We Sampled 6 Store-Bought Pie Crusts. These Are the Best.

Anyone who has made (or tasted) food editor Shilpa Uskokovic’s Perfect Pie Crust recipe can agree that it is, indeed, actually perfect. But sometimes we want to bake a pie right this second. Other times, there’s enough going on—such as when hosting Thanksgiving, a barbecue, or brunch—and preparing one. more. thing. is just too much. That’s when store-bought pie crust comes in clutch.

Unfortunately, not all premade pie crusts are created equal. For every prepared crust that comes out golden and delicately flaky, there’s another that’ll never be anything but gray and soggy. That’s why we put six premade pie doughs (both frozen and refrigerated) through a blind taste test to find the best store-bought pie crust around.

To determine our winner, we considered several key factors: First, flakiness; we want to see thin, crackling layers that provide a demure crunch in each bite. The best grocery store pie crust should bake up golden brown, avoid soggy bottoms at all costs, and minimize the layer of squidginess between filling and crust. It should be hardy enough to support the weight of its filling, and, finally, it should be easy-peasy to work with.

To test our six pie crusts, we blind-baked each according to the package instructions, then filled the prepared pie crusts with BA’s Best Pumpkin Pie filling to finish baking. What followed was a nitpicking, photo finish of a taste test.

Packaging may vary.

Photograph by Isa Zapata

There was a moment of silence as our tasters scrutinized Wholly Wholesome’s flakiness and overall appeal. What they found was a solid contender. Associate newsletter editor Li Goldstein described it as “very natural tasting,” if not buttery, and Carly Westerfield described it as “sturdy.” That checked two of our boxes. A quick peek at the crust-to-filling barrier revealed minimal squidginess.

Unfortunately, trouble arose before we even slid the pie into the oven. The pre-rolled dough had an irregular thickness, resulting in uneven baking. The crust slumped so dramatically during blind baking that we wondered if there would be enough room for the filling (fortunately, there was). Although the crust was delicious, we can only recommend it with reservations—be sure to par-bake it filled to the brim with beans or other pie weights and consider chilling it in the freezer for 10–15 minutes before transferring it to the oven.

We’d love it in: Due to the tendency to slump during the baking process, we prefer Wholly Wholesome’s dough for galettes, where the edges work with gravity to secure their fruit fillings. The hearty base will help it withstand any juices released while in the oven.

Packaging may vary.

Photograph by Isa Zapata

Previously sold under the Happy Belly brand of Amazon products, this pie dough (which is now branded Amazon Fresh) uses bleached flour in its pie crust recipe. As we’ve written about before, using bleached flour (as opposed to unbleached) has a significant impact on the final texture of a baked good. The former absorbs more fat and sugar, typically resulting in a more tender crust.

That said, the color of this crust left a little to be desired: Instead of the shiny golden brown we were hoping for, Happy Belly’s pie crust was a dull grayish yellow. Testers agreed color wasn’t the most essential factor for a pie crust, but in a blind taste test like this, everything counts. And so Happy Belly took second place.

Why it won us over: Each nibble on Happy Belly’s pie crust gave us something new to love. Was it flaky? You bet it was. Thin and crispy layers shattered with each bite. Did it taste buttery? Absolutely. We loved its rich, mellow flavor. Was it sturdy? Sure.

We’d love it in: Savory preparations play up this crust’s buttery flavor. Drape a sheet of it over a skillet chicken pot pie (a layer of egg wash brushed over the top crust will help remedy the gray undertone) or crimp it into a bottom crust for cheesy broccoli quiche.

Packaging may vary.

Photograph by Isa Zapata

Kroger’s refrigerated pie crust shares a shockingly similar list of ingredients to that of Amazon’s Happy Belly. Both employ lard as their fat component. The only distinct difference is the addition of cornstarch in Kroger’s version.

Why it won us over: Tasters loved this tender, flaky crust and its optimal sturdiness between the filling and the pastry. The crust baked into an even golden brown, and it did a decent job of supporting the weight of the pie filling. However, what really set Kroger’s crust apart was its subtle hint of salt, which provided a pleasant counterpoint to the sweetness of the pumpkin filling. And while other pie crusts in our test tasted buttery, none were quite as lip-smacking as Kroger’s. In fact, we loved every facet of Kroger’s crust, which means, of course, that it’s our winner.

We’d love it in: The structure in this crust would allow it to stand up to deep-dish fruit pies with a bit more heft and moisture. Load it up with syrupy Pink Lady apples for our Best-Ever Apple Pie or sour cherries for a cherry pie. We’ll take ours with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

• Pillsbury Refrigerated Pie Crust: We had high hopes for Pillsbury, but this refrigerated dough ultimately fell short—while the crust had a respectable crispness, the flavor tasted suspiciously of Cheez-Its.
• Trader Joe’s Frozen Pie Crust: The soggiest bottom we tested, this crust failed the sturdiness test, pulling away from the filling and flopping onto our plates.
• Marie Callender’s Pastry Pie Shells: This crumbly frozen pie crust had a texture more like shortbread with no buttery flakes in sight, and its bitter aftertaste didn’t leave us wanting more.

This story has been edited for content by Hannah Lee Leidy.