The best pies in NYC

The pint-size Lower East Side pie shop opened a charming Clinton Hill café that has become one of our favorite date spots in the city. Petee’s bakes many sweets we love, like icebox lemon poppy-seed meringue and banana cream pies, but the absolute best for the Thanksgiving season is the creamy coconut custard. And if you're looking for a baking project, Petra Paredez recently released her first cookbook, Pie for Everyone. 

Pecan pie is already perfect, and sometimes when chefs tinker with the classic by adding chocolate, they end up ruining a good thing. But Four & Twenty Blackbird’s cocoa concoction will make you reconsider; it’s our go-to for holiday potlucks when we’re looking to impress our hungry friends.

An oat–graham cracker crust cradles a velvety organic pumpkin filling at this beloved bakeshop with locations in Tribeca and Red Hook. In traditional fashion, the creamy filling is shot with a cabinet’s worth of autumnal spices—from nutmeg and cloves to vanilla and ginger.

Williamsburg’s cult-status Southern chicken-and-pie joint does right by this old-fashioned granny staple. A banana cream base nestles chunks of fresh bananas in a Nilla wafer crust, topped with whipped cream, a dusting of spicy nutmeg and whole Nilla wafers.

Dominique Ansel's limited Pie Nights sell out quickly but maybe that's a good thing because we'd eat everything on the menu—especially the Chocolate Hazelnut Caramel Silk Pie with its airy mousee we'd dive right into like an inviting pillow filled with gooey caramel and ribbons of whipped cream. We always keep our eyes on the Thanksgiving special pies, too. 

The namesake pies at this Red Hook operation—mahogany-brown graham-cracker crusts filled with a condensed-milk custard laced with real-deal key lime juice—are baked in batches of just 12 for meticulous quality control.

Butter & Scotch, a bakery and bar in Crown Heights, is one of our preferred places to post up with cocktails (some even donate partial proceeds to feminist nonprofits) and a slice of pie. Our top choice here is this play on s’mores that tastes just like summer camp, even when it’s bitter cold outside.

This pie shop is a favorite of both Oprah Winfrey and Sarah Jessica Parker for good reason: its achingly authentic, homemade pies began in the apartment upstairs until too many ovens blew out due to the pies' popularity. The sour cream apple walnut pie is a smart, refreshing twist on a classic: Granny Smith apples topped with brown sugar, cinnamon and walnut streusel.

The bakery's world-class chocolate babka finds new home in a chocolate chip–sprinkled Nutella-smeared pie shell. The braided stunner will make bubbe proud, even though you didn’t bake it. It's a limited offering that we always keep tabs of each year.

You might not think you have many reasons to visit the Rockaways after beach season is over. But avid surfer and baker, Tracy Obolsky's (an alum of heavy-hitters like Morgansterns's and Cook Shop) bakery is worth the long subway ride. Unlike other spots serving coffee that use the same old croissants you see elsewhere, Obolsky's versions are memorable and decadent. Her roster of freshly-baked offerings, specifically her fruit pies, will be sure to impress this holiday season.

Traditional pumpkin pie gets a highbrow makeover at the brick-and-mortar offshoot of Umber Ahmad’s online bakery. A buttery crust brims with delicately spiced pumpkin puree that’s topped with picturesque creme fraiche whipped cream.

A staple for the surrounding Muslim community, this navy bean pie is dished out at its counter next door to a mosque on Fulton Street. Sure, it’s more savory than its similar sweet potato cousin, but it’s a perfect treat to sample this holiday season.