[Photographs: Vicky Wasik, Alexandra Penfold, Jennifer Latham]
Forget all this nonsense about not having room for dessert after a big Thanksgiving dinner. Does anyone ever really not have enough room for pie? Not a wedge of Sara Lee or the supermarket-pastry-section stuff—the type of pie with an unsettling waxlike quality, both when you cut into it and when you eat it—but the kind with a gloriously buttery, flaky homemade crust that someone labored for hours to bring together, worrying endlessly about overworked dough and holes appearing in the shell?
The answer is: Of course not! Well, mostly. The part about everyone always having room for pie—that's true. But the part about sweating over pie crust for hours doesn't have to be. We've got a near-foolproof recipe for quick and easy pie dough that takes just 10 minutes, as well as a guide to blind baking for pies that require it. And if you'd rather avoid a traditional dough altogether, we've got plenty of options that rely on crumb crusts instead. Either way, explore all the delicious possibilities in the 19 pie recipes we've gathered below, from the old standards of pumpkin, pecan, and apple to less-expected varieties like buttermilk and crème brûlée. We're even including step-by-step photo guides on a few old favorites to guide you through every part of the process.
Classic Thanksgiving Pies, Step by Step
Extra Smooth Pumpkin Pie
[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]
Pumpkin pie filling frequently ends up taking on a grainy, wet consistency, which usually means either it's overcooked or it hasn't been puréed adequately. Beyond a few useful tips for avoiding those outcomes, we offer this recipe, which blends cream cheese with pumpkin purée. In addition to making the filling extra creamy, the cream cheese gives the pie a slight pleasant tanginess and cuts down on its moisture content, which will help keep your crust from getting soggy.
Get the recipe for the Extra Smooth Pumpkin Pie »
See the step-by-step photo guide for the Extra Smooth Pumpkin Pie »
Perfect Apple Pie
[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]
Pumpkin pie may satisfy your need for a picturesque, old-fashioned Thanksgiving dessert, but in most households, apple pie is more likely to be a crowd-pleaser. Luckily, once you've mastered the art of our easy pie crust, baking a stellar apple pie is neither difficult nor time-consuming. Par-cooking your apples by covering them with boiling water or cider helps them keep their form while they bake, but still produces a fairly juicy pie—you can increase the amount of cornstarch if you prefer a richer, jammier filling.
Get the recipe for the Perfect Apple Pie »
See the step-by-step photo guide for the Perfect Apple Pie »
Cranberry Apple Slab Pie
[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]
Unlike, say, cookies or bars, pies generally aren't good options for scaling. Making two or three pies is—well, it's about two or three times the work of making one. So if you've got a big group to feed this Thanksgiving, a slab pie baked in a large sheet pan is definitely the way to go. Sliced apples and a combination of fresh and macerated cranberries make a simple filling, and a crumble topping adds a little texture and a warm brown-sugar sweetness.
Get the recipe for the Cranberry Apple Slab Pie »
See the step-by-step photo guide for the Cranberry Apple Slab Pie »
Classic Pecan Pie
[Photograph: Vicky Wasik]
If you've got the kind of sweet tooth that loves pecan pie, you're in luck. It's probably the easiest Thanksgiving pie to make—the simple, butterscotch-sweet filling requires no par-cooking, and no more than one bowl to mix up all the ingredients. This recipe keeps it traditional with a combination of corn syrup, honey, brown sugar, and vanilla, topped with crunchy toasted pecans. Covering the top of the pie with foil for part of the baking time will help keep the nuts from burning.
Get the recipe for the Classic Pecan Pie »
See the step-by-step photo guide for the Classic Pecan Pie »
Squash and Sweet Potato Pies
Classic Pumpkin Pie
[Photograph: Lauren Weisenthal]
For pumpkin pie much like Grandma used to make, use the standard filling components of pumpkin purée—preferably our homemade version—evaporated milk, a generous dose of ginger, and a modest amount of brown sugar for an unobtrusive sweetness. If you opt for store-bought purée, make sure it is indeed canned pumpkin purée only, not pumpkin pie filling.
Get the recipe for the Classic Pumpkin Pie »
Pumpkin Mousse Pie
[Photograph: Lauren Weisenthal]
Folding your pumpkin custard with whipped cream yields a lighter filling and a mellower pumpkin flavor, which may be exactly what you need after a gut-busting Thanksgiving meal. Instead of our usual pie shell, we use a crumbly cookie crust spiced with ginger, cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg, giving this pie the feel of a luscious but airy cheesecake.
Get the recipe for the Pumpkin Mousse Pie »
Pumpkin Chocolate Swirl Pie
[Photograph: Lauren Weisenthal]
If you've never tried combining pumpkin and chocolate, you'll be surprised at how effectively a bit of cocoa sets off the sweetness of the squash. This recipe doesn't require much more effort than a typical pumpkin pie—just melt butter and chocolate in the microwave and swirl the mixture into a pumpkin filling thickened with cream cheese.
Get the recipe for the Pumpkin Chocolate Swirl Pie »
Butternut Squash Pie
[Photograph: Lauren Weisenthal]
With a creamy texture and a mild flavor not terribly different from that of pumpkin, butternut squash is a natural choice for an autumnal pie filling. Here, we go easy on the spices, so as not to overpower the squash, and pour the filling into a crunchy oat crumble crust. A topping of whipped cream or brûléed marshmallow is a nice but optional touch.
