8 Must-Make Pie Recipes for Your Holidays

My 8 favorite pie recipes, all in one place! We’ve got everything from traditional apple pie and maple sweetened pumpkin pie, to brown butter pecan pie and homemade coconut cream pie. SO many pie recipes to love. 

After writing a huge post all about pie crust, I wanted to share a few classic, simple, perfect-for-every-holiday pie recipes to go with it. You need something delicious to fill your favorite pie crust and this post is just that – all things pie! I decided I’d group 8 different pie recipes together for you. This way, when you need a pie to try, you can just pop into this post and look around for what looks great. You are going to love how simple and delicious each recipe is. I have lots of variety, including two simple cream pies, and I know you’ll make these over and over again. I can’t wait for you to try them all.

There’s something magical about pulling a pie made from scratch out of the oven. It seems to take you back to a time when life was simpler and homemade pie was standard fare in American kitchens. Today, amidst the hustle and bustle of everyday life, taking time to make pie is almost therapeutic. It’s a slower process than opening a box of brownie mix, but there’s so much satisfaction in it. Butter, flour, and sugar are the building blocks of all things good, and making a homemade pie is a pretty great way to use them. Plan to take an afternoon to bake and you just might love how grounding the whole process is for you. And you’ll have a beautiful pie to enjoy after dinner or to share with friends, and that’s a pretty great reward, too.

If this post about pie recipes is helpful to you, you think someone else might like it, or you want to save it for later, by all means, share it on your social media platforms. Pin it, Facebook it, or throw a picture up on Instagram and tag me (#blessthismesseats). All of those things are incredibly helpful to me, and the more sharing that happens, the more I’m able to turn this hobby into a job that helps my family (and my house building project). There is so much power in your sharing – you literally have no idea how important that is for me.

Now, let’s bake!

8 Homemade Pie Recipes All in One Place!

Traditional Cherry Pie

Why I love this recipe:

Cherry pie is one of my all-time favorites and it’s my dad’s favorite, too. For this recipe, you start with 2 cans of pitted sour cherries (look for ones canned in water). Sour cherries are so good in pie because a little bit of tartness in the land of sugar and flour is always a nice compliment. You add sugar and cornstarch to some of the reserved cherry water and cook it on the stove until it thickens up, then stir in the cherries. It’s a very simple process and it tastes so very good! This is the brand of cherries that I used and will probably be the kind that your grocery store has in stock too.

Homemade Cherry Pie Recipes

The best homemade cherry pie on the block made with canned sour cherries and a whole lot of love.

• Author: Melissa Griffiths
• Prep Time: 30 min
• Cook Time: 40 min
• Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
• Yield: 8-10 servings

Ingredients

• 2 cans red tart pitted cherries
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon butter
• Double pie crust

Instructions

1. Drain cherries, reserving 1 cup of the liquid.
2. Mix sugar and cornstarch in small heavy saucepan. Gradually whisk in reserved liquid until smooth. Cook and stir over medium heat until bubbly.
3. Cook an additional 3-5 minutes until thick and clear. Remove from heat. Stir in butter and cherries.
4. Roll out the pie crust and place it in the bottom of a 9 inch pie plate (it doesn’t have to be a deep one, but it won’t hurt if it is). Pour the cherries into prepared crust. Cover with vented or lattice top.
5. Bake at 450 for 10 minutes and then reduce heat to 350 and bake 25-30 minutes.

Notes

You can add a drop or two of red food coloring if you’d like to make the cherries more red but I think the natural cherry color is lovely on it’s own.

Recipe from my sister-in-law, Beth.

Traditional Apple Pie

Why I love this recipe:

Basic Apple Pie Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

Basic apple pie recipe made from real apples and topped with a homemade crust.

• Author: Melissa Griffiths
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 45 mins
• Total Time: 1 hour
• Yield: 8-10 servings

Ingredients

• 2-3 tablespoons sugar
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1-2 teaspoon cinnamon
• Dash of salt
• About 5 cups thinly sliced apples (peeled and cored)
• 2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
• Double pie crust

Instructions

1. Mix first 5 ingredients together in a medium bowl.
2. Roll out and place an uncooked pie crust in the bottom of a deep 9 inch pie plate.
3. Place the apples in the uncooked pie shell. Place small pieces of butter on top of apple mixture.
4. Top with second pie crust, crimp the edges, and then cut a few slits in the top crust to allow steam to vent.
5. You can brush the top with water and sprinkle with sugar before baking if you like.
6. Bake at 450 for the first 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350 and continue cooking for an additional 30 minutes.
7. If the edge of the crust starts to brown more quickly than the center, carefully cover the edge with foil for the last 15-20 minutes of baking to prevent over-browning.

Notes

• Here’s a post about how to cut apples it you need it. If you peel them first and then cut them this way, it’s the fastest way to get your apples prepped.
• Try to find a firm apple to use in this recipe. I like a mix between a sweet and sour apple. You can use Granny Smith, Jonathan, Jonagold, Winesap, Golden Delicious, Honey Crisp, Gala, and Rome Beauty. I used Golden Delicious from our trees for this pie and it was great.
• In the world of pies, this one has a very low amount of added sugar. If you are using tart apples you might need to double the amount of sugar. Just taste and see.

Recipe from my sister-in-law, Beth.

Easy Dutch Apple Pie

Why I love this recipe:

You only have to make a single crust and there’s STREUSEL!  Some Dutch apple pie recipes have cream and raisins in their fillings, but I wanted to make this one extra simple and use the same easy apple pie filling I use for traditional apple pie. The streusel on top is so quick to make, has a nice crunch to it, and taste like pie perfection. Dutch apple is one of my favorites to eat and make because it’s pretty simple and the top is casual, so there’s a lot less pressure to make the pie crust look fancy. This is a pretty rustic and simple pie, but it tastes so good. If you are looking for a more traditional Dutch Apple Pie recipe, I have made the one from the America’s Test Kitchen Family Baking Book with great success. The streusel part of this recipe comes from their recipes.

Dutch Apple Pie Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

Simple Dutch apple pie recipe made with fresh apples, a homemade crust, and a streusel topping with a secret ingredient: cornmeal!

• Author: Melissa Griffiths
• Prep Time: 20 min
• Cook Time: 50 min
• Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
• Yield: serves 8-10

Ingredients

For the filling:

• 2-3 tablespoons sugar
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• Dash of salt
• About 5 cups thinly sliced apples (peeled and cored)

For the streusel:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon yellow cornmeal
• 6 tablespoons butter, melted
• Single Pie Crust

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Mix first 5 ingredients together in a medium bowl, mixing together to coat everything well.
2. Add the apple mixture to a prepared unbaked pie crust in a deep 9-inch pie plate. Place the apple pie in the oven (with no top on) and bake for 25 minutes.
3. To make the streusel, add the flour, sugars, and cornmeal to a small bowl and whisk to combine. Drizzle the melted butter over the top and stir with a fork until roughly combined.
4. Remove the pie from the oven after 25 minutes and carefully add the streusel topping evenly over the top.
5. Bake for an additional 20-25 minutes, until the crust and streusel have browned.
6. Remove the pie from the oven and let cool for at least one hour. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes

• Here’s a post about how to cut apples it you need it. If you peel them first and then cut them this way, it’s the fastest way to get your apples prepped.
• Try to find a firm apple to use in this recipe. I like a mix between sweet and sour apples. You can use Granny Smith, Jonathan, Jonagold, Winesap, Golden Delicious, Honey Crisp, Gala, and Rome Beauty. I used Golden Delicious from our trees for this pie and it was great.
• In the world of pies, this one has a low amount of added sugar. If using a very tart apple you may need to double the sugar. Just adjust to taste.

Naturally Sweetened Pumpkin Pie

Why I love this recipe:

I LOVE naturally sweetened desserts and this pumpkin pie did not disappoint! The maple syrup pairs beautifully with pumpkin (without tasting too much like maple), and the cream used in this recipe makes the texture of the baked pumpkin filling heavenly. You are going to love this recipe! Want to make homemade pumpkin puree too? You can cook pumpkin in the slow cooker or the oven to make your own pumpkin puree and it is delicious. I paired this pumpkin pie filling with a whole wheat and butter crust. Real food ingredients never tasted so good. If you are looking for a healthier homemade pie recipe, this is it.

Healthy Pumpkin Pie Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

Healthy pumpkin pie in a whole wheat crust sweetened with real cream and maple syrup. One of my favorite whole food pie desserts!

• Author: Melissa Griffiths
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 1 hour
• Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
• Yield: Serves 8-10

Ingredients

• 3 eggs
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 1/4 cups pumpkin puree
• 1 cup maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
• Single pie crust (I would recommend an all-butter whole wheat crust)
• Freshly whipped cream for serving

Instructions

1. Prepare your pie crust and place it in the bottom of a deep 9-inch pie plate.
2. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs. Add the heavy cream and whisk to combine. Add the pumpkin puree, maple syrup, and vanilla, and whisk until everything comes together. Add the salt and pumpkin pie spice and stir to combine.
3. Add the pumpkin pie mixture to the unbaked pie crust and bake at 350 degrees for about an hour. The center of the pie will be puffed up and jiggle only slightly when the pie is ready.
4. Serve with freshly whipped cream.

Recipe adapted from and inspired by Simple Bites.

Buttermilk Pie

Why I love this recipe:

Easy, easy, easy. You only have to make a single crust and then you just mix all the filling ingredients together in a bowl and dump them in. You really won’t believe how simple this recipe is. The filling bakes into a nice soft custard and is delicious. It definitely has a lemon flavor to it, too. I love lemon! My family, however, isn’t as big of a fan, so sometimes when I make this pie, I leave out the lemon zest. It cuts down on the lemon flavor significantly, so you are left with a baked custard pie with only a hint of citrus. Hoosier sugar cream pie is similar to this pie (and one of our very favorites) with none of the lemon flavor, if you want to check that recipe out. If you are looking for a full-on lemon pie, I love this North Carolina Lemon Pie recipe. Buttermilk pie is kind of a mix between the two and I love it.

Old Fashioned Buttermilk Pie Recipe

Old Fashioned Buttermilk Pie is a simple mix and dump pie that produces a rich, thick, sweet custard-like center when baked.

• Author: Melissa Griffiths
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 45 mins
• Total Time: 55 minutes
• Yield: Serves 8-10

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• pinch of salt
• Single pie crust

Instructions

1. Prepare your pie crust and place it in the bottom of a deep 9-inch pie plate. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large bowl add sugar and flour and whisk to combine. Add the eggs and whisk to combine.
3. Add the butter, buttermilk, vanilla, lemon juice, lemon zest, and pinch of salt and whisk to combine.
4. Pour the buttermilk mixture into the unbaked prepared pie crust and bake for 45-50 minutes. The center will be set when the pie is done.

Notes

The lemon zest helps to add a bit of brightness to the pie. If you like lemony things, add the full tablespoon. If you are after a sweeter, more neutral custard pie reduce the lemon zest to 1 teaspoon or omit it all together.

Traditional Pecan Pie

Why I love this recipe:

Because, pecans! This pecan pie is the best. I’ve made a lot of different pecan pie recipes in my day and I love this one. You brown the butter a little on your stovetop before adding it to the egg and sugar mixture, and it makes the pie extra rich and caramel-y. If you want to add a few pecans to the top, they won’t sink to the bottom. Also, the filling won’t overflow the pie crust (I have a problem with that for some reason and it makes such a mess in my oven). It is delicious and the only pecan pie recipe you’ll need.

The Best Pecan Pie Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

The perfect pecan pie recipe for all your baking needs. The secret? Browned butter!

• Author: Melissa Griffiths - Bless this Mess
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 50 mins
• Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
• Yield: 8-10 servings

Ingredients

• 1 9-inch pie crust
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter
• 2 cups pecans (plus extras to line the top, if desired)

Instructions

1. Prepare your pie crust and pop it in the fridge until you are ready. Use a deep 9 inch pie plate so that it doesn’t bubble over while cooking.
2. In a small bowl, combine the sugar, corn syrup, vanilla, salt, and ground cinnamon and whisk to combine well. Add the eggs and whisk until well combined.
3. In a small sauce pan, over medium heat, melt the butter and then cook, stirring very often, until the butter starts to darken and smells fragrant, about 4-5 minutes (the butter will burn if you aren’t careful, so keep an eye on it).
4. Slowly pour the brown butter into the sugar mixture while whisking until well-combined. Add the nuts (you can chop them up or not; I like mine chopped up a bit).
5. Pour the pie filling into the prepared crust and line with additional pecans if desired.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes. The middle can jiggle just a bit, but should not be sloshy.
7. Remove from the oven and allow the pie to cool before cutting and serving.

Notes

Best pecan pie recipe out there. Mark my words.

This recipe is from the wonderful Ali at Gimme Some Oven.

Chocolate Cream Pie

Why I love this recipe:

Chocolate and cream – what more do we need? I love making homemade puddings, and they are so much easier than you think. For this recipe, you simply make a homemade pudding with some eggs, milk, and sugar and when it’s done, you stir in chocolate chips to melt and make it chocolate pudding. You can put all the the pudding on the bottom of the pie and all of the cream on the top, or do a little mixing and layering like I did here – it’s totally up to you. This is a simple pie that is a lot of fun to make and feels a little bit fancy with chocolate curls on top (I just use a vegetable peeler down the side of a chocolate bar to make the curls). This is one of my family’s favorite pies, and you don’t even have to roll out a pie crust.

Homemade Chocolate Cream Pie

Homemade Chocolate Cream Pie made with dark chocolate, fresh cream, and an Oreo cookie crust.

• Author: Melissa Griffiths
• Prep Time: 2 hours
• Cook Time: 10 mins
• Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
• Yield: serves 8-10

Ingredients

• 2 cups cream
• 1/2 cup sugar, divided
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 whole egg
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips (4 ounces of chopped chocolate)
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 chocolate cookie pie crust
• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• Chocolate bar to make chocolate curls

Instructions

1. In a large saucepan, bring the cream and 1/4 cup of sugar up to 180 degrees over medium heat, stirring very often. The mixture should be hot and start to steam across the top but should not boil.
2. While the cream is heating, mix the cornstarch and 1/4 cup of sugar together in a medium bowl.
3. Add the egg yolks and whole egg to the cornstarch mixture and whisk to combine well.
4. When the milk is hot, slowly whisk one cup of hot milk into the egg mixture and then whisk the egg mixture back into the pan of hot cream.
5. Cook over medium heat until the mixture starts to bubble and thicken, stirring constantly, about 6 minutes.
6. Remove from the heat and stir in the chocolate chips, butter, and vanilla.
7. Cover the pan and refrigerate until cool (this will take 2-4 hours).
8. When the chocolate pudding is cool and you are ready to assemble your pie, whip your heavy cream.
9. Place half of the chocolate pudding in the bottom of the pie crust and spread it out evenly.
10. Mix half of the whipped cream into the other half of the chocolate pudding and fold it together until the chocolate pudding is lighter in color and fluffy.
11. Add this chocolate and cream mixture to your prepared crust over the plain chocolate pudding and spread it around.
12. Add the remaining whipped cream to the top of the pie (you can spread it or pipe it out) and then top with chocolate curls.

Notes

To make chocolate curls, simply use a vegetable peeler down the side of a chocolate bar.

Recipe from my sister-in-law, Beth.

Coconut Cream Pie

Why I love this recipe:

Long live the simple cream pie recipes! This recipe is a lot like the chocolate cream pie except you use coconut milk (the thick kind in the can) to make the pudding and then you stir in toasted coconut into it and top with more toasted coconut. If you don’t like the texture of the coconut in the pudding, just leave it out and only put some on top. It’s a preference thing. Top with some freshly whipped cream and toasted coconut, and you’re done. This comes in a graham cracker pie crust, which means you don’t even have to roll one out.

Homemade Coconut Cream Pie

Simple and delicious coconut cream pie in a graham cracker crust topped with real whipped cream and toasted coconut.

• Author: Melissa Griffiths
• Prep Time: 4 hours
• Cook Time: 10 mins
• Total Time: 4 hours 10 minutes
• Yield: Serves 8-10

Ingredients

• 1 can full-fat coconut milk (15 ounce can)
• 1/2 cup sugar, divided
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 whole egg
• 1 cup toasted coconut, divided
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 graham cracker pie crust
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream

Instructions

1. In a large saucepan, bring the coconut milk and 1/4 cup of sugar up to 180 degrees over medium heat, stirring very often. The mixture should be hot and start to steam across the top, but should not boil.
2. While the coconut milk is heating, mix the cornstarch and 1/4 cup of sugar together in a medium bowl.
3. Add the egg yolks and whole egg to the cornstarch mixture and whisk to combine well.
4. When the coconut milk is hot, slowly whisk one cup of hot coconut milk into the egg mixture and then whisk the egg mixture back into the pan of hot cream.
5. Cook over medium heat until the mixture starts to bubble and thicken, stirring constantly, about 6 minutes.
6. Remove from the heat and stir in 1/2 cup toasted coconut, butter, and vanilla.
7. Place the hot pie filling in a prepared graham cracker crust and refrigerate until cool. It can be covered and left for up to three days in the fridge.
8. When you are ready to serve the pie, whip the heavy cream and place it on top of the pie and sprinkle with 1/2 cup of toasted coconut flakes.

Recipe from my sister-in-law, Beth

Between the gigantic post on all things pie crust and now this big collection of pie recipes, I feel like I’ve set you up for a really successful holiday season. I know lots of people who bake pies for birthdays and even the Fourth of July, so save this post for your later pie baking adventures, too. Enjoy, and I hope this gets you inspired to get in your kitchen and make some beautiful pies from scratch.

I wanted to tell you what I did with all these pies, too. I could have made them all separately and done individual posts for them, but I really thought it important to have all the pies together in one picture and to have all the recipes in one post so that it was a great resource for you. I invited my sister-in-law Beth over for a pie day and we got to work! We planned and shopped beforehand, then spent over 12 hours in the kitchen on the day that we made all of these pies. That night, I had about 30 people over for dinner just so that we could eat all the pies together and do some major taste testing. It was so much fun – pie sure does bring people together. It’s not health food, but it’s tradition food, and that’s something I like to share with you too. I can’t wait to hear which pie recipes you plan to make first.

Now you have a great set of tried and true pie recipes to get you started. Happy pie making, from my kitchen to yours!