How To Blind Bake A Pie Crust
Get helpful tips on how to blind-bake a pie crust to achieve perfection every time!
Blind-baking means baking a pie crust before adding in a filling. Some recipes with no-bake fillings, such as tarts and custards, will require baking the pastry crust completely.
Other recipes will recommend par-baking the crust since the filling will need some time in the oven to cook. Blind-baking works well for both shortcrust pastry and flaky pie crust recipes.
Why Blind Bake a Crust
- Reduces the chance of pies having an unevenly baked, soggy bottom crust.
- It is required for recipes with no-bake pie fillings.
- Allows the crust to stay crisp longer after the filling is added.
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Freeze the pie crust for at least 1 hour before baking to reduce shrinking or collapsing.
2. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
3. If you haven’t done so before, prick the frozen pie crust with a fork. Then cover with a sheet of parchment paper or aluminum foil. Use heavy-duty foil. It is less likely to tear than regular foil and is more likely to hold up when pulling the pie weights or substitutions out of the crust.
4. Fill with pie weights or dried beans. They help to keep the pie crust in place and reduce shrinking. Stella Parks of Serious Eats also recommends using granulated sugar. It will be nicely toasted, and you can use it as usual in other recipes.
5. To prevent the edges from browning too quickly, cover with foil strips or a pie crust shield.
6. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes. The weights should remain in the pie the entire time.
7. Carefully remove the parchment paper and pie weights and allow the crust to cool before adding a filling.
Pre-Baking a Store Bought Crust
Most store bought crusts are going to be thinner than homemade crusts. Follow the directions on the store package for the best results.
Baking a Homemade Crust vs. Store-bought
Blind baking a homemade crust will be more challenging than a store bought one.
Homemade crusts usually have high fat content, and since fat melts at high temperatures, the sides of the pie crust can collapse down the side of the pan.
Air pockets are another challenge in blind baking a homemade pie crust. Docking, or poking holes into the bottom of the crust, can help eliminate some of these problems. Using pie weights or pie weight substitutes will help too.
Leaving the pie weights in the pan the whole time the crust is in the oven eliminates the need to dock the crust and keeps the sides from shrinking too much.
This is another recommendation by Stella Parks, which has worked well every time I’ve made vegan pie crusts.