Technique

7 Pie Recipes (Plus One Perfect Crust)

Donโ€™t flake on these pies.

By Rachel BaronDec 15, 2023
A freshly baked pie with a decorative crust and piped cream on top, served on a table with a plate and a knife on the side.
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Like a blank page, an empty pie crust can be a beautifulโ€”and slightly overwhelmingโ€”sight to behold: with so many potential fillings, itโ€™s easy to feel paralyzed by indecision. So to help make holiday menu planning a little easier (and keep the existential panic at bay), we rounded up seven of our best, most fail-safe pie recipesโ€”plus a recipe for the quintessential all-butter crust.

And while this list definitely skews more wintry, we also tossed in a game-changing blueberry slab pie for good measure.

Butter Pie Crust

A person with tattooed arms is pressing pie dough into a dish on a flour-dusted surface with a rolling pin nearby.

Debate the merits of lard vs butter all you want: this all-butter crust from Chef Hannah Smith of Camp Lucie and Tillyโ€™s is our go-to base for any pie filling, from custard to apples to berries.

Double Crust Apple Pie

Thereโ€™s nothing crazy about this double crust apple pie (also from Chef Smith), but in its simplicity lies its deliciousness. For a true โ€œcartoon pieโ€ slice, Chef Smith recommends letting the pie sit out on your proverbial cottage windowsill to cool for a full 24 hoursโ€”if you can resist it that long.

Chocolate Rye Pecan Pie

This pie from New Waterlooโ€™s Amanda Rockman is a doozyโ€”a delicious, project recipe of a doozy. Not only does Rockman add cocoa powder to the pie dough itself, but she also creates a smoky vanilla whipped cream for dolloping on top. Note that this recipe requires a few specialty ingredientsโ€”smoked vanilla extract and rye whiskey, for twoโ€”so if you want something a little more pantry-friendly, check out our bourbon pecan slab pie recipe instead.

Claire Saffitzโ€™s Classic Apple Crumble Pie

apple crumble pie claire saffitz

With its oatmeal cookie-like topping, this apple crumble pie from our favorite dessert person, Claire Saffitz, comes together much more quickly than a double crusted or latticed version versionโ€”and disappears just as fast.

Bourbon Pecan Slab Pie

This is a slightly more traditional, yet no less perfect, pecan pie for you to serve at your upcoming holiday celebration. Culinary Creative Director Rhoda Boone sweetens the filling with cane syrup instead of corn syrup for a toastier, more complex flavor profile that tastes like the best of winter in a bite.

Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake with Cold Brew Whipped Cream

A crown of cold brew-sweetened whipped cream helps balance out this otherwise outrageously rich, sweet pie combining two of our favorite desserts from Eberly Pastry Chef Sarah Seghi.

Blueberry Slab Pie

blueberry slab pie in baking slab

Frozen blueberries are an ingenious product: not only are they easy to keep on hand, but they also make peak-season fruit available year-roundโ€”even in the dead of winter. We make good use of them in this slab pie recipe from Claire Saffitz, made with a classic all-butter crust.

Apple Quince Streusel Slab Pie

apple quince slab pie

Yes, there are already two apple pies in this roundupโ€”but this one from Chef Nancy Silverton is unique enough to merit an additional spot. Not only is this a slab-style pie, meaning it feeds more people (and has a slightly higher ratio of streusel to filling), but itโ€™s also got tart, citrusty quince in there along with the apples.

Ready to Cook?

A homemade pie is a true labor of loveโ€”which is why we think you should use the very best bakeware you can find. Both our Baking Slab and Pie Dish are made with thermal shock-resistant French porcelain that heats slowly and evenly, helping your crust bake up perfectly flaky and tender every time.