# What's your favorite holiday pie? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [November 23, 2023, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-holiday-pie/993596 "2023-11-23T19:30:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Briny\_Deep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/briny_deep/32/17188_2.png) [@Briny\_Deep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Briny_Deep)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2023, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-holiday-pie/993596/21 "2023-11-24T00:37:40Z")
Pumpkin Chiffon is traditional. It’s only slightly more of a pain in the ass than normal pumpkin pie, involving cooking the pumpkin mixture with egg yolks and gelatin on the stovetop, then folding in beaten egg whites followed by chilling. The recipe is from the 30s or 40s, I think, before we worried about salmonella in eggs – we’ve all been lucky so far. Top with whipped cream, a puff on top of a puff. It’s heavenly, and this is an assessment from someone who doesn’t care for regular pumpkin pie at all. ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2023, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-holiday-pie/993596/22 "2023-11-24T00:39:12Z")
Cherry pie remains my favorite. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2023, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-holiday-pie/993596/23 "2023-11-24T00:58:58Z")
We’re close enough to Pennsylvania that we sometimes see [shoofly pie](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shoofly_pie). It’s basically sugar plus sugar in a crust. It’s fantastic in small doses. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2023, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-holiday-pie/993596/24 "2023-11-24T01:05:18Z")
When come back, bring ALL the pies. And don’t forget the strawberry rhubarb and peanut butter banana creme. I’m from Pennsylvania Dutch stock (not raised in a PD family - I’m adopted) and probably for that reason have taken an interest in their food. Apparently pie for breakfast is, or at least was historically, a thing for the Amish. I told my son that while overall there should not be much sugar in his diet, since his ancestors were Pennsylvania Dutch and they ate pie for breakfast, once in a while he could too, as a treat. Man, he LOVED that idea. ---
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2023, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-holiday-pie/993596/25 "2023-11-24T01:50:20Z")
My SIL’s makes pecan pie that is almost solid pecans, instead of the single layer most pies have. Pecan pie would still be a favorite, but that sends it to the top Following closely is the chocolate meringue pie made from my great aunt Polly’s recipe. I’ve never seen anything like it outside our family. I like pumpkin pie, but it’s definitely well below those two. My SIL makes it with a ginger snap crust that is so much better than pastry or graham cracker crust ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2023, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-holiday-pie/993596/26 "2023-11-24T01:57:44Z")
I can’t resist wild Maine blueberry pies from our supermarket bakery. Small berries with lots more flavor than those enormous tasteless grape-sized abominations. ---
**Author:** ![Alpha\_Twit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alpha_twit/32/265_2.png) [@Alpha\_Twit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alpha_Twit)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2023, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-holiday-pie/993596/27 "2023-11-24T02:13:31Z")
The one that’s in arm’s reach. Seriously, it’s hard to go wrong with s simple custard pie with a sprinkle of nutmeg on top. ---
**Author:** ![vbob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vbob/32/4439_2.png) [@vbob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vbob)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2023, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-holiday-pie/993596/28 "2023-11-24T02:36:19Z")
> [@CairoCarol](#): > > Apparently pie for breakfast is, or at least was historically, a thing for the Amish. Mom grew up near Amish country, which may have accounted for her predilection for pie for breakfast. In her later years, Thanksgiving downsized to LOTS of pie and coffee at breakfast time, and the rest of day to do as one pleased… ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2023, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-holiday-pie/993596/29 "2023-11-24T03:10:11Z")
My wife is a _very_ talented baker; her pumpkin and apple pies are simply world-class. She has a chocolate pie that’s quite good - it’s almost like pudding in a piecrust. She also makes a very good pecan pie, while my younger sister makes a chocolate pecan pie that can’t be beat (I prefer both slightly gooey). Fruit pies like strawberry, blueberry and cherry are A-OK by me. I also am always willing to try mince, sweet potato, lemon meringue and key lime pies (especially if the latter two are very tart). The only pie I really don’t care for is rhubarb, or any combination with rhubarb. Blecccccch. ---
**Author:** ![InternetLegend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/internetlegend/32/13154_2.png) [@InternetLegend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InternetLegend)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2023, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-holiday-pie/993596/30 "2023-11-24T04:55:12Z")
Apple. It may not be a traditional “holiday pie,” but we only have pie on holidays, so there we are. I like pumpkin, and I made this year’s pumpkin pies with pumpkins my daughter grew in her own garden. Historically, I’ve liked cherry pie, but my stomach has been getting more and more uncooperative about tart foods, so I enjoy it less than I used to. Pecan and chocolate and banana or coconut cream and, yes, even rhubarb are all lovely, but they aren’t pies I generally bake. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2023, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-holiday-pie/993596/31 "2023-11-24T05:17:22Z")
