Blind baking a pie crust means baking the empty crust on its own before you add any filling, either partially or fully, so it sets, crisps up, and doesn’t go soggy once filled.

What blind baking is

  • Blind baking (also called pre-baking) is simply baking a pastry shell with no filling in it.
  • The term is used for both fully baking a crust (for cream or pudding pies) and partially baking it (for pies that will bake again with filling).

Why bakers blind bake

  • It prevents a soggy bottom by letting the crust cook and crisp before any wet filling goes in.
  • It is essential for pies with unbaked or barely baked fillings, like many cream, chocolate, or fresh fruit pies.

How it’s usually done

  • The rolled-out crust is fitted into the pie plate, chilled, then lined with parchment or foil and filled with pie weights or beans to keep it from puffing or shrinking.
  • The crust is baked until set, the weights are removed, and it is baked a bit longer, either until just set (par-baked) or fully golden and crisp (fully blind baked).

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.