Food Holidays & Occasions Thanksgiving Recipes and Ideas 32 Showstopping Thanksgiving Pies and Tarts Deck your holiday dessert table with vibrant apple, chocolate, cranberry, pecan, pumpkin, and sweet potato pies and tarts. By Kim Wehby Kim Wehby Kim Wehby is a copy editor with over a decade of experience in the food and beverage space, including a senior editorial role at Dotdash Meredith Food Studios. She's edited and developed content for Food & Wine, Southern Living, and Eating Well. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on November 13, 2024 Close Photo: Photo by Adam Friedlander / Food Styling by Pearl Jones Your holiday meal isn't complete without Thanksgiving pies — and Thanksgiving desserts don't have to be intimidating, especially with our best pie dough recipe. Most of these pies can be easily prepared ahead of time, plus we have several options for pie crust recipes and fillings to suit every taste and preference. From pumpkin pies to fruit-nut tarts, these are our most delicious Thanksgiving pies and tarts for your holiday spread. 01 of 32 Sweet Potato Honey Beer Pie Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Melissa Gray / Prop Styling by Heather Chadduck Hillegas In this robust version of pumpkin pie from pastry cook Nik Sharma, dark brown sugar and dark beer accentuate the rich, maple-y flavors of earthy pumpkin. Get the Recipe 02 of 32 Cranberry Crumble Pie Gerard + Belevender This sweet-tart, orange-laced cranberry filling is full of jammy fruitiness. The buttery, crumbly topping brings autumnal earthiness to the pie. Get the Recipe 03 of 32 Brandy Pecan Pie Gerard + Belevender Three sweeteners, along with yellow cornmeal, go into this rich pecan pie filling. Apple brandy accentuates the fruity fall flavors while lifting the nuttiness of the pecans. Get the Recipe 04 of 32 Pecan-Pumpkin Cream Pie Tara Donne Chef Joanne Chang brings us this visually stunning two-filling pie. A pumpkin custard and syrupy pecan layer fill a perfectly cooked pie shell. Whipped cream stars provide beautiful color contrast. Get the Recipe 05 of 32 Sweet Potato Pie Photo by Adam Friedlander / Food Styling by Pearl Jones Plenty of warm autumn spice goes into this sweet potato pie from New Orleans chef Susan Spicer. A bourbon-pecan praline topping will have your guests oohing and aahing. Get the Recipe 06 of 32 Chocolate Pie Julia Hartbeck This humble, understated dessert is loaded with rich fudgy flavor. Since the recipe requires just 20 minutes of hands-on time, you can enjoy this pie for both special parties and everyday autumn desserts. Get the Recipe 07 of 32 Chocolate Granola Pie Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Shell Royster This approachable chocolate granola pie starts with a refrigerated piecrust, granola, and a bar of bittersweet chocolate. The hardest part of making the pie will be waiting the recommended two hours before you serve it. Get the Recipe 08 of 32 Purple Sweet Potato Pie with Coconut and Five-Spice Christopher Testani This beautiful purple sweet potato pie features five-spice powder, nutmeg, and vanilla. The sweet potato filling is finished with a crumbly oat-pecan-coconut topping and toasted marshmallows. Get the Recipe 09 of 32 Roasted Spiced Cranberry Pie Photo: Victor Protasio / Food Stylist Torie Cox / Prop Stylist Claire Spollen Food & Wine's Paige Grandjean brings us this sparkly red-and-orange cranberry pie with sweet, floral notes of lemongrass and gochugaru. Get the Recipe 10 of 32 Sweet Potato Pie with Honeycrisp-Kabocha Salad Marcus Nilsson This rich, custardy sweet potato pie uses more eggs than is typical, resulting in unmatched decadence. Serve with licorice ice cream for a sweet-spiced pairing. Get the Recipe 11 of 32 Chocolate Pecan Pie with Bourbon Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen Often known as "Kentucky Derby pie" in the South, this decadent pie boasts toasted pecans, rich chocolate, and bourbon. Get the Recipe 12 of 32 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 and the sharpness of aged cheddar to the crust, creating the ultimate hearty fall dessert. Get the Recipe 13 of 32 Chocolate Cardamom Cream Tart with Pistachio-Sesame Brittle Anna Stockwell This variation of chocolate cream pie comes from James Beard Award-nominated cookbook author Samantha Seneviratne. Layers of fluffy whipped cream and crispy pistachio brittle create a wonderful contrast of texture in each bite. Get the Recipe 14 of 32 Peanut Butter Chai Pie Photo: Victor Protasio / Food Stylist Torie Cox /Prop Stylist Claire Spollen Inspired by the warm spices of chai, this no-bake dessert features mousse-like spiced peanut butter and