Top 5 Thanksgiving pies

If you plan to have pie at the finish of your feast, chances are it will be on of these favorites.

Mon, Nov 22 2010 at 8:47 AM

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Recipes, Thanksgiving

I’ve been writing a lot about Thanksgiving food over the past few weeks. I’ve also been reading a lot about it, too, and there was a quote I read the other day from The Philadelphia Inquirer that I just loved.

… truth be told, turkey is an obstacle on the road leading to pie.

I put the quote up as my status on Facebook, and many of my friends immediately gave it a thumbs-up. Apparently, there is some truth to that statement. So I set about doing one of my unscientific surveys, meaning I asked friends on Twitter and Facebook what pie they can’t live without on Thanksgiving.

I also asked my friends Stephen and Jill from The Sweet Life Bakery in Vineland, N.J., (who are on MNN’s 40 chefs under 40 reader’s choice list) what their top-selling pie is at Thanksgiving.

Without further delay, here are the results of my unscientific survey of the top 5 Thanksgiving pies.

5. Sweet potato pie: Some people like their sweet potatoes on the table with dinner in a casserole (like my sweet potato casserole recipe, which my family loves), but some like it as a dessert after dinner. (1 vote)

4. Key lime pie: I was surprised that key lime made the list. It doesn’t seem like a Thanksgiving-y food to me, but it is quite yummy so if people want to eat it on Thanksgiving, they should. (2 votes)

3. Pecan pie: Pecan pie tied with sweet potato pie, but I put it above key lime simply because it seems more Thanksgiving-y. Doesn’t it? (2 votes)

2. Apple pie: Surprisingly, my friends at The Sweet Life say this is their top-selling pie for Thanksgiving. It is their signature pie, and they use fresh, local, seasonal apples (which New Jersey is bursting with right now). (7 votes)

1. Pumpkin pie: No shocking results here. Pumpkin is the pie that most people enjoy after they’ve completely stuffed themselves with Thanksgiving dinner. My theory about apple pie selling more at The Sweet Life is that if you make pumpkin pie from a can, it’s almost impossible to get it wrong. More people are willing to make their own, therefore they don’t need to buy it from a bakery. A perfect apple pie sometimes needs to be left up to the experts. (18 votes)

My favorite is pumpkin, too. We’re having a small group for dinner this year, so it’s the only pie I’ll be serving, along with a cookie and brownie tray.

What's your favorite Thanksgiving pie?

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Comments: 5

r-truth Nov 21 2011 at 6:46 PM

blueberry pie!!!

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Terri Sherer Nov 22 2010 at 6:32 PM

Just about any pie is great any time of day or night, but seriously, key lime for Thanksgiving? Okay. Nothing says turkey day like pumpkin and/or pecan, but I also like one you rarely see any more: mince. Love the spicy bits of apples and raisins with the cloves and nutmeg and other spices. I think it got a bad rap years ago when it used to include meat scraps, but it hasn't been made that way in forever. Mince pie, yeah!

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Tracey Nov 22 2010 at 10:18 PM

My hubby learned to make minced meat pie (with sirloin) from his grandma and still makes it every year. My BIL calls it b-b-q pie. I can't taste the meat, it just gives it texture but it is quite delicious and always a surprise for folks to find out what's in it!