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The Best Pie Recipes: 22 New Classics to Master

The Best Pie Recipes: 22 New Classics to Master

By Megan Soll

Updated July 24, 2019

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Dana Gallagher

Nothing brings people together like a great pie. Any season, every month, there are excellent pie recipes to be made and shared with family, friends, nice neighbors and grateful coworkers. Even the best pie recipes for beginners are some of the most timeless recipes you’ll ever learn (we’re looking at you, apple pie). From tangy key lime to rich bourbon pecan, or a summery strawberry slab to a warming eggnog custard, these are the pie recipes to live for all year round. There are plenty of classic recipes as well as delicious riffs you’ll want to make again and again. So pull out your favorite vanilla ice cream or whipped cream topping, grab some seasonal fruit for pie filling and get to work on one (or more) of these delicious desserts.Related: 15 Pastry Tools for Making Perfect Pies

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Double-Crust Apple Pie

Tina Rupp

The most famous of the traditionally double crust pies, apple pie can be topped with a lattice design or a complete pastry cover. It’s the ultimate American comfort food, can be made using several kinds of apples and is perfect a la mode. Grace Parisi uses a mix of Granny Smith, Pink Lady and Golden Delicious apples for this iconic dessert.See more: Apple Pie Recipes

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Bourbon-Pecan Pie

Con Poulos

A Southern holiday treat that should have a place at every table, this easy pecan pie tastes of dark caramel, toasted nuts and a little bit of bourbon. This recipe uses a range of less-refined sweeteners like honey, and the press-in crust means you won’t even need a rolling pin. See more: Pecan Pie Recipes

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Cherry-Berry Pie

Tina Rupp

Cherry pie is a cornerstone of summer desserts, and the lattice design makes it one of the prettiest additions to barbecue dinner gatherings. Pastry chef Paula Haney of Hoosier Mama Pie Company provides this version with pitted sweet cherries, raspberries and blueberries. See more: Cherry Dessert Recipes

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Tiramisu Icebox Pie

Eric Wolfinger

Pastry chef Mathew Rice of Pastaria in Nashville takes the familiar elements of a classic tiramisu—ladyfingers, coffee, and mascarpone—and reimagines them as an icebox pie. The dessert is full of playful textures and flavors, including a dense coffee mousse and salty-sweet coffee crunchies.

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Coconut Cream Pie

Another summer staple, this fluffy and custard filled pie is a tropical flavored treat. Every part of this pie from pastry chef Kierin Baldwin has coconut: the crust, the filling and the topping. Read more: Coconut Desserts

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Minny's Chocolate Pie

Con Poulos

Lee Ann Flemming, one of the best bakers in Greenwood, made 53 chocolate pies during filming of The Help, including 12 vegan and gluten-free versions for actress Bryce Dallas Howard. This recipe is neither vegan nor gluten-free: It's as classic as it gets with sugar, cocoa powder and of course plenty of butter.

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Black-and-Blue Pie with Brown Sugar Crumb

Victor Protasio

For a juicy but not runny blackberry pie, crush one large handful of the berry filling to make the perfect consistency. The black-and-blue filling can consist of any mix of any brambleberries and blackberries (in this case it’s huckleberries). The crumb topping adds texture and allowing it to slice cleanly by absorbing some of the juices. See More: Blackberry Recipes

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Boston Cream Pie

Christopher Testani

Pastry chef Stella Parks makes the very best Boston cream pie, with an addictively light and delicately sweet pastry cream filling and a great sponge cake. Top it with the silky dark chocolate ganache and serve it cold.

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Lemon Meringue Pie

David Malosh

A homemade version of creamy sweetened condensed milk gives the tart lemon custard in this pie an especially delicious texture and flavor. The billowy Italian meringue topping browns beautifully under the broiler if you don't have a kitchen torch on hand.

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Gingered Pumpkin Pie with Candied Pepitas

Christopher Testani

Fall spice lovers will swoon over the custard and pumpkin dessert pie made for holiday gatherings. This take on pumpkin pie has the smooth texture of the classic, but with extra layers of ginger-caramel flavor. Candied pepitas on top add extra flavor and crunch. Revert to the classic or try other variations like Chocolate Swirled Pumpkin Pie and Pumpkin-Chiffon Pie.

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Tangy Key Lime Pie

Based on a recipe from Florida Keys Cooking pamphlet published in 1946, this pie is not the usual dense and cloyingly sweet version. Folding in beaten egg whites gives it a light, mousse-like texture.

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Sweet-Potato Pie with Cornmeal Crust

Con Poulos

A Southern take on pumpkin pie, this mashup of sweet potato, egg, milk, sugar and nutmeg is as seasonal as it gets. It’s the perfect pair with a pecan pie for a holiday spread.

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Deep-Dish Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie

Tina Rupp

This strawberry rhubarb pie recipe is classic and perfectly tart-sweet. The dough can be made with just butter, but swapping in some lard yields an even flakier crust. Using cornstarch makes for a thick, delicious fruit filling.

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Mountain Rose Apple Pie

Con Poulos

This take on apple pie turns more towards an apple crumble, with a buttery and crispy crumble layered on top full of rolled oats and dark brown sugar. We dare you not to eat the whole thing.

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Brown Butter Custard Pie with Cranberry Glaze

Gabriele Stabile

Pastry chef Christina Tosi uses a cinnamon-sugar crumb crust for this pie, with a brown butter filling and a cranberry glaze. To top it all off for a seasonal taste: sweet potato–white chocolate ganache.

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Strawberry Slab Pie

Andrew Purcell

With a perfectly buttery crust and a sweet, jammy filling, this slab pie is one of the most delicious strawberry pie desserts you’ll eat all summer.

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Buttermilk Eggnog Pie

Con Poulos

If you’re looking for a Christmas staple after overdoing it on pumpkin and pecans during Thanksgiving, this is the solution. Chef Carla Hall flavors her Southern buttermilk pie with rum and lots of nutmeg, which evoke the flavors of eggnog.

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Blueberry Pie with Rye Crust

© Con Poulos

Blueberry pie is one of the oldest American pie recipes and is one of the easiest pies to make since the fruit filling requires minimal preparation. This version has small circles cut out of the rye crust, which not only looks dramatic but also allows moisture to evaporate from the fruit filling as it cooks, deepening the flavor. See more: Blueberry Pie and Tart Recipes

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Banoffee Pie

Kamran Siddiqi

Dulce de leche, bananas and a thin layer of chocolate make this decadent banoffee (banana-toffee) pie from baker and cookbook author Kamran Siddiqi a standout.

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Georgia Peach Pie

Quentin Bacon

When you slice into this delicious pie, don't be surprised by the gap between the filling and the top crust. This happens when a pie is baked at high heat because the crust sets before the fruit in the filling has cooked down.

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Creamy Peanut Butter Pie

Kamran Siddiqi

This delicious whipped-cream-topped peanut butter pie offers the perfect balance of sweet and salty flavors.

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Banana Cream Pie

Dana Gallagher

Joyce White has perfected the art of making every sort of cream pie, from coconut to cocoa to her favorite, banana: rum-spiked custard sandwiched between banana slices and swirls of whipped cream, topped with white chocolate curls.

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By Megan Soll