The Best Premade Pie Crust Options as Chosen by Baking Pros
Updated: Sep. 26, 2023
Make quick work of your next bake by starting with the best premade pie crust. Here are our pros' top picks for shortcut sweets.
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Searching for the Best Premade Pie Crusts
Holiday baking season is right around the corner, and you know what that means: pies—lots and lots of pies. Between Thanksgiving, Friendsgiving and Christmas, there’s a lot of pie going in the oven. While a homemade butter pie crust can’t be beat, making everything from scratch isn’t always in the cards during a busy baking season. That’s where the best premade pie crust comes in.
How We Tested Pie Crusts
In efforts to find a reliable option to keep stashed in the freezer or fridge, our Test Kitchen team sampled seven different brands. For this taste test, each crust was baked according to the packages’ directions and judged with these criteria in mind:
- Appearance: How does the crust look? Is it golden and something we can’t wait to taste? Does it look store-bought? Could it pass as homemade?
- Aroma:Â How does the crust smell? Like real butter? Delicious?
- Texture:Â Is the crust flaky? Tender? Crispy around the edges?
- Flavor:Â Does the crust taste good? Is it sweet? Could it work for savory pies?
After tasting, the identity of each pie was revealed. Here are our pros’ top picks:
- Best Premade Pie Crust for Sweet Pies: Pillsbury Deep Dish Pie Crusts
- Best Premade Pie Crust for Savory Pies: Marie Callender’s Frozen Deep Dish Pastry Pie Shells
- Best Refrigerated Pie Crust: Pillsbury Refrigerated Pie Crusts
Best Premade Pie Crust for Sweet Pies
Pillsbury Deep Dish Pie Crusts
Want to make a homemade dessert in a jiff? Get a head start with Pillsbury Deep Dish Pie Crusts. These premade crusts can be found in the frozen section of the grocery store.
These premade pie crusts brown up evenly in the oven. The result is a tender and flaky crust. While the crust is thin, it can hold up to rich cream fillings and plenty of fruit. The deep dish shape of this frozen pastry also provides you with plenty of room to layer in your favorite flavors.
Pillsbury’s frozen pie crust also has a touch of sugar in the recipe, which makes it the right choice for desserts of all kinds (skip making your bacon quiche in this one).
Best Premade Pie Crust for Savory Pies
Marie Callender’s Frozen Deep Dish Pastry Pie Shells
Want a quick start for your next quiche? Reach for Marie Callender’s Pie Shells in your grocery store’s frozen foods section.
These pie crusts have a lovely buttery flavor with so many flaky layers. “The texture reminds me the most of a homemade pie crust—pretty impressive!” says Ellie Crowley in the Test Kitchen.
Unlike many other crusts our pros sampled, Marie Callender’s doesn’t have an especially sweet flavor profile. This means you can use this premade pie crust for all kinds of recipes—including breakfast, pot pie and more.
Our Test Kitchen’s one word of advice with this crust: Bake it a few minutes longer than the package suggests. This ensures it turns a perfect golden brown.
Best Refrigerated Pie Crust
Pillsbury Refrigerated Pie Crusts
Refrigerated pie crusts are a shopping list staple—especially Pillsbury Refrigerated Pie Crusts.
The biggest advantage of opting for a refrigerated pie crust versus a frozen one is the form. These rolled crusts can be unrolled and shaped any way you like. Use these crusts to make a lattice-topped pie, decorative pie crusts or even easy pan-free galettes.
Pillsbury’s riff on refrigerated pie dough was our team’s favorite. This crust baked up with a “great golden color,” according to Ellie. The texture of this crust was thin and crisp but sturdy enough to stand up to various fillings.
Another reason we love this crust: It’s not overly sweet so you can use it for desserts or savory recipes.
Check Out More Test Kitchen-Preferred Products
Our Test Kitchen is constantly testing food, kitchen gadgets and cleaning gear looking for brands that deserve the right to be called Test Kitchen-Preferred.
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