Skip to content

Top Navigation

Southern Living Southern Living
  • Food and Recipes
  • Culture and Lifestyle
  • Style
  • Holidays & Occasions
  • Home
  • Gardening Ideas
  • News
  • Video

Profile Menu

Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Logout

More

  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Southern Living Books this link opens in a new tab
Login
Subscribe
Pin FB

Explore Southern Living

Southern Living Southern Living
  • Explore

    Explore

    • The Best New Haircuts to Try in 2022

      The Best New Haircuts to Try in 2022

      Here are the haircuts you'll be seeing everywhere this year. Read More
    • How To Season A Cast-Iron Skillet

      How To Season A Cast-Iron Skillet

      Learn how to season this Southern kitchen staple in five easy steps. Read More
    • 50 Thoughtful Messages for a Meaningful Thank You Note

      50 Thoughtful Messages for a Meaningful Thank You Note

      Not sure what to write in a thank you card? Here's how to show your gratitude with a handwritten note. Read More
  • Food and Recipes

    Food and Recipes

    See All Food and Recipes
    4 Easy Ways to Tell if an Egg Has Gone Bad

    4 Easy Ways to Tell if an Egg Has Gone Bad

    It’s not all in the senses, but they sure can help.
    • Recipes
    • Quick and Easy Dinner
    • Kitchen Assistant
    • Casserole
    • Holiday and Occasion Food
    • Slow Cooker Recipes
    • Desserts
    • Healthy and Light
    • Side Dishes
    • Party Food and Drink
    • Appetizers
    • Meat
    • Breakfast
    • BBQ
    • Drinks
    • What's Cooking
  • Culture and Lifestyle

    Culture and Lifestyle

    See All Culture and Lifestyle
    70 Cute and Funny Nicknames For Your Best Friends

    70 Cute and Funny Nicknames For Your Best Friends

    Let your besties know how much they mean to you with these unique nicknames.
    • Quotes and Sayings
    • Biscuits and Jam Podcast
    • Travel
    • Pets
    • Healthy Living
    • Coastal Living
  • Style

    Style

    See All Style
    The Coziest Winter Nail Colors for January 2022

    The Coziest Winter Nail Colors for January 2022

    The beginning of a new year often has us all feeling like starting off fresh by taking on better habits, getting rid of old ones, and—most commonly—changing up our look. While others are hitting the squats and going into the salon for a pixie cut, why not start slow and steady with a cozy winter manicure in a color that feels new to you? It takes only a little courage to step outside your usual OPI Lincoln Park After Dark or Essie Bordeaux, which is all you need to kick 2022 off on a fanciful foot.  From new wintry takes on classic dark nail colors to unique pops of color that'll have you feeling the opposite of boring, these are the best nail colors to try this January and tick off all the way into spring. 
    • Beauty
    • Hair
    • Fashion
    • Short Hairstyles
    • Nails
    • Medium Hairstyles
    • Skincare
    • Long Hairstyles
  • Holidays & Occasions

    Holidays & Occasions

    See All Holidays & Occasions
    • Thanksgiving
    • Gifts
    • Christmas
    • Mother's Day
    • Hanukkah
    • New Year's
    • Easter
    • Mardi Gras
    • 4th of July
    • Weddings
  • Home

    Home

    See All Home
    16 Kitchen Design Trends Southern Designers Predict Will Be Everywhere in 2022

    16 Kitchen Design Trends Southern Designers Predict Will Be Everywhere in 2022

    There's no denying how the pandemic fundamentally changed the world—including how we live (and work) inside our homes. An overall trend toward celebrating the history and originality of our homes is displacing ultramodern aesthetics and sharp lines as we all look to create cozier, colorful, more personalized spaces that better suit our lifestyles. We're turning away from big-box stores and toward vintage items—first, out of necessity due to supply-chain issues, and now, for design reasons—to add charm and character to every room in the house, including the kitchen. Here, interior designers from around the South share their predictions for what's trending in kitchen design for 2022 and beyond.
    • Home Decor Ideas
    • Idea Houses
    • Kitchen Design
    • Before & After Photos
    • Bathroom Design
    • Curb Appeal
    • Bedroom Design
    • DIY Home Decor
    • Color Palettes & Paint
    • House Plans & Builders
    • Inspired Communities
  • Gardening Ideas

    Gardening Ideas

    See All Gardening Ideas
    If You Keep Finding Ladybugs in Your House, Here's What You Need to Know

