The Perfect Pie Pan for Baking Your Thanksgiving Pies

The Perfect Pie Pan for baking your Thanksgiving Pies? Ceramic, stone-ware or aluminum foil. We were surprised to find which choice was the perfect pan!

Way back in time, I chronicled my odyssey to The Perfect Pie Crust. If you’ve read the not-very-serious journal, you know I never reached pie crust heaven. Our choice of dessert making is more along the lines of Red Velvet Layered Cheesecake: Favorite Holiday Dessert or Blueberry Cookie Crumble Bars: Easy-Gourmet Dessert. We even choose to make bars like Family Favorite Pumpkin Bars: Cream Cheese and Streusel Topping or Heavenly Cream Cheese Bars, Easier Than Pie for dessert sometimes.

So, no Julia Child here (anyone still remember her?). I’m not even embarrassed to admit that I’ll never make pie crust like my sister-in-law’s.

But I haven’t given up. I’m still on the quest to learn new secrets that might get me to the foot of the pedestal. If not on it.

And now, dear friends, I found out that the type of pan makes a difference.

How could I not have known that till now?

So we did some Cliff’s Notes research (because we have to get busy making Thanksgiving pies.)

The Perfect Pans for Baking Pie

Even I know that Pyrex glass pie pans* bake better pies than heavier ceramic or pottery pie pans. The heavier pans take so long to heat up that “the flaky butter oozes out of place and never truly cooks through, resulting in a bottom crust that’s dense and soft rather than layered and crisp.” seriouseats.com

I don’t have clear glass Pyrex pie pans.

I have recycled Marie Callendar’s aluminum pie pans. When we treat ourselves to a Razzleberry Pie (The Best Pie Ever), I save the pans. They’re sturdier than disposable foil pans, and much cheaper than Pyrex pie pans.

And seriouseats.com says, “I’d never actually used aluminum, disposable or otherwise, to bake a pie, because so many recipes (like lemon meringue and Key lime) require a nonreactive plate. Therefore, in my tiny kitchen, it’s always seemed more convenient to stock simple glass plates instead. But I needed to know: If glass is better than stoneware because it conducts heat so fast, does it follow that aluminum is even better?”

Her testing uncovered the fantastic truth: “an aluminum pan is without a doubt a fantastic vessel for pie, giving my crust the best browning and texture of all.”

However, unless she’s baking pies to go, she sticks by her tempered glass Pyrex pie pans.

And I’ll stick by my recycled Razzleberry pie pans.

Which are your tried and true pie pans?

Please share your successes and/or fails in the comments. We’d love to learn more pie tips.