Jordan Myrick
Hebba Gouda
Ariana Losch
Danny Palumbo
We don’t know where the time has gone, but we do know that you need a pecan pie, pronto. Or perhaps you’re reading this in the spring, and those strawberries are just begging to be reunited with their rhubarb friends. Or, it could just be one of those days when you need to sit in your sweats with a chicken pot pie in front of trashy TV. But a good pie can be ruined by a bad crust, so we’re on a mission to find the best store bought pie crust.
How we taste tested the pie crusts:
We here at Sporked have conducted not one, not two, but three separate taste tests to conclusively determine the best pie crust for any occasion—including gluten free pie crust, frozen pie crust, shortbread pie crust, and even mini pie crust. We prepared these crusts according to package instructions, but tried them all without any fillings so that we could get the best idea of how the crust stands on its own.
What we looked for in the best pie crust:
- Flakiness and butteriness. The best pie crust should be flaky, buttery, and tender, but not so brittle that it can’t maintain its shape when it’s baked.
- Balanced flavor. Flavors and styles may vary, but in general we’re looking for pie crust that’s slightly sweet and not too overpowering. The best store bought pie crust lets the filling be the star.
- Ease of use. The whole reason why you’re buying premade pie crust is because it’s easier than making your own pie. The best premade pie crust is also the easiest premade pie crust.
So, go forth and put your time and energy into simmering filling, figuring out the lattice top, or ripping your kitchen to shreds trying to find the pie server. Here’s the best pie crust to buy at the grocery store for literally any occasion.
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- 365 Pre-Rolled Pie Crusts
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This pre-rolled crust (which you simply unroll and place into a pie tin) is delightfully crunchy, and it tastes like, well, nothing. Depending on what you want, this could be the perfect crust for you, but it would probably be best suited for one of those hefty, meaty pies that they make on Bake Off instead of a light and flaky dessert. Let’s just say this: Ron Swanson would like this crust. —Hebba Gouda
Credit: Liv Averett / Amazon
- Signature Select Rolled Pie Crust
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We tried this rolled pie crust from Signature Select (an Albertsons, Vons, Safeway store brand) against other generic brands like Kroger, Great Value, and Favorite Day, and this was the obvious winner in terms of ease, convenience, and flavor. It’s soft and buttery while maintaining a good structure—you don’t even need to grease the tin, because every slice comes off clean. I can’t say this is particularly remarkable, but you can still feel good about picking it up if you shop at an Albertsons-owned grocery store. —Ariana Losch
Credit: Liv Averett / Vons
- Wholly Wholesome Gluten Free Pie Crust
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I’m just a huge gluten free product endorser now. Everything that’s gluten free tends to have such a lovely, crispy, crunchy, satisfying texture that I keep coming back to it. Wholly Wholesome’s gluten free pie crust is delightfully sugary; you get that crunchy, crystalized cane sugar taste, and the texture is crispy, almost like a graham cracker crust. I eat a crap ton of gluten and I’m in love with this store bought pie crust. I almost ranked it higher. The crust might be a bit too crumbly for some, but it’s the best pie crust for gluten free folks by a mile. —Danny Palumbo
Credit: Merc / Instacart
- Diamond Pecan Pie Crust
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All of Diamond’s premade pie crusts impressed the hell out of me with their delicious variety of flavors, but the pecan pie crust hit hardest of them all. This store bought pie crust has phenomenal flavor—it’s nutty, buttery, salty, and deliciously sweet. When you cook it in the oven, the pecans unleash an extra layer of roasted flavor that’s simply delightful. Everybody at Mythical who happened to walk by while this was in the oven mentioned how pleasant the smell was. Now, a pecan pie crust has its limits in terms of uses, and I imagine some of you don’t like pecan flavor, but I think this is the best pie crust for key lime or pumpkin chiffon. It’s the best store bought pie crust to experiment with. Start with the pecan crust base, then work backwards from there. This one will inspire you to try new things, and I love that. —Danny Palumbo
Credit: Merc / Instacart
