16 Holiday Pies That Will Ship To Your Door For Dessert

I love pie. All of it. The rich golden crust with flaky layers formed as the water in the cold butter evaporates in the oven, the crunchy, spiced crumbles of streusel, the tender, caramelized fruits and molten goo with a dollop of whipped cream. But you know what I don't love? Making pie. Making pie sucks.

It's labor-intensive to make pie crust from scratch. You need all kinds of tools and materials. And even fully kitted out with the best, freshest ingredients and all the necessary pie weights, dough cutters, rolling pins, apple corers, and cherry pitters, there's still no guarantee that your pie's going to be any good.

So this Thanksgiving (and whenever I feel like eating pie, to be honest), I leave it to the pros. I literally seek a pie in the sky and pay for experts to fly their frozen goods to me. This way all I have to do is throw it in the oven to emerge a dessert hero. After all, it's still technically freshly home-baked... it's just far better than homemade.

Here are some of your best artisan and fancy-ass options to do the same this holiday season.

It was at a steakhouse in Chicago that I first encountered this concept and I've been obsessed ever since. Baking the pie in a buttered brown bag keeps all of that richness fully enclosed, forcing its aromas to permeate more thoroughly into the pie. It also keeps the crust from over-baking and getting dark, letting the fruit break down at its leisure. This Wisconsin bakery has perfected the technique and makes it even better with an extra-thick, dense, and crunchy top crust with major shortbread cookie vibes, especially with the sugar crystals sprinkled on top. May this lauded apple pie change your life as it did mine. ($69.95 on Goldbelly)

Apple Annies claims to be the original tall apple pie, boasting five whopping pounds of apples, but unfortunately, that company doesn't ship nationwide. Blue Owl Bakery does. The Levee High Apple Pie features 18 hand-peeled, flat-sliced Golden Delicious Apples—a baker's favorite since they hold their shape well—stacked to precarious heights under a pastry crust. There's a bit of a steam buffer up top between crust and fruit, keeping it crisp above the fray. Just make sure your oven can accommodate the height of this Missouri favorite. ($119.95 on Goldbelly)

Do you like excess? Do you suffer from decision paralysis? Then this is the pie you should be ordering. This frankenpie by Zac Young, a "Top Ten Pastry Chef in America," features a pecan pie foundation, a pumpkin pie middle, a spice cake top layer, and cinnamon cream surrounding apple pie filling for the final flourish. Chowhound has called it "The Most Epic Holiday Dessert of All" and we're not inclined to argue. A fun post-dinner game: host a personal taste test among your guests. Ask them to judge and decide on their favorite layer and let the food fight begin. ($99.95 on Goldbelly)

Formerly known as the Buttermilk Pie Company, this Georgia-grown brand is a perfect choice for any Southerner aching for a taste of home. Get something real regional like the Tomato Pie, a savory creation with fresh tomatoes, the state's famously sweet onions, and asignature cheese blend, or opt for something classic with a twist like sweet potato pie with pecan streusel— a family recipe featuring roasted Washington Red sweets. But you also can't go wrong with the O.G. namesake, the buttermilk pie. For those who aren't familiar, think of the thick custard of chess pie, but without cornmeal and with hints of vanilla and nutmeg. And yes, in true Southern tradition, you can expect the crusts to be as buttery as it gets. ($39.95-$44.95 plus shipping)

Staying in a Georgia state of mind, let's talk about pecan pie. This version from Savannah's, a famous sweets brand known for its decadent praline candies, is made with local pecans—which, incidentally, is the crop that the Peach State is the leading producer of, not peaches. (That's California. Enjoy your trivia night win!) Best to order your pecan sweets close to the source this year, as a significant chunk of South Georgia's crop was wiped out by Hurricane Idalia this fall. If you can get your hands on this one, the epitome of classic, then cherish every bite. ($49.95 plus shipping)

You'd best believe that any brand baking since 1968 knows what it's all about. Polly's Pies, a Southern California institution founded by brothers Eddie and Donald Sheldrake of Fullerton, California, is still family-owned, even as it has expanded to 13 brick-and-mortar restaurant locations. But more importantly, it has expanded to national shipping, making these preservative-free, uber-traditional, double-crusted 9-inch pies available from coast to coast.

