As the aroma of roasting turkey wafts through the house and loved ones gather near, there’s one more essential element to make your Thanksgiving celebration truly unforgettable: a perfect pie to round out the feast. This year, go beyond the usual pumpkin and pecan and treat your guests to a delightful twist on tradition with these three mouth-watering fruit pie recipes.
Apple Pie with a Double Dose of Fruit
Elevate the classic apple pie by incorporating both fresh and dried apples for a burst of concentrated flavor and a delightfully non-runny filling. Nestled within a flaky, buttery crust, this pie delivers the comforting essence of the season in every bite.
Ingredients:
- Double crust pie dough (homemade or store-bought)
- 900g apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
- 220g dried apples or 150g baked apple chips
- 25g white miso paste or ¼ tsp salt
- Cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg
- Lemon juice and vanilla extract
The key to this pie’s irresistible texture lies in the combination of fresh and dried apples. As the pie bakes, the dried fruit soaks up the juices from the fresh slices, ensuring a perfectly balanced filling that’s never watery or mushy.
Bourbon Apple Slab Tart: A Rustic Showstopper
For a twist on tradition that’s both stunning and simple, look no further than this bourbon apple slab tart. Flaky puff pastry is slathered with a luscious bourbon-spiked apple butter and topped with thin slices of sweet red apples for a dessert that’s sure to impress.
As any slab tart should be, this one is rustic and simple: buttery puff pastry topped with bourbon apple butter and fresh apple slices. Make it even easier by using store-bought puff pastry and apple butter!
– Brian Levy, author of Good & Sweet
Ingredients:
- 1 sheet puff pastry, thawed but cold
- 150g bourbon apple butter (recipe included)
- 1-2 red apples, cored and thinly sliced
- Apricot jam, for glazing
The combination of buttery puff pastry, rich apple butter, and the slight bite of bourbon creates a harmonious blend of flavors that will have your guests clamoring for seconds. And with its free-form shape and artfully arranged apple slices, this tart is as lovely to look at as it is delicious to eat.
Derby Date Pie: A Sweet Southern Charmer
Venture south of the Mason-Dixon line with this decadent date pie, a twist on the classic Kentucky Derby dessert. Sticky-sweet dates stand in for the traditional sugar filling, while crunchy pecans and a dash of bourbon add depth and a decidedly grown-up flavor profile.
- 180g pecans
- 375g medjool dates, pitted and chopped
- Unsalted butter, eggs, salt
- Bourbon, vanilla extract, apple cider vinegar
- 85g unsweetened chocolate, chopped
By swapping out the usual corn syrup or brown sugar for natural, fiber-rich dates, this pie filling achieves the perfect gooey texture and deep caramel notes without veering into toothache-sweet territory. A layer of chopped chocolate in the bottom of the crust provides a pleasing counterpoint to the rich filling.
Whether you opt for the traditional comfort of an apple pie with a twist, the rugged elegance of a bourbon apple tart, or the southern charm of a date-sweetened pecan pie, these fruit-forward desserts are sure to be the star of your Thanksgiving table. So preheat your oven, roll out some dough, and get ready to wow your crowd with a fitting finale to a memorable meal.
