Thanksgiving Pie Recipes

Food is the great unifier--beyond culture, color or creed. Rose McGee used this pie recipe to comfort those grieving from racially motivated crimes, and has expanded her efforts on a national scale. Sweet potato pie is a universal symbol of togetherness and celebration in black culture, and you can practically taste the joy when you take a bite. This recipe makes 2 pies so you can feed a gathering or give a gift.

Expand your holiday desserts repertoire with this cranberry galette. Frangipane is a sweet pastry cream typically made with ground almonds; here we substitute ground sesame seeds in the form of tahini to give it a complex, earthy flavor. If you've made the Cranberry-Almond Thumbprint Cookies (see Associated Recipes), you can use some of the leftover jam in Step 9.

The key to these decadent treats is the portion size--baking them in mini-muffin tins keeps the carbs and saturated fat in check. And maple syrup allows you to make this pecan pie recipe without corn syrup.

There's no need to peel the apples for this easy apple galette recipe--the skins lend a touch of color and texture.

This riff on the Thanksgiving favorite combines a traditional pumpkin pie filling with swirls of sweetened cream cheese. And since it's only Thanksgiving once a year, we've topped it all off with a buttery spiced-pecan topping. This easy pie recipe will please anyone at your table this holiday.

This custard filling is what takes this buttermilk pie recipe to the next level. It tastes like a panna cotta with a bit of attitude from the tang of the buttermilk and a generous sprinkling of cranberries on top.

Who knew a pie recipe could taste so good? Homemade chocolate pie is a must-have at many holiday gatherings and this one will set a new bar. The velvety filling is lightened up by swapping in some cornstarch for some of the egg yolks traditionally used for thickening. The pairing of bittersweet chocolate with the nutty amaretto flavor is pure almond joy that's only better topped with cinnamon-spiced whipped cream (included!).

This homemade apple pie recipe has a simple and classic flavor, with fresh apples, spices and butter that's been sizzled until it's brown and nutty. The top crust is where you have the opportunity to add a touch of pizazz. Here we suggest cutting the dough into leaf shapes for an autumnal motif, but you could cut any shape you want.

The "magic" ingredient in the filling of this chocolate-bourbon pecan pie (and many gooey baked goods) is sweetened condensed milk, which delivers that craveable texture. This pecan pie recipe without corn syrup is a wonderful Thanksgiving dessert. A little bourbon adds its complex, oak-aged perfume to the sweet mix but, if you prefer, vanilla extract tastes great too.

For this pie's filling we call for fresh squeezed grapefruit juice, but store-bought (not frozen) works well and may even give you more brightly colored results. The Italian meringue topping is made by beating hot sugar syrup into egg whites that are already beaten to stiff peaks. It's a bit more effort, but the meringue holds its shape longer.

Apple pie has never been so quick to put together. After tossing unpeeled apples and spices in a baking dish, you'll assemble a quick lattice from pastry strips. This lattice topping is not woven like a traditional one--it takes less time to assemble this way but is just as eye catching!

This no-crust sweet potato pie is a great addition to your holiday dessert table. Sweetened with honey and flavored with warm spices, it's topped with crunchy cereal and pistachios. Any leftover topping can be stored for up to a week and is delicious added on top of your breakfast yogurt.

This purple version of classic sweet potato pie has a shot of brandy, which adds another layer of seasonal flavor. Serve with a dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream.

This recipe mash-up marries the sweet, subtle flavor of pumpkin with the nuttiness of pecans. Not only do the pecans create a beautiful pattern on top, their addition to classic pumpkin pie also creates an amazing textural combination of creamy and crunchy. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream to make it even more delicious.

Instead of topping your apple pie with a full crust, cover the dough in cinnamon sugar, roll it up and slice it like cinnamon rolls to make beautiful cinnamon swirls to top the pie. The fragrant cinnamon bun-like topping makes homemade apple pie even more special!

These delectable single-serving tarts are gluten-free and sweetened with dates instead of refined added sugars. Top with a little unsweetened whipped cream to take this special--yet healthy--dessert to the next level.

It's no secret that one of Patti LaBelle's favorite places to be is in the kitchen. We love her Free-Form Apple tart, which uses light sour cream and just a little butter to keep calories in check. Anyone can make it--the best part about this recipe is that its beauty comes from imperfection.

The classic combo of chocolate and peanut butter gets an extra flavor boost from caramel ice cream topping.

If pecan pie is a thanksgiving "must" at your house, there's no need to skip the tradition because you're on a diabetic meal plan. These mini pies with only 19 carbs per serving let you enjoy the festive treat without a second thought.

Join the ranks of many southern families who make this perfectly spiced sweet potato pie their go-to holiday dessert.