The Ultimate Thanksgiving Pie Guide

Consider this the ultimate resource for all of your Thanksgiving pie needs. I’m sharing my top 20 holiday pie recipes, plus pie baking tips and more!

It turns out that I have a thing for pie. And in the 14 years that I’ve been blogging I’ve created quite the collection of pies and tarts in my recipe archives— over 75!

With Thanksgiving just around the corner I thought I’d highlight a few that would be right at home on your holiday table, plus my favorite pie crust recipes, tips, and resources so you can bake the perfect pie this holiday season.

Start with the Best Flaky Pie Crust

The best pies start with homemade pie crust— NO EXCEPTIONS. Check out my foolproof all-butter pie crust recipe where I’ll walk you through it all step-by-step. I guarantee you’ve never made pie crust like this!

See also, my favorite buttermilk pie crust variation. And if you’re looking for a shortcut, I also have a tutorial on how to make pie crust in the food processor.

Can I Make Pies Ahead of Time?

Definitely! Here are a few ideas of how to prep pies ahead of time:

Make Pie Crust Ahead of Time

Pie crust will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days and in the freezer (double wrapped) for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before using. I like to get my pie crusts done and out of the way a week or so before Thanksgiving.

How Long Do Baked Pies Keep?

For best results, I typically bake pies up to no more than 2 days in advance if I plan to store them in the fridge or at room temperature. All pies made with eggs and dairy products like milk, cream, cream cheese, sour cream need to be refrigerated. This includes pumpkin pie, cream pies, etc. Fruit pies made with fruit will keep at room temperature for up to 2 days.

Can I Freeze Pie?

In most cases, yes you can! You can freeze baked and unbaked fruit pies and pecan pies for 1-2 months. Let baked pies cool completely, then freeze baked or unbaked pies uncovered for a few hours, and then wrap twice in plastic wrap before freezing long-term.

To bake a frozen pie, bake from frozen (do not thaw) and plan on additional baking time. To thaw a frozen pie, leave it in its wrappings and set on the counter overnight, or warm in a 350°F oven for 30 minutes (covering with foil if the topping starts to brown too much).

Pumpkin pies, custard, and cream pies unfortunately do not freeze well.

More Pie Tips

Here are a few last pie resources, if you need additional help:

• 8 common pie mistakes and how to fix them— make perfect pies every time!
• My favorite pie tools
• How to blind bake pie crust
• How to make a lattice pie crust

20 Thanksgiving Pie Recipes

Looking for the perfect holiday pie recipe? Look no further! Here are my favorite pies that would be perfect on your Thanksgiving table, organized by the following categories— pumpkin and sweet potato pies, fruit pies, nutty pies, and cream pies.

Pumpkin and Sweet Potato

• Classic Pumpkin Pie— (pictured above) Creamy and perfectly spiced, this pumpkin pie is a classic for a reason.
• Pumpkin Pie with Nut Praline— Classic pumpkin pie just got a delicious nutty upgrade.
• Chocolate Pumpkin Tart with Gingersnap Crust— Traditional pumpkin filling with a gingersnap crust and chocolate ganache topping.
• Sweet Potato Pie with Toasted Marshmallow Meringue— This is a great alternative to pumpkin pie, and the fluffy meringue is unbelievable!
• Chocolate Swirl Pumpkin Tart with Chocolate Cookie Crust— chocolate and pumpkin are a match made in heaven.

Apple & Other Fruit Pies

• Cranberry Blueberry Pie— (pictured above) If you’re looking for a seasonal fruit pie that isn’t apple, this is it!
• Apple Pear Praline Pie— (pictured below) This pie is a reader favorite! And the caramel nut praline topping is reason enough to love it.
• Cranberry Pear Pie— This pie is the perfect balance of sweet and tart, and the flavors are so perfect for fall.
• Sour Cream Apple Pie— The combination might sound unusual, but this pie is sweet and creamy, with a delicious crumb topping.
• Mile High Apple Pie— With 6 pounds of apples in this over-sized pie, this is the ultimate apple pie!
• Dutch Apple Pie— This apple pie has it all, a flaky crust, sweet apple filling, and crisp streusel topping.

Nutty Pies

• Classic Pecan Pie— You can’t beat a classic like pecan pie for Thanksgiving.
• Chocolate Coconut Pecan Pie— A few additions to classic pecan pie take it to a whole new level.
• Cranberry Caramel Hazelnut Tart— This pie is unusual but extraordinary. It’s a surprisingly delicious combination of flavors!

Cream Pies

• Chocolate-Bottom Banana Cream Pie— (pictured above) Banana cream pie was a Thanksgiving staple when I was growing up!
• Caramel Cream Pie— This pie is one of my favorite creations, with creamy caramel pudding inside a pecan gingersnap crust.
• Mascarpone and Cranberry Tart with Pecan Crust— This non-traditional tart is made up of a crisp pecan crust, creamy mascarpone filling, and cranberry sauce topping.
• Eggnog Cream Pie— Who can resist eggnog during the holidays? This pie is for all of us eggnog lovers!
• Peanut Butter Moose Pie with Marshmallow Topping— This is the most delicious non-traditional Thanksgiving pie that needs to be a part of your holiday!