Food & Cooking Recipes Dessert & Treats Recipes 40 Sensational Thanksgiving Pies and Tarts By Anna Kovel Anna Kovel Instagram Website Anna is a freelance writer for MarthaStewart.com. Editorial Guidelines Updated on October 24, 2019 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Christopher Testani You may have noticed that when people offer to bring dessert to Thanksgiving dinner, they already know what it is they'll be making. That's because they're not making it for you—this is all about them. But don't take it personally; that is, you may not love pumpkin pie, but they feel strongly that a Thanksgiving meal would not be complete without a sliver of that warm, familiar taste of spice and a dollop of lightly whipped cream. Thankfully, our American custom of having a few different pies on the dessert table generally means that there's something for everyone to enjoy at the end of the feast. Which dessert says Thanksgiving to you? Maybe a hint of bourbon in a luscious pecan pie makes you feel at home, or do you prefer the lofty meringue topping on a sweet potato pie, which always reminds you of your Great Aunt Joyce? How these pies and tarts became part of your holiday ritual might depend on how you celebrated Thanksgiving in your family; whether they were served at a favorite local restaurant and gained a cult following, like the Virginia Peanut Pie from the Virginia Diner in Wakefield, Virginia, or the Apple Sour Cream Crumb Pie made famous by Bookbinder's in Philadelphia. There are plenty of legendary pies with stories that hint of regional history; President Tyler's Pudding Pie and Shaker Lemon Pie, to mention two, tend to take on a mythical quality. After a couple of generations no one can even remember why they have seemingly always been on the Thanksgiving table—and really, no one can see any reason to make a change. Unless, that is, something opens our eyes to exciting new possibilities. Then we happily take the plunge, adding a twist—like a phyllo crust—or a tweak—such as adding dates to an otherwise traditional pecan pie—and before we know it, our old favorite has evolved into something else. Old-Fashioned Apple Pie becomes Apple Rose Tart. Or we delegate the trusty, traditional pies to someone else and take a chance on a dazzling newcomer—sure to become an instant classic. And so it goes. 01 of 40 Cherry-Cheese Strudel Pie Christopher Testani Puff pastry provides a light and airy frame for a creamy ricotta filling with tart cherries. To serve, cut down the center, then slice into rectangles. View Recipe 02 of 40 Lemon-Cranberry Meringue Pie Christopher Testani A thin layer of cranberry gelée on top of a smooth lemon filling topped with a cloud of meringue brings a classic pie to new heights. This is a happy way to finish any meal. View Recipe 03 of 40 Five Spice Pumpkin Pie with Phyllo Crust Christopher Testani Shake things up this Thanksgiving. An impressive crown of paper-thin pastry hints that things are veering into unfamiliar territory; within the smooth pumpkin filling of this pie is an exotic hint of Chinese five-spice powder. View Recipe 04 of 40 Chocolate Chess Pie Johnny Miller If members of your camp believe a dessert doesn't count unless it has chocolate in it, pull over here. The cocoa and espresso powders lend this iconic Southern sweet a sublime spin. It's a quick whisk-and-pour filling, requiring just one bowl, so you can easily check it off your list. View Recipe 05 of 40 Poached Pear Frangipane Tart Johnny Miller Pears are poached in mulled wine here, infusing the fruit with spices and giving the exteriors a deep crimson hue. When sliced and nestled into the rich frangipane filling, they create a glorious ombré effect. View Recipe 06 of 40 Apple Rose Tart Christopher Testani Details do make a difference: Two varieties of apple are chosen for flavor and color. The apples, carefully arranged in delicate layers, will make this the prettiest dessert on the table. View Recipe 07 of 40 Date Pecan Pie Johnny Miller Dates replace some of the sugar in this pie, providing an intense caramel flavor. Thoroughly blind-baking the crust before filling it ensures a flaky, golden shell that cradles the gooey nuttiness within. View Recipe 08 of 40 Diamond Apple Pie Johnny Miller There's a mod