Life
11 Thanksgiving Pie Recipes That Will Blow Your Mind
While desserts of all shapes and varieties are never bad, nothing brings it home on Thanksgiving quite like a pie. All you need is the right pie crust and one (or several!) of these recipes. But be warned. These are not ordinary pies. Trust me when I say that I would not bother wasting your time with a classic pumpkin pie or a plain old apple pie. That's child’s play. This is the Internet, guys — this is where all your dreams come true. And since the dessert table is already such a magical, dreamlike place, let’s aim to keep it that way. Roll the dough yourself. Buy the very best ingredients. Follow the instructions to a T (extra butter optional). And when the pie is finished, top it with homemade whipped cream and then rise to meet your applause.
These pies are extraordinary pies — visionary, even. They’re definitely ahead of their time and way, way ahead of whatever pumpkin pie snooze-fest you put together last year. Because that classic pumpkin pie has been elevated with maple and bourbon and then topped with a crunchy, golden-brown bruléed topping. Your spoon calls! There’s also a butterscotch pie that is topped with a mountain of creamy and majestic meringue — because butterscotch meringue pie is a thing now, and you need to have it in your life. Cranberry chiffon pie? Salted caramel roasted nut pie? Pumpkin chocolate chip cookie pie? Crack pie? Though not every pie here can be called ‘crack pie,’ that doesn’t mean you won’t find the others to be just as blissfully addictive. I’ll see you in pie rehab.
Image: Adventures in Cooking
Bruléed Bourbon-Maple Pumpkin Pie
Looking to take pumpkin pie to the next level? This bruléed bourbon-maple version from Bon Appetit is a more than respectable way to do it. The satisfaction of cracking your spoon into the surface of this beautiful pie can be all yours.
Image: Sebastian Mary/Flickr
Crack Pie
The name of this pie speaks for itself — it is dangerously good. In a recipe adapted from Momofuku Milk Bar, Averie Cooks starts with a crust made of crushed-up homemade oatmeal cookies and then fills it with a rich, sugary, vanilla custard filling. Does standard health insurance cover pie rehab? I don't even care.
Image: Averie Cooks
Salted Caramel Roasted Nut Tart
Okay, so this is technically a tart, but it’s so ridiculous that it made the list anyways. I bet you don’t mind. This salted caramel roasted nut tart from Adventures in Cooking is like pecan pie 2.0. Welcome to the future.
Image: Adventures in Cooking
No-Bake Deep-Dish Peanut Butter Snickers Pie with Salted Caramel
Still swimming in leftover Halloween candy? Okay, so… start with a crust made of Oreos, fill it up with cream cheese, Cool Whip, peanut butter, and sugar, top that with CANDY BARS, and then adorn the candy bars with big swirls of caramel sauce. Now take a deep breath. This no-bake peanut butter Snickers pie from Averie Cooks is sure to be just as popular with the grown-ups as it will be at the kids’ table.
Image: Averie Cooks
Cranberry Chiffon Pie
Cranberry is King. And the fresh cranberries, cranberry juice, and cranberry liqueur in this recipe resoundingly prove this fact. Searching for something sweet and tart and rich that hits all the right notes? Let this berry-studded custard pie from Saveur be your culinary unicorn.
Image: arsheffield/Flickr
Dorie Greenspan's Chocolate Cream Pie
Chocolate cream pie is loved by many. And like all good pies done properly, it starts with a good foundation. No store-bought graham cracker crust here. And no pudding-mix-in-a-box either. And, guys — Cool Whip, really? This pie from Naturally Ella pays homage to the traditional, homemade version from Dorie Greenspan. Don’t worry, it will be worth all the trouble.
Image: Naturally Ella
Vegan Apple Pear Pie with a Maple Walnut Crunch
Maybe you don’t associate the word “vegan” with the word “decadent.” If that’s the case, you should really try this pie from What’s Cooking Good Looking. The crust is a mixture of toasty nuts and sweet, gooey dates, and it's jam-packed with fruits and agave, and topped with additional nuts, oats, and sweetness. It is so good. Still not sold on the vegan thing? Throw a scoop of ice cream on top. There, it’s not vegan anymore.
Image: What's Cooking Good Looking
Butterscotch Meringue-Topped Pie
It’s not enough that the crust of this pie is flaky and buttery, or that it’s filled up with a densely rich butterscotch custard. Nope, that’s just the start. Because after all that, it’s topped with approximately a mile of outrageously beautiful meringue. What a smug little show off this pretty pie is. But don’t worry, Adventures in Cooking — we’re not mad at you at all.
Image: Adventures in Cooking
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie
Happiness means never having to choose between cookies and pie. And this pumpkin chocolate chip cookie pie from How Sweet It Is is pure, unadulterated happiness. Why wouldn’t you make it? Don’t you want to be happy?
Image: How Sweet It Is
Cherry Bourbon Pie
It turns out there is a way to make cherry pie even better than it already is. Just add bourbon, like in this recipe from Bon Appetit. Magic!
Image: Vancouver Bites!/Flickr
Homemade Mincemeat Pie
Don’t worry. There’s no meat here — just tons of oranges, apples, raisins, currants, spices, and, oh yes, sugar. This recipe from The Foodie Bride is genius because the filling is made right in the slow cooker — your days of babysitting a saucepan full of mincemeat for three hours are finally over. Your family will be impressed that you made this and found the time to, like, brush your hair this year. Good for you.
Image: The Foodie Bride
