Vintage Southern Pie Recipes We Still Love
No Southern gathering, whether it be a holiday meal or a Sunday supper, is complete without a homemade pie. We're sure you've had apple, pecan and pumpkin pies, but there's a whole roster full of other old-fashioned pies you may have forgotten about—Grasshopper Pie, for instance, with its electric green hue. The hotly contested Coconut Cream versus the Coconut Custard Pies. Sorghum, banana split, cherry, bourbon—we could go on and on. Then, there are the veritable depression pies, a true benchmark of Southern ingenuity, proving that here, we are adept at whipping something delightful and delectable out of nothing. These are the classic pie recipes that have stood the test of time. They've been enjoyed by families for generations and will continue to be staples for years to come. The stories they tell and the memories they create are just as important to pass along as the recipes themselves.
Chess Pie
Recipe: Classic Chess Pie
For a couple hundred years, the chess pie has been a staple on Southern dessert tables. Refrigerated pie crust helps cut prep time for this sweet dish.
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Classic Southern Buttermilk Pie
Recipe: Classic Southern Buttermilk Pie
With roots in the depression era and World War II, this pie was created to be budget-friendly by Southern women who were "making-do" with what they had on hand.
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Heavenly Key Lime Pie
Recipe: Heavenly Key Lime Pie
Although it just became the official pie of the state of Florida in 2006, the key lime pie has been enjoyed by locals in Key West for over 100 years.
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Sliced Sweet Potato Pie
Recipe: Sliced Sweet Potato Pie with Molasses Whipped Cream
George Washington Carver featured a recipe for this pie in an agricultural bulletin about sweet potatoes in the early 20th century. Trust us, it's worth the prep time.
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Shaker Lemon Pie
Recipe: Shaker Lemon Pie
The Charleston, West Virginia, Junior League included this Shaker Lemon Pie in its 1974 Mountain Measures cookbook—it's been a favorite of bakers ever since.
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Pecan Pie
Recipe: Pecan Pie
Pecan pie gained popularity when the recipe was printed on Karo syrup bottles, but dates back to the early 1800s.
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Coconut Cream Pie
Recipe: Coconut Cream Pie
Just like grandma used to make.
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Apple Pie
Recipe: Ultimate Apple Pie from Buxton Hall
Use a mix of Winesap, Mutsu, Granny Smith, and Honeycrisp apples to bake the ultimate apple pie.
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Persimmon Pie
Recipe: Persimmon Pie with Pecan Streusel
Rooted in North Carolina, persimmons are ripe right around the time the trees lose their leaves in the fall.
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Cushaw Pie
Recipe: Cushaw Pie with Vanilla Bean Custard Sauce
If you're lucky enough to get your hands on a cushaw, a winter squash found in the Louisiana area, this pie is a must-have. If not, you can use pumpkin puree for the filling.
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Fudge Pie
Recipe: Heavenly Fudge Pie
This decadent pie gets its rich flavor from semi-sweet chocolate morsels.
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Pumpkin Pie
Recipe: Our Easiest Pumpkin Pie Ever
Pumpkin pie is easy, classic, and should never be left off the Thanksgiving menu.
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Grasshopper Pie
Recipe: Grasshopper Pie
With its cheerful hue that's sure to grab the eye, the Grasshopper Pie cements itself in our recipe tin as a beloved vintage classic.
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Coconut Custard Pie
Recipe: Coconut Custard Pie
Coconut custard and cream pies belong in the old-fashioned Southern pie library. We piled this one high with whipped cream and used a pre-made pie crust for ease.
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Sorghum Custard Pie
Recipe: Sorghum Custard Pie
Silky pie filling meets a gritty cornmeal crust, with notes of grass and cane. This Southern-favorite sweetener will turn heads at the next potluck as you set it down on the dessert buffet.
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Cherry Flag Pie
Recipe: Cherry Flag Pie
Sure, you can shape it into the flag for a festive Fourth of July dessert, but you can also make it all summer long in numerous other designs. Nothing says summer quite like three pounds of fresh Bing cherries.
