Perfect Pies

Tart, refreshing key lime pie topped with a layer of chilled whipped cream is a summer classic.

Young coconuts and coconut water lend a fresh flavor to a creamy chilled classic.

A crunchy crust and pudding-like filling make this pie a standout.

Peanut butter and confectioners’ sugar form a crumbly base for this pudding pie.

In this pie, orange zest nicely offsets the sweetness of fresh strawberries. Get the recipe for Strawberry Pie »

The blackberry filling for this pie is flavored with lemon and nutmeg. Get the recipe for Blackberry Pie »

An irresistible British dessert, banoffee pie has its share of fanatics on this side of the pond, too. Banana slices, sticky toffee, and whipped cream are arranged in layers over a cookie-like crust, resulting in a dense, cool treat. Get the recipe for Banoffee Pie »

Crackers, tossed with a lemony apple pie-spiced syrup take on a remarkable cooked apples-like texture in this recipe, perhaps a forebear of modern molecular gastronomy.

Simple and delicious, this recipe brings out the sweet flavor of the apples. Three days before the feast, start prepping by making the pie dough for both pies, the cranberry sauce, and the mashed potatoes. Bring your bird home at least two days before Thanksgiving so you have ample time to presalt, a simple step that keeps the turkey juicy and intensifies its natural flavors.
Get the recipe for Classic Apple Pie »

Roasted Pumpkin Pie

This creamy lemon pie with homemade candied lemon peel is a delicious frozen treat. Get the recipe for Lemon Icebox Pie »

Chocolate pudding is layered with a peanut butter mousse in this pie inspired from Bradley’s Corner Cafe in Topeka, Kansas. Get the recipe for Chocolate-Peanut Butter Pie »

Pecan Pie Ice Cream Pie

This recipe was developed by Border Grill chef Mary Sue Milliken, who says, “At my restaurant, I use pastry flour for pie crusts, but I commonly find myself without at home, so here I’ve substituted all-purpose flour and cornstarch to achieve the same crispy tenderness. I love freezing fruit at its peak–sliced, sugared, and juicy, with tapioca added–so that a blast of summer is at my fingertips in the dead of winter.” See the recipe for Stone Fruit Pie »

This summery pie can be made any time of year by substituting frozen, thawed raspberries and peaches for fresh fruit.

A specialty in Iowa, this sweet-tart pie is best topped with a dollop of ice cream. Get the recipe for Rhubarb Pie »

A back-of-the-box recipe for lemon icebox pie gets a gourmet upgrade with real whipped cream, lemon simple syrup, vanilla shortbread, and homemade candied lemon peel scattered over the top—it’s a lovely dessert for a special occasion.

Using boiled sweet potatoes rather than baked ones gives this pie a beautifully vibrant color. Get the recipe for Sweet Potato Pie »

Condensed milk and Key lime juice serve as the base of this Floridian classic.

As Indiana’s state pie, this rich, nutmeg-dusted custard pie also goes by the name “Hoosier Pie.”

Buttermilk pie, an American classic, is a forerunner of cheesecake.

With its flaky, buttery crust and marmalade-like citrus filling, not a crumb of this sunny lemon pie will be left on the dessert board.

When harvesting garden rhubarb, choose tender, young shoots, discard the rhubarb leaves—which are toxic—and peel any large, tough stems as you would with celery. Commercially grown rhubarb doesn’t need peeling; buy only firm, crisp stalks, and store them in the refrigerator. See the recipe for Shaker Rhubarb Pie »