- The Village PieMaker Premium Pie Crusts
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This is one of the flakiest premade pie crusts we’ve tried to date. I’m talking about soft, golden layers that almost resemble croissant lamination, with the only downside being that the crust is a little more fragile, especially right out of the oven. But wow, she sure is a beaut. The flavor leans super tangy and buttery over sweet, so keep that in mind depending on your recipe. Bottom line: The Village PieMaker Premium Pie Crusts might cost a little more than Pillsbury, but if you’re going for a true show-stopper over your average comfort pie, it’s worth every penny. —Ariana Losch
Credit: Liv Averett / Sprouts
- Keebler Shortbread Crust
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This buttery, delicious shortbread crust is a touch sweeter than the classic Lorna Doone cookie. It’s crunchy and left no aftertaste (unlike a lot of the others we tried). It’s certainly too sweet for a savory pie filling, but not nearly so sugary that it will bulldoze a dessert interior. That being said, it’s so tasty on its own that we just kept eating the crust, sans filling. If you’re making a pie with this, get two crusts—one for the pie and one to snack on. —Hebba Gouda
Credit: Liv Averett / Keebler
- Keebler Graham Pie Crust
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This store bought pie crust ranks for its flavor, as well as its aesthetic. When it comes to a graham cracker pie crust, Keebler is a classic. Sure, you could pick the Kroger brand or the Great Value brand, and they do taste strikingly similar, but there’s just more joy in seeing those crafty little elves on the front of this package. I also think the flavor here is slightly better—it’s buttery and sweet, and the texture of the crust isn’t so crumbly that it falls apart. For what it’s worth, I ran into that exact problem with Great Value’s graham cracker pie crust, which came crumbled upon delivery. Go Keebler. Trust the elves, dammit! —Danny Palumbo
Related: The Best Graham Crackers We Found in a Taste Test
Credit: Merc / Instacart
- Marie Callender’s Deep Dish Pastry Pie Shells
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This frozen pie crust has excellent structure and, as advertised, this thing is deep. You can make a huge pie with this. I also love that the edges of the pie are perfectly crimped, giving it a homestyle aesthetic. The texture is good, too. This store bought pie crust is tender and flaky and good for pretty much any pie, but its size makes it ideal for chicken pot pies and savory beef pies. —Danny Palumbo
Credit: Merc / Instacart
- Pillsbury Refrigerated Rolled Pie Crusts
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This store bought pre-rolled pie crust bakes up golden and buttery and flaky. It’s like a croissant in that it’s rich and buttery without being greasy or heavy, and the salt level is perfect. This crust would live as happily with pumpkin custard as it would with spinach and goat cheese. If you’re imagining grandma’s pie cooling on the windowsill, this is the crust you’re imagining. Has your grandma been lying to you and just using Pillsbury? Maybe. But are you going to be mad about it? Nah, you’re too busy chowing down on some of the best pie crust. —Hebba Gouda
Credit: Liv Averett / Instacart
- Pillsbury Deep Dish Pie Crusts
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Pillsbury Deep Dish Pie Crust is the best pie crust out there. This frozen pie crust is flaky, buttery, and crunchy. You could put any filling in this and be perfectly happy. Not only are they delicious, these live in the freezer. That makes them the perfect holiday hack to have on hand throughout the fall and winter. If you need a last minute dish for a potluck or you just want to make something nice for your family on an average weeknight, this is the best store bought pie crust for you. —Jordan Myrick
Credit: Merc / Instacart
Best for Meat Pies
Best Generic Brand
Best Gluten Free Crust
Best Nut Crust
Best Bougie
Best Shortbread Crust
Best Graham Crust
Best for Savory Pies
Best Pre-Rolled
Best of the Best
Other store bought pie crusts:
These pie crusts didn’t make our list because they were lacking in flavor or had crumbly or tough textures.
Great Value Graham, Kroger Graham Cracker, Betty Crocker Graham Cracker, Honey Maid Graham Cracker, Diamond Pumpkin Pie Spice, Keebler Chocolate, Keebler Graham Minis, Wholly Wholesome Traditional, Favorite Day Graham, Signature Select Graham, MI-del Gluten Free Chocolate Snap Crust, Happy Belly Unroll and Bake Crusts, Great Value Ready to Bake
Will Morgan
Justine Sterling