Get the recipe for the Butternut Squash Pie »
Sweet Potato Pie
[Photograph: Lauren Weisenthal]
Following the example of the butternut squash pie above, this pie emphasizes the sweet potato flavor by limiting the amount of sugar, though we do intensify it with bourbon and extra spice. Most of the sweetness comes from the rich (and pretty!) homemade marshmallow topping—brûlée it with a torch or under the broiler if you really want to show off.
Get the recipe for the Sweet Potato Pie »
Fruit Pies
Caramel Apple Pie
[Photograph: Lauren Weisenthal]
The addition of homemade caramel makes an ordinarily delicious apple pie out of this world. If you've never made your own caramel before, it's not as hard as you think, and it's completely worth the effort. The most important things to remember: Keep the sides of the pot as clean as possible, and carefully watch the heat so the mixture doesn't over-thicken. Northern Spy apples pair especially well with the slightly bitter, creamy caramel.
Get the recipe for the Caramel Apple Pie »
Winter Apple and Dried Fruit Pie
[Photograph: Lauren Weisenthal]
Dried fruit makes a great enhancer for apple pie, adding textural contrast and absorbing some of the juices the apples exude. You can use just about any dried fruit you want—try a mixture of cherries, figs, cranberries, currants, and raisins—but be sure to adjust the amount of sugar in the filling depending on the tartness of the components.
Get the recipe for the Winter Apple and Dried Fruit Pie »
Apple-Pecan Bourbon-Caramel Pie
[Photograph: Jennifer Latham]
This recipe combines some of our favorite flavors and textures of autumn: crisp, sweet-tart apples; nutty pecans; silky caramel; and smooth, belly-warming bourbon. It's also an ideal compromise between the wholesomeness of apple pie and the intense sweetness of pecan pie. And on top of all that, it's easy to make, since each layer—crust, sautéed apples, and pecan-bourbon-caramel topping—is made separately and simply stacked to form the finished dessert.
Get the recipe for the Apple-Pecan Bourbon-Caramel Pie »
Rustic Apple-Cranberry Pie
[Photograph: Yvonne Ruperti]
I've always argued that I don't make pie because I'm too lazy for it and don't own a pie plate. This rustic pie, or galette, eliminates both of those excuses at once. Instead of carefully draping a crust over a pie dish and pressing it into shape, all you need to do is roll out the dough into a round on a sheet pan, place the filling in the center, and fold the edges of the dough over—an easy technique that leaves you with a wonderfully crisp crust besides.
Get the recipe for the Rustic Apple-Cranberry Pie »
Cream and Custard Pies
Chocolate Cream Pie
[Photograph: Lauren Weisenthal]
Chocolate cream pie comes in all forms—the filling can be as thick as ganache or light and mousse-like—and this is one of the latter varieties. We make a thick chocolate pudding, then fold whipped cream into it and pile it all into our easy pie crust. The resulting pie won't set up firm, and won't slice very cleanly, but the filling will be incomparably creamy and smooth.
Get the recipe for the Chocolate Cream Pie »
French Silk Chocolate Pie
[Photograph: Lauren Weisenthal]
A little more grown-up than our chocolate cream recipe, this French silk pie uses bittersweet chocolate (look for a variety containing 58 to 71% cacao) and sabayon (zabaglione), a mix of whipped egg yolks, water, and sugar. Sabayon is a bit tricky—it requires whisking the ingredients continuously in a double boiler while keeping a close eye on the heat—but the finished product will be rich, luxurious, and gorgeous to look at.
Get the recipe for the French Silk Chocolate Pie »
The Ultimate Snickers Pie
[Photograph: Ideas in Food]
Who cares what Thanksgiving "tradition" dictates? If you like your candy bars frozen, this is the pie for you. To emulate a Snickers bar's combination of peanuts, caramel, and chocolate, we fill a chocolate pie crust with a homemade (but no-churn) caramelized condensed milk ice cream, chocolate caramel sauce, and white chocolate peanut butter. A sprinkling of chopped peanuts gives it a little satisfying crunch. It's as over-the-top as you'd expect from the name, but Thanksgiving is no time for dessert sissies.
Get the recipe for The Ultimate Snickers Pie »
Hoosier Sugar Cream Pie
[Photograph: Alexandra Penfold]
Anyone who's grown up in Indiana should recognize a good sugar cream pie on sight. This pie is just what the name suggests: a rich filling of sugar (equal parts white, light brown, and dark brown) and cream, baked in a pie crust. Despite its custard-like texture, it's thickened with flour instead of eggs, which makes it quick and easy.
Get the recipe for the Hoosier Sugar Cream Pie »
Crème Brûlée Pie
[Photograph: Lauren Weisenthal]
A few adaptations are needed to transform crème brûlée, which is usually portioned into individual ramekins, into a lovely, vanilla-scented pie. A standard crème brûlée formulation is too runny on its own, so we add an egg white for extra stability. Blind-baking the pie shell is a must to avoid sogginess. But just like with the traditional version, the best part is breaking out the blowtorch to give it that signature, shattering-crisp caramelized crust.
Get the recipe for the Crème Brûlée Pie »
Double-Crusted Buttermilk Pie
[Photograph: Lauren Weisenthal]
For a custard pie that's not overwhelmingly sweet, buttermilk pie is a good solution—the buttermilk gives it a little acidity to balance the sugar in the comforting, creamy, lightly nutmeg-spiced filling. This pie incorporates a double crust, which makes it a bit tough to know when the inside has set, so cut a small decorative opening in the top crust before you apply it over the filling.
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