Top 10 Favorite Pies



I had so much fun doing my top 10 board games and top 10 most unusual pizza toppings that I wanted to do another top 10. This one is inspired by my favorite time of year, autumn a.k.a. pie season. Sure, you can eat pie year round (and I do) but most of my pie consumption comes around thanksgiving and Christmas. There is nothing better than a slice of pie after a meal or even as your meal; pie makes a great breakfast. Whether it's served warm or cold and sweet or savory, pie is the perfect food. For the record, pizza pie will not be on this list. What you're about to find are traditional pies with a flaky or crumb crust.

10. Chicken Pot

I wanted to give a shout out to all the savory pies with this one. I enjoy a pot pie from time to time, especially during the colder months. When I think about pie though, my mind goes immediately to sweet so the rest of this post is full of.....spoilers.....sweet pies.

9. Apple

I know this is usually the top spot or at least in the top 3 on most peoples' lists but it just doesn't do it for me like others do. My mother in law makes amazing apple pies so it's not like I don't know what a good one tastes like. I will say that eating a slice of apple pie with some extra sharp cheddar cheese is something special. Having to eat another food with it keeps this from climbing higher on my list.

8. Pecan

Any pie can be made poorly but I find that pecan pies can be really hit or miss more than others. The amount of sugar needed can make these too sweet or especially runny once the sugar starts to melt if not cooked long enough. Nailing a perfect pecan pie is a thing of beauty.

7. Key Lime

I'm a big fan of sweet and tart and Key lime pie does a great job of that. It's hard to find good Key lime because you'll often find the radioactive green colored ones. If you see that, that's not what you want. A good Key lime pie will be pale yellow.

6. Lemon without Meringue 

Lemon pie without the meringue is almost as hard to find as it is to find a good Key lime pie. I do not like meringue but I love lemon curd. Its tartness is a little less intense than that of a Key Lime pie. The flavor of lemon is one of my favorites for dessert because it's light and refreshes the palate.

5. Chocolate Cream

Chocolate cream reminds me of pudding and often that's how it looks when you get a slice out, in my experience. So you're basically eat chocolate pudding dumped in a pie crust that's been topped with whipped cream. There isn't much that's better than that.

4. Chocolate Peanut Butter

The combination of chocolate and peanut butter is one of my favorite food combinations. There are a few different preparations of chocolate peanut butter pie that I enjoy. My favorite has to be the frozen version that my mother in law makes. Another great pie from you mother in law? Yes, I'm very lucky. The key is to let it sit and sit and sit until it's just soft enough to push through with a fork.

3. Plain NY Style Cheesecake

I'm sorry, I can't hear myself over your yelling. Cheesecake is a pie, I've already covered that so try to keep up. I am a sucker for a dense sliver slice of plain NY style cheesecake. It's sweet and smooth, a little tart, and the buttery crust just brings home the near perfect bite. There are so many types of cheesecake (Cheesecake Factory anyone?) that it was hard to choose one.

2. Pumpkin

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, hands down. This may shock you but I love to eat, so a holiday dedicated to that is just the best. I love turkey dinners and the leftovers make the best sandwich you'll ever have. But Thanksgiving season brings pumpkin pie and all other pumpkin spice flavored things. Most of the flavored products are sub par and just taste like clove but the pie is where it's at. I could literally eat it everyday, Mel Kiper Jr. already does, lucky bastard.

1. Strawberry Rhubarb

My love of this combination first came in pandowdy form made by my mother, I've since had it in pie form.  For those who don't know what a pandowdy is, it's basically a pie with no bottom crust. In other words, spiced fruit mixture with pie dough on top. Strawberry Rhubarb is the perfect combination of sweet and tart. It's also only really made during a short stint in the mid spring to summer when strawberries and rhubarb are both in season. Sure you could freeze them or use shipped in versions but nothing beats fresh local strawberries and rhubarb topped with a butter crust.

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