The Best Premade Pie Crust Options to Jumpstart Your Next Dessert (2024)

FAQs

The Best Premade Pie Crust Options to Jumpstart Your Next Dessert? ›

A brush of butter (and maybe a sprinkle of cookie crumbs) adds moisture and texture. Since store-bought pie crusts have a tendency to dry out, our experts suggest using a moistening agent to imbue the crust with texture and flavor.

A brush of butter (and maybe a sprinkle of cookie crumbs) adds moisture and texture. Since store-bought pie crusts have a tendency to dry out, our experts suggest using a moistening agent to imbue the crust with texture and flavor.

For a slightly richer tasting crust, brush lightly with melted butter. Refrigerate until firm before filling the crust as desired. Repeat the dusting and rolling process with the second crust, and drape it over the pie filling. Crimp the top and bottom crusts together.

Pre-baking the pie crust is only required when making a custard pie OR when making a fresh fruit pie. you should probably get: Pie weights are super helpful to have for pre-baking.

Pillsbury™ Frozen Pie Dough is tender and flaky like puff pastry dough—but denser and buttery like traditional pie crust. And just like all our frozen doughs, they can be handled by any skill level and offer efficient prep with their quick thaw feature and ability to bake frozen on tight timelines.

This tip comes from Dorie, who says: “Brushing the prebaked bottom crust with beaten egg white before filling your pie is helpful, as is brushing it with melted chocolate — both make good raincoats, one more flavorful than the other.” PJ particularly recommends using melted chocolate when making pecan pie for a candy- ...

With docking, the holes allow steam to escape, so the crust should stay flat against the baking dish when it isn't held down by pie weights or a filling. Otherwise the crust can puff up, not only impacting appearance but also leaving you with less space for whatever filling you have planned.

Typically, the crust takes longer to cook than the filling. This is often the case for pie recipes with custard fillings, like this chocolate chess pie, this pumpkin pie, or this rhubarb custard pie. Pre baking the crust for those types of pies will give the pie crust a head start by partially baking it.

Non-chilled crust is fairly crumbly and less smooth, which makes it harder to roll out and means it may not look as polished. It will brown more quickly and the final product will likely be tougher, heavier, and more doughy – none of those in a bad way. It will likely have a more intense, butter flavor.

What is it called when you bake a pie crust before filling? ›

Many sweet and savory pie recipes require pre-baking or "blind baking" a crust. No one really knows where the term got its name, but "blind" baking a crust means baking it without a filling.

Puff pastry and phyllo dough have a lot in common: both are many-layered pastry doughs (unlike the traditional pâté brisée that we use in so many of our recipes), and both bake up with crispy, crunchy, flaky layers, but there are distinct differences.

Lucky for you, easy-bake crescents stand in for traditional puff pastry. It's a classic dessert with convenience!

Claire suggests pairing "citrus zest with fruit pies, warm spices with custard pies, and vanilla with just about anything." Liquid flavoring like fruit juices are not recommended—they add more moisture and can potentially cause tough crusts.

To make this paste, mix two parts flour with one part melted butter and whisk until properly combined. Use this buttery paste to fill in cracks or gaps in the crust the same way you would use the flour-water paste. And, just like the other method, bake until dry.

Another option is brushing with melted butter as a finishing touch. Is it better to use an egg wash or butter on your pie crust? We are Team Egg Wash (or Cream Wash). While melted butter adds more flavor than the washes, it is less effective in look; it gives a speckled appearance to pastry.