The Holiday season is coming up quickly, and if you're looking for something unique to bring to the table this year, Cromaine has you covered! Check out these wonderfully unique pie recipes to share with the loved ones in your life for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or throughout the cozy winter season.
Feeling especially excited about baking? Consider volunteering a few homemade pies for the Friends of Cromaine Library Pie Sale! This Sale takes place in the Library on Wednesday, November 27 at 10:00 am, and ends as soon as all of the pies are sold! The annual Pie Sale is a wonderful way to raise funds for our wonderful Friends, who in turn support the work of Cromaine Library. If you are interested in donating a pie to support the Sale, call Sandy Schemke at (248) 887-5282. The Friends request that bakers deliver their donated pies in a 9" disposable pan to the Library’s second floor South Meeting Room between 4:00 pm and 7:00 pm on Tuesday, November 26. Thank you for your support!
Now, to the pie recipes. Whether you’re in the mood for something frilly, fruity, or filling, you’re sure to find a few flavors of pie that you’ve never tried before in this recipe compilation. There are classic flavors with a twist, as well as totally unique recipes! Plus, stop by the Library to peruse our wonderful baking collection to find even more pie baking inspiration.
FRUIT PIES
Apple Date Pie
This recipe brings the mild, stone-fruit sweetness of dates into a classic apple pie recipe that is sure to impress! This is a fun twist on a traditional holiday recipe, provided by Live to Sweet.
Rosemary Almond Apple Galette
Another recipe from Live to Sweet, this galette combines the traditional taste of bakes apple with the herbal, earthy flavors of almond and rosemary. Plus, this recipe is easier to assemble than a traditional pie crust!
Gingersnap Crumb Pear Pie
Taste of Home offers a new twist on a typical fruit pie. Crushed gingersnap cookies make for a wonderful crumble top over the mild, sweet filling of pear with lemon, ginger, and vanilla. Hot caramel ice cream topping is optional but recommended!
Special Raisin Pie
Have you ever tried raisin pie? This dessert makes the mild fruity sweetness of raisins the star of the show, with the citrus addition of orange and lemon and a little rum extract to balance everything out perfectly. Try this recipe from Taste of Home to add something new and wonderful to the table this year!
Banoffee Pie
Ready to get a little far out in your baking? Try making a banoffee pie! This sweet treat combines banana and toffee with a cream filling over a graham cracker crust. Get the full recipe from Delish!
CREAM AND CUSTARD PIES
Peanut Butter Pie
Peanut butter lovers rejoice! If you haven't tried a peanut butter pie yet, we are begging you to. Creamy, dreamy peanut butter filling sits over a chocolate graham cracker crust, with peanut butter candy and melted chocolate & peanut butter as a gorgeous topping! Get the full recipe (please, you absolutely must) from Handle the Heat and try this one out!
Gingerbread and Pumpkin Pie
If you want to try something new with a classic pumpkin pie recipe, look no further than this recipe from Live to Sweet! The addition of gingerbread flavor adds a bit of cozy holiday cheer to the classic flavors we all love in a pumpkin pie.
Maple Orange Pumpkin
This recipe from More Mama adds a special pop to the beloved pumpkin pie recipe, with orange zest and a little maple syrup. The crust is made from a short pastry dough, adding rich, buttery shortbread flavor to this pie. Try it out this year if you're looking for something different!
Cherry Almond Mousse Pie
In this special recipe from Taste of Home, a creamy vanilla mousse filling is partnered with chocolate, cherries, and nuts for a sweet yet refreshing dessert!
Mexican Hot Chocolate Pie
Enjoy hot cocoa in pie form with this Mexican hot chocolate pie! Chocolate pie fans are sure to love this unique recipe from Delish, which features dark chocolate, cinnamon, vanilla, and cayenne pepper in a graham cracker crust. This filling is light, fluffy, and packs just a little bit of heat!
NUT PIES
Peanut Pie
Peanut Pie is very similar to a pecan pie, but the salty-sweetness of this recipe from Spiced is perfect for peanut lovers everywhere! Brown sugar and vanilla sweeten up this pie filling, which features plenty of roasted, salted peanuts to balance everything out.
Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie
If you're determined to use pecans in this year's recipes, be sure to try this recipe from Delish! The addition of dark chocolate and bourbon make a typical pie recipe more decadent and sophisticated. Plus, the secret ingredient for a tender, workable dough is apple cider vinegar!
Banana Caramel Pecan Pie
Another recipe from Delish, this no-bake recipe is great for those who want to use bananas in their pie recipes, but want to try making something different from banana cream. Pecans are combined with a sticky caramel and layered with bananas and vanilla cream filling. This recipe is similar to a banoffee pie, but with the extra flavor of pecans and caramel!
WEIRD PIES
Pies that are so unique, we’re not totally sure how to categorize them.
White Potato Pie
This sweet, velvety white potato pie may seem unconventional, but it is a popular recipe from the Eastern Shore of Maryland. This recipe comes together when mashed potatoes are combined with sugar, butter, eggs, and evaporated milk. Some other flavorings that are often added include vanilla, nutmeg, and lemon. Get the full recipe from Southern Living and try it out!
Grasshopper Pie
Don't worry, no actual grasshoppers are included in this recipe from Simply Recipes! This pie features an Oreo crust with a creamy, chocolatey, minty filling, which is, of course, grasshopper-green. The combination is sure to interest those who love the combination of mint and chocolate!
Cracker Pie
This is a vintage recipe from the Depression era, but that doesn't mean that this pie isn't wonderful! Cracker Pie, otherwise called Mystery Pie, consists of egg whites, baking powder, sugar, vanilla, Ritz crackers, and chopped nuts, yielding a crispy pie with a rich and slightly gooey inside! See the details and full recipe from Simple and Seasonal.
Lime & Basil Pie
This recipe is inspired by the traditional key lime pie, but features the unique herbal addition of basil! The Taste of Home recipe is amazingly easy, too-- just combine your filling ingredients (cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, lime, egg yolks, and basil), pour them over a simple graham cracker crust, and bake!
Hungry for more? Check out a few books from the Cromaine shelves for even more amazing recipes, including Pie Academy, Sweetie-licious Pie, Sister Pie, and Art of the Pie!
If you’re interested in exploring other desserts, join us on Wednesday, December 4 @ 6:00 pm for Cookies with Keegan Rodgers to learn techniques, ingredients, and tips for creating delicious, from-scratch cookies! Registration for this program, along with our other December programs, opens on Monday, November 25 @ 9:00 am.
Tis the season for good eating! Your team at Cromaine Library wishes you a beautiful Holiday season filled with laughter, loved ones, and maybe a few extra slices of pie. And don’t forget to visit www.cromaine.org to stay up-to-date on everything happening at your Cromaine Library this fall and winter.