A pie pan or pie plate, as it is sometimes called, is a round baking dish with shallow, outwardly-slanted sides about 1 inch to 1 ½ inch deep. They are available in a variety of sizes, but the most common sizes are 8-inch, 9-inch, and 10-inches in diameter. 


Pie pans are usually made of,

  • Glass
  • Aluminum
  • Ceramic
  • Stoneware
  • Tinned steel

As the name suggests, pie pans are used for baking single and double-crust pies


Shallow pie pans bake their contents relatively quickly and uniformly and can brown your pie because of how the hot air circulates on the pan. Pies baked in shallow pie pans have lower exposure to heat, so the pie tends to dry out. 


You can also purchase a deep-dish pie pan with slanted sides that are 2 inches to 2 ½ inches deep and between 9 inches and 11 inches in diameter. While the shallow pie pan is most often used for baking a sweet pie, the deep dish version of the pie pan is used for savory dishes.


The deep depth of the pie pan sides can ensure that your dish maintains adequate moisture levels and maximizes flavor. The shape of the pie pan keeps the center of the pie at a constant heat and provides a lower exposure to evaporation. But this also makes the baking process a little longer, as the heat must penetrate the center of the pie pan.


You must use the correct size pie pan for your recipe. If your pie is much smaller than your pan, the exposed area of the pan will cause faster evaporation. So, if your pie needs to hold moisture, use a deep dish pie pan.