The Best Tart Pan, According to a Serious Eats Editor

For someone who used to work in a bakery, I have a lot of pie dough anxiety. Although I graduated from culinary school and spent a year churning out sweet treats professionally, I still fear rolling out pie dough. (Side note: That means when I tell you this rolling pin is amazing, I really mean it.) Luckily, an unexpected thrift store find almost 15 years ago means I never have to deal with torn dough or slumped crusts. I am unapologetically obsessed with my tart pan with a removable bottom.

When I purchased my tart pan, I wasn’t sure how to use it. But I did a little research, found a recipe for a fresh fruit tart—not dissimilar to this one—and put my pan to work. The result? A breathtakingly pretty tart with a perfect crust, and I didn’t even look at my rolling pin. Like all good love stories, mine has a happily ever after: I’ve been using this pan for well over a decade. And sometimes, on very special occasions, I even bake pie in it: This pan has given me the confidence to make “real” dough, too.

What Is a Tart Pan?

This style of pan consists of two parts that nest together. A circular, flat bottom fits into a rimmed ring. The bottom overlaps the ring, so the two pieces are snug with no danger of sliding apart. The ring has fluted sides that, when removed, reveal a perfectly crimped crust. 

A tart pan differs from a pie pan in a few key ways. Most obviously, a tart pan with a removable bottom has two distinct pieces. A pie pan is just one piece. Pie pans have sloped sides, and most have smooth lips (though there are exceptions). Tart pans have almost straight sides with fluting along the whole interior edge, which results in a scalloped crust. They’re also shallower than pie pans. Finally, while pie pans can be made from ceramic, metal, glass, or even cast iron, tart pans are always made with metal, typically stainless steel or aluminum. Most modern tart pans have a nonstick coating. Associate commerce editorial director Riddley Gemperlein-Schirm owns a nonstick tart pan and says “It releases crusts incredibly easily and makes picture-perfect tarts.”

How to Use a Tart Pan With a Removable Bottom

First, I’ll direct you to this recipe by Serious Eats’ senior culinary editor Leah Colins. In it, she shares the technique for making a tart with a press-in dough. The dough, which has a consistency similar to wet sand, adheres to the bottom and walls of the tart pan, held together by fat (in this case, melted butter). As the tart shell bakes, the dough firms up and molds itself into the shape of the scalloped pan. Remove the cooked tart from the oven and let it cool. Gently push up on the bottom of the pan, and the rim will release from the dough. (You’ll want to keep the tart on the bottom disc for serving.) This technique works with all kinds of press-in crusts, including graham cracker crusts. It also works with traditional pie dough, as shown in the photo above. The benefit of using pie dough is that you don’t have to hand-crimp the edges: The pan does it for you!

What’s So Great About a Tart Pan?

Oh my goodness, everything! It’s the ideal tool for low-maintenance desserts. If you hate rolling pie dough, and I’m willing to bet at least some of you do, you can still achieve stunning results. Press-in crusts made in tart pans never look shabby or messy. They are also ideal for fresh fruit desserts and don’t require as much time in the oven. Just bake the shell and fill it with custard and fruit, let it set, then serve. You can also make savory dishes in a tart pan: I’ve shown up to many a brunch with quiche.

The only downside to a tart pan? It can be fiddly to clean. The edges are magnets for buttery crumbs, and the rimmed piece can benefit from a soak in hot, soapy water. For the longevity of your pan, avoid the dishwasher—grab a pair of good dish gloves and suds up.

FAQs

Can you make pie in a tart pan?

You can absolutely use pie dough in a tart pan. The technique is similar to placing dough on a pie plate: Use your rolling pin to transfer the rolled dough circle to the tart pan. Gently push it into the sides of the pan and trim off the excess. Ensure that the dough makes contact with all the ridges of the scalloped sides: otherwise, it may slump in the oven. I don’t recommend baking a traditional, two-crust pie in a tart pan, though. It would be difficult to crimp the top and bottom together, and the narrow edge of the pan wouldn’t properly support it.

Many recipes for tart pans call for fully baked shells and pudding-like fillings, like this lemon tart recipe. Others, like this frangipane tart, are made by parbaking the shell and then finishing it in the oven with the filling. (The recipe I linked doesn’t call specifically for a fluted tart pan, but I feel confident recommending it anyway.) 

Can you make a tart without a tart pan?

In a pinch, a pie plate can work. If you attempt to use a more traditional baking pan (like a cake pan or brownie pan), choose metal instead of glass. And be aware you will likely need to adjust the baking time and/or temperature.

Why We’re the Experts

• Rochelle Bilow is a commerce editor for Serious Eats.
• Previously, she worked at Bon Appétit and Cooking Light, and as a line cook and professional baker.
• Rochelle has been reviewing kitchen equipment for three years. She’ll take any excuse to bake with her favorite tart pan.