, cold water, and sometimes an egg and vinegar. The vinegar is believed to help tenderize the dough by reducing gluten formation. The key to success is to keep all ingredients, especially the lard and water, as cold as possible and to avoid overworking the dough. The goal is to have pea-sized pieces of fat remaining in the flour mixture to ensure maximum flakiness.

Conclusion: The Foundation of a Flaky Pie

Whether you choose the traditional lard-based formula or the all-vegetable shortening alternative, understanding what are the ingredients in Tenderflake pie crust helps in appreciating the science behind a perfectly flaky pastry. The fundamental principle relies on the correct type and handling of fat, combined with minimal manipulation, to create the tender layers that have made the brand a baking staple for decades. The availability of both options means home bakers can achieve a consistently flaky crust regardless of their dietary needs, making Tenderflake a versatile choice for any pie recipe.

What do you want to do now? Explore the world of baking and understand what makes the best pie crust with resources like this article from Epicurious on shortening vs. butter.

Frequently Asked Questions

The traditional Tenderflake pie crust uses lard, which is rendered pork fat, as its primary fat source to achieve its signature flaky texture.

Yes, Tenderflake offers an all-vegetable shortening version of their deep-dish pie shells, which substitutes animal-based lard with a blend of modified palm and canola oil.

The flakiness comes from the fat, specifically lard's high melting point. As the crust bakes, the lard creates steam pockets that lift and separate the dough layers, resulting in a flaky pastry.

No, the ingredients vary. Some products, like the classic pie shells, contain lard, while others, like the all-vegetable shortening deep-dish shells, use a plant-based oil blend.

Yes, many modern Tenderflake products, including those with vegetable shortening, are labeled as trans fat-free. It is always best to check the most current product packaging for specific nutritional information.

Whey powder, a milk-derived ingredient, is added to the crust to enhance browning and contribute to its flavor profile.

Yes, many recipes replicate the traditional Tenderflake style using ingredients like flour, lard, salt, cold water, and sometimes an egg and vinegar. The key is using very cold ingredients and avoiding overworking the dough.