The Absolute Best Crust For Pumpkin Pie, According To An Expert

Whether or not you celebrate Thanksgiving, you can at least recognize that pumpkin pie is an excellent fall-time dessert. After all, it takes the fruit months to grow after being planted in the summer. All that waiting makes it taste all the sweeter when you transform it into pie.

While most pumpkin pie recipes are similar enough, one point of contention is the type of crust to use. You may want to use a store-bought gluten-free pie crust, for example, or perhaps you prefer no-bake pie crusts like ones made of pretzels.

For a definitive, exclusive answer to the question, Daily Meal spoke to Saura Kline, Pastry Chef at Local Jones inside the Halcyon hotel in Denver, Colorado. She said, "My favorite pie crust for a pumpkin pie is an all-butter crust. A graham cracker crust is another great option for pumpkin pie." Taking it a step further, she also warned us that "the worst type is a loose crust," such as a Ritz cracker pie crust.

Making either pie crust is pretty straightforward, though there are a few techniques to use that can give you a better crust. Starting with the simpler of the two, the graham cracker crust, the first trick is to ensure you've crumbled the crackers into a fine, sandlike consistency. Otherwise, you won't be able to pack it tight enough. Which brings us to trick two, don't pack it too tight. It won't ruin anything if it is too tight, it just makes the crust harder, but that's nonetheless a mark of a lesser pie. Now, for a nice flaky butter crust, the key is to use the coldest butter possible since cold butter helps form flaky layers when the crust bakes. In fact, Saura Kline "keeps it as cold as possible before the bake to ensure it's flakey."

But that's not the only tip Saura gives us for making a great crust for pumpkin pie. She also "always blind bakes my crust." Blind baking accomplishes many things, likeensuring the crust is properly baked if the filling needs little to no time in the oven. For pumpkin pie, it ensures the filling won't seep into the crust, making it soggy. To blind bake, place a sheet of parchment paper on your crust, fill it with beans, rice, or pie weights, and, well, bake. Voila.