The 17 best pies in America

While the popularity of other sweets rise and fall, there’s one iconic dessert that never goes out of fashion: pie. It’s the burger of the dessert world, a true stayer (we’ve also got you covered for America’s best burgers, by the way). But in their pursuit to make the best pies in America, top bakers aren’t just resting on the laurels of the nostalgia that comes with a slice of warm apple pie—they’re gussying up fillings with house-made caramel, fusing classics into delicious new favorites and even giving back to the community. Trail the sweet scent to the bakeshops below for exceptional pies, from the best bakeries in Chicago to the best bakeries in New York and everywhere between. Finishing scoops of ice cream, not included (but highly recommended).

Banana cream pie from Tartine Bakery, San Francisco

Every so often, a dish becomes such a hit, it’s practically synonymous with an eatery. Such is the case with this pie from Liz Prueitt and Chad Robertson’s award-winning Tartine Bakery. A smear of bittersweet chocolate acts as a barrier between filling and shell, ensuring a flaky crust with every bite and balancing out the sweetness of the banana-studded pastry cream. Chocolate shavings finish the delightfully messy confection.

Tahitian vanilla sugar salted caramel apple pie from Random Order Coffeehouse and Bakery, Portland, OR

This ain’t your grandma’s apple pie. Speckled with vanilla sugar salt, the golden crust of Random Order’s bestseller encases a mix of organic Granny Smiths and Pink Ladys folded with house-made caramel—owner Tracy Olsen’s decadent tribute to the candy apple. While the accents are anything but traditional, the crust is as classic as they come: the butter-studded dough gets rolled out by hand into a reusable glass dish for every pie.

Crack pie from Momofuku Milk Bar, New York City and Washington D.C.

Naming your pie after crack is a bold statement, but it’s fitting for the addictive properties at play in Christina Tosi’s legendary salty-sweet creation from Momofuku Milk Bar. A giant crumbled oat cookie subs in for your standard-issue crust, which is draped in a gooey butter filling shot with vanilla and—surprise ingredient—corn powder.

Black bottom banana cream pie from Honeypie Cafe, Milwaukee, WI

Cozy diner Honeypie Cafe proudly reps its Midwestern roots with gussied-up comfort food and desserts. To form her luscious homage to old-fashioned black-bottomed pies, baking guru Valeri Lucks marries two of her bestsellers, layering chocolate and banana custards—both made with Wisconsin milk—atop a crisp graham cracker crust. She crowns the glorious affair with a mound of fresh whipped cream, which every pie-lover knows is an essential addition.

Apple pie from Hoosier Mama Pie Company, Chicago

Former fine-dining pastry chef Paula Haney made a name for her pies at farmers’ markets and coffee shops, before opening a tiny, retro pie shop in West Town to sell her seasonal creations. Come fall, the apple pie at Hoosier Mama is a must-try—the classic is expertly done here, with nicely sliced apples and perfectly flaky crust. It’s a welcome addition to the holiday table.

Michigan Four-Berry Double Crust from Achatz Handmade Pie Co., Ann Arbor, MI

Years before Grant Achatz became a food-world luminary, second cousins Dave and Wendy were building a pastry empire in the family’s native Michigan. The self-taught bakers shot to pie-slinging fame with this streusel-topped beauty, available at Achatz Handmade Pie Co. Sweetened with just a touch of sugar, the delightfully tart filling allows the plump, locally-grown blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and cherries to shine.

Chocolate haupia pie from Ted’s Bakery, Haleiwa, HI

Oahu’s top pie purveyor sits on the island’s North Shore, home to some of the Aloha State’s most epic waves. Just as legendary as the surf is this laidback gem’s custard two-fer, a menu staple since Ted’s opened in 1987. A velvety layer of haupia (coconut) pudding infuses touch of tropical flair into the unconventional chocolate-cream pie.

Sweet potato pecan pie from Devil’s Teeth Baking Company

It’s the best of both Thanksgiving worlds at Outer Sunset gem Devil’s Teeth, where baker Hilary Passman fuses two holiday favorites into one craveworthy pie. A rich layer of sweet potato filling sits on the bottom, cloaked with a pecan-dotted custard. Pro tip: If you order a whole pie for Thanksgiving, there’s an optional whiskey butter sauce.