    If You Keep Finding Ladybugs in Your House, Here's What You Need to Know

    Plus a few strategies for keeping them out-of-doors
    • Container Gardening
    • Gardening Flowers
    • Fruit, Vegetable & Herb Gardens
    • Garden Pests
    • Plant Guides A-Z
    • Indoor Plants
    • Fall Plants
    • Landscaping Ideas
    • The Grumpy Gardener
  • News

    News

    See All News
    • Celebrities
    • Local News
  • Video

Profile Menu

Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Logout

More

  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Southern Living Books this link opens in a new tab
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

  1. Southern Living
  2. Food and Recipes
  3. Desserts
  4. Pies
  5. Lost Pies of the South

Lost Pies of the South

Nancie McDermott
By Nancie McDermott
Skip gallery slides
FB
Over the Moon Chocolate Pie
Credit: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox
This Thanksgiving, we're inviting you on a little road trip, an imaginary excursion through 10 Southern states, each one with a particular pie worthy of your own holiday table. You won't need a map, a seat belt, or car keys for this journey—just an appetite to try something different. These pies, each with a distinct provenance, are full of stories and flavors that are unique to the states from which they came. Feeling adventurous? Bake a streusel-topped persimmon pie inspired by the tangy fruit that grows wild throughout North Carolina. Then try a transparent pie, which is as beloved in some corners of the Bluegrass State as a glass of well-aged bourbon. Or treat yourself to a smooth pumpkin pie made with cushaw squash, an old-time favorite of Cajun and Creole cooks in Louisiana. Wherever you call home, these delicious desserts will give you even more reasons to be thankful.
Start Slideshow

1 of 11

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Transparent Pie with Whipped Crème Fraîche and Sugared Cranberries Recipe

Put this pie in your holiday lineup for a little nod to Kentucky.

1 of 11

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 11

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Sliced Sweet Potato Pie

Sliced Sweet Potato Pie with Molasses Whipped Cream
Credit: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Alabama

As an accomplished research scientist and educator at Alabama's Tuskegee Institute in the early 20th century, George Washington Carver featured a recipe for Sliced Potato Pie in an agricultural bulletin about sweet potatoes, which encouraged African-American farmers to cultivate the root vegetable as a cash crop and nutritional powerhouse. This double-crust, old-fashioned pie may look ordinary on the outside, but when it's sliced, the inside reveals vibrant orange layers of sweet potatoes flecked with spices and sweetened with sugar and sorghum syrup. We love the simplicity of the classic custard-style sweet potato pie, but on a special occasion like Thanksgiving—a day filled with memory and meaning—this handsome antique version is well worth the time it takes to prepare. For an extra-special touch, we suggest topping each slice with a dollop of whipped cream flavored with molasses and vanilla. Every bite of this dessert tastes like autumn and reminds us what a generous genius Carver was.

Recipe: Sliced Sweet Potato Pie with Molasses Whipped Cream

2 of 11

3 of 11

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Arkansas Black Apple Pie with Caramel Sauce

Arkansas Black Apple Pie with Caramel Sauce
Credit: Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Arkansas

First cultivated in Benton County, Arkansas, in 1870, the Arkansas Black apple is a distinctive heirloom that ripens to a deep red on the tree but transforms to a nearly black hue after a few weeks in storage. Fragrant, tart, and tasty out of hand as well as in baked goods, it also thrives in parts of Georgia, Texas, Tennessee, West Virginia, and beyond the South in Pennsylvania and California. The Arkansas Black keeps for months and ripens after it's picked, improving in flavor and texture over time. No wonder it's been a favorite of home cooks for generations and continues to be sought out by knowledgeable pastry chefs today. Be on the lookout for this member of the Winesap apple family at farmers' markets and local produce stands. If Arkansas Blacks are not available in your area, Granny Smith apples will make a fine substitute. Though this pie is delicious on its own, it tastes even better served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a generous drizzle of our homemade Caramel Sauce spiked with apple brandy.

