It’s pie week here at Sugar Spun Run, and today’s topic is blind baking! Yesterday I shared my easy recipe for homemade pie crust, and today I’m taking things one step further to show you how to blind bake pie crust. Some bakers are intimidated by this practice, but it’s actually very simple and a great skill to have in your repertoire. Blind baking simply means baking your pie crust without any filling. Bakers do this to either a) cook their crust separately from their filling (for no-bake pies) or b) prevent a soggy bottom. When you blind bake, you can either fully bake your crust before filling (like I do with my chocolate pie and pumpkin pie), or you can partially bake it (also known as par-baking; more on this below). Either way, you’ll be left with a deliciously flaky, sturdy crust that is a far cry from the sad, soggy pie crusts of the past. Let’s dive in!
What You Need to Blind Bake Pie Crust
Knowing how to blind bake a pie crust is an essential skill that every baker should have. It’s simple and easy too–here’s what you need:
Pie crust. You’ll need one prepared pie crust. I recommend using my pie crust recipe, but a store-bought crust will work too. Make sure your dough has been chilled before you start to roll it out. Pie weights. I prefer using traditional pie weights (and link to the ones I use in the recipe), but you could also use pennies, sugar, rice or dry beans in a pinch. Keep in mind that if you use sugar, your pie can take a longer time to bake (but you can re-use the sugar afterwards!)Parchment/foil. I used parchment, but if foil is all you have, you can use that too. Lay a piece of this down before your pie weights for easy removal. Make sure you cut your piece to be long enough so that you can remove it without burning yourself!
HOW TO PREVENT CRUST FROM SHRINKING: The best way to do this is to use a thick crust that you gently press into the top/rim of the pie plate. Fluting or crimping is great for this! It’s also very important to fill the pie dish with pie weights that are high enough to keep the sides from shrinking in.
How to Blind Bake a Pie Crust
SAM’S TIP: Don’t forget to dock your crust! “Docking” the pie crust, or piercing all over with a fork, allows steam to escape and keeps the bottom of the crust from bubbling up. I always do this after removing the pie weights, but sometimes I do it before too. Enjoy!
A few pie recipes that call for a blind-baked crust:
Blueberry PieCoconut Cream PiePecan PieBanana Cream Pie
Let’s bake together! I’ll be walking you through all the steps in my written recipe and video below! If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram, and you can also find me on YouTube and Facebook
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