Have a no-bake pie recipe? A custard pie? Banana Cream Pie is a favorite in our house! Lots of pies need a pre-baked pie crust. Lucky for you, it’s easy to blind bake pie crust!
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My husband’s favorite pie is Banana Cream Pie (recipe coming soon!). It’s a no-bake pie, so the crust has to be baked ahead of time, also called “blind baking”.
Lucky for you, blind baking a pie crust is barely any more work than making the crust in the first place.
Click here for my Yummiest Pie Crust Recipe. For quick tips on how to roll a perfect pie crust circle, click here. To blind bake, keep reading!
Cover the Pie Crust
When you have your pie crust rolled out and transferred to the pie plate, cover the dough with either parchment paper or aluminum foil, shiny-side down. Both options work well. Use whatever you have.
Pie Weights: Fancy vs. Cheap
Filling the crust with weights stops any bubbles from forming and keeps a nice flat bottom. You can either use ceramic pie weights like these (Amazon link) or use the cheap cheat: dried beans, like these (Amazon link).
I use pinto beans because they’re incredibly affordable and last forever! You can reuse the same beans again and again. One pound of beans fills 1 pie crust perfectly. (Just don’t accidentally try to cook your pie weights!)
Blind Bake Pie Crust
Pop your pie crust into a preheated oven and bake about 20 minutes.
Carefully remove the hot weights and parchment paper or aluminum foil. Poke the pie crust several times with the tines of a fork.
Bake the pie crust for an additional 5-10 minutes until lightly golden.
If any bubbles begin to form in the crust while baking, remove it from the oven, poke the center of the bubble with a fork and gently smooth it down with the back of a spoon. Return to the oven to finish baking.
When it’s golden in the center, it’s done! Cool completely before storing or filling.
Complete Your Pie
Fill your delicious baked pie crust with whatever your heart desires! My family loves Banana Cream Pie!
Can I Blind Bake Pie Crust in Advance?
Yes!! I always make my pre-baked pie crusts the day before I want to make the actual pie. There’s only so much extra work I can do in one day!
How to Store Blind Baked Pie Crust
If you’re finishing the pie the next day, you can leave the baked pie crust loosely covered with a kitchen towel overnight at room temperature.
If you plan to finish the pie in 2 days, wrap it in plastic wrap and store at room temperature.
If baking more than 2 days later, wrap it tightly in plastic and freeze (up to 2 months).
Happy Baking!
What’s your favorite pie that needs a blind baked pie crust? Comment below!
How to Blind Bake Pie Crust
Equipment
- 1 pie plate
- 1 lb Pie Weights (ceramic pie weights or dried beans)
Ingredients
- 1 pie crust
Instructions
- Roll out pie dough into a circle about 2 inches larger than pie plate and transfer to pie plate.
- Rest in fridge at least 30 minutes before baking.
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Cover crust with parchment paper or aluminum foil, shiny side down. Fill with pie weights.
- Bake 20 minutes.
- Carefully remove hot pie weights and parchment paper or foil. Prick pie crust all over with tines of a fork. Return crust to oven and bake an additional 5-10 minutes until lightly golden all over.
- If any bubbles begin to form, poke center with tines of a fork and gently smooth the bubble down with the back of a spoon.
- Cool completely.
- Use crust within 2 days or freeze for longer storage.
Notes
- I recommend using a half-recipe of my Yummiest Pie Crust.
- Click here to learn the How to Roll Pie Crust in a Perfect Circle.
- Rest rolled-out pie dough in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to avoid shrinking while baking.
- If resting for longer than 30 minutes, cover dough with plastic wrap to avoid drying out.
- If using blind baked pie crust in 1 day, you can store it at room temperature, loosely covered with a kitchen towel.
- If using blind baked pie crust in 2 days, wrap with plastic wrap and store at room temperature.
- For longer storage, wrap tightly with plastic wrap and freeze up to 2 months.
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