Pie vs Tart: Difference and Comparison

A Pie and a Tart are two sweet dishes that are very famous all across the world regardless of the culture and the country in question.

But in most instances, the very question that arises while talking about these two is how these two are different from one another. As for many people, they happen to be very similar.

However, if looked at carefully, certain differences can easily be marked. 

Key Takeaways

1. Pies have a pastry crust that encloses a sweet or savory filling, while tarts have a shallower pastry shell with an open top.
2. Pies can be served in various sizes and shapes, while tarts are round and have a more uniform appearance.
3. Tarts have a more delicate and refined presentation, while pies have a homier and more rustic appearance.

Pie vs Tart 

Pie is a baked dish with a sweet or savoury filling, enclosed in a pastry crust. Pies are served as a dessert, but can also be served as a main course. Tart is a baked dessert made with a pastry crust and a sweet or savoury filling, but with a shallow and straight-sided pastry shell.

A pie is a very common and famous dish eaten all across the world, and there are different ways of making this particular dish, and they completely depend upon the preference of the person making it.

This dish is covered with crust from both the upper and lower sides, and a round shape is given to the dish. 

While on the other hand, a tart basically refers to another baked dish that is open from the upper side, and no crust is found on that particular side as well.

There is no bar upon the taste of filling in this dish, and it can contain both sweet or sour filling depending on preference. 

Comparison Table

Parameters of Comparison	Pie	Tart
Meaning	The term refers to a dish baked and covered with crust from both sides.	The term refers to a dish baked with an open area on the upper side.
Shape	The shape of this dish is round or in more of a circle way.	The shape of this dish is not restricted and can be of any manner.
Width of crust	The width of the crust happens to be thin as compared to other dishes.	The width of the crust happens to be broader as compared to other dishes.
Filling	Usually, a sweet filling is found in this dish in most cases.	Both, sweet and sour types of filling can be used in this dish.
Pans used for baking	A number of pans can be used to bake this dish such as ceramic, Pyrex, or metal pans	Metal pans are mostly used to bake this dish.
Served in	It is served in a pie dish only.	This dish is served on cleaned plates after being removed from the baking utensil.

What is Pie? 

Covered from crust from all the sides, a Pie is a very famous and preferred baked dish all across the world. Usually, this dish is found in a round or circular shape only, and the filling found inside of it happens to be very sweet in taste.

However, in some exceptional cases, this filling might be savory, but this is not the most possible case. 

There are many ways in which a pie can be baked, and usually, in most of the ones, the pie is covered with designer crust from the upper side, and on the lower side, a carrying crust happens to be present.

Although metal pans are used for baking this dish mostly, certain other materials can also be used. 

These materials are- Pyrex and Ceramic, and in most countries, pies are baked in pans made up of these various materials. The crust of this dish happens to be very thin as compared to other dishes.

While serving, in most cases, a pie is served in the pan in which it has been baked. 

What is Tart? 

Unlike a pie, a Tart is more of a pastry dish and is eaten all across the world with huge popularity. This dish is easily distinguishable from other similar dishes because it follows an open crust policy.

In other words, one side of the dish happens to be open, and usually, no crust is found on that side. 

However, because of the crust being on just one side, the crust is very broad in nature, and the width happens to be more as compared to other dishes.

Unlike other dishes, there is no restriction on the size of this dish, and it can be of any shape or size as preferred by the maker.

However, one prominent feature is that it is baked in metal pans only, and other materials are rarely used. 

In different parts of the world, depending on different choices and preferences, the filling of this particular dish can be of any taste.

It might be sweet, or it might be sour in nature.

However, one major feature of this particular dish is that it is never served in the pan in which it has been baked and is usually, after being removed from the pan it is served in a separate utensil. 

Main Differences Between Pie and Tart 

1. A Pie is a type of baked dish that is covered with the crust from both sides, while on the other hand, a Tart is open from one side and covered from the other side. 
2. A Pie is filled with sweet filling, while on the other hand, a Tart can be found filled with both sweet or sour kinds of filling. 
3. A Pie happens to be in a round shape in most cases, while on the other hand, a Tart can be of any shape, and there is rarely any restriction. 
4. A Pie comprises a very thin crust, while on the other hand, a Tart comprises a crust heavier than other dishes. 
5. A Pie is baked in certain specific types of pans, while on the other hand, a Tart is baked in a metal pan only. 

References  

1. https://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/307802/files/nc-117-127.pdf 
2. https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=YOFwDwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PT4&dq=pie+dish&ots=b0-dCEm8FV&sig=Ca0d1r4-3zM-heDdnZSKbx8QQAE  

Last Updated : 13 July, 2023