Save Room For (More) Pie This Thanksgiving

Kabocha is a winter squash, sometimes called Japanese pumpkin, offering a similar flavor but slightly firmer texture. For this pie, Kabocha is roasted and mixed with traditional pumpkin pie spices. “It totally measures up to pumpkin pie,” says High Street’s Avery Jannelli. “It’s a must-try.”

Kansas City’s answer to a pecan pie, MoKan pie is a shotgun marriage of Kansas pecans and Missouri walnuts, all bonded together with molasses and a bit of bourbon.

A Filipino favorite, buko pie offers custard made from young coconut and sweetened condensed milk encased in a flaky pastry dough. 

Banofee pie is a popular English dessert whose name is a blend of “banana” and “toffee.” Holler Treats’ Thanksgiving version uses espresso caramel pastry cream and bananas set on a graham cracker crust.

Greek and American dessert traditions come together deliciously in this pie hybrid. This popular Chicago taverna is offering a custardy apple pie galaktoboureko or traditional baklava pie.

Known for its wildly over-the-top desserts, Joe’s is already a favorite for pie fans during the holidays. Its decadent tres leches with caramel custard topped with dulce de leche is a popular choice. Also available for pick-up in Chicago and Washington, D.C.

“I wanted to create a spin on my favorite part of pecan pie, which is the custard,” explains Tavernetta’s pastry sous chef Charlene Vogel. So, she used spiced local honey rather than traditional corn syrup. “The result is a beautiful honey custard pie with almonds lightly scattered on top.”

Chocolate lovers will find it hard to resist this fudgy chess pie, made with responsibly sourced ingredients like Ecuadorian chocolate and handmade fresh caramel. A salty oatmeal crust is the coup de grace. Available at Brentwood, Santa Monica, and West Hollywood locations. 

Without going into the nitty-gritty details, yes, most experts agree a cheesecake is indeed a pie. But, this pumpkin cheesecake from Michigan’s Journeyman Distillery has another boozy trick up its sleeve. Its 90-proof Featherbone Bourbon rounds out the creamy flavor with savory whiskey notes.