sensibility to this pie, but when you cut into it, you'll find that the flavor is classic. View Recipe 09 of 40 Brown Sugar Butternut Squash Pie Will Anderson The delicious, sweet flavor of freshly baked butternut squash fills this show-stopping pie. Break out your cutest cookie cutters for decorating the top, and see our step-by-step guide for cutting and braiding the dough. View Recipe 10 of 40 Apple Crostata with Cheddar Crust Here's a rustic free-form apple tart with a deliciously savory note, thanks to the addition of sharp cheddar cheese in the crust. This dessert brings traditional flavors and up-to-the-minute style together with casual flair. View Recipe 11 of 40 Marionberry Pie Marcus Nilsson This polka dot pie features a flaky cream cheese dough that nobody will be able to pass up. The jammy filling is a nod to Oregon, the only state in the United States where marionberries grow. Substitute another fruit preserve if you can't find this unique berry. View Recipe 12 of 40 Butterscotch Pie with Pecan Shortbread Crust Christopher Testani This cheerful pie breaks out of the circle—it's baked in a rectangular pie tin, accentuating the patterned pecans on top. It also presses all our nostalgia buttons: The crumbly crust, which tastes just like Pecan Sandies, encloses a fluffy butterscotch filling. View Recipe 13 of 40 Sweet Potato Custard Pie Johnny Miller Pumpkin pie is the classic dessert of Thanksgiving. This year, evolve it with this pillow-top confection. It features the same cinnamon and nutmeg, but roasted sweet potatoes are denser and richer-tasting than canned pumpkin. Halved marshmallows, shingled in circles and toasted with a torch or under the broiler, make an arresting design with minimal effort: Just spritz kitchen shears with cooking spray and snip the puffs in half. View Recipe 14 of 40 Quince Slab Pie Prepare the filling for this pie by poaching quince in sweet dessert wine with cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, and vanilla. Use store-bought puff pastry to form the quick and easy crust. View Recipe 15 of 40 Panna Cotta Pie with Poached Fruit Yogurt and cream sweetened with honey are set with just enough gelatin to make a cool, creamy filling for the gingersnap-walnut crust. This recipe uses dried plums for the poached fruit topping, but you could also use dried pears, apricots, cherries, cranberries, or peaches. View Recipe 16 of 40 Pear Cranberry Slab Pie Marcus Nilsson Feed a crowd? Yes indeed. This mega-fruit pie is prepared in a rimmed baking sheet, has a crumb topping and a perfect crust-filling-topping ratio in each of its 24 slices. View Recipe 17 of 40 Pecan Pie This is a rich version of the classic pecan pie. Take the time to arrange the pecan halves decoratively on top for a beautiful presentation on the Thanksgiving table. View Recipe 18 of 40 Traditional Pumpkin Pie with a Fluted Crust Made with evaporated milk rather than cream, the filling of this classic Thanksgiving pumpkin pie is light with a concentrated pumpkin flavor. View Recipe 19 of 40 Mini Cranberry Meringue Pie These mini pies feature a cranberry filling and are topped with billowy meringue. The recipe calls for the juice and zest of blood oranges, but if unavailable, navel or juice oranges work, too. View Recipe 20 of 40 Maple Custard Pie Yossy Arefi Make this pie a celebration of the best ingredients; the filling is essentially just pure maple syrup, eggs, and cream. A touch of nutmeg and a dash of vanilla add warm spice. View Recipe 21 of 40 Old-Fashioned Apple Pie A buttery crust is packed to bursting with Granny Smith apple slices tossed with cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. This may be the ultimate recipe for apple pie. View Recipe 22 of 40 Double-Coconut Cream Pie Johnny Miller Shredded coconut is folded into a silky coconut-milk custard for the filling of this indulgent pie, then the whole thing is finished with whipped cream and toasted coconut. View Recipe 23 of 40 Texas Hill Country Spiced Pumpkin Pie Anna Williams It looks traditional but this pumpkin pie holds a little surprise: chipotle chile powder gives it a warm, smoky kick. Top each serving with a dollop of bourbon whipped cream. View Recipe 24 of 40 Milk Chocolate-Pistachio Tart Johnny Miller There's a triple