Pie-Making Tools

Making homemade pie doesn't require a kitchen full of gadgets. But a few tools can ease the tasks of make rolling dough, preparing a crust and making a pie look prettier.

Whether you're baking a holiday pumpkin pie or a summer fruit pie, there's something here to make the job easier and more successful. 

Jump to:

• Adjustable rolling pin and pastry mat
• Sturdy Pie Plates
• Ceramic pie weights
• Silicone pastry brushes
• Sparkling Coarse Sugar
• Pie Crust Shield
• Pie it forward cookbook
• A Digital Thermometer
• Comments

Before you start, you don't need to buy everything on this list. Start with the tools that solve a problem you actually have. 

If you struggle to roll dough evenly, consider the rolling pan.

If your crust edges get too dark, try a pie shield.

And if you already have a favorite pie plate, keep using it.A

Adjustable rolling pin and pastry mat

An adjustable rolling pin takes guess work out of rolling pie dough. The removable rings help you aim for a consistent thickness while the pastry mat provides a handy work surface with measurement guides. 

Sturdy Pie Plates

A glass pie plate is one of the most useful things you can own if you bake pies regularly. Glass helps your pie bake more evenly.

Check the size and depth called for in your recipe before filling the plate. 

A deep dish plate and a standard plate don't hold the same amount. What's considered a deep dish and what's considered a standard?

Ceramic pie weights

If a recipe calls for blind baking, pie weights help keep the bottom crust from puffing up as it bakes.

Line the dough with parchment paper first, then add the weights. Let them cool before removing and storing them. 

If you don't want to buy pie weights, but you really need something for blind baking, I personally like to use granulated sugar. 

Line the pie crust with parchment, fill with granulated sugar then bake. You can use the baked sugar in other recipes.

Silicone pastry brushes

A pastry brush makes it easy to apply an egg wash to a top crust or decorative dough cutouts. These two sizes are useful for covering broad areas and reaching smaller details. 

Brush gently so you don't drag or stretch the dough.

Sparkling Coarse Sugar

Sprinkle coarse sugar over the top of your pie crust before putting it in the oven. 

The sugar adds a little crunch and catches the light, making your pie crust sparkle.

Pie Crust Shield

A pie crust shield covers the outer edge to help prevent over browning. Check the fit against your pie plate and follow the product's temperature guidance. 

Or, follow this tip from Sally's Baking Addiction to make your own foil crust shield: fold a square piece of foil in half, cut out a circle and open it up. You'll have a square of foil with an open circle in the middle. Place it over your pie.

Pie it forward cookbook

Pie it Forward is a fun book for bakers who want inspiration beyond their usual pie recipes.

Plus the author, Pastry Chef Gesine Bullock-Prado is, as you might have wondered, with the last name, Sandra Bullock's sister.

A Digital Thermometer

The pie making tool I use as much as my pie plates is this digital cooking thermometer.

A thermometer really the best way to determine whether or a pumpkin pie or some other dessert is done baking.

Which pie making tools do you really need? If you're just starting out a pie plate and a rolling pin or the practical basics. 

Do you have a pie making tool that I've missed? Tell me in the comments.

Looking for pie recipes to make? Check out my Fall Baking Page.