I’m not a big fan of sweets, but among dessert pies, my favourite is sugar pie; not sure if that’s a common English name, but around here the name is a literal translation from the French _tarte au sucre_. It’s made with brown sugar, butter, eggs, flour, and optionally with maple syrup, cream, and other ingredients. It’s similar to the English butter tart except that the latter is usually not made with flour. USAians might be more familiar with the sugar pie as pecan pie but without the pecans. The filling is very similar and has a delicious caramel-y taste that would probably go well with port or even a robust, smooth cabernet. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2023, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-holiday-pie/993596/32 "2023-11-24T05:59:23Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > Mince, baby. > > The kind with genuine old-fashioned mince, which includes currants, raisins, sultanas, apples, citrus peel, spices, brandy and rendered animal parts. All that good stuff. Oh yeah! That’s perfect for the holidays, or any time during the winter. Plus, it has to be accompanied by hard sauce. One that I think is appropriate any time, and not necessarily on holidays though it can be used then, is apple pie. Especially with some sharp cheddar cheese. Gosh, mince pie and hard sauce; and apple pie with cheddar cheese. Do I really have to eat the entree before dessert? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2023, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-holiday-pie/993596/33 "2023-11-24T14:39:46Z")
I’ve never really liked pumpkin pie. For me it’s one of those “smells great, tastes like ass” things. My mother in law made the best apple pie I’ve ever had. She made her own crust which was part of why it was so awesome. I used to tell my wife her parents couldn’t come over for Thanksgiving unless her mom brought pie. But she eventually got to the point where it was just too much work, then she got Alzheimer’s, then she passed away. I should have had her teach me how to make it when I had a chance. ---
**Author:** ![phs3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8491ac/32.png) [@phs3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phs3)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2023, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-holiday-pie/993596/34 "2023-11-24T15:27:20Z")
My wife hates pumpkin pie, so for the last few years I’ve been searching for something seasonal to end the meal with. Yesterday I made a Nantucket Cranberry Pie, and it was a huge hit. And super-easy. (Jeez, I sound like a shill here, but honest, I was thrilled to find something worthwhile, after having tried several other things over the last few years, all of which resulted in “That was good, but make something else next year”.) > **[Nantucket Cranberry Pie - Once Upon a Chef](https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/nantucket-cranberry-pie.html)** > > (TESTED & PERFECTED RECIPE) Nantucket cranberry pie (which is not really a pie) makes a simple yet delicious dessert that screams "holidays." ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2023, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-holiday-pie/993596/35 "2023-11-24T16:53:49Z")
Is “What is your favorite holiday pie” a different question from “What is your favorite pie”? Which pies count as holiday pies? ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2023, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-holiday-pie/993596/36 "2023-11-24T17:42:18Z")
I meant “What is your favorite pie at Thanksgiving and Christmas?” since varieties that are rare at other times of the year are often featured then. I love apple, blueberry, cherry, peach, and others, but I personally would not give them a special place on my holiday table. If _you_ do, I have no quibble with that at all, so go ahead and add them to the list. If you feel other holidays (e.g., Hanukka, Kwanzaa, Easter) deserve their own pies too, please feel free to add them, though I’ve never heard of such traditions. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@salinqmind1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind1)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2023, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-holiday-pie/993596/37 "2023-11-24T17:46:09Z")
Pecan Pie. Sweet Potato Pie. Apple Crumb (or Lemon Crumb) Pie. My top three (or four) ! One year my mother bought one of those frozen cheap gluey fruit pies at the grocery, a loss-leader thing. Good for filling up any undiscriminating empty stomaches after the meal. She forgot to bake it, so she gave it to me. I put it in my freezer but never had occasion to bake it, so I gave it to a friend. SHE never used it and passed it on to ANOTHER friend. Two years and four owners later, the unwanted pie got baked. The kids under 12 liked it. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2023, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-holiday-pie/993596/38 "2023-11-24T18:07:52Z")
My niece has been diagnosed with celiac disease, so no pie for us this year. My wife made a gluten free apple crisp, which was delicious. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2023, 7:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-holiday-pie/993596/39 "2023-11-25T07:22:16Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > Is “What is your favorite holiday pie” a different question from “What is your favorite pie”? Which pies count as holiday pies? Cherry pie is my all-time favorite. It’s rare that I can find the right variety of cherries at all, and certainly not in the fall, so I don’t really consider it a holiday pie. Apples are in season in late summer and fall, so I consider them eligible for Thanksgiving pie. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2023, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-holiday-pie/993596/40 "2023-11-25T07:36:32Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > my favourite is sugar pie; not sure if that’s a common English name, but around here the name is a literal translation from the French _tarte au sucre_. It’s made with brown sugar, butter, eggs, flour, and optionally with maple syrup, cream, and other ingredients. Sounds like either a shoofly or chess pie - these both come in many varieties, but all are basically about sweet goo in some form or another. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-holiday-pie/993596.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-your-favorite-holiday-pie/993596.md?page=3)