This Ree Drummond Crispy Pie Crust Hack Is Perfect for Cozy Season

Whether you’re baking a deliciously classic pie recipe or one of your own creations, you know how crucial it is to get the pie crust just right. Without a stable foundation, you’ll be left with half-baked dough that can’t seem to keep its form as you remove each piece.

Why does that happen, though? Well, when you combine uncooked pie dough with a soggy pie filling, the moisture never quite cooks all the way out, keeping it from being solid. But don’t worry, the Pioneer Woman has a hack for that!

What’s Ree Drummond’s Hack for Beating Soggy Pie Crusts?

Taste Of Home/Getty Images (2)

It’s all about location, location, location. It matters where we place our food in the oven. Placing our food on the lowest possible rack brings us closer to the oven’s heat source and cooks the food much quicker. This method works incredibly well for baked goods like homemade bread and pie crusts, since it helps to thoroughly brown the bottom. So how do we use this to our advantage?

According to Ree, we should be par-baking our crusts on the lowest oven rack before adding the filling. It helps to brown the bottom while preventing burnt edges when cooking the pie as a whole. When we partially bake the crust beforehand, the now-crispier layer of pie crust has a barrier to moisture and maintains its texture and shape after the filling is added. We’re definitely adding this to our list of grandma’s pie tricks!

Use this hack on some of our best pie recipes of all time to make them even better.

What Are Some Other Pie Hacks from Ree?

Ree also mentions placing the dough in the freezer for about 15 minutes before placing it in the oven. If freezing overnight, she says to leave the dough out to thaw for at least 15 minutes. This method will keep your dough tasty and flaky. She’s got all the best tricks for preventing soggy pie crusts, doesn’t she?

Another tip is to overfill your pie on purpose. According to Ree, pies should always be more, not less! Overfilling will keep your pie looking full and delicious even as it cooks down. And while it’s hard to resist, it’s important to let the pie chill down significantly before cutting into it. This helps guarantee a “firm filling and smooth sides.” Thanks, Ree!