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Old-Fashioned Vinegar Pie
Recipe: Old-Fashioned Vinegar Pie
Leave it to Southerners to get creative in tough times. This depression-era pie delivers on the characteristic tartness, while also bringing a hint of vanilla and honey—modern additions, if you will.
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Lemon Chiffon Pie
Recipe: Lemon Chiffon Pie
Airy, weightless, delicate…that's chiffon pie for you. Our Test Kitchen says this pie is full of old-school Southern class and charm. We have to agree.
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No-Bake Banana Split Pie
Recipe: No-Bake Banana Split Pie
Take yourself back to the days of the ice cream parlor with this generous pie. A chocolate wafer crust, strawberry and vanilla filling, and cherries on top deliver on the classic banana split. Plus, as a no-bake dessert, this is your friend on a sweltering summer day.
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Best-Ever Lemon Meringue Pie
Recipe: Best-Ever Lemon Meringue Pie
Cool off on a hot summer day with a slice of creamy lemon meringue pie. It's silky, sharp, fluffy, and light. The real show-stopper is the mile-high meringue, which you'll need to pile on generously with swoops and swirls.
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Kentucky Bourbon Pie
Recipe: Kentucky Bourbon Pie
Pecans. Chocolate. Bourbon. This trio brings unexpected layers of flavor and texture and will become a sure addition to family gatherings. A good thing just got better.
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Egg Custard Pie
Recipe: Egg Custard Pie
Homey, old-fashioned, and delicious are all things we can get on board with. This Egg Custard Pie features a smooth, golden custard lightly dusted with nutmeg for the perfect finish.
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Chocolate Banana Custard Pie
Recipe: Chocolate Banana Custard Pie
One Test Kitchen professional said she could eat this pie every day for the rest of her life. That's mighty high praise. Plus, when it features two classics in one dessert, you know it's going to be irresistible.
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Lemon Icebox Pie
Recipe: Lemon Icebox Pie
There's something about icebox desserts that take us straight back to the good old days in the summer heat, cooling down with a refreshing treat. Our Lemon Icebox Pie checks all the boxes, from the gingersnap crust to the creamy, tart filling.
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Soda Cracker Pie
Recipe: Soda Cracker Pie
Another depression pie, the Soda Cracker Pie again proves the Southern ingenuity. Since the base of the pie is whipped egg whites, make sure to beat to stiff peaks for maximum height.
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Ashley Greene's Derby Pie
Recipe: Ashley Greene's Derby Pie
Filled with pecans, chocolate chips, and brown sugar, the Derby Pie is one of Ashley Greene's treasured family recipes. Maybe it'll become yours, too.
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Old-Fashioned Sour Cream-Raisin Pie
Recipe: Old-Fashioned Sour Cream-Raisin Pie
Before you raise your eyebrows, let us make the case for this classic pie. Our editors call it "as classic as they come" and the ideal combination of tart and crunchy.
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Old-Fashioned Shoofly Pie
Recipe: Old-Fashioned Shoofly Pie
Who knew that molasses, hot water, baking soda, and an egg could create such an enduring, endearing recipe? What once originated in Pennsylvania Dutch communities quickly circulated into church cookbooks, becoming what we know and love today.
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Georgia Peanut Pie with Peanut Butter Crust and Brown Sugar-Bourbon Whipped Cream
Recipe: Georgia Peanut Pie with Peanut Butter Crust and Brown Sugar-Bourbon Whipped Cream
Salty and sweet with a cookie-like peanut butter crust, it's a pie few will be able to turn down when offered a gooey slice topped with Brown Sugar Bourbon Whipped Cream.
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Millionaire Pie
Recipe: Millionaire Pie
Pineapple bits, coconut, and crunchy pecans float in a filling of condensed milk and gelatin, the soft pink hue courtesy of some maraschino cherry juice.