If you haven’t yet heard of a deep-dish pie, your baked good beliefs are about to change.
Popularized on Instagram (this Reel posted by @denism.ca has over 79,000 likes), this take on the traditional recipe offers more support via its high walls, so you’re much less likely to experience any leaking. This also means you’ll be able to fit more filling in your pie without sacrificing that precious crust-to-filling ratio.
How to Make a Deep-Dish Pie
It doesn't take any more effort to create your own deep-dish pie, and you likely already have what you need—simply swap out your regular pie dish for a cake tin. Line it with parchment paper and add your pie crust, building a layer of crust that goes all the way up each wall. You’ll be left with a thicker, sturdier, and taller pie.
As @denisem.ca pointed out in her video, the structure of deep-dish pies also makes the pie easier to cut, due to both the added thickness and taller edges. Just be sure to completely line the cake tin in parchment paper, and leave a little extra length at the top so you can easily grab and lift it out of the tin once it’s done baking.
"I like that the filling gets closer to the edges all the way around the diameter, rather than having an edge of thicker crust that slants the filling away! 👏🏻🔥🎉💯" one user commented.
You can also use this method for par-baking, aka baking the pie crust separately before adding the filling. This is useful for fillings that don’t need any baking and fillings that need less baking time than the crust. If you’re planning on using this method to create a deep-dish par-baked crust, just make sure you weigh down the pie to help it keep its shape—the tall crust needs all the support it can get. If you don’t have pie weights, filling it with dried beans or rice also works.
Our favorite way to use this deep dish pie hack is with a gorgeous lattice-top crust, as it has that classic, elegant look and enough structure to stand on its own. (No more cutting into aluminum pie dishes and accidentally picking up that foil flavor!)
Keep in mind that if you’re planning to make a deep-dish pie, you should probably make more filling than the recipe calls for. If you don’t have enough filling to top off a full cake pan, you can always create a shallow crust that only uses a small section of the tin’s walls.
One more thing to consider before you try out a deep-dish pie: It may cause your crust to come out a bit less flaky than usual. To combat this, try using a glass or sturdy aluminum cake pan—this can help it bake a little more evenly.