I Asked 5 Pro Bakers for the Best Store-Bought Pie Crust and Their Top Pick Is a Best-Kept Secret

Sorry Pillsbury, but we trust the pros.

The holidays are officially here, and it’s an especially busy time for all of us. In an effort to mindfully savor every magical moment, I’m intentionally taking items off of my to-do list instead of adding to it. Maybe we don’t have to make every single menu item from scratch. Maybe we can trade those moments in the kitchen for moments with our loved ones. Maybe you’ve decided that making a homemade pie crust simply is not on your priority list, and according to these pros, it doesn’t have to be.

I had the genuine pleasure of interviewing five professional bakers who generously shared their opinions, tips, and tricks for selecting and baking a store-bought pie crust that will rival any homemade version. So take this item off your plate and go hug your people.

Our Panel of Pie Crust-Rating Baking Pros

• Rochelle Cooper, pastry chef at The Duck & The Peach, La Collina, Meli and The Wells in Washington, D.C.

• Jeanette Fletcher, pastry chef at The Roxy, Jersey City, New Jersey

• Emily Neighbors Hall, creatrix of the breakup cookie, Birmingham, Alabama-based food stylist and recipe developer

• Arlyn Osbourne, pastry chef, recipe developer, and author of “Sugarcane: Sweet Recipes from My Half-Filipino Kitchen“

• Gaby Scelzo, pastry chef, baker, and writer of “Perfect City“ on Substack
  

Qualities of the Best Store-Bought Pie Crust

• Flavor: The last thing our pastry pros want to sacrifice is flavor. They’re looking for crusts that taste like real butter and have dialed in their salt-to-sugar ratio. One of the problems our pros frequently encountered during their tests was an “off,” “chemically,” or “oily” flavor. You won’t find any of these on our winners list.

• Texture: They’re also looking for crusts that are tender, flaky and brown nicely in the oven. They must be sturdy enough to maintain their shape during blind-baking and able to support a variety of fillings. This is certainly a tricky balance to strike, but they found a few that do just that.

• Ease of use: If you’re looking for ways to make the holidays less stressful, un-fussiness is high on the priority list. A crust that is neatly packaged and easy to either roll out or simply defrost and bake is top of mind.

• List of ingredients: Our pro bakers looked carefully at the ingredients list on each product and discovered that the fewer, the better. Homemade pie crust is typically made from just four ingredients: flour, salt, butter, and water. The store-bought versions with fewer (and more recognizable) ingredients often tasted better, too.

The Best Store-Bought Pie Crusts, According to the Pros

Pastry chefs are some of the most creative, resourceful, and, dare I say, opinionated humans out there, and our list naturally reflects these qualities. While there were four final contenders on our list, only one was the clear winner:

Dufour Pastry Kitchens Classic Pie Crusts

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Until now, I was not even aware that Dufour, maker of the most fabulous frozen puff pastry, even made a pie crust product. Thanks to Chef Rochelle Cooper, this sacred knowledge is now public. Cooper says, “If I was ever in a pinch, the quality is right up there with what professional kitchens would use. Plus, it’s a women-owned business.” Dufour’s best-kept secret pie crust is available at Whole Foods stores nationwide, as well as other smaller retailers.

If you can’t find the pie crust, Gaby Scelzo suggests using Dufour’s Puff Pastry in a pinch. She says that even though a puff pastry crust might not look very traditional, the flavor and flakiness are hard to beat, describing it as “such a hack.”

If, however, you are not able to source either Dufour product, three other widely-accessible brands got shout-outs from our pros:

• Trader Joe’s Organic Pie Crust: The most convenient on the list, this pre-shaped crust can be found in the freezer section of your local Trader Joe’s and is Arlyn Osbourne’s favorite store-bought crust. She first encountered it at a dinner party with friends. Impressed by both the flavor and texture of the crust, Osbourne was genuinely shocked to learn that it was from the freezer section of Trader Joe’s. While she admits she still prefers a homemade crust, Osbourne fully endorses the use of this product when push comes to shove.

• Pillsbury: The most user-friendly, this crust wins points for being the easiest to work with of the bunch. Pillsbury is easy to roll out and tends to hold its shape really well when baked. Emily Neighbors Hall endorses this crust and was kind enough to share a brilliant hack with us. She uses both crusts from the package for one single-layer pie: “Stack two crusts and roll them lightly to mash them together.” This method adds both flakiness and stability to your crust. A few of our chefs mentioned that the flavor of Pillsbury can be a bit oily, so take that into consideration when making your choice.

• Keebler Graham Cracker Crust: One of our pros just couldn’t cop to using a store-bought pastry crust. Instead, Chef Jeanette Fletcher opts for a graham cracker crust. “To me, a graham cracker crust is always slightly more fun, and Keebler knows their cookies. It can hold a pumpkin filling, gooey pecan, a no-bake cheesecake, a custardy cream pie...Anything you want. And that's what you should be baking—what you want.” Jeanette also shared another pro tip with me. When she has the time, she likes to make large batches of homemade pie dough, then divides them and stashes the crusts in her freezer for up to three months.

How to Upgrade Store-Bought Pie Crust Like a Pro

Being professionals, our panel shared some brilliant tips to make that store-bought crust taste (and look) even more homemade. Follow these steps and no one will be the wiser:

• Brush melted butter on the bottom and inside of your store-bought pie crusts before blind baking. Not only will this amplify the buttery flavor, but it will also encourage even browning throughout.

• Dock the crust before blind baking. Using a fork, prick the bottom of your crust all over before par-baking it or adding your fillings. This reduces the risks of air pockets and slumping.

• Focus on your filling. If you are using a store-bought crust, the filling must be the real star. Take your time, and use the highest quality ingredients and the best recipe you can find.

• Brush the edges and top with either egg wash or heavy cream for the final bake. Egg wash will result in a shiny top, while heavy cream will give you a more matte and evenly golden brown appearance.

• Sprinkle the crust with turbinado sugar. The crackly crunch of raw sugar (or even just plain granulated sugar) will elevate any store-bought crust.

I hope that after hearing from these pros, you feel more comfortable opting for a store-bought pie crust if making one from scratch just isn’t a priority this year. I feel so lucky to have had the opportunity to speak with each of these incredible chefs—they are some of the brightest, kindest women I know. Now, go forth and bake those pies, guilt-free—we’ve all got your back this holiday season.