cinnamon-cardamom whipped topping. It's a dream. Get the Recipe 15 of 32 Fig and Caramel Nut Tart Photo by Caitlin Bensel / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen Enjoy the seasonal kaleidoscope of autumn colors and flavors in this tart. Buttery caramel, toasty nuts, and sweet figs all play together very well inside a classic crust. Get the Recipe 16 of 32 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 17 of 32 Apple Flambé Pie Photo: Victor Protasio / Food Stylist Torie Cox /Prop Stylist Claire Spollen No baking is required for this celebratory apple pie. Instead, stovetop-cooked apples layer beautifully inside a prebaked pie crust. Flaming apple brandy gives the dish a warm and saucy finish. Get the Recipe 18 of 32 Black Sesame Pumpkin Pie Photo: Victor Protasio /Food Stylist Torie Cox /Prop Stylist Claire Spollen F&W's Paige Grandjean's variation of pumpkin pie features black sesame paste and a pretty decoration of crisscrossed sesame seeds. Get the Recipe 19 of 32 Sour Cherry Tart with Almond Frangipane Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Melissa Gray / Prop Styling by Heather Chadduck Hillegas The tart fruitiness of sour cherries balances perfectly with a lemon-almond custard. Serve yours with whipped cream, ice cream, or all on its own. Get the Recipe 20 of 32 Banana Pudding Pie Photo by Will Dickey / Prop Styling by Christina Daley / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey It's no matter that bananas are often associated with tropical summer recipes. Banana pudding is a staple at holiday tables for its ability to cool and refresh amid hearty, savory entrees. This pie version of the beloved dessert features layers of homemade banana pudding and a macadamia nut-vanilla wafer crust. Get the Recipe 21 of 32 Peanut Butter–Chocolate Pie Antonis Achilleos Indulge in the flavors of childhood treats in adult form with this nutty, chocolatey pie. A cocoa crust creates a great backbone of earthy chocolate. Get the Recipe 22 of 32 Free-Form Apple Tart © Quentin Bacon San Francisco pastry chef Anne Walker uses tart late-season apples in this lovely lemon-kissed free-form tart. Use any seasonal dense, tart apples available to you. Get the Recipe 23 of 32 Deep-Dish All-American Cinnamon Apple Pie Greg DuPree Syrupy, buttery, macerated apples meet cinnamon, nutmeg, and apricot preserves in this glossy apple pie from pastry chef Rose Levy Beranbaum. Get the Recipe 24 of 32 Salted Caramel Pie Dana Gallagher Calling for just seven ingredients, this salted caramel pie utilizes sweetened condensed milk as the sweet caramel filling. A topping of barely sweetened whipped cream balances the richness of the caramel. Get the Recipe 25 of 32 Chocolate-Bourbon Tart © CEDRIC ANGELES Chef Michael Glissman's tart features a dense chocolate filling inside a subtle cocoa crust. A hint of bourbon permeates through the indulgent chocolate notes. Get the Recipe 26 of 32 Brown Sugar-Cranberry Tart © FREDRIKA STJÄRNE Chef and food writer David Tanis' holiday tart showcases bright-red, tart cranberries in a sweet, creamy custard. Get the Recipe 27 of 32 Pumpkin Cheesecake Tart with Cranberry Gelée © Anna Williams A smooth, ruby-red cranberry gelée meets pumpkin cheesecake in this wintry dessert from pastry chef Deborah Racicot. Undertones of vanilla, almond, and warming spices waft through each slice. Get the Recipe 28 of 32 Butterscotch Pudding Pie Abby Hocking Top Chef judge Gail Simmons' butter-meets-Scotch pudding gets reenvisioned for special occasions inside a pecan-studded piecrust. Unsweetened whipped cream tops the pie, cutting the rich sweetness with cool creaminess. Get the Recipe 29 of 32 Sweet Potato Meringue Pie © TINA RUPP Chef Andrew Carmellini's pie features a pecan-ginger graham cracker crust and a rich, bourbon-infused sweet potato filling. The classic vanilla meringue adds marshmallowy lightness to each forkful. Get the Recipe 30 of 32 Black-Bottom Banana Cream Pie © Dana Gallagher Chocolate cream pie and banana cream pie come together to make one glorious pie from Valeri Lucks, co-owner of Milwaukee's Honeypie Cafe. Get the Recipe 31 of 32 Pear and Almond Cream Tart © William Meppem This dessert from Tartine pastry chef Elisabeth Prueitt features a buttery almond custard that envelops Bartlett pear slices. For the ultimate finish, top slices with vanilla ice cream. Get the Recipe 32 of 32 Caramel-Pecan Hand Pies © DANA GALLAGHER Dani Cone, owner of High 5 Pie in Seattle, makes these "flipsides" year-round due to overwhelming customer demand. Each recipe makes 12 hand pies; double up to bake for a large holiday crowd. Get the Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit