28 Festive Thanksgiving Pies

Thanksgiving is a time for family, gratitude and most importantly, good food. As I’m sure we can all agree, an essential part of any Thanksgiving buffet is a few choice pies.

Pies can be both savory and sweet, making them a great item of food for both the main course and dessert. 

There are also so many different types of pie that you can make, with all manner of delicious fillings.

Today we will be looking at a few of the best pies for Thanksgiving (see also ‘27 Of The Best Thanksgiving Dessert Recipes‘) so that you can try something new this festive season. 

1. Blueberry Cheesecake Pie

This is a great dessert pie made with sweet blueberry sauce layered on top of a creamy cheese topping.

The base is made from vanilla wafers, which are suitably crunchy and go well with the cream cheese filling. 

You can buy blueberry sauce from the shops, or follow the recipe’s steps for making your own out of fresh blueberries.

With a little whipped cream lathered on top, this pie makes an awesome autumnal desert.

2. Rum Raisin Oatmeal Pie

Rum and raisins are a great combination, and they go very well together in this sumptuous pie.

The recipe uses a store bought pie crust, but you are more than welcome to make your own if you know how. 

When cooked properly, the raisins in this pie are wonderfully juicy and saturated in a combination of rum, cinnamon and nutmeg.

3. Sweet Potato Pie

You might assume that sweet potato is better suited for savory dishes, but as its name suggests, it lends itself to sweet recipes as well.

You can make it with canned sweet potato purées, or simply cook two sweet potatoes and mash them with a fork. 

Afterwards, the potatoes are mixed with eggs, butter, cinnamon and sugar for a deliciously sweet topping.

If you don’t have any pumpkin for your usual thanksgiving pie, then this will make an excellent alternative.

4. Lemon Meringue Pie

This classic pie is fruity and sour, making it a good choice for following your Thanksgiving dinner.

There is a link on this recipe for making your own pie crust if you don’t want to rely on a store bought one. 

You will need about 2-3 lemons to get enough juice for the filling, and cornstarch to help it thicken.

It will also help to have an electric whisk for making the meringue, as doing it with a manual whisk may cause your arm to get tired very quickly.

5. Triple Chocolate Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin pie is the most traditional choice when it comes to Thanksgiving dinners, but there are plenty of ways to mix things up if you want something different.

This chocolate pumpkin pie has a beautiful creamy texture and a rich chocolaty texture. 

The mixture of spices used to season the pumpkin includes nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves and ginger, all of which go very well with the chocolate.

There are also instructions for making your own chocolate pie crust out of graham crackers and bittersweet chocolate.

6. Bourbon Bacon Pecan Pie

Pecan pie is another traditional choice at thanksgiving, and this recipe teaches you how to make a pecan pie unlike any other you have tasted before.

The chopped pecans are mixed with bacon, to create a smokey yet sweet pie that tastes great. 

The filling is infused with bourbon, which helps to marry the sweetness of the pecans with the savory bacon.

7. Mile High Fudge Brownie Pie

If you couldn’t guess by the name, this is a decadent pie that is a must-try dessert for any chocoholic.

This recipe includes separate instructions for making both a chocolate pie crust and chocolate infused whipped cream. 

With a layer of brownie making up most of the filling, this is a chocolate extravaganza that is sure to impress your family and friends.

The whole thing is drizzled in a delicious hot fudge sauce that really is the icing on the cake… or pie in this case.

8. Turkey Pot Pie

So far we have had a lot of sweet pies on this list, which is great for dessert, but what about the main course.

This turkey pot pie is packed with delicious veg and meat, making it a great dish for serving at your thanksgiving buffet. 

Since the filling is made with cooked shredded turkey, this pie can be a great dish for cooking after thanksgivings with any leftovers.

Frozen mixed veg is also mixed into the filling, but you can replace this with finely diced fresh vegetables instead if you prefer.

9. Turkey & Stuffing Pie

This is another great savory pie that makes use of lots of the ingredients you will already have in preparation for Thanksgiving (see also our favorite Thanksgiving side dishes).

If you have any spare turkey and stuffing, then you owe it to yourself to try this luxurious dish. 

The crust is actually made from stuffing, which is a very clever way of incorporating it into the pie.

You can add whatever you want for accompanying the turkey in the filling, although the recipe recommends using mushrooms, peas and onions.

10. Roasted Mushroom Pot Pie

Mushrooms go well with any meal, and they are even better when cooked into a nice pie.

In this pot pie, the mushrooms are slowly roasted and mixed with carrots, onions and garlic for a sumptuous vegetable filling. 

These are covered in a rich creamy sauce that is made up of milk, vegetable broth and cream cheese.

This recipe is suitable for vegetarians and can be easily made vegan as well if required.

