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Petee's Café
Photograph: Courtesy Petee's Café

The best pies in the U.S. for the holidays and beyond

For the holiday table, to sub for birthday cake or just because you deserve it, treat yourself to one of America's best pies

Edited by
Scott Snowden
Written by
Sarah Medina
&
Clara Hogan
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Name a more iconic American dessert than pie—we’ll wait. Ever since pie-making customs were first brought over by Europeans by colonists, pies have served as a symbol of American culinary tradition. 

Cake and cookies may be more of the standard go-to for parties these days, but pie remains a cherished part of American food culture as a feature on a holiday table or just because. Pies evolved over the years as regions came up with unique twists: Key Lime Pie in Florida, Shoofly Pie in Pennsylvania, haupia (coconut) pie from the island of Oahu.

Today, you can pretty much find any variety you could imagine at the best bakeries in the USA. We still enjoy a classic apple or pecan pie, but we also like mixing it up. Indulge in old-fashioned sweet potato pie at Busy Bee Cafe in Atlanta, try a yuzu-matcha meringue at Spinning J Bakery in Chicagoand don't miss any pie at cult-favorite Tartine Bakery in San Francisco.

Build these stops into your next trip, or if you won't be near one in the foreseeable future, lucky for you, most of these delicious treats can be shipped. Whether you're looking for the perfect sweet treat for your next celebration or just have a sweet tooth to fill any time of year, we've rounded up the absolute best pies in America.  

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Best pies in America

Lord of the Pies

With its "go big or go home" mentality, it’s no surprise that the Lone Star State is the birthplace of this deep-dish behemoth. Towering over most other pastries, the aptly named Lord of the Pies calls for a whopping 10 whole Granny Smith apples—the fruit’s tart punch is tempered by Emporium Pie’s rich house-made caramel and a generous heap of cinnamon crumb topping. A tender, all-butter crust completes the Texan showstopper.

Blueberry Pie

When it comes to iconic foods, Maine has two: lobster and blueberries. And just like a good lobster roll, a superb blueberry pie relies on the freshness and simplicity of its key ingredient. In the case of Two Fat Cats, a quaint bakery in Maine, this means forgoing bigger cultivated berries for the tinier, wild varieties—the select fruit gives the oozing innards of this rustic double-crust pie a more intense blueberry flavor.

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Ol' Fashioned Sweet Potato Pie

Since "Momma" Lucy Jackson opened Atlanta's Busy Bee Cafe in 1947, it has proudly prepared some of the best Southern soul food around. But their old-fashioned sweet potato pie is a downright masterpiece. Slightly sweet and delicately spiced with nutmeg and cinnamon, its creamy and moist filling is a simple take on a classic Southern specialty.

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Double Crust Michigan 4-Berry Pie

Years before Grant Achatz became a food-world luminary, second cousins Dave and Wendy were building a pastry empire in the family’s native Michigan. The self-taught bakers shot to pie-slinging fame with this streusel-topped beauty, available at Achatz Handmade Pie Co. Sweetened with just a touch of sugar, the delightfully tart filling allows the plump, locally-grown blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, and cherries to shine.

Key Lime-Hibiscus

Travel back in time (if only for an hour) at this charming Humboldt Park pie and soda shop outfitted with old-timey barstools and beautiful vintage accents. Despite its decor, the pies on offer aren't stuck in the past: Diners can choose from imaginative flavors like yuzu-matcha meringue, s'mores, lemon-lavender, and key lime-hibiscus. Order a slice and a house-made soda, hunker down in a booth and transport yourself to simpler times.

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Banana Cream Tart

Occasionally, a dish becomes such a hit that it’s practically synonymous with an eatery. Such is the case with this pie from Liz Prueitt and Chad Robertson’s award-winning Tartine Bakery. A smear of bittersweet chocolate acts as a barrier between filling and shell, ensuring a flaky crust with every bite and balancing out the sweetness of the banana-studded pastry cream. Chocolate shavings finish the delightfully messy confection. You can also get it from Tartine's Los Angeles locations.

Shoo-fly Pie

Dutch Haven's take on the Pennsylvania Dutch specialty, shoo-fly pie, was once named America's best. The ooey-gooey confection is made with simple, always-available-even-in-the-dead-of-Pennsylvania-winter ingredients like molasses, sugar, and shortening. When cooked, its filling and wet bottom crust are reminiscent of a richly sweet, slightly creamy pecan pie—minus the nuts.

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Key Lime Pie

Nicole Rucker's pies come brimming with bright pops of acidity and sweetness from the season’s freshest produce—carefully sourced and inspected by Rucker herself—and silken with butter or custard or chocolate. At her stand inside Grand Central Market in Los Angeles, you can find some of her most iconic baked goods (light-as-air key lime pie, anyone?) as well as newer creations such as cookie-crust pies and savory hand pies.

Chocolate Haupia Cream Pie

Oahu’s top pie purveyor sits on the island’s North Shore, home to some of the Aloha State’s most epic waves. This laidback gem’s custard two-fer is just as legendary as the surf and it’s been a menu staple since Ted’s opened in 1987. A velvety layer of haupia (coconut) pudding infuses a touch of tropical flair into the unconventional chocolate cream pie.

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Black Bottom Banana Cream Pie

Cozy diner Honeypie Cafe proudly reps its Midwestern roots with gussied-up comfort food and desserts. To form her luscious homage to old-fashioned black-bottomed pies, baking guru Valeri Lucks marries two of her bestsellers, layering chocolate and banana custards made with Wisconsin milk atop a crisp graham cracker crust. She crowns the glorious affair with a mound of fresh whipped cream, which every pie-lover knows is an essential addition.

Milk Bar Pie

According to legend, Christina Tosi’s famed salty-sweet creation from Momofuku Milk Bar was a happy accident. A giant crumbled oat cookie subs in for your standard-issue crust, draped in a gooey butter filling shot with vanilla and—surprise ingredient—corn powder. The best part? Now, you can get fresh pie delivery anywhere in the USA.

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