dose of pistachios in this rich chocolate tart: in the chocolate pastry crust, in the bottom layer of pistachio paste, and sprinkled over the milk chocolate top layer. The dough for this tart can be made a month before Thanksgiving and kept in the freezer; just thaw overnight before using. View Recipe 25 of 40 Citrus Chess Pie Will Anderson Traditional southern chess pie features a simple egg-and-sugar custard; this version adds tart lemon and sweet Cara Cara orange juices for a bit more sunshine. View Recipe 26 of 40 Apple-Pear Pie Finely chopped walnuts take the place of some flour in this two-fruit pie. You can bake the pie up to one day in advance to minimize Thanksgiving Day work. View Recipe 27 of 40 Shaker Lemon Pie Bryan Gardner Thinly sliced lemons are marinated in sugar overnight to start this classic pie. The lemon filling is thickened with six eggs, making it temptingly rich. View Recipe 28 of 40 Virginia Peanut Pie Anna Williams Roasted peanuts are the star in this scrumptious pie, which is sweetened with golden syrup. It's so much fun, it'll bring out the kid in everyone. View Recipe 29 of 40 Pumpkin Chiffon Pies These individual pumpkin pies are a sophisticated alternative to the traditional Thanksgiving pie. They have a gingersnap crust and a silky, no-bake custard filling, and are garnished with ribbons of candied pumpkin. View Recipe 30 of 40 Milk-Chocolate Pudding Pie Kate Mathis An easy press-in vanilla wafer crust surrounds a creamy, milk chocolate filling in this winner of a pie. Vanilla-bean whipped cream tops it off wonderfully. View Recipe 31 of 40 Apple-Sour Cream Crumb Pie Marcus Nilsson This pie is a satisfying study in textures: Apples are tossed with sour cream, which melts to create a delicious, rich filling, and the browned crumb topping cuts through it all. Because it's dense, give it a long cooling time—this will make the creamy apple filling easier to serve. View Recipe 32 of 40 Rustic Meyer Lemon Tart Celebrate the beginning of citrus season with this pure and simple tart. It showcases the brilliant color and sweet flavor of California Meyer lemons. View Recipe 33 of 40 Sorghum-Sweetened Chocolate Pecan Pie Marcus Nilsson A filling of pecans and chocolate sweetened with sorghum syrup and spiked with Bourbon? This pie is a southerner at heart. View Recipe 34 of 40 Deep-Dish Pumpkin-Meringue Pie Johnny Miller Twice as nice, that's this take on pumpkin pie. The crust is traditional, the filling is extra deep, and it's dressed up with a glorious mountain of meringue on top. View Recipe 35 of 40 Chocolate-Sesame Tarte Soleil Will Anderson The dazzling look of this tart belies its simplicity. The circle of dough for the top crust is cut into rays of pastry which are twisted into a beautiful pattern over the filling of almond frangipane, with tahini adding a sesame flavor, and chocolate. It looks complicated, but our step-by-step guide breaks down the process. View Recipe 36 of 40 Lattice-Topped Vanilla Bean-Pineapple Tart Slices of fresh pineapple are poached with rum and vanilla bean to form the exotic filling of this creative dessert. The secret to making the decorative lattice top is to start with very cold dough. View Recipe 37 of 40 Pear Streusel Pie With a pâte brisée crust on the bottom and crumbly oat streusel on top, this pie offers a delicious array of textures and flavor. The filling is a combination of pear wedges and homemade cranberry sauce. View Recipe 38 of 40 President Tyler's Pudding Pie Marcus Nilsson Serve this pie and show off your knowledge of historical trivia—or at least start some fun conversations. Upping the impressiveness factor, you'll cook the coconut in the oven until it cracks, before splitting it open and grating it yourself. View Recipe 39 of 40 Honey-and-Pine-Nut Tart Two types of honey give this tart a unique nectar-like taste. As the tart bakes, the pine nuts rise to the top and form a crunchy layer. Cut in to reveal the gooey interior. View Recipe 40 of 40 Bird's-Nest Pudding Pie Robin Stein Whole McIntosh apples are stuffed with cranberries and baked in cake batter inside a piecrust. You might consider this the turducken of Thanksgiving dessert pies but we say it's just plain delicious. View Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit