23 Pies To Serve This Thanksgiving That Aren't Just Pumpkin

There are plenty of Thanksgiving traditions, from turkey and stuffing to passive-aggressive arguments at the dinner table that remind you why you go the rest of the year without associating with some family members. Of course, there has to be pumpkin pie. If you've ever wondered just what the deal is with pumpkin pie, here's a fun fact: Thanksgiving dinners have probably featured this admittedly polarizing pie since the late 18th century. Sure, there's a lot to be said for tradition, but we're also here to say that it's perfectly fine to mix things up a bit.

That's especially true today when fall heralds the coming of pumpkin pie spiced everything. The burnout — especially by the time Thanksgiving rolls around — is absolutely real, so we're here to say that you don't need pumpkin pie at all.

Let's talk about some other delicious options that still capture some of those fall flavors, without falling back on the same old pumpkin. We fully believe that we have something here for everyone here, whether you're looking to bring an old-fashioned favorite back into the spotlight or a creative new take on flavors like cranberry, maple-pecan, or banoffee. Will your weird uncle or overbearing aunt be upset if you skip the pumpkin? Probably, but honestly, that's just kind of a bonus. You're welcome!

When it comes to fall flavors, maple and pecan have a place alongside pumpkin — even above, if we're being honest. While a straight-up pecan pie might be a little heavy after a Thanksgiving meal, this pie with whipped maple cream and crushed pecans is delightfully light. It's also easy: pre-bake your crust, whip your filling, and refrigerate. Add whipped cream and pecans on the top, and you're done. The only thing we like better than a delicious pie is an easy one, and this checks all the boxes.

Recipe: Maple pecan cream pie

There's nothing traditional about a pie that combines blackberries, honey, and sage — yes, we did say sage — so if you're looking for something to really impress at dinner, this might be the perfect pie to give you some serious baking cred. The finished product folds seemingly odd ingredients together into something extraordinary. There's the sweetness from the honey, while the berries provide a subtle bitterness, and the sage gets added to the crust, which means this is also perfect for anyone who thinks pie crusts are boring. Not this one!

Recipe: Honey blackberry sage pie

Cherries and chocolate go together like, well, peanut butter and jelly, and when you throw some pomegranate juice into the mix, the result is delicious. There's a lot to love about this pie, including the fact that depending on the type of cherries you choose, you might end up with something on the sweeter side, or something with a tart kick. That might be just what you need to wrap up that invariably heavy meal, and we also love this one because there's no plain, boring pie crust in sight.

Recipe: Pomegranate cherry cocoa pie

Here's something for the adults at the table, and that's a super-smooth, custardy, buttermilk pie that's served with a helping of blackberries and gets a delightfully boozy kick from moonshine. That escalated quickly, we know, but trust us when we say this might be the perfect way to wind down from the inevitable chaos of Thanksgiving. Blackberry moonshine that you can substitute with blackberry brandy is in the filling and the drizzle, and we'd even suggest that you could switch up this idea with different fruits and brandy flavors. Versatile, easy, and delicious, it's a total win.

Recipe: Blackberry-buttermilk pie

A dessert doesn't have to be heavy to be decadent, and that's where our peanut butter pie comes in. The graham cracker crust is delightfully light and flavorful, and the filling combines cream cheese, peanut butter, sugar, and vanilla with whipped cream for a pie that's as tasty as it is easy. There's more to love, not only does it get some photo-worthy shaved chocolate on the top, but since you're going to want to chill this in the fridge, you can make it a day or two in advance.

Recipe: Decadent peanut butter pie

This is another one for the grown-ups in the room, and this is also a pie that you can plan on making ahead of your holiday dinner. In fact, you'll have to: The mix should spend at least a week in your fridge to let all these flavors come together. Getting pies done ahead of time is a total win, and this meat-free mincemeat combines fruits like cherries, apricots, apples, and peaches with fall favorite spices (including nutmeg and ginger), then adds both ruby port wine and brandy for some incredible old-fashioned flavor.

Recipe: All-fruit mincemeat pie

Anyone who has grown zucchini in their garden or is even vaguely associated with someone who has grown it knows that having way too much zucchini is inevitable. The good news is that this unsuspecting veg makes an outstanding pie, especially when you're including spices like cinnamon and nutmeg. The final product is very, very much like a standard apple pie, even though there are, in fact, no apples there. Sounds too good to be true? It's not, and it's so good that you'll start looking forward to being overrun with zucchini.

Recipe: Zucchini apple pie

Raisins might be a love-or-hate sort of thing, but anyone who's not a fan of super-sweet desserts might want to give this one a try. The raisin filling is made with brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, red wine vinegar, and butter, and admit it, even if you're not the biggest fan of raisins, you're intrigued, aren't you? Add in a flavorful crust made with sour cream and you have a pie that looks and tastes like an old-fashioned favorite while giving raisins the chance to truly shine in a rather surprising way.

Recipe: Classic raisin pie

Although this is technically a tart, we'd argue that the absolutely beautiful, bright red color of the cranberry curd alone makes this more than worthy of a place on the Thanksgiving table. You'll be spooning a mousse filling onto a chocolate crust for this one, and don't worry — it's almost shockingly easy to make. Add some sugared cranberries on the top or shaved chocolate, and you'll be serving something that looks like it came out of a professional bakery but that really only took about 30 minutes of prep time.

Recipe: Chocolate cranberry curd tart

If you're a fan of pie, you probably already have a go-to apple pie recipe. Even if that's the case, you should definitely check out this one. Instead of a typical pie crust, this one's made with a crust that's similar to a sugar cookie, attaining serious sweetness from brown sugar and butter. There's a ton of apples in here, too, for an extra tall, extra delicious dessert that might just change the way you think about apple pie.

Recipe: Dutch apple pie (with a sugar cookie crust)

Sweet potato pie is another one that's popular around Thanksgiving, and this one is made just a little bit extra with the addition of a quarter cup of bourbon and maple syrup. These additions impart a delightful depth of flavor that marries perfectly with fall favorite spices like allspice and nutmeg. It's perfectly creamy and decadent without feeling over-the-top. While this pie takes a bit of work — you'll have to bake those sweet potatoes first — it's absolutely worth it.

Recipe: Maple-bourbon sweet potato pie

If you're looking for something super fun to serve this Thanksgiving, look no further than this Texas trash pie. What is it? You're basically taking a heck of a lot of goodness — including chocolate chips, pretzels, coconut flakes, nuts, and caramels — and covering them with sweetened condensed milk and using that as your pie filling. We know, right? It's a little sweet, a little salty, and best of all, it can come together in around 10 minutes. It's pretty much guaranteed to be everyone's new favorite pie.

Recipe: Sweet and salty Texas trash pie

Wait, we know what you're thinking. Beans, in a pie? Absolutely! The beans in question here are small white beans, and cannellini and navy beans are both ideal. They're combined with butter, sugar, evaporated milk, eggs, vanilla, flour, nutmeg, and cinnamon, and the end result is a super-smooth, ultra-creamy pie perfect for those who like desserts a little less sweet. If you're still not sold on the idea of using beans in pies, imagine a pie that's channeling the spirit of a sweet hummus, and you're on the right track.

Recipe: Creamy bean pie

Here's one for the chocolate lovers. It's an old-fashioned fudge pie that comes together in as little as five minutes. For real! That fudgy filling is made with butter, sugar, eggs, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, and flour — and that's it. Mix, pour into a pie crust, and you're done. Sure, you can dress it up with some whipped cream, shaved chocolate, a dusting of powdered sugar, or even a fruit drizzle, but one of the things we love about this is that it's quick, easy, and delicious just the way it is. 

Recipe: Old-fashioned fudge pie

We'd like to suggest a banoffee pie for a dessert that might not be completely associated with autumn fruits and flavors but certainly feels like it could be. That's thanks to the graham cracker crust and layer of luxurious caramel. There's a lot to love about this, including the fact that it's going to take you less than 20 minutes. You should, however, plan ahead as this needs to chill in the fridge for a bit, but the combination of bananas, caramel, and whipped cream is sure to be a favorite.

Recipe: Best banoffee pie

We'd argue that cranberries are deserving of a place in the spotlight of fall flavors. Anyone who agrees will love this tart and sweet cranberry sage pie, especially if you're looking for something that's light and refreshing instead of heavy and creamy. The cranberry filling includes sugar for some serious sweetness, along with lemon juice, vanilla, and all your favorite fall spices. Chopped sage and chunks of butter hide beneath the crust, and the result is a pie that hits all the right notes.

Recipe: Tart and sweet cranberry sage pie

There's no need to choose between an apple pie and a custard pie when you can have both! These two favorites come together in a pie that calls for apples to be lightly cooked with nutmeg, cinnamon, and sugar, then arranged in the crust before being covered with custard. Bake the pie and let it cool, and you'll have a pretty unique pie that offers best of both worlds. Should you top it with a drizzle of caramel? We definitely won't say no.

Recipe: Apple and egg custard pie

If you're looking for a showstopping pie that looks like it belongs on the set of "The Great British Baking Show," look no further than this blueberry elderflower honeycomb pie. That honeycomb pattern is made with the help of a mold made from bubble wrap, and you don't have to let anyone in on the secret. The crust is butter, honey, and graham crackers, the filling is a creamy custard with a blueberry jam layer, and the top is finished with an elderflower and honey syrup. It's totally worth the time.

Recipe: Blueberry elderflower honeycomb pie

Here's a tart that looks like it would be at home on a Thanksgiving table destined to be featured in a magazine spread or television show, but don't worry — it's actually surprisingly easy. Ground gingersnaps and butter are turned into a crust, cranberries are cooked down with spices to make a jam for the filling, and then, it's topped with white chocolate ganache. Top with some sugared cranberries or get creative with your own ideas, and you'll have a beautiful dessert that everyone will think you spent the day making.

Recipe: Winter white chocolate cranberry tart

Apples are the best part of a pie, especially when you combine red, yellow, and green for a mix of flavors that's only made better with sugar and spices. That's where this deep-dish apple pie shines. Sure, the crust is tasty but given that this calls for a whopping nine cups of apples, there's no doubt what's the star of the show. This is the pie that calls all others a mere shadow of possibility, and it's a work of art.

Recipe: Sweet and tart deep dish apple pie

One of the things we love here at Tasting Table is finding old-school foods and giving them another moment in the spotlight. That brings us to shoofly pie, a delightfully named dessert popular in Pennsylvania, specifically in areas with Amish influence. With a filling made from molasses and sugar-and-butter crumb mixture, it's the perfect addition to a Thanksgiving table. Let it cool but serve it warm, preferably with a scoop or two of your favorite ice cream. The best thing is that you're only looking at about 20 minutes of prep time.

Recipe: Shortcut shoofly pie

Pecan pie is definitely a fall favorite, and we'd like to suggest switching things up with a chocolate pecan pie that's just as decadent as you might expect. Anyone who's well-versed in making pecan pies will see that the recipe looks very familiar, with the addition of melting chocolate chips and butter to go over your pecans, along with more standard ingredients like corn syrup, eggs, and vanilla. It's a great option if you're looking for something that's a little bit traditional and a little bit creative, and it's sure to please everyone.

Recipe: Chocolate pecan pie

Does Thanksgiving feel overwhelming, and like it's just too much work for too little reward? We've got you covered with this super simple pie recipe that has only three ingredients, and we're not joking. There's puff pastry sheets, cinnamon, and canned plums — and that's it. You'll wrap the plums inside the puff pastry sheets, and that's where the rustic part comes in. It doesn't have to be perfect at all, and it will be incredibly easy. Add some ice cream, and there's dessert sorted!

Recipe: Rustic plum pie

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