Recipes Holidays + Events Thanksgiving 26 Showstopping Thanksgiving Pies and Tarts By Food & Wine Editors Updated on October 24, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Gerard + Belevender Your Thanksgiving dinner isn't complete without a pie — and Thanksgiving desserts don't have to be a hassle, especially with our best pie dough recipe. Most of these pies can be easily prepared ahead of time, plus we have some mix-and-match options for pie crusts and fillings, to suit every taste and preference. From Bourbon Pumpkin Pie to a Fig and Caramel Nut Tart, here are our most delicious Thanksgiving pies and tarts to serve with your holiday spread. 01 of 26 Apple Flambé Pie Photo: Victor Protasio / Food Stylist Torie Cox /Prop Stylist Claire Spollen Apple cider, fresh and dried apples join forces in this stovetop apple pie filling. The pie is topped with flaming apple brandy just before serving. Get the Recipe 02 of 26 Pecan-Pumpkin Cream Pie Tara Donne This pie slices beautifully to reveal not one but two fillings: both pumpkin custard and gooey, syrupy pecan. Chef Joanne Chang's technique ensures the bottom of the pie shell is perfectly cooked and avoids sogginess. Cooling the blind-baked pie shell with weights keeps it hotter, and flatter, longer. Get the Recipe 03 of 26 Black Sesame Pumpkin Pie Photo: Victor Protasio /Food Stylist Torie Cox /Prop Stylist Claire Spollen A silky stovetop pumpkin custard sits on top of a layer of nutty black sesame paste in this delicious twist on a classic pumpkin pie. Get the Recipe 04 of 26 Apple Cheddar Rye Pie Gerard + Belevender Apple pie and cheddar cheese are already a match made in sweet and savory heaven. This recipe from Detroit bakery Sister Pie adds the nuttiness of rye flour into the crust to create the ultimate hearty fall dessert. Get the Recipe 05 of 26 Banana Pudding Pie Photo by Will Dickey / Prop Styling by Christina Daley / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey Cool, creamy, and nostalgic, banana pudding gets an upgrade thanks to buttery roasted macadamia nuts in a classic vanilla wafer crust. The pie receives an additional lift from an easy homemade pudding made from rich whole milk, egg yolks, and flecks of flavorful vanilla bean seeds. Two layers of sliced banana and a billowy crown of fresh whipped cream take this make-ahead dessert over the top. Get the Recipe 06 of 26 Brandy Pecan Pie Gerard + Belevender A blend of turbinado sugar, maple syrup, and honey makes for a pecan pie with well-rounded sweetness. A dash of apple brandy adds a faint caramel apple flavor and brightens the nutty toasted pecans. Get the Recipe 07 of 26 Sweet Potato Honey Beer Pie Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Melissa Gray / Prop Styling by Heather Chadduck Hillegas The different components of this pie can be prepared on different days. Here's a suggested order of steps you might find useful, especially if you make this for Thanksgiving. Day 1: Roast sweet potatoes, reduce the beer, and prepare the pie crust, but don't blind (partially) bake yet. Day 2: Blind bake the pie crust, prepare the sweet potato custard, and bake the pie. Get the Recipe 08 of 26 Cranberry Crumble Pie Gerard + Belevender The cranberry compote's jammy texture holds the fruity filling together for this dessert, which puts a classic cranberry crumble in pie form. Plenty of warm spices in the filling help to balance the tart fruit and buttery topping. Get the Recipe 09 of 26 Roasted Spiced Cranberry Pie Photo: Victor Protasio / Food Stylist Torie Cox / Prop Stylist Claire Spollen Tart cranberries are roasted with lemongrass and gochugaru (Korean chile flakes) to give this vibrant pie its fruity and fragrant kick. Get the Recipe 10 of 26 Sour Cherry Tart with Almond Frangipane Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Melissa Gray / Prop Styling by Heather Chadduck Hillegas This irresistible tart takes full advantage of pairing tangy sour cherries with rich, nutty frangipane. It's essential to seek out sour cherries for this tart, whether they're fresh, frozen, or jarred. A sprinkle of toasted almonds on top adds a welcome crunch. Get the Recipe 11 of 26 Deep-Dish All-American Cinnamon Apple Pie Greg DuPree Pastry queen Rose Levy Beranbaum's deep-dish pie gets its intense apple flavor from macerating the fruit in sugar for an hour. The liquid drained from the apples is simmered with a hit of butter until a rich syrup forms, then is mixed with the apples, piled into the crust, and baked until tender and delicious. Get the Recipe 12 of 26 Fig and Caramel Nut Tart Photo by Caitlin Bensel / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen Rich, barely bitter caramel, deeply toasted nuts, and