The Best Pre-Made Frozen Pie Crusts, According to Professional Bakers
These store-bought crusts will make a good pie spectacular without a lot of extra work.
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We get it: As good as homemade pie crust can be, sometimes you can't (or don't want to) invest the extra time it takes to make a crust from scratch. That's when finding the best pre-made pie crust is the way to go, especially when the holiday craziness kicks in and you’re already busy making a ton of Thanksgiving desserts or appetizers for the big meal.
There a lot of pre-made or frozen pie crust brands on the market. Usually you can find them in the refrigerated aisle, or in the freezer section of your supermarket, and there are benefits to both types. Refrigerated crusts are great for when you want to use your own pie plate (we like glass ones but there are many pretty ceramic versions, too) and make a decorative edge on your crusts. They’re also good for double crust pies and even making lattices and other embellishments (hello, cute little leaf cutouts). Frozen pie crusts that come with their own pans are super easy to use, and are perfect for bringing to a potluck since you don’t have to worry about getting your dish back.
We taste-tested seven pie crusts that were available in our local supermarkets, most of which are available nationwide. We baked each of them without any filling at all, following package directions and pricking the sides and bottoms with a fork, and tasted for texture and flavor. Then, to see how they held up to a wet filling, we baked our top picks into pumpkin pies, starting with raw crusts.
Trader Joe's Frozen Pie Crusts
This is a frozen crust that you defrost in the fridge or on the counter, then unroll and use with your own pan. It's safe for vegetarians.
PROS: This was the only crust with butter in the ingredient list. it had the best flavor and was the closest to what we think of as homemade. Each crust was 11-inches in diameter, wide enough for deep-dish pans. It had a deep gold color once baked.
CONS: The crust cracked a bit even when fully thawed, but was easy to patch back together. It was also almost twice as thick as the others so took longer to brown and cook through. It would probably benefit from being rolled thin.
You can find these rolled crusts pretty much everywhere. Vegetarians note: This product contains lard.
PROS: This crust only needs 15 minutes on the counter to come to room temperature. Crust was flaky, with a mildly sweet flavor.
CONS: A little thin, with a slightly cracker-like texture.
Pillsbury Deep Dish Pie Crusts
Sweet tasting, almost like a graham-cracker. Like Pillsbury's refrigerated crusts, these crusts are also made with lard.
PROS: Because of its thin bottom layer, this crust performed the best when baked from a raw state.
CONS: Like most frozen shells, the crust cracks easily.
Wholly Wholesome Organic Traditional 9" Pie Shells
These refrigerated organic frozen shells are vegan and contain only four ingredients.
PROS: Very flaky and delicate texture. Slightly salty crusts might be better for savory applications.
CONS: Didn't stand up well to being baked from raw. We'd recommend blind-baking (a.k.a. baking the crust without the filling) even if your recipe doesn't call for it.
Oronoque Orchards is the East Coast sister of the Mrs. Smith's brand.
PROS: Flaky texture. Suitable for vegetarians and those who keep kosher.
CONS: Slightly off flavor
Originally affiliated with Marie Callender's, a restaurant chain that was once known for its pies.
PROS: Suitable for vegetarians and those who keep kosher.
CONS: The crust was thick and tasted a bit pasty.
PROS: Ready to use in about 15 minutes at room temperature. Free of hydrogenated oils.
CONS: The texture was thin and crackery, without a lot of flavor.
Quick Baking Tips
•Refrigerated roll-out crusts are the most versatile, and are easy to work with as long as you bring them to room temperature before handling. If you don't, they can crack. (Don't worry too much if they do — just dampen your fingers and pinch the crust back together.) Make sure not to let the crust get too warm, though, or they'll start to fall apart or stick together.
•Inspect frozen crusts in their own pans before buying (and don't put them in the bottom of your shopping cart) — they can crack easily in their frozen state.
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