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Photograph: Kate Mathis

The 12 best pies in NYC right now

Tart spiced apples, creamy pumpkin, flaky crust and a topping of whipped cream…ready for a slice of NYC's best pies?

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The holidays have a lot going for them. Family, gifts, turkey, glasses in the shape of the new year…and pie. While NYC’s best bakeries turn out gooey cookies, classic cheesecakes and photographable cupcakes all year long, there’s something about the humble slice of pie that makes us feel like celebrating.

Some of NYC’s best pies are fruit-forward—think blueberry, sour cherry and apple—while others, like pecan, sweet potato and bean pie, are the stuff of holiday traditions. Make sure to get your holiday orders in early, because the very best pies in NYC are bound to sell out fast. 

RECOMMENDED: Full guide to Thanksgiving in NYC

Best pies in NYC

  • Shopping
  • Markets and fairs
  • Upper West Side
  • price 2 of 4

This seasonal pie shop could star in a rom-com: with red-and-green stalls in the holiday markets in Bryant Park, Union Square, and Columbus Circle, it’s basically designed for a meet-cute. With mini pies available from late October through the holiday season, you can choose from flavors including sour cherry, pear almond and apple crumble topped with whipped cream to eat while you fall in love with NYC. 

This Harlem bakery fuses Southern-style baking with owner Amadou Diakite’s time on the Ivory Coast. He serves up chocolate pecan and tropical coconut custard along with one of Harlem’s best slices of sweet potato pie. Not to be confused with pumpkin, it’s sweeter and airier than the other orange pie on the Thanksgiving table. 

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  • Cafés
  • Clinton Hill
  • price 2 of 4

This 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, including icebox key lime meringue and banana cream pie, but the absolute best for the Thanksgiving season is the creamy coconut custard. And if you're looking for a baking project, chef Petra Paredez recently released her first cookbook, Pie for Everyone

  • Bakeries
  • Gowanus
  • price 1 of 4

Pecan pie is already perfect. When chefs tinker with the classic by adding chocolate, they can end up ruining a good thing. Four & Twenty Blackbird’s bittersweet cocoa concoction, made with buttery Texas pecans and a layer of chocolate ganache, only improves on perfection. It’s our go-to for holiday potlucks when we’re looking to impress our hungry friends.

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  • Bakeries
  • Red Hook
  • price 2 of 4

An oat-graham cracker crust cradles organic pumpkin at this beloved bakeshop in Red Hook. In traditional fashion, the creamy filling features a cabinet’s worth of autumnal spices, including nutmeg, cloves, vanilla, and ginger. Their pies are seasonal, so stay ready to pre-order yours!

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  • Bakeries
  • Union Square
  • price 2 of 4

Breads' world-class chocolate babka finds a new home in a pie with dark chocolate chips and creamy Nutella. The braided stunner will make Bubbe proud, but you’ll have to grab it fast—they’re only available for a limited time during the holiday season. 

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  • Bakeries
  • Bedford-Stuyvesant

​​A staple for the surrounding Muslim community, Abu’s has been dishing out bean pie on Fulton Street for a decade. Made with navy beans and a hand-rolled crust, it’s the perfect treat to bring to the table this holiday season. 

  • American
  • Midtown West
  • price 1 of 4

If you’re traveling outside of NYC for the holidays, bring Junior’s along—its cheesecake is famous way beyond the five boroughs. Here, a graham cracker crust is filled with layers of New York cheesecake, homemade pumpkin pie filling and swirls of pumpkin buttercream. 

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