Recipe: Arkansas Black Apple Pie with Caramel Sauce

3 of 11

Advertisement

4 of 11

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Peanut Pie

Georgia Peanut Pie with Peanut Butter Crust and Brown Sugar-Bourbon Whipped Cream
Credit: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Georgia

Sure, Georgia has a bounty of gorgeous, plump peaches available by the bushel basket, certain to sweeten the sting of summer's heat. But when it comes to signature, sustaining agricultural contributions to the state's economy, it's really peanuts for the win. Around half of the nation's entire crop of this legume hails from South Georgia soil, and the state shines as the birthplace of President Jimmy Carter—who was also a successful peanut farmer. Runner peanuts, the most common type grown in Georgia, are prized for making rich and creamy peanut butter, which we put to good use in this irresistible dessert. The crunchy, cookie-like peanut butter crust is a perfect partner for the gooey filling spiked with sorghum syrup for a nice farmhouse flavor. A layer of cocktail peanuts delivers a salty note that contrasts nicely with the sweetness underneath. And because we can't leave well enough alone, we topped each slice with a spoonful of Brown Sugar-Bourbon Whipped Cream for a fine, fancy finish.

Recipe: Georgia Peanut Pie with Peanut Butter Crust and Brown Sugar-Bourbon Whipped Cream

4 of 11

5 of 11

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Transparent Pie

Transparent Pie with Whipped Creme Fraiche and Sugared Cranberries
Credit: Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Kentucky

We know all about bluegrass music, bourbon, burgoo, and a little horse race known as the Derby, but the state of Kentucky has another sweet reason to brag. It's home to transparent pie, a memorable dessert with a filling made from a few key ingredients: butter, sugar, eggs, flour, vanilla, and a splash of milk or cream. The filling, which is encased in a golden, flaky crust, has the eggy richness of a chess pie but without the cornmeal or vinegar. Magee's Bakery in Maysville, Kentucky, has served up the Bluegrass State's signature confection for decades. Theirs is so good that Kentucky native George Clooney brought his bride by the bakery to sample his favorite pie while on a trip home in 2015. We've kept our version of the classic simple while offering two beautiful holiday embellishments: Sugared Cranberries and Whipped Crème Fraîche. The cranberries bring a glorious pop of color and flavor, and clouds of Whipped Crème Fraîche temper this pie's signature sweetness with a welcome tang.

Recipe: Transparent Pie with Whipped Crème Fraîche and Sugared Cranberries

5 of 11

6 of 11

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Cushaw Pie

Cushaw Pie with Vanilla Bean Custard Sauce
Credit: Photo: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Louisiana

A large crookneck winter squash, the cushaw (Cucurbita mixta) is a keeper wherever it grows, from its ancient origins in Mesoamerica all the way up into what is now the Southern and Southwestern United States. Graced with a variegated green-striped exterior and golden, naturally sweet flesh, cushaws easily reach 10 pounds. The Picayune's Creole Cook Book, first published in 1901, includes a recipe for Pumpkin Pie or Tarte de Citrouille with this note: "Use the delicate cashaws [sic] for this pie." Over a century later, you can still spot cushaws at some New Orleans farmers' markets and in home gardens, but concern for their future has led to their inclusion on the Ark of Taste, a catalog of foods that are facing extinction. If you're lucky enough to get your hands on a cushaw, roast and puree it to make this distinctive dessert. (Or you can substitute plain canned pumpkin puree for the filling.) Either way, top each slice with our smooth and rich Vanilla Bean Custard Sauce and a few candied pecans.

Recipe: Cushaw Pie with Vanilla Bean Custard Sauce

6 of 11

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 11

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Persimmon Pie

Persimmon Pie with Pecan Streusel
Credit: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox

North Carolina

Thriving along the perimeter of North Carolina's corn and tobacco fields, wherever forests meet furrows, tall, spindly persimmon trees lose their leaves in the fall, around the time their fruit turns ripe. Out come all the creatures, from birds and squirrels to possums and human beings, competing for the flame-colored crop. Frost makes the fruit sweeter, as does the messy work of processing the pulp through a sieve to remove seeds and stems. Thankfully, you can order frozen persimmon puree online (we recommend La Vigne Organics; lavignefruits.com) or use the fine domesticated persimmon selections that are available at most grocery stores and farmers' markets nowadays. Both the soft, pointy Hachiya and the firm, tomato-shaped Fuyu can be pureed to make the flavorful filling for this dessert. Make your own crumbly pecan-studded streusel to crown the center of this pie, providing an extra autumnal note to the silky-smooth, gently spiced filling.