Those who like a firmer bite will love the iconic apple pie, which uses Granny Smiths, and there are no-sugar-added versions of both apple and cherry pie are available with no sugar added, subbing in Splenda for those managing their intake. Our pro tip: Get a classic like the "velvety" pumpkin and mix it up with something more unexpected, like tangy boysenberry, apricot, and straight-up rhubarb among the selection. Shipping is free for that second pie if it's headed for the same destination. ($27.99-$35.99 plus shipping) 

When it comes to pie fillings, details like where your fruit comes from matters. When it's local, locals know best how to use them, right? So enter this Michigan-based pie maker that's known for making cherry pies that exclusively use its famous Montmorency cherries. The top seller is the Grand Traverse Cherry Crumb Pie, the "signature pie" of the annual National Cherry Festival held in Traverse City, which also comes in a sugar-free Splenda version. You can also get a multi-dimensional taste of the state with the ABC Crumb Pie, which adds Northern Spy apples and Michigan Rubel blueberries to the mix. Or just opt for the classic, but top it off with chocolate. That's the Wayne Hill Cherry Ganache Pie. This is another pie you should go ahead and order two at a time since it ships at a flat rate for a single or double. ($36.99-$42.99 plus shipping)

Another continuously family-owned and -operated pie-slinger, Midwestern hall of famer Wick's Pies has been baking since 1944. What's set it apart throughout the years are its lard-based pie crusts. And no, that doesn't mean it'll taste like bacon. Baking lard is actually pretty flavorless, but using lard instead of butter results in a crust that's extra flaky, extremely crisp, and beautifully light with a subtly savory undertone. Another fun fact: It's healthier than shortening, which is often the go-to for commercially produced pies. You can counter that marginal benefit with flavors like the famous Sugar Cream Pie, a crème brulee custard-like Hoosier favorite with a lightly sweet, nutmeg-laced filling, or something unique like the labor-intensive gooseberry pie, a fun alternative to rhubarb. Or go straight for the 2023 American Pie Council National Pie Championships winners: the Cherry Berry with cherries and raspberries or the pecan pie made with Texas pecans and a syrupy filing. ($39.95-$45.95 on Goldbelly)

Vegans in your midst making it hard to bake with lard? Not to worry. This "Maine-stay" offers animal-product-free cherry and blueberry pies made with vegan butter and soy shortening for a crust that covers your pies ... and your ass from accusations of insensitivity. Not vegan but just as thoughtful, orders of their Triple Berry Pie (wild Maine blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries) add $2 per purchase toward the company's Baking That Matters community giving program, which provides financial assistance to quarterly selected nonprofits for underrepresented voices in their local community. ($75.95-$79.95 via Goldbelly)

Consider a pie flavor as trendy and hip as the borough it's baked in. This super famous Brooklyn-bred shop has a cult following for its gourmet pies, not least of all the Salted Caramel Apple, which uses a blend of sweet and tart apples from New York's Hudson Valley—one of the country's best apple regions, if this former NYer may say so herself—and enhances their flavors with a spice blend that includes Angostura bitters and swaps out your basic sugar sprinkle topping with flaked sea salt. The original Salty Honey is even more unexpected: It's a fragrant custard also finished with flaked sea salt. If you're local, you'll also have access to other cool varieties that'll get guests buzzing, like the Ippodo matcha custard; Black Bottom Oat, where brown sugar custard fills a dark chocolate ganache-coated oat crust; and pumpkin pie with brown butterscotch. ($84.95 via Goldbelly) 

