The 12 Best Pies in NYC for All Your Holiday Needs (or Anytime, Really)
In a perfect world, we’d all be Great British Baking Show–level savants when it comes to baking the picture-perfect dessert. In reality, though, we’re busy New Yorkers who barely have time to toast a bagel. Lucky for us, the city is full of gorgeously golden, flaky, filled-to-the-brim pies to get you through the holidays and beyond. From traditional picks (like chocolate pecan and pumpkin spice) to creative additions (hello, smores and navy bean), here’s where to find the best pies in NYC.
Note: All pies available to preorder for Thanksgiving now until Thanksgiving Day, unless otherwise noted.
1. Bien Cuit
The beloved Brooklyn bakery (locations in Crown Heights and Cobble Hill) is offering three decadent and expertly baked Thanksgiving creations this year: chocolate pecan pie, hazelnut streusel pumpkin pie and maple apple tart. We’ll take one of each, please.
Multiple locations; biencuit.com. Order by November 23 for pickup or November 21 for shipping in order to guarantee Thanksgiving availability.
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2. Petee’s Pie Company
This bakeshop, which has locations in the LES and Clinton Hill, serves some of our fave pies year-round, and Thanksgiving means we get to eat twice as much. Choose from options like maple-whiskey walnut, salty-chocolate chess and pear streusel, and embrace the inevitable food coma. (Psst: Vegan and gluten-free options available.)
Multiple locations; peteespie.com. Order by November 22 for Thanksgiving.
3. Four & Twenty Blackbirds
If you haven’t tried the Salty Honey pie from this sister-owned Brooklyn bakeshop, you’re doing yourself a disservice. Pick one up from any of its three locations, along with salted-caramel apple, bittersweet chocolate pecan or brown-butter pumpkin.
Multiple locations; birdsblack.com
4. Pies ’n’ Thighs
Your Thanksgiving table needs a sour-cherry-and-pear crumble and a banana cream pie. Don’t try to fight it.
166 S. Fourth St., Brooklyn; piesnthighs.com. Order by November 21 for Thanksgiving.
5. Bubby’s
Looking for a pumpkin pie with a little extra? The pumpkin caramel praline at this comfort-food mainstay oughta do the trick. And while it’s not exactly a traditional Thanksgiving dish, the chocolate peanut butter pie is legendary.
120 Hudson St.; bubbys.com. Order by November 20 for Thanksgiving.
6. Breads Bakery
Two words: babka pie. Yep, our BFFs at Breads have taken Thanksgiving to 11 with the pie-ified version of their signature offering, along with pumpkin, pecan, cranberry and apple crumb.
Multiple locations; breadsbakery.com. Pre-ordering starts November 14.
7. Butter & Scotch
We love this feminist bar in Crown Heights for its delicious cocktails, awesome mission (some of its proceeds go to nonprofits) and indulgent desserts. Take this s’mores pie, for example, that’s made with a graham cracker crust, rich milk chocolate custard, and torched marshmallow topping (no wonder our imaginary bestie Jonathan Van Ness is a fan). Also on offer: bourbon ginger pecan, pumpkin spice, and apple pear cranberry crumble.
818 Franklin Ave., Brooklyn; shop.butterandscotch.com. Order by November 24 for pick up or delivery and November 20 for shipping.
8. Milk Bar
Thanksgiving is a marathon, not a race. Meaning that when it comes to desserts, you’d be wise to warm up first with a couple of Milk Bar’s pumpkin dulce de leche truffles before digging into the main event (i.e., the three-tiered pumpkin dulce de leche cake). And while we’re here, we might as well order a peppermint bark cake and the famous milk bar pie (you know, the one with a gooey butter, cream and sugar filling encased in a toasted oat crust) too.
Various locations; milkbar.com. Order by November 23 for Thanksgiving.
9. Little Pie Company
This Hell’s Kitchen pie shop is mouthwateringly good. But don’t take our word for it—Oprah Winfrey and Sarah Jessica Parker are fans, too. The sour cream apple walnut pie is a favorite, made with hand-sliced Granny Smith apples, fresh sour cream and topped with brown sugar, cinnamon and walnut streusel. You also can’t go wrong with the three berry pie (strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries) or Mississippi mud pie.
424 W 43rd St.; littlepiecompany.com. Order by November 21 for Thanksgiving.
10. Abu’s Homestyle Bakery
This family-owned Bed-Stuy shop specializes in the Nation of Islam–inspired bean pie, made with mashed navy beans and custard and topped with cinnamon for a creation that’s decadent but not too sweet. Beyond the navy bean pie, there are also sweet potato, pecan, and coconut custard desserts on offer.
1184 Fulton St. Brooklyn; abusbakery.com
11. Steve’s Authentic Key Lime
Want something to cut through the richness of all those mashed potatoes, gravy and turkey? Try a zesty key lime pie from this Red Hook shop that offers nothing but that. Think golden graham-cracker crusts filled with a silky condensed-milk custard made with real key lime juice. Or for something a little extra, try the shop’s famous Swingles: a mini key lime pie stuck on a stick, dipped in chocolate, and frozen.
185 Van Dyke St. Brooklyn; keylime.com
12. Mah-Ze-Dahr Bakery
This West Village operation has got all the holiday classics: Delicately spiced pumpkin served with creme fraiche whipped cream, apple crumble just like nana used to make it and chock full of nuts pecan. Or hey, why not shake things up this year with a beautiful lemon meringue?
28 Greenwich Ave.; mahzedahrbakery.com. Order by November 23 for Thanksgiving.
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