Best pies in Los Angeles for Thanksgiving (Slide show)

Pies, glorious pies!

Pumpkin pie
10-inch pie, $45. Comme Ca. 48-hour advance notice required.

Proving that the French (at least in technique) are masters of pastry, the unanimous favorite won over the staff with its buttery, pretty (it's braided!) crust and smooth filling that tasted of fresh, roasted pumpkins. Fall in a pie.

Spiced pumpkin pie
8 1/2-inch pie, $28. Tavern. Advance order required for November 21 pick-up.

As pastry chef of Lucques, A.O.C. and Tavern, Christina Olufsen has a way with a whisk and butter, as evidenced in the flaky, light (and, yes, super buttery) crust which won over the staff (aka Thanksgiving Pie Tasters). As for the filling, there's a nice balance of spice and sweet—the stuff of holiday dreams.

Pumpkin tart
8-inch tart, $28. Bouchon. Place order by November 15 for pick-up between the 19th and 21st.

This ain't no pie, but would you expect anything less from Thomas Keller than a fancy-pants tart—pumpkin bread layered with a spiced pumpkin mousse and sweet, vanilla dough and topped with gold? Bring one home to impress the in-laws or gift the (trés chic) hostess.

Pumpkin pie
9-inch pie, $9.45. Porto's.

At under ten bucks, the Cuban bakery's custard-like pie (think creamy and caramelized crème brûlée) is the sweetest fall pie.

Kabocha squash pie
9-inch pie, $30. Short Cake. 48-hour advance notice required.

Hourie Sahakian updates the traditional pumpkin pie with the Japanese gourd. Interesting texture (chunky) and flavor (slightly savory) and topped with crunchy walnut shortbread (bonus: heart cutouts), the American tradition is anything but drab.

Honey-braised pumpkin tart
10-inch tart, $38. Cake Monkey. 48-hour advance notice required for pick-up or delivery.

This cutie-pie creation is the ultimate for the sweet-toothed—honey-braised pumpkin is packed into a graham cracker crust and topped with sugary, toasted marshmallow.

Sweet potato pie
10-inch pie, $30. Porch Pies.

Specializing in Southern pies from pecan to chess (choose from lemon, chocolate, coconut), Porch Pies offers a taste of the Dixie year-round by phone or online orders. We love the beautiful maple leaf adornments and the creamy filling that makes us think twice about the tasty wonders of sweet potato.

Sweet potato pie
Mini (pack of 4), $16; medium (set of 2), $26; large pie (pictured), $25. I Heart Pies.

The baking duo behind the Toluca Lake pie company deliver direct to your doorstep. Try this alternative to pumpkin (with vegan and gluten-free options, too) with a thick, flavorful filling.

Apple & salted caramel pie
9-inch pie, $30. Valerie Confections. Place order by November 17 for pick-up or delivery.

LA's queen of confections—Angelenos love Valerie Gordon's petits fours and chocolates—offers fall pies like this apple and salted-caramel stunner. The double crust beauty holds up to its good looks with crunchy apples and a soft, buttery crust. The selling point? Salted caramel...we just wish there was more of it.

Apple crumb pie
9-inch pie, $22. The Village Bakery & Cafe. 48-hour advance notice required. Last day to pick-up is November 20.

The Atwater Village bakery's pie tasted of apple pie bliss. The rustic pie has plenty of tart apples topped with a buttery, crunchy crumble and attains crust nirvana—a flaky creation to measure all crusts.

Apple pie
10-inch pie, $34. Sweet Butter Kitchen. Place order by November 18.

The Sherman Oaks cafe/bakery offers an apple pie that tastes of childhood—soul-warming and made with a skilled hand just like Mom's.

Apple cranberry pie
10-inch pie, $32. Farmshop. Place order by November 20.

Pastry chef Brittany Turnquist dishes out a behemoth of a pie that's densely-packed with Paso Robles' Windrose Farm Mutsu apples and tart cranberries and topped with crunchy, salted walnut streusel. We'd love to cozy up with a warm slice served a lá mode.

