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Decorative Pie Crusts can be intricate or simple and the basic ones are easy to do without any special tools or fuss. I may not be the most detail oriented baker but I love adding a little flair to my double crust pies. These are some easy ideas how to make a decorative crust – these are so simple anyone can do them!
Decorative Pie Crusts Made Easy
There are SO MANY ways you can make a decorative pie crust. Today I’m detailing four simple methods to spruce up your double crust pies. My methods are easy that anyone can do with just a few tools.
While I love pie, and I’m Crazy for Crust, I am not a detailed baker. I am not great at cake decorating and I can’t make royal icing cookies like some other bloggers, but I can make a simple pie crust design using cookie cutters!
Cookie Cutter Pie Crust Design
The “Crazy for Crust” design up above is made using cookie cutters. In fact, cookie cutters are the easiest way to design a pie crust.
You can use any cookie cutters you like, large or small. Use letter cookie cutters to cut out words. Or use hearts, circles, stars or any shape you like.
Favorite Cookie Cutters
- Fondant Cookie Cutters are great because they come in various sizes, so you can do big and small cuts on the same crust.
- Mini letter and number cookie cutters are perfect for writing messages.
Designer Lattice Crust
Now if you want to do something a little different, that’s not quite a lattice and not quite a cookie cutter design, how about what I’m calling designer lattice.
This kind of lattice can have thick and thin strips or it can be made with different shapes.
- Plan out your design before you cut. This took me a few tries to get right, so plan before you cut.
- You could go in a circle or rows or random. Or use triangles or stars or another shape!
- Using the round side of pastry tips is great for making small circles (a 1M or star tip is larger than the standard tip, so if you use both you’ll get two sizes).
- The square lattice below looks like a lattice but was done with square fondant cookie cutters – making it the easiest lattice you’ll ever make!
Other Ways to make Decorated Pie Crust
These are just a few of the easiest examples for making a decorative pie crust. I’m a simple baker and don’t like super intricate designs because I know they’re not in my wheelhouse. However, some of my blogging friends have some other great ideas:
- Use mini cookie cutters to edge a pumpkin pie or other similar pie instead of crimping (you can see an example here)
- Make a braided pie crust (see Sally’s example here)
- Use cookie cutters to make a lattice (Leaf Topped Apple Pie)
- Make a Rose Pie Crust (as seen here)
- Top your pies with stars (like here)
- Another pretty decorative lattice (video here)
- Lettering on pies – using stencils to cut out letters or use cinnamon on a top crust – (see here at Frites & Fries)
- Another great lattice/cutout example with this Maple Apple Pie
- Paint on your pie with food coloring
Decorative Pie Crust Recipe
Recipe Video
Ingredients
Instructions
- Roll out one pie crust (or one half of pie crust recipe) and place in a 9-inch pie plate.
- Roll out your top pie crust to a 12-inch circle and chill until ready to top the pie.
- Fill your pie with your desired pie filling.
- Remove the rolled out top crust from the refrigerator.
- Use various cookie cutters in desired shapes to plan out your design: use mini letter/number cutters to spell a message or create a "lattice" using rows of cuts using fondant cutters. Discard cut pieces of pie dough.
- Place top crust on the pie and crimp edges as desired. Brush with egg wash and bake according to pie recipe directions.
Recipe Notes
- Baking time will be dependent on the recipe you’re making. Always follow the filling recipe of the recipe. This is just a method for creating a decorated pie crust.
