6 of My Best Pie Ideas for Thanksgiving

Friends, hello and welcome to the weekend before the Food Superbowl!  I’m here with pie ideas for Thanksgiving, full disclosure, as a way of putting off my trip to the grocery store.  I know it must be done, but my goodness I haven’t yet mustered the mental fortitude.

This weekend’s post-grocery tasks include making a big pot of Chicken and Sausage Gumbo (God bless), and a triple batch of  all-butter pie crust.  Yes, triple – I’ve made a lot of commitments this year and I want to be ready.

Today’s offering are all the pies I deeply love that may not get their due at the Thanksgiving dessert table. We reaching beyond the standard pumpkin, apple, and sweet potato – here’s that good good.

•  A Pumpkin Tarte A La Bouille is an autumn riff on a Cajun pie. The pumpkin filling is more creamy than a traditional pumpkin pie and the crust is essentially a thick sugar cookie.  I love that the crust is less fussy than a traditional flaky pie crust and it comes together in a tart pan with cutie scalloped edges.

•  It’s impossible to choose a favorite pie but this Lemon Meringue Pie is towards the very top of the list.This pie is admittedly a fair amount of effort so make sure you serve yourself an extra large slice.  You may also want to revisit how to blind bake pie crusts. It always takes more pie weights that I think to keep the crust from sinking.

•  Dad’s Lemon Chess Pie is a slow bake / easy way to add a lemon moment to the Thanksgiving table.  It’s creamy and smooth with a lemon finish.  This pie is a family favorite.

•  This Salty Honey Pie is a classic from our friends at Sister Pie.  It’s a baked custard pie with a deep sweetness and balance from sea salt. I remember giving this pie to my old landlords in Venice who raised their eyebrows and thanked me later.

•  We love an apple pie moment – classic. Except I like a twist.  Hold some fresh cranberries out of the sauce and throw them into an apple pie. I love how the cranberries soften, tint the whole pie pink, and add the perfect tart pop:  Apple Cranberry Crumble.

•  Got that bourbon out?  This Bourbon Pear Crumble is an oldie here on the blog but such a good one! I love the way pears soften and sweeten when baked.  The crumble topping is filled with oats and brown sugar and this pie is just a delight.  And while you’ve got the bourbon off the bar, consider: Bourbon Pecan Pie with Dark Chocolate

I hope these pie ideas for Thanksgiving serve you well.  Let me know if you have any questions in the comments below! Happy Baking, friends!