the 5 best holiday pies;

Originally posted March 14, 2022. Updated November 20, 2024 for content and clarity.

The holidays, whether they be Pi Day, Thanksgiving, or Christmas always means delicious pies! The end-of-year holidays for me are a wonderful time of friends, family, and fooooood. But it’s nice to have 3/14 after the holidays as another excuse to eat pie. Holiday pies are year-round.

Eating is my middle name, and you always finish strong with desserts. It’s simply a crime to skip the pie. Here are my favorite holiday pies. They range from sweet and creamy, to tart and fruity, and of course a decadent chocolate option…or two. Give your guests the best pie options…if you bother to share!

lattice apple pie;

Let’s start off with a classic any time of the year — lattice apple pie! An American staple with a woven, flaky crust atop a sweet and tart soft cinnamon apple filling. Yep, I said sweet and tart. Add a dash of lime to stand up to the sweetness of the apples. The lime is a little subtle pop amidst your favorite apples in the pie filling. Check out the recipe for my suggestions on the perfect apples for your lattice apple pie.

If you’ve got some extra time on your hands (and who does at Thanksgiving?), serve this lattice apple pie with brown sugar cinnamon ice cream. I know you can never go wrong with the classic vanilla bean ice cream, but guys. Guys. This brown sugar cinnamon ice cream is the perrrrfect complement. It brings out the cinnamon in the lattice apple pie with a pop.

Thanksgiving pies inherently mean pumpkin pie, doesn’t it? But this is so delicious it’s a great addition to any holiday for your pie table. Take the sweetness up a notch with some caramelized honey to make this caramelized honey pumpkin pie with chai whipped cream. This recipe originally came from Claire Saffitz’ Dessert Person. I added my own spin with some chai whipped cream. The light whipped cream offsets the dense creamy pumpkin pie filling. The complex flavors and sweetness are cut with the warm chai spice flavors.

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caramelized honey pumpkin pie;

This recipe makes enough for two pies–one to share and contribute to your in-laws, and one to keep for yourself. Or make one deep dish caramelized honey pumpkin pie. Sometimes you do need to minimize the leftovers for yourself! And don’t forget that chai whipped cream for all your holiday pies. (It would go great on the lattice apple pie as well…just giving you ideas. Two for the price of one!)

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s’mores french silk pie;

A luscious chocolate pie with a crumbly graham cracker crust, and a generous smear of marshmallow fluff to take a French silk pie to the next level. S’mores French silk pie. Gimme s’more! It’s what everyone will be saying. The best part about this pie is that you can go from scratch–homemade on every detail–to taking some easy shortcuts to save on time.

Thanksgiving is a hectic time. You’re trying to soak up time with family and friends, maybe cook an incredible dinner with fifty moving parts, and maybe even some holiday shopping. So sometimes going for the easy win is totally worth it when it’s just as delicious as the homemade version. Make your own homemade marshmallow fluff, pie crust, or brownie batter marshmallows to decorate.

But if time is of the essence, grab a store-bought crust and get your marshmallow fluff from the store. Even without a fancy blowtorch, sprinkle some crushed graham crackers across the top and decorate with whatever marshmallows you have lying around. It’ll still be a hit and take some of the stress out of an already hectic day!

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pecan streusel apple pie;

Like I said, apple pies are an American classic, but I also love a fresh new twist on a classic. This pecan streusel apple pie combines the lovely flavors of toasted pecans with a beautiful fresh apple filling and crumbly oat streusel on top. I will never knock the classic lattice apple pie, it deserves it’s place on this list. But if I’m to be truly honest…I’ll reach for the pecan stresel apple pie first.

There’s something about the nuttiness released by toasting pecans that just adds extra scrumptiousness to the pie. It’s like a pecan pie met an apple pie and decided to have a delicious (and less gooey) child. It works well for me, because I love the pecan flavor, and while I don’t mind the sugar, I think pecans can stand on their own. So I’ll take pecan streusel apple pie as the best of both worlds!

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snickers brownie pie;

This snickers brownie pie is the best combination of chocolate and peanut butter I’ve ever made. Oh. my. goodness. And that’s saying something. The fluff-based peanut butter topping is very mildly chewy but packed full of peanut butter flavor. The brownie layer is moist and fudgy, and the peanuts and caramel add a little crunch and extra sweetness.

Honestly, this snickers brownie pie is perfect for the holidays because even though it has a lot of “layers” you’re building off store-bought ingredients to make an easy–and DELICIOUS–pie that will wow your family or guests. You do make your own brownie layer, but with the help of store-bought pie crust and caramels, this pie comes together in a snap. The best tasting snap you ever had!

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What holiday pies did you serve this year? Do you have a Thanksgiving tradition? What do you contribute to your holiday table? I’d love to know what it is! Especially additional pie recipes or ideas you love, drop ideas and recipes in the comments, I can’t wait to be inspired!