Pie weights substitutes
Pie weights substitutes — 5 options, ranked
Also called baking beans, ceramic baking beans, pie beads, blind baking weights
Use Dried beans
Line the chilled crust with parchment or foil and fill it to the rim with dried beans: about 2 pounds for a 9-inch pie plate. Filling to the rim is what holds the sides up; a single layer on the bottom does not. Granulated sugar over a foil liner works even better because it packs into every corner, and it can be used for baking afterward. The beans can be kept and reused as weights but will not cook well.
- Verdict —
- Works
- The tweak —
- Chill the shaped crust for 30 minutes. Line it with a sheet of parchment crumpled and then smoothed out, or with foil pressed into the corners, leaving enough overhang to lift by. Pour in dried beans to the rim, about 2 pounds for a 9-inch pie plate, and bake as the recipe directs. Lift out liner and beans together, then return the crust to the oven to dry and brown the base.
- Best for —
- blind baking a pie crust
- Pantry —
- Likely in your cupboard
Updated 8 Oct 2026 · no sponsored swaps
But first: what are the pie weights doing?
Pick your caseHow will the crust be used?
Line with parchment or foil and fill to the rim with dried beans or rice, about 2 pounds for a 9-inch pie plate. Bake until the edge is set, lift out the liner, and bake again until the base looks dry.
Notes on dried beans or uncooked rice
Use sugar over a tight foil liner. It packs against the sides and keeps them upright better than anything else here.
Notes on granulated sugar or dried beans
Nest a second pan of the same size inside, or skip weights: crumb crusts do not puff the way pastry does.
Notes on second pie pan nested inside or docking and freezing, no weights
Prick the dough all over, freeze it 30 minutes and bake from frozen. In a glass or ceramic pie plate, chill it in the refrigerator instead of freezing. Expect the sides to drop a little.
Notes on docking and freezing, no weights
An empty crust in a hot oven does two things: steam lifts the base into a dome, and the fat in the sides softens before the flour sets, so the walls slide down the pan. Weights press the base flat and, when they fill the shell to the top, hold the sides in place until the dough has set, about 15 to 20 minutes. Then they come out so the base can dry and brown. A substitute has to be heavy enough, fill the shell to the rim, stand up to oven heat, and lift out cleanly in a liner.
Every option, one card
Ranked| # | Substitute | Instead of pie weights | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dried beansblind baking a pie crust | See notesWorks | Works |
| 2 | Granulated sugarblind baking a pie crust | See notesWorks | Works |
| 3 | Uncooked ricetart shells and tartlets | See notesWorks | Works |
| 4 | Second pie pan nested insidecrusts in metal or disposable foil pie pans | See notesTweak it | Tweak it |
| 5 | Docking and freezing, no weightsshells for thick fillings | See notesYou'll taste it | You'll taste it |
| Not a swap | Glass marbles or pebbles | not a swapNot for this | Not for this |
Dried beans
similar taste and texture
Any dried beans, lentils or dried peas do the job of bought weights at the same bake time and temperature.
- Best for
- blind baking a pie crust, tart shells, quiche crusts
- Prep
- Chill the shaped crust for 30 minutes. Line it with a sheet of parchment crumpled and then smoothed out, or with foil pressed into the corners, leaving enough overhang to lift by. Pour in dried beans to the rim, about 2 pounds for a 9-inch pie plate, and bake as the recipe directs. Lift out liner and beans together, then return the crust to the oven to dry and brown the base.
- Pantry
- Likely in your cupboard
Beans are lighter than ceramic weights, which is why they have to fill the crust to the top. After baking they are dried out and take much longer to soften, so keep them in a labeled jar and reuse them as weights. They cannot brown the base: the crust always needs time uncovered after they come out.
Granulated sugar
similar taste · sharper, straighter sides
Sugar is dense and fine, so it presses evenly against the whole crust and holds the sides better than beads or beans.
- Best for
- blind baking a pie crust, fully baked shells for cream pies, tart shells
- Prep
- Line the chilled crust with foil, pressed tight into the corners and up over the rim with no gaps. Fill to the rim with granulated sugar, about 2 pounds for a 9-inch pie plate. Bake as the recipe directs, then lift out the foil with the sugar in it and let the sugar cool.
- Pantry
- Likely in your cupboard
Use foil without tears; sugar that leaks under the liner melts onto the crust. The sugar turns pale tan and tastes lightly toasted after an hour in the oven, and can be used in baking once cool. A foil liner full of hot sugar is heavy, so lift it with both hands.
Uncooked rice
similar taste and texture
Dry rice fills corners better than beans because the grains are small, and works the same way.
- Best for
- tart shells and tartlets, blind baking a pie crust, small or fluted pans
- Prep
- Line the chilled crust with parchment or foil with a generous overhang and fill to the rim with dry rice, about 2 pounds for a 9-inch pie plate. Lift out by the liner.