chewy figs combine in a buttery crust for this dessert designed for pairing with Madeira. A pinch of flaky sea salt makes it the perfect end to a big holiday meal. Get the Recipe 13 of 26 Chocolate Cardamom Cream Tart with Pistachio-Sesame Brittle Anna Stockwell This cousin to a chocolate cream pie gets complexity from a combination of bittersweet and milk chocolate, and plenty of richness from heavy cream. A touch of cardamom plus the contrasting crunch of homemade nut brittle elevate this dessert far above the ordinary. Get the Recipe 14 of 26 Sweet Potato Meringue Pie © TINA RUPP 2000 F&W Best New Chef Andrew Carmellini's dessert may look like a pumpkin pie, but the filling is actually made with sweet potato. It's nestled inside a spiced graham cracker-pecan crust and topped with marshmallow-y swirls of brûléed meringue. Get the Recipe 15 of 26 Nutty Baklava Pie Photo: Victor Protasio / Food Stylist Torie Cox / Prop Stylist Claire Spollen This pie combines the best aspects of pecan pie and baklava. It's topped with crispy phyllo bursts, which add crispy flare. Get the Recipe 16 of 26 Free-Form Apple Tart © Quentin Bacon San Francisco pastry chef Anne Walker usually makes this dessert with heirloom Arkansas Black apples. Dense and tart, these apples are harvested late in the season, making them a good Thanksgiving choice. Granny Smiths are an easier-to-find alternative. Get the Recipe 17 of 26 Black-Bottom Banana Cream Pie © Dana Gallagher Valeri Lucks, the co-owner and self-titled "chief people wrangler" and "pie master" at Milwaukee's Honeypie Cafe, says this pie marries two of her bestselling pies: chocolate cream and banana cream. Get the Recipe 18 of 26 Salted Caramel Pie Dana Gallagher This super-easy caramel lovers' dream pie is made with sweetened condensed milk sprinkled lightly with sea salt and baked until thick and gooey, then chilled in a simple graham cracker crust and topped with a cloud of fresh whipped cream. Get the Recipe 19 of 26 Pear and Almond Cream Tart © William Meppem This classic dessert from Tartine pastry chef Elisabeth Prueitt features a buttery almond custard that perfectly envelops Bartlett pear slices as the tart bakes up into a golden brown beauty. To serve, top with vanilla ice cream. Note: This recipe yields two 12-inch tarts. Get the Recipe 20 of 26 Chocolate-Bourbon Tart © CEDRIC ANGELES Chef Michael Glissman's tart is like a dark chocolate truffle in a crisp, flaky cocoa crust. Bourbon adds a wonderful smokiness; be sure to heat it carefully with the sugar so it doesn't ignite. Get the Recipe 21 of 26 Pumpkin Cheesecake Tart with Cranberry Gelée © Anna Williams This pumpkin cheesecake tart started its life as a petit four at New York City's Gotham Bar and Grill, where the restaurant's then-pastry chef Deborah Racicot tested new creations before turning them into stand-alone desserts. With its creamy pumpkin filling and ruby-red cranberry gelée topping, it clearly deserved a spot on the menu. Get the Recipe 22 of 26 Caramel-Pecan Hand Pies © DANA GALLAGHER At Seattle's High 5 Pie, owner Dani Cone has responded to popular demand by making these adorable, portable pies (she calls them "flipsides"), available not just in the fall but year-round. When she tries to take them out of the rotation, customers get angry; one time, she says, a woman even cried. Get the Recipe 23 of 26 Brown Sugar-Cranberry Tart © FREDRIKA STJÄRNE Since one dessert is never enough at Thanksgiving, chef and food writer David Tanis bakes a buttery French-American tart to complement his classic apple pie. The sweet-tart berries in the creamy custard pop when you take a bite. Get the Recipe 24 of 26 Peanut Butter Chai Pie Photo: Victor Protasio / Food Stylist Torie Cox /Prop Stylist Claire Spollen This no-bake spiced peanut butter pie comes together in minutes, and delivers big flavors. Get the Recipe 25 of 26 Butterscotch Pudding Pie Abby Hocking Top Chef judge Gail Simmons likes to keep her butterscotch pudding homey, focusing on the buttery flavor and lingering finish of real Scotch. For this impressive pie, she thickens the pudding more than usual and pours it into a fully cooled pie crust flecked with golden pecans. The contrasting textures of rich pudding and nutty, flaky dough make this a grown-up ode to the comforting childhood classic. Get the Recipe 26 of 26 Dark Cherry Crumble Pie Christopher Testani The only thing better than a slice of good cherry pie is a slice of great cherry pie. This version is made with a traditional pie crust on the bottom and sugary oat clusters on top, so you get all the best parts of a pie and a crumble. Frozen cherries work well here. Get the Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit