Pie contest scorecard and judging sheet
A pie contest at Thanksgiving, a Friendsgiving or a church supper has one problem a chili cook-off does not: everyone knows what Grandma's pecan pie looks like. Below is a judging sheet you can print or copy, what each score means, and how to keep the voting blind anyway.
Pie contest judging sheet
Five criteria, 100 points. Judges fill in one row per criterion for each pie and add the points up. Flavor carries the most weight because it is what people remember.
| Criterion | Max | Low scores | High scores | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Appearance | 10 | Burnt or pale patches, cracked custard, collapsed top, ragged edge. | Even color, a neat edge, a top that kept its shape. | |
| Crust | 20 | Soggy or raw underneath, tough, bland, shrunk from the pan. | Cooked through, flaky or tender for its style, tastes of something. | |
| Filling | 25 | Runny, gluey, rubbery, mushy fruit, no texture. | Holds a slice, tender with some shape left, well set. | |
| Flavor | 30 | Too sweet, flat, one note, an off taste. | Balanced sweetness, the main ingredient comes through, spice in proportion. | |
| Overall | 15 | Crust and filling feel like two separate things. | The slice works as one, and you would take a second one. | |
| Total | 100 | Pie number: ______ Judge: ______ | ||
Rough guide for each row: under a third of the points means a clear fault, around half is fine but forgettable, and the top fifth is for pies you would be proud to serve.
Using the online scorecard instead? Guests give each pie one rating from 1 to 5, so they weigh the same five things in their head. If you want the full point split, use the sheet above for a judging panel and the link for the people's choice vote.
What to judge
- Appearance
- Judged on the whole pie before it is cut: even browning, a neat edge, a lattice or top crust that held its shape, no burnt spots or cracks across a custard.
- Crust
- Flaky or tender depending on the style, cooked through on the bottom (a pale, soggy bottom is the most common fault), and with some flavor of its own.
- Filling
- Set enough to hold a slice without running, yet not gluey or rubbery. Fruit should be tender and keep some shape. Sweetness should leave room for the fruit, nuts or spice.
- Taste and overall
- Does the slice work as a whole, crust and filling together? This is the one most people care about.
The American Pie Council's National Pie Championships use a similar split: a first impression before slicing, flavor, mouthfeel (consistency, crust and aftertaste) and overall appeal.
Keeping it blind when everyone knows the bakers
- Pick one person to run the kitchen who does not vote, or who does not mind voting last.
- They cut every pie out of sight and plate small slivers, one plate per pie, with a number on the plate or a sticky note under it. The key (number to pie) stays on a paper in their pocket.
- Serve slices plain. Whipped cream and ice cream go out after voting, so a topping cannot give an entry away.
- A slice still shows whether it is pumpkin or apple. That is fine; blind here means voters do not know who baked it.
- If the appearance of the whole pie matters to you, show all the pies on one table before cutting, unlabeled and in random order, and ask people to keep their opinions to themselves.
One contest or several
Pumpkin against pecan against apple tends to come down to which pie each person likes in general. With more than five or six pies, it is fairer to split them into groups and run a separate vote for each, for example fruit pies and custard or cream pies (pumpkin, sweet potato, chess, cream pies). Each group gets its own winner. With only three or four pies, one vote is fine.
Practical things
- Cut slivers. With six pies, a two-bite piece of each is plenty, and leaves pie for dessert afterwards.
- Pumpkin, pecan, sweet potato, chess, custard and cream pies (anything with eggs or dairy) shouldn't sit out more than two hours, so keep them in the fridge, bring them out for the tasting and put them back afterwards. Baked fruit pies made with sugar and no eggs can stay at room temperature for up to two days, according to University of Illinois Extension.
- Fruit pies cut cleaner after cooling for a few hours, so a pie baked that morning is easier to judge than one straight from the oven.
- Water or black coffee between tastes helps. A very sweet pecan pie makes a tart apple taste sour right after.
- At a fair or bake sale with a judging panel, you can still add a people's choice vote: put the slices out, share one link or a QR code, and announce both winners.
Running it with the scorecard
Type the pies in the order of the numbered plates. Guests open one link on their phones, see Entry 1, Entry 2 and so on, and rate each pie from 1 to 5, thinking of crust, filling and taste together. When you close voting, the ranking appears with the pie names. Running fruit and custard pies as separate groups? The pie contest rules page has categories, a timeline and tie-breaks. Make two scorecards, one for each, and send both links.
Start a pie contest scorecard. The title is filled in; add the pies and share the link.
Create a scorecard