Here's another pie if you're into something funky... literally, since one of the most interesting pies is a Bleu Cheese Praline Pear Pie. Don't be scared, though. In the hands of Chicago-based Bake Squad star and cookbook author Maya-Camille Broussard, you'll be able to count on exceptional balance. Sweet pears are cut with ginger, creamy blue cheese, and topped with a brown sugar praline sauce. Other double-take takes for your consideration include a salted caramel peach, sprinkled with toasted oats, and a "German" chocolate pecan pie, thus called for the addition of coconut. But no matter which flavor you opt for, you're contributing to some pretty good causes. The bakery sponsors the annual I KNEAD LOVE workshop for elementary-aged children, and Broussard is the founder of a justice foundation that works toward eradicating food insecurity and decreasing health disparity issues in underserved communities. ($79.95-$84.95 via Goldbelly)

If you're a fan of chess-based pies (custard made with butter, sugar, eggs, flour, cornmeal, and vinegar), this shop is worth a stop. Rodney Henry brings his Indiana grandma's techniques to Baltimore and gives them further aplomb. For example, Dangerously Delicious roasts cinnamon apples in one variation, and top a white pineapple chess with brown sugar, pineapple, and cherries. However, Henry's most famous creation is the Baltimore Bomb, where local Bergers cookies melt down and swirl into a vanilla chess base and morphs into a fudge crust. You might recognize this as one of the "Best Things [Duff Goldman] Ever Ate." Another unconventional take? Order a cookies and cream or blueberry Pancake Pie—maple custard with a toasted top—and have breakfast for your post-feast dessert. ($65.95-$69.95 via Goldbelly)

Another idea: gussy up your pie . This LA bakery makes flat, squat pies that are more like tarts and fills them with upscale pastry flavors. For example, the seasonal Cherry Almond, made with roasted sour cherries, Tahitian vanilla beans, and almond frangipane, was named the city's best pie, and this rustic crumb-topped Blueberry Lemon Frangipane looks like an oversized confectionery. Cakemonkey also gives you the option to get a little savory with your sweet: The Cider Roasted Apple's double crust is made with cheddar cheese. ($79.95 via Goldbelly)

Okay, key lime isn't exactly very Thanksgivingy, but whatever. Good pie is good pie, and when better to try to channel a warm summer breeze than the start of wintry weather? This bakery is famous for key lime pies made exceptional by extra-concentrated key lime juice. This seemingly tiny detail makes all the difference; it makes it a richer pie that's more tart and citrusy than others. It sits in a graham cracker crust and comes with the good news that this crust is readily available gluten-free. ($38.95 plus shipping)

Yes, you can buy everything you need to make an exceptional pie at Williams Sonoma. Or you could just buy the entire pie and be done. The store offers ready-to-bake pies from its own test kitchen—a beautiful, pastry-leaf-accented pumpkin—and exclusives with the San Francisco Bay Area's Sweet Jane's Bakeshop and Southern Baked Pie Company. With the former brand, try the Cranberry Mascarpone and let no one complain about cooked-down cranberries ever again, since these ginger-lemon berries come on a bed of mascarpone cheese filling in a nest of chocolate cookie crumbs. Also worth consideration is the Chocolate Caramel Mousse Pie, a decadent tower of mousse in a dark chocolate crust slathered with caramel, covered with generous chocolate shavings, and sprinkled with Maldon sea salt. For the latter brand, score the Pecan Caramel Pie with handmade caramel and half a pound of pecans. Join Reserve for free shipping on either. ($59.95-$84.95)

This holiday gift basket go-to is good for more than just raw fruit. It also ships a few mean, hefty pies, and includes express two-day shipping at the cost of standard shipping and processing. Try the Cherry Crunch Pie, an Oregon-made 2.5-pound whopper that puts sweet and tart cherries in an all-butter crust then tops it with slivered toasted almonds. The towering 3-pound, deep-dish peach and berry pie also requests your attention, its blueberries and raspberries cutting through the peaches and sweetness of the extra-crumbly cinnamon sugar streusel to make its point. Harry & David also has classic apple pie, but maybe try an apple galette for something same-same but different this year. ($39.99-$64.99)