Banana cream from Pies and Thighs, New York City

Williamsburg’s cult-status Southern chicken-and-pie joint Pies and Thighs does right by this old-fashioned granny staple. A banana-cream base nestles chunks of fresh bananas in a Nilla wafer crust, topped with whipped cream, a dusting of spicy nutmeg and whole Nilla wafers.

Lord of the Pies from Emporium Pies; Dallas, TX

With its “go big or go home” mentality, it’s no surprise that the Lone Star State serves as the birthplace of this deep-dish behemoth. Towering over most others, the aptly named Lord of the Pies calls for a whopping 10 whole Granny Smith apples, the fruit’s tart punch tempered by Emporium Pie’s rich house-made caramel and a generous heap of cinnamon crumb topping. A tender, all-butter crust completes the Texan showstopper.

Baltimore Bomb from Dangerously Delicious Pies; Baltimore, MD

Ask a Baltimorean to name a local speciality and chances are they’ll point you to a box of Bergers’ cookies. Slathered in chocolate frosting, the treats are indulgent enough on their own, but this Charm City shop scatters them into a pie that even Duff Goldman dubs a guilty pleasure. As the round bakes, the shortbread and chocolate chunks melt together to form a rich fudgy shell over the vanilla custard—just think of this as chess pie on crack. Thank you, Dangerously Delicious.

Chocolate bourbon pecan pie from Pie Lab; Greensboro, AL

Since its founding in 2009, design-studio-slash-bakery Pie Lab has set out to support the community one pie at a time (they provide job training for local youth and resources for Greensboro small businesses). Chef Kelley Whatley helps the cause with her boozy, chocolatey twist on the old Southern classic. Crack through the burnished shell of caramelized pecans and you’ll get a spoonful of smooth, eggy custard that carefully straddles the line between runny and firm. Eat dessert, do good—now that’s something everyone should get behind.

Blueberry pie from Two Fat Cats Bakery; Portland, ME

When it comes to iconic foods, Maine has two: lobster and blueberries. And just like a good lobster roll, a superb blueberry pie relies on the freshness and simplicity of its key ingredient. In the case of quaint Maine bakery Two Fat Cats, that means forgoing bigger cultivated berries for the tinier wild variety to give the oozing innards of this rustic double-crust pie a more intense blueberry flavor.

Shaker lemon pie from Scratch Baking; Durham, NC

Depending on whom you ask, Shaker lemon pie traces it origins to either Pennsylvania or Ohio. But the one that’s currently capturing the attention of America’s citrus-lovers comes from the North Carolina kitchen of James Beard-nominated pastry chef Phoebe Lawless at Scratch Baking. She macerates whisper-thin slices of lemon in sugar for three days, then combines them with eggs and butter to create a tangy marmalade-like custard. One bite, and plain old lemon meringue will no longer do.

S’mores pie from Baker Miller Bakery and Millhouse, Chicago

Dave and Megan Miller’s charming Baker Miller Bakery and Millhouse serves plenty of dreamy baked goods, including amazing pies available by the slice or whole. They’re milling grains in-house, which means the pies come on unexpected, hearty crusts, like a coconut vegetarian crust. You’ll need to wait until summer for their star pie, s’mores, served atop a graham cracker crust. With a thick layer of chocolate fudge and a cap of marshmallow, this pie bests its inspiration.

Grapefruit pie from Salt’s Cure, Los Angeles

That one of L.A.’s best slices of pie comes from a breakfast spot specializing in charcuterie is besides the point. Salt’s Cure’s take on Key lime pie—swap out the limes for grapefruit—expertly walks the line between sweet and tart, with a to-die-for graham cracker crust holding it all together.

Coconut cream pie from the Pie Shop; Atlanta, GA

It might take you a while to find the Pie Shop (hint, the entrance is tucked away in the back of the shopping center), but when you finally do stumble into Mims Bledsoe’s homey bakeshop, make a beeline for her standout coconut cream pie. Rich, flaky and finished with a light-as-air whipped cream, this is as dreamy as pies come.