How to Blind Bake Pie Crust

Jump to Recipe

Learn how to Blind Bake Pie Crust in this tutorial. Blind baking pie crust helps you avoid soggy or undercooked crusts! You’ll find instructions for both partial baking and fully baking a pie crust below.

overhead: a golden blind baked pie crust

Blind Bake Pie Crust

You may be wondering what blind baking pie crust even means! Well, it’s the process of baking the pie crust without filling it, either part-way (not fully baked) or fully baked.

Why would I ever need to do this, you ask?

It’s important to blind bake pie crust for desserts like lemon meringue, different cream pies, or pies that you fill with pudding. These pies don’t get baked in the oven so you need to make sure to fully bake your pie crust before adding the filling.

Then there are some dishes that need only a partially blind baked crust, like some quiche recipes.

This is because the crust takes longer to bake than the filling. If you were to bake the quiche the length of time it takes to get the crust golden, the filling would be severely overbaked.

Now that you know why you may need to par bake pie crust one day, it’s time to learn how to do it — the right way!

Why You’ll Love Learning How to Par Bake Pie Crust

Get perfectly baked crusts no matter the recipe.
It’s a lot easier than you think…
…and it’s totally worth the extra time and effort!
All you need is a crust and some blind baking beans.

Key Ingredients and Tools Needed for Blind Baking Pie Crust

PIE CRUST – You can use homemade or store-bought.
PIE PLATE – To place the crust inside, of course.
BLIND BAKING BEANS – I love using dry beans as I always have them on hand! You could also use pie weights, dry rice, or even granulated white sugar.
PARCHMENT PAPER OR ALUMINUM FOIL – So the weights don’t damage the crust.

overhead: pie dough being unfolded into a pie plate

How to Prebake Pie Crust

PREPARE THE DOUGH according to your recipe, then roll it out and place in a pie plate. It is very important to make sure the pie dough is touching all sides of the pie plate and there are no air pockets.

Be sure not to stretch the dough to fit the pan but rather lift the dough and use your hand to gently push into place. Trim and crimp edges as desired.

CHILL THE CRUST for at least 30 minutes before baking. This step is very important as it helps the pie not shrink when baking. Especially if you are using an all butter pie crust recipe.

overhead: pie dough being fitted into a pie plate

LINE THE CRUST with either parchment paper or aluminum foil. Make sure the paper or foil is large enough that it extends up the sides of the pie.

FILL THE PIE with pie weights, dry beans, rice, or even white sugar. As a note, you will not be able to use the rice or beans for other recipes. Just save them and label them as beans or rice for pie weights.

Make sure the weights are distributed evenly across the bottom and up the sides when blind baking pie crust. This ensures it holds its shape and doesn’t “slump” while baking.

overhead: pie crust filled with blind baking beans

PLACE THE PIE PLATE on a rimmed baking sheet. Place in a 375 degree F pre-heated oven and bake for 20 minutes.

REMOVE FROM THE OVEN and lift the paper and the weights out of the pie and set aside. Prick the bottom and sides of the pie with a fork. This helps to prevent air pockets from forming.

RETURN TO THE OVEN and blind bake the pie crust for 7-10 mintues or just until the crust begins to brown to get a partially baked crust. For a fully baked crust, bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden.

side view closeup: crust after being blind baked

Tips to Prevent Pie Crust from Shrinking

Chill the dough long enough. If you are using an all butter crust, 30 minutes in the refrigerator will be long enough. If you are using a shortening recipe, you will need longer in the refrigerator, or you can freeze the pie for 20 minutes. This is because shortening doesn’t harden as fast as butter.
Fill the pie high enough with pie weights. You must fill the pie with enough weights to come almost to the top. You can also fill to the top for added insurance.

FAQ

Do I have to use a weight like blind baking beans?

You don’t have to use beans, but you MUST use some kind of weight when you prebake pie crust. The added pressure prevents the crust from puffing up and helps it maintain its shape. If you skip the weights, your crust may bubble up and warp during baking — and no one wants that!

How do I keep the edges of the crust from burning when I parbake pie crust?

If burning is a real concern, I recommend covering the edges with a bit of aluminum foil. This will shield them from direct heat while allowing the center to bake properly! That said, you shouldn’t run into any burning issues if you follow the instructions on the recipe card carefully.

Should I egg wash my pie crust before blind baking?

Nope! Blind baking is done with a plain, unfilled crust, and applying egg wash at this stage is unnecessary. Or worse, it may interfere with the texture of the crust. Save the egg wash for the final baking step when your pie is filled and ready for those finishing touches.

side view: chocolate meringue pie on a stand

More Pie Recipes To Try

Thanks so much for reading! Let me know if you enjoyed learning how to prebake pie crust!

HUNGRY FOR MORE? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram for all my latest updates!