- Pantry
- Likely in your cupboard
Small grains spill easily and stick to raw dough if they get past the liner, so keep the overhang wide and lift slowly. Baked rice is dried and toasted; keep it as weights for next time.
Second pie pan nested inside
similar taste · flatter rim, even thickness
A second metal pie pan of the same size pressed into the lined crust holds the whole surface at once.
- Best for
- crusts in metal or disposable foil pie pans, graham and cookie crumb crusts, partial blind baking
- Prep
- Line the chilled crust with parchment and set a second pie pan of the same size on top, pressing gently. Bake the two pans upside down on a baking sheet for the first 15 to 20 minutes so the sides cannot slide, then turn right side up, remove the top pan and paper, and finish baking.
The two pans have to match in size and shape; a smaller pan leaves the sides unsupported. The crust cannot be crimped high above the rim, and the base stays pale until the top pan comes off. Use metal pans for this, not glass.
Docking and freezing, no weights
similar taste · shorter sides, small holes in the base
Pricking the dough so steam can escape and baking it from frozen keeps the base flat without anything in the shell.
- Best for
- shells for thick fillings, crumb crusts, tart shells in shallow pans
- Prep
- Prick the base and sides all over with a fork, about every ½ inch. Freeze the shaped crust for 30 minutes, then bake from frozen. If the base puffs in the first 10 minutes, press it down gently with the back of a spoon.
- Pantry
- Likely in your cupboard
Freeze only a crust in a metal pan: a glass or ceramic pie plate must not go from the freezer into a hot oven, so chill that in the refrigerator instead. Nothing holds the sides, so they slump more than with weights, most of all in a deep pie plate and with an all-butter dough. The holes can let a thin custard filling such as pumpkin or quiche seep under the crust.
Glass marbles or pebbles
not applicable
Decorative marbles, aquarium gravel, river stones or other household objects poured into the crust.
- Best for
- nothing in the oven
Glass marbles are not made for oven heat and can crack, and stones can hold moisture and split when heated. Neither is made for contact with food. Beans, rice or sugar cost less and work better.
Don’t swap it here
3 cases- Beans, rice or sugar poured straight onto the dough with no liner.Always line the crust first with parchment or foil that overhangs the rim.
- SafetyWax paper or plastic wrap used as the liner.Use parchment paper or aluminum foil.
- A docked, unweighted crust for a thin liquid filling such as pumpkin, custard or quiche.Weight the crust with beans, rice or sugar and do not prick it.
Questions
6 questionsWhat can I use instead of pie weights?
Dried beans, uncooked rice or granulated sugar, poured into the crust over a parchment or foil liner and filled to the rim. About 2 pounds fills a 9-inch pie plate. Use the same oven temperature and time as with bought weights.
What is the best substitute for pie weights for blind baking?
Sugar over a tight foil liner holds the sides best, because it is dense and fills every corner. Dried beans are the usual choice and work well as long as they come all the way up the sides.
Can I still cook the beans or rice afterward?
They are safe, but the oven dries them out, so beans take much longer to soften and can stay tough. Most bakers keep them as weights. Sugar is the exception: once cool it can go back in the canister, with a light toasted flavor.
Can I blind bake without weights?
Yes, with some slumping. Prick the dough all over with a fork, freeze it for 30 minutes and bake from frozen; a glass or ceramic pie plate must not go from the freezer into a hot oven, so chill that in the refrigerator instead. Do not prick a crust that will hold a thin filling such as custard or quiche; weight that one.
Can I use coins or other metal as pie weights?
Beans, rice and sugar are the better choice. Coins are not clean and are not made for contact with food, and galvanized or coated metal must not be used near food at all. If you want a metal weight, nest a second pie pan of the same size in the lined crust.
Why did my crust shrink even with weights?
Usually because the weights did not reach the top of the sides, the dough was not chilled, or the dough was stretched to fit the pan. Fill to the rim, chill for 30 minutes, and ease the dough into the corners without pulling it.
Tips for substituting pie weights
5 tips- Fill to the rim. A 9-inch pie plate takes about 2 pounds of beans, rice or sugar; a thin layer on the base leaves the sides free to slump.
- Chill the shaped crust for at least 30 minutes before it goes in the oven, so the fat is firm when the heat hits it.
- Crumple parchment into a ball and open it out again before lining. Soft paper sits flat in the corners where stiff paper bridges them.
- Take the weights out once the edge looks set and matte, usually after 15 to 20 minutes at 375°F to 425°F, then bake 5 to 10 minutes more for a partly baked crust or 15 to 20 for a fully baked one.
- Let beans or rice cool, then store them in a jar marked as pie weights. They can be reused for years.