What Is The Difference Between A Pie And Tart?

Whether it's a holiday, a rainy afternoon, or just a regular Thursday, there's always an excuse to bake. It's time to pull out the recipe book, pick out your favorite produce, and create something delicious. Are you thinking of pie? Perhaps a tart? Wait, are they the same thing? What exactly is the difference? And don't even get started on how galettes fit into the picture.

At first glance, pies and tarts look pretty similar: Both are round pastries with a sweet or savory filling. But looks can be deceiving, and these two pastries have some key differences that make them unique.

In the simplest terms, think of a pie as a dish of filling baked in a pastry crust, most often with both a top and bottom layer. A tart, meanwhile, is more like a filling nestled into a structured pastry shell with no top. The distinction largely comes down to the crust and the way each is constructed.

With pie, it's all about the classic pastry crust and generous filling. A traditional pie is baked in a relatively deep dish with sloped sides and typically has a bottom crust topped with another layer of pastry. The top can be a solid lid, a lattice, or another decorative design. Not every pie has a top layer, though. Pumpkin and pecan pies, for example, are baked with just an exposed filling and a bottom pastry layer.

The crust is usually flaky and tender due to the fat used in the dough. Common ingredients include flour, salt, cold water, and a combination of fats such as butter, lard, or shortening. Keeping the fat and water cold helps create the flaky texture associated with a good pie crust.

The filling is usually the star of the show, with plenty of it packed into the crust. It can be sweet, like in this simple classic raspberry pie, or savory, like in this comforting turkey pot pie. Once baked, pies are generally sliced and served right from the dish in which they were made, giving them their familiar, homey presentation.

A tart starts with a sturdy pastry shell that gives the finished dessert its signature shape. Unlike the typical two-crust construction of a pie, a tart has a single bottom crust, leaving the filling exposed on top. The dough contains ingredients such as flour, unsalted butter, salt, and oftentimes sugar and egg. The way these ingredients come together creates a firm yet tender and crumbly pastry that holds its structure beautifully once baked.

Tarts are baked in shallow pans with straight sides, which give the pastry its clean, sculpted look. Many pans also have removable bottoms, allowing the finished tart to be lifted out and placed directly on a serving plate. This makes serving the finished dessert simple and straightforward.

The filling can be sweet or savory, depending on the recipe. For sweet tarts, fruit, chocolate, and custard are common choices for a decadent dessert. If savory is more your style, vegetables, cheese, or eggs will turn any tart into a hearty breakfast or brunch option. As a bonus, since tarts often have a polished presentation, they're just as much a centerpiece as they are something to eat. Want an easy place to start? Make this five-ingredient chocolate orange tart the star of your next get-together.