11. Triple Berry Pie

Back on to dessert, this is another awesome autumnal pie that has a filling made from blackberries, blueberries and raspberries.

The berries are lightly sugared and mixed with cinnamon to bring out their flavor and add a festive element to this dish. 

There are instructions in this recipe for making your own pie crust, and they are very simple.

If you want, you can just use the pie crust portion of this recipe for making any of the other pies on this list.

12. Braided Lattice Apple Pie

If you are looking for a pie that looks as great as it tastes, then look no further.

It looks just like an apple pie out of the movies, and while the ingredients are simple, they taste great. 

To make the lattice on top, you will need to buy puff pastry, or two extra pie crusts for cutting up into strips.

It will take a bit of practice to get the braiding just right, but once you have finished, the end result is worth all of the effort.

13. Pumpkin Fudge Pie

This is another great pumpkin pie with a twist that is sure to go down well at Thanksgiving dinner.

There are two layers of filling, one of which is made from puréed pumpkin mixed with ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon. 

The bottom layer is made from a homemade fudge that is wonderfully chocolaty and goes very well with the pumpkin.

When served together with a dollop of whipped cream, this pie makes the perfect dessert for the festive season.

14. Honey Pie

If you have a lot of honey, and aren’t sure what to do with it all, then this recipe may just provide the answer.

The filling for this pie is made from honey, butter eggs and grated nutmeg, which creates a sweet purée that is perfect for autumnal dishes. 

There are also instructions for making your own crust, although you will need a solid fat like lard in order to do so.

15. Chocolate Pecan Cranberry Pie

Pecans pies are great because there are so many other fillings that you can combine with the nuts to create all sorts of delicious desserts.

Earlier in this list we saw a pecan and bacon pie, and this one is a more sweet variation made with chopped pecans and cranberries. 

There are also pieces of crushed chocolate thrown into the mix, to create a luxurious filling for this decadent dessert.

The ingredients for this recipe are quite simple, and it won’t take very long to make if you are cooking to a tight schedule.

16. Mini Pumpkin Pies

If you are planning on entertaining a large crowd for thanksgiving, then these miniature pumpkin pies will make a great dessert for passing around the table.

They are very quick and easy to make, and once they are in the oven, you can spend more time focusing on the main course for your buffet. 

To keep things simple, this recipe uses store bought pumpkin purée and pie crusts.

If you have the time to spare, however, you can easily make both of these components yourself.

17. Pecan Pie Cheesecake

Anything can be made into a cheesecake if you try hard enough, as is demonstrated by this decadent pecan pie cheesecake.

This recipe uses a crust made from crumbled vanilla wafers with a pecan filling underneath a layer of cream cheese. 

There is another layer of caramelized pecans on top of the cream cheese for a rich and brilliant combination of flavors.

This pie is so tasty as it is that it hardly needs a garnish, but if you are in the mood then you can finish it off with a dollop of whipped cream.

18. Apple Cheddar Pie

Although you may not believe it at first, apple and cheddar make surprisingly good combinations.

The strong flavor of the cheddar goes well with sweet things, which is why it tastes so good in the apple sauce for this recipe. 

The crust is also infused with cheddar, making this dish delightfully cheesy, yet festive at the same time.

There are several spices mixed in with the apples including cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and allspice.

19. Coconut Pumpkin Chiffon Pie

This luxurious pie is unlike any other pumpkin pie you have ever tried, with a layer of grated coconut sprinkled generously over the top.

You will need to buy gelatin for this recipe to help the pumpkin purée set properly, although if you can’t find gelatin at your local store you can replace it with agar agar seaweed. 

You need to use a thickening agent to help the topping set, since this pie is a no-bake recipe.

That means you will need to leave it overnight in the fridge to solidify but, when it is ready, you should find the end result worth every second of waiting.

20. Thanksgiving Leftovers Shepherd’s Pie

It is very common to have a lot of food left over after thanksgiving, but what to do with all of the extra food?

Well, this delicious shepherd’s pie offers an elegant and tasty solution, since it is made completely from the leftovers you would expect to find after a Thanksgiving meal.  

The mashed potatoes are mixed with gravy (see also ‘The 5 Most Suitable Substitutes For Au Jus Gravy Mix’), mixed vegetables, stuffing, shredded turkey for a wonderful dish with all the flavors of Thanksgiving.

21. Apple Butter Pie

If you have ever wanted a pie that has the same texture as pumpkin pie but with apples instead, then this recipe shows you how to do just that.

It uses apple butter instead of applesauce for a much smoother texture that is bursting with autumnal flavors. 

Generally you want to buy a nice thick apple butter to get the right texture for this pie.

You can also make your own apple butter if you prefer and have enough apples and a slow cooker for baking them in.