Apple pie
Small, 5-inch, $12.95; large (pictured), 9-inch, $35. Clementine. Place order by November 17.

The beloved Century City cafe/bakery offers holiday pies in small (serves 1-2 people) and large (serves 6-8 people) like this classic apple that encases tart, crunchy apples inside a beautiful, delicate double crust.

Pear ginger pie
9-inch pie, $30. Short Cake. 48-hour advance notice required.

Forgo traditional apple for this surprise hit that's loaded with sweet, creamy pear and crunchy crumble mixed with crystallized ginger. With great balance of flavors (we love the subtle kick of ginger) and textures, pear ginger is the new fall classic. 

Cider-roasted apple pie
10-inch pie, $30. Cake Monkey. 48-hour advance notice required for pick-up or delivery.

There's no holding back with this intensely-flavored pie that's anything but ordinary. Pink Ladies and Granny Smiths are cooked in Vermont cider and tossed in brown butter for a syrupy, apple sauce-bomb filling inside a double Cheddar (yes, as in cheese) crust.

Apple pie
8-inch pie, $28. Bouchon. Place order by November 15 for pick-up between the 19th and 21st.

More tart than pie, this dainty dessert from the Beverly Hills bakery starts with a sweet, delicate pate sucrée layered with Braeburn apples spiced with subtle hints of cinnamon and vanilla. Topped with an elegant crumb topping and powdered sugar, it's a Frenchman's take on the all-American.

Apple pie
9-inch pie, $30. Pie Hole. Online or phone orders. Limited availability.

The one-year-old DTLA Arts Ditrict bakery makes a textbook version of the classic with chunky, cinnamon-flavored apple cubes baked inside a thick double crust.

Apple pie
9-inch pie, $17. Cafe Los Feliz. Place order for pick-up until November 22 at 3pm.

Nothing says Grandma's like a lattice top and Cafe Los Feliz gives a nod to Grams with an old-school crust baked atop a smooth, apple sauce-like filling. There's nothing fancy here, just years of practice (the symmetry!) and lots of love.

Cranberry crumble tart
8-inch tart, $26. Susina. 48-hour advance notice for pick-up until November 22 at 4pm.

The Mid-City favorite offers the perfect alternative to the usual holiday pie with this elegant tart. We love the hazelnut-vanilla crumble and the custard layer atop the sweet, buttery crust. The tart cranberry filling makes for a fine replacement to cranberry sauce.

Brown Butter Pecan Pie
10-inch pie, $35. Cake Monkey. 48-hour advance notice required for pick-up or delivery.

Brown butter makes everything taste better, including this pecan pie. Nutty, earthy and not too sweet (crunchy pecans and toasted cocoa nibs are also in the mix), this was our favorite of the pecans.

Pecan pie
8-inch pie, $28. Bouchon. Place order by November 15 for pick-up between the 19th and 21st.

The 90210 version of a pecan-bourbon starts with whiskey-infused maple custard baked with whole roasted pecans and a light, sweet crust. Top with chocolate creme and gold leaf and it's pastry luxe at its best.

Pecan pie
9-inch pie, $17. Cafe Los Feliz. Place order for pick-up until November 22 at 3pm.

There's nothing fancy about this pecan—gooey but not cloyingly sweet and loads of pecans make a standard version that satisfies.

Black Bottom Pecan Pie
9-inch pie, $24. Magnolia Bakery. Place order by November 18.

The NYC-based outpost of famed cupcake fame offers tastes of home with sugar-laden goodies like this Black Bottom Pecan that's filled with chopped nuts and just enough chocolate chips that's not too syrupy or sweet. The playful presentation (Pollock-esque chocolate drizzle) somewhat makes up for the lackluster crust.

Butterscotch Pudding Pie
10-inch pie, $30. Cake Monkey Bakery. 48-hour advance notice required for pick-up or delivery.

The pumpkin seed brittle alone is enough to get us "oohing" and "aahing" over this looker of a pie. Add a velvety, sweet butterscotch filling inside a graham cracker crust, drizzle with caramel and you have delicious layers of flavor (there's even a hint of smoke) and texture.