With Thanksgiving just around the corner, we need to start thinking about our dinner menu— Turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, green beans, and of course, that beautiful pie for dessert. The best pies in NYC follow the recipe for the perfect combo of a crumbly crust and a soft and moist interior, no matter the flavor.
There is no Thanksgiving without the sweetness of a pie at the end. Because of that, finding the perfect pie is essential for the perfect meal with your beloved ones, even more than getting the turkey right, some might say.
In New York, dozens of bakeries sell delicious pies with some of the most traditional Thanksgiving flavors: apple crumble, pumpkin, sweet potato, pecan, berries, and many others. However, some venues serve unique and creative flavors that may become your next favorite. Here on this list, we have presented bakeries and shops that specialize in both, and these are the places where you’ll find the best pies in New York.
Little Pie Company
Little Pie Company is a Hell’s Kitchen bakery serving one of the best apple pies in the city. On top of a buttery crust, many thin apple slices are stacked over one another, in between a sour cream filling. At the very top, a walnut crumble completes the cinnamony and crusty pie. This is one of those picture-perfect, tall pies where you can see the softness of the apples as they contrast with the toasted walnuts on top.
Four & Twenty Blackbirds
Four & Twenty Blackbirds is our top pick for the best pies in New York. Maybe it is because they offer seasonal and pretty unique pie flavors, or maybe because their crusts are flawlessly flaky, with an all-butter composition. Here, all pies, from fruity to custard, are delicious, no matter the time of the year.
Taste the peaconut, which blends peanut and coconut flavors, for that toasty feeling. The matcha custard, another well-known option, highlights the taste of matcha in its green tea essence. A house famous, however, is the salty honey pie, an aromatic honey custard topped with sea salt flakes.
Pies ‘n’ Thighs
Pies n Thighs is where you go to have some of the best fried chicken in New York, followed by a fantastic slice of pie. There’s no better meal than that, especially for modern families that may not have the time to cook a traditional turkey.
The house’s most famous dish is the banana cream pie. A thick layer of sliced and toasted bananas blends with a creamy banana pudding to make the filling. On top, lots of whipped cream adds a smooth experience, but the best part lies underneath it all. The wafer crust, blended with sugar and butter, is baked until golden, giving the pie a caramelized flavor.
Aside from the pies and fried chicken, you can get a typical diner-like brunch with eggs, bacon, cornbread, burgers, and fries. The shop initially started in Williamsburg, but now it has venues all over Brooklyn.
Abu’s Homestyle Bakery
Abu’s Homestyle Bakery serves many traditional pies for Thanksgiving, like coconut, sweet potato, and pecan pies. However, its most unique flavor is the navy bean pie. A layer of spices covers another layer of mashed beans. Although the flavor of cinnamon stands out, the pie is pretty well-balanced and not overly sweet— it is something worth trying for your celebratory dessert.
Steve’s Authentic Key Lime Pies
For a venue to be named after a specific pie flavor, we can only presume how good said pie must be. And we’re wrong because it is even better than we could have ever imagined.
The key lime pie is already a complex art to master; the balance between sweet and tangy, the amount of creaminess, and the filling-to-crust ratio are all critical when judging the quality of such craftwork. However, if the key lime pie were the force, Steve’s would be Qui-Gon Jinn.
Here you can purchase an entire key lime pie or mini versions of it, ideal for feeding a single individual. For the most adventurous types, go for the Swingles, where they cling a mini key lime pie to a stick and dip it in chocolate.
Bubby’s
Bubby’s started as a pie shop, later becoming one of Tribeca’s most famous brunch spots. Regarding their Thanksgiving-perfect pies, no flavor is ever less than perfect and well-balanced. Which is why we had to include them on our list of best pies in NYC.
For fruit lovers, there are always the traditional pies like the juicy cranberry pie, the double-crusted apple and cinnamon pie, and the lemon zest pie with its perfect tanginess. For those who like richer and sweeter pies, definitely try the peanut butter house specialty, which blends the nuttiness of peanuts in the dense filling with a chocolate cookie crust.
Breads Bakery
Breads Bakery is an Israeli bakery that adds pies to its menu whenever Thanksgiving comes around. They serve lots of traditional flavors, like pecan, pumpkin, apple crumble, and lemon ricotta, but their house specialties make this venue one of the best pie shops in New York.
Upgrade your Thanksgiving dinner with something different! Try the Babka pie, made with a gooey chocolate babka (that sweet braided bread) inside a flaky crust. The Apple Challah consists of an entire apple as the core of baked challah, complemented with cinnamon and almond cream.
Petee’s Pie Company
Petee’s Pie Company is famous for its Toasted Almond Chess Pie. A gooey and soft interior topped with a toasted layer of sliced almonds. On the bottom, a layer of chocolate ganache breaks the nuttiness of the pie, adding some extra sweetness to the whole thing. There is no better pie to serve at your Thanksgiving dinner or any other dinner of the year.
The venue serves a wide variety of pies by the slice, but you can also order the whole pie, preferably in advance. Also, include the house maple whipped cream in your order!
Momofuku Milk Bar
Momofuku Milk Bar is the sweet tooth version of David Chang’s Momofuku restaurant. Their Milk Bar Pie has been a success since its inception. Over a toasted oat crust, you will find a soft and gooey interior made with sugar, cream, and butter. A simple creation that carries perfect flavor and consistency.
Although one slice is already enough for one person, you can buy the whole pie in many different locations, which is ideal for a large family celebration.