22. Pear & Almond Tart

Apple pie always gets a lot of love, but pears (see also our favorite pear desserts) are an equally delicious fruit when it comes to crafting sumptuous desserts.

This fruity tart not only tastes wonderful, but it also looks great thanks to the decorative arrangements of the pear slices. 

The crust contains blanched almonds, giving it a wholesome flavor that goes very well with the juicy topping.

There is a sprinkling of lemon juice added in with the pears that creates a lovely citrus note that ties the whole dessert together.

23. Chocolate Pie

If you have any chocoholics in your family, then they will love this simple, yet tasty chocolate pie.

It uses a store bought pie crust with a topping of bittersweet chocolate thickened with cornstarch 

This pie doesn’t take a long time to cook, however, once you have made the topping you will need to leave it in the fridge for up to four hours, so it can set.

As such, if you are planning to make this pie for Thanksgiving, it may be a good idea to start it the day before.

24. Caramelized Pear And Chocolate Pie

This is another delicious chocolate pie, but this time one with a fruity twist. It uses a store bought crust with a layer of caramelized pears, topped off with a rich chocolate ganache 

While all of that might sound complicated, this recipe is actually quite simple and won’t take long to put together.

It is recommended to let the pie sit in the fridge for up to two hours, but we would suggest letting it sit overnight so all of the flavors can settle and infuse.

25. Caramel Cream Pie

If you have a sweet tooth, then this is just the pie for satisfying it.

This recipe uses Dulce de Leche caramel from Peru along with a succulent cream cheese filling to create a luxurious sweet treat. 

There are instructions in the recipe for making your own crust, and you have a lot of choice when it comes to garnishes for your pie.

Whipped cream  is the recommended final topping, but if you want to mix things up you can sprinkle the pie with chopped berries, or nuts.

26. No Bake Peanut Butter Pie

No-bake recipes are great because they don’t require much prep time, and you can easily work on other dishes once they are placed in the fridge to set.

This no-bake peanut butter pie is packed with delicious flavors and takes only 10 minutes to put together. 

The topping is made with peanut butter mixed with cream cheese to create a deliciously smooth and sweet combination.

You can finish off this pie with a drizzle of chocolate sauce and whole peanuts to tie everything together.

27.GingerBread Cream Pie

This pie has a gingerbread topping, which makes it very tasty and also suitably festive for a thanksgiving buffet.

The recipe recommends using a store bought pie crust, but you could easily make your own and add some ginger to it if you want to get creative. 

The topping is made with vanilla pudding mix combined with all of the classic gingerbread flavors including cinnamon, nutmeg and of course, ginger.

Another great thing about this recipe is you don’t need to bake your pie, and all you need to do is combine the ingredients and leave it in the fridge to set.

28. Classic Thanksgiving Pumpkin Pie

Sometimes you just can’t beat the classics, and for many people, it simply isn’t thanksgiving without a nice pumpkin pie. If you want to have a traditional Thanksgiving meal, then this recipe is for you. 

It covers all of the steps and ingredients you need to create classic pumpkin pie completely from scratch.

With nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves and crushed pecans mixed into the topping, this pie has all of the holiday flavors you would want for a festive dessert.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why Is Pumpkin Pie Served At Thanksgiving? 

Pumpkins and squash were two of the first vegetables brought to the first American settlers by the Native Americans.

The indigenous people taught the settlers many different uses for these vegetables and as such, pumpkin pie was one of the dishes served at the very first Thanksgiving celebration. 

Do I Need To Pre-Bake A Store Bought Pie Crust?

When you make your own pie crust, it is essential to prebake it before you add the toppings.

You don’t always need to do this with a store bought crust, however it is highly recommended if you are making a pie that has a very wet center.

Pre-baking your crust is also recommended if you want the crust to be extra flaky. 

How To Make Apple Butter? 

Apple butter is a very useful item to have in your pantry when preparing Thanksgiving meals.

It is even required for one of the recipes on this list, which is why we have included basic instructions for how to make your own.

To make apple butter, you need to peel, core and finely slice your apples. Then place them in a slow cooker along with vanilla extract, cinnamon, and brown sugar.

You should aim to slow cook your apples for up to ten hours until they reduce down to a purée. 

Once you are done cooking the apples, all you need to do is blend the mixture into a nice smooth butter. 

Conclusion

Thanksgiving is a magical time of year, where the whole family comes together to be grateful for all the things they have.

Since the meal is such an important part of this celebration, it is completely normal to go over the top when preparing your thanksgiving buffet.

If you want to mix things up this year, why not try out one of the pies on this list when planning dessert.

You can still make the traditional pumpkin pie as well, since there really isn’t any such thing as too much food at Thanksgiving.