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How to fill a pastry bag (without making a mess)

Bakers make it look so easy, but we’ve all been there, desperately trying to grab hold of a greasy, sticky piping bag. If you’ve ever wondered how to fill a pastry bag cleanly and smoothly, we’ve got the tips and tricks to make it a painless process. The best part? No special equipment is needed.


And while you may be tempted to use a zipper bag, reusable or disposable piping bags do a much better job. Once you know how to fill them correctly (and without making a mess), they’re easy to clean and reuse, over and over again.



Step 1. Prepare the pastry bag

Place the tip you want to use at the bottom of the bag. There’s nothing worse than filling a bag with icing and finding out you forgot to attach the tip. If using a new bag, cut just enough to move the tip halfway. Cut too much and the tip will fall out of the bag, so cut conservatively, you can always cut more, but you can’t add it back.


Pro tip: Use a coupler. While we didn’t promise any special equipment, this inexpensive two-piece tool allows you to change tips without refilling the bag. If you plan on using multiple piping tips for a project, this is a great decorating kit to have on hand. It’s also great for clogged tips, as you can easily remove, clean, and replace the tip. To use, simply insert the coupler base into the bag as you would any tip, place the desired tubing tip on the end and secure with the coupler ring.


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Step 2. Fill the bag

Next, place the piping bag in a tall glass (pint glasses work great for this) and fold the opening of the piping bag down around the glass. This way the bag will stay open and you will have two hands free. Also, this method keeps the outside of the bag completely unexposed and therefore clean. Use a spatula to add your icing or filling to the bag.


Pro tip: Just fill the bag a little more than half full, the more you fill it the harder it will be to handle. You will also need to apply more pressure while channeling when the bag is very full. If you’re working with an especially thick filling, like ganache, the less you fill the bag, the better, or you risk carpal tunnel.


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Step 3. Twist and pipe

Unfold the part of the bag that surrounds the glass. Gather excess bag material and twist firmly to secure.


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You can tie the end of the bag with a rubber band, but as long as you keep it twisted, the icing shouldn’t come out of the bag. You can also take the crooked end of the bag and wrap it around the thumb of your dominant hand, which some bakers do to get a better grip on the bag.


Lastly, gently squeeze the piping bag from the back (not the front, or the frosting will start pouring out the back) to push all of the frosting towards the tip. Now you are ready to get pipes!


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pro tip: Keep that glass of beer around. Between cupcakes or while replacing tips, you can place the piping bag with the tip facing up so the frosting doesn’t spill on the counter or on you.

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