How to Blind-Bake a Pie Crust for a Perfect Fill

Making a pie that calls for the bottom crust to be fully baked or partially baked before filling? Here’s how to:

Roll out the pastry
Fit the pastry into a pie plate
Shape the edges
And partially or fully bake the crust before filling it

Pie dough that's been fitted into a glass pie plate and is ready to be baked.

First of all, here’s my absolute favorite recipe for making pie crust: Foolproof Pie Crust. I’ve been making this recipe for over 25 years and it never lets me down. Mix up the dough and chill it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or up to 5 days.

How to Pre-Bake or Partially Pre-Bake a Bottom Pie Crust

#1. Preheat the oven and prepare a foil liner.

Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C). Tear off a large piece of aluminum foil, about 16 inches long. Invert a pie plate on the counter and press the foil around it so the foil takes the shape of the pan. Remove the foil, keeping the shape intact, and set it aside. Return the pie plate to its normal position.

#2. Roll out the pastry and fit it into the pie plate.

Lightly flour a clean work surface and keep about ½ cup of extra flour nearby. Place the chilled dough on the floured surface, dust the top with flour, and roll it into a 14-inch circle. Using a large, flat spatula, fold the dough in half and then in half again into a triangle. Position the triangle in a 9½-inch pie pan with the point in the center, then gently unfold the dough to cover the pan.

Rolling out from scratch foolproof pie crust.

Ease the dough into the pan with your fingers, pressing it into the corners and letting the edges drape over the rim.

Folding rolled out pie crust pastry before placing it in a pie plate to bake.

Pressing a rolled out sheet of pie dough into a pie plate.

Pie crust dough fitted into a pie plate before the edges are trimmed.

#3. Trim and shape the edges of the dough.

Trim any excess so no more than about 1 inch hangs over the pan. Fold the overhang under itself to form a neat roll that rests on the rim. To crimp, place one hand inside the crust and one on the outside; use the index finger of the inside hand and the thumb and index finger of the outside hand to push the dough into a U- or V-shaped edge. Continue around the pan.

Crimping the edges of a pie crust before baking.

The bottom pie crust, fitted into a pie plate and ready to bake.

#4. Weigh down the pastry.

Gently press the shaped foil liner over the crust and fold the foil’s edges over the crust, taking care not to damage the crimped edge. Add 1–2 pounds of dried beans or pie weights on top of the foil to keep the crust from puffing up during the first stage of baking. (Reusable dried beans stored in a zip-top bag work well.)

Weighting down pie dough with dried beans before baking it.

#5. Bake the pastry.

Place the pan in the center of the preheated oven and bake at 400°F for 17 minutes. Remove the pan and carefully lift the foil and beans away.

Use a fork to dock the bottom of the crust by piercing it 10–12 times, twisting slightly with each pierce to widen the holes.

Poking holes in the bottom of a pie crust before baking.

Return the pan to the oven, reduce the temperature to 375°F, and bake another 10–12 minutes for a partially baked (parbaked) shell, or 17–20 minutes for a fully baked shell. A fully baked crust will be a light golden color. Remove and cool on a wire rack until ready to fill.

The bottom pie crust in a pie plate, ready to bake.

How to Keep the Edges of the Pie Crust from Burning

If the edges look like they might over-brown while fully baking, protect them with foil:

Cut two pieces of aluminum foil about 24 inches long and lay them on a baking sheet so they cross at right angles.
Set the pie in the center, then lift the foil and loosely crimp it up and over the crust edges so they are covered. This shields the rim from direct heat while the bottom cooks to a golden color.

A Few of My Favorite Pie Recipes:

Caramel Apple Pie
Pecan Pie Without Corn Syrup
German Apple Pie
The Best Blueberry Pie
Sweet Cherry Crumb Pie
Mixed Berry Plum Pie
Chocolate Cream Pie
Coconut Cream Pie

📖 Recipe

How To Pre-Bake a Pie Crust

Yield:
1 pre-baked or partially pre-baked pie crust

Prep Time:
15 minutes

Cook Time:
39 minutes 27 seconds

Total Time:
54 minutes 27 seconds

Making a pie that calls for the bottom crust to be pre-baked or partially pre-baked? Here’s how.

Ingredients

Fool Proof Pie Crust Dough, well chilled (or your favorite pie crust dough)
1–2 pounds of dried beans or pie weights

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C).
Tear off a 16-inch piece of aluminum foil, invert a pie plate, and press the foil to form a liner. Keep the shaped foil aside and return the pie plate to its normal position.
On a floured surface, roll the pastry into a 14-inch circle. Fold it into a triangle and transfer it to a 9½-inch pie pan with the point centered.
Unfold the pastry and press it into the corners, letting the edges drape over the rim.
Trim excess so about 1 inch overhangs. Fold the overhang under itself to create a neat rim.
Crimp the edge by forming a U- or V-shape all around the pan.
Press the pre-shaped foil liner over the crust and fold the foil over the edge gently.
Add dried beans or pie weights on top of the foil.
Bake in the center of the oven at 400°F for 17 minutes. Remove and lift out the foil and weights.
Dock the bottom of the crust with a fork 10–12 times, twisting slightly to widen each hole.
Reduce oven temperature to 375°F and bake 10–12 minutes for a partially baked shell or 17–20 minutes for a fully baked shell. The fully baked crust should be pale golden.
Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack until ready to fill.

Notes

How to keep the edges of the pie crust from burning:

If the edges threaten to burn when fully baking, cut two 24-inch pieces of foil and place them on a baking sheet perpendicular to each other. Set the pie in the center, then fold the foil up and loosely crimp it over the rim to protect the edges while the bottom browns.