Recipe: Persimmon Pie with Pecan Streusel

7 of 11

8 of 11

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Grapefruit Chess Pie

Grapefruit Chess Pie
Credit: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox

South Carolina

Beyond the city of Charleston's sparkling waterfront and colorful buildings is a quieter kind of beauty that most people never get a chance to see. Hidden from public view is an exotic world of backyard citrus trees planted by optimistic residents who hoped the Lowcountry climate might be hospitable enough to let the trees bear fruit. That it has done, and Charleston natives (and brothers) Matt and Ted Lee write about this "unheralded food asset" in their cookbook, The Lee Bros. Charleston Kitchen (2013). Scattered here and there behind older homes around the city, trees bear kumquats, lemons, limes, oranges, and grapefruit—a secret spread-out orchard. Inspired by a neighbor's harvest, the resourceful duo made a creamy, custardy version of Grapefruit Chess Pie. Our take on the Lees' recipe includes Ruby Red grapefruit and a whimsical crust featuring leaf shapes. Thanksgiving declares the arrival of winter, but this lovely dessert reminds us it won't be all snow and ice: It's citrus season too.

Recipe: Grapefruit Chess Pie

8 of 11

9 of 11

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Over the Moon Chocolate Pie

Over the Moon Chocolate Pie
Credit: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Tennessee

Behold: A nontraditional pie for your holiday table inspired by a sweet confection born in 1917 in Chattanooga. One hundred years later, MoonPie treats are still made there daily and cherished as a lunch box dessert, as a convenience store snack, and (in miniature form) as a prized throw in Mobile, Alabama's annual Mardi Gras parades. The MoonPie is wonderful, famous, and worthy of such adoration, but technically, it's not a pie. Made from two round graham crackers pressed together with marshmallow filling and dipped in chocolate, it's more of a sandwich cookie. So we stepped in to fill the gap between the name and the thing. Our Over the Moon Chocolate Pie is made with a graham cracker crust, has a rich chocolate filling with a touch of Tennessee whiskey (another nod to its birthplace), and is finished off with light clouds of marshmallowy meringue. It's a salute, an homage, an expression of thankfulness for an old-timey Southern snack that continues to endure through generations.

Recipe: Over the Moon Chocolate Pie

9 of 11

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

10 of 11

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Double-Decker Pecan Cheesecake Pie

Double-Decker Pecan Cheesecake Pie Recipe Image
Credit: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Texas

Texas and pecans go back a long way. Native to 152 counties in the Lone Star State, pecan trees have thrived along rivers and streams here for thousands of years. Texans love their old groves of native pecans almost like family, going so far as to designate the beloved icon as the state tree of Texas in 1919. And nearly a century later, a determined group of elementary school students had pecan pie declared the official pie of Texas in 2013. Early historical references to pecan pie include a 1914 Christian Science Monitor recipe for Texas Pecan Pie. This recipe predates today's standard corn syrup-based version, calling instead for a simple egg custard filling with chopped nuts on top. Our double-decker confection brings together the two delicious desserts by pairing a layer of creamy cheesecake with a chess-style brown sugar filling. The result is a layered dessert sure to inspire second (or third) helpings and a repeat appearance at next year's gathering.

Recipe: Double-Decker Pecan Cheesecake Pie

10 of 11

11 of 11

FB
Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print

Caramel Tart

Caramel Tart with Brandy Whipped Cream
Credit: Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox

Virginia

Rich in history and blessed with fertile soil and a generous climate, the Old Dominion state has an abundance of food-centric reasons for gratitude. First among them is Virginia's status as the birthplace of Edna Lewis, renowned chef, cookbook author, and lifelong champion of the food of the South. In her memoir, The Taste of Country Cooking, Lewis shares recipes and stories of her childhood in the rural community of Freetown, founded in lush Central Virginia with the help of her grandfather following emancipation. Her book, divided into seasons and by occasions, brims with recipes for elegant feasts, picnic spreads, and holiday gatherings. In it, Lewis shares a recipe for Caramel Pie with an admonition: "This is a very haunting dessert, so rich and sweet one could easily overindulge. It's great after a heavy meal, to be served as tiny tarts or in very slender wedges." We agree with Lewis' note about "slender wedges" but couldn't resist dressing up our version with a flourish: whipped cream boosted with a little brandy.

Recipe: Caramel Tart with Brandy Whipped Cream

11 of 11

Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

By Nancie McDermott

    Share the Gallery

    Pinterest Facebook
    Trending Videos
    Advertisement
    Skip slide summaries

    Everything in This Slideshow

    Advertisement

    View All

    1 of 11 Transparent Pie with Whipped Crème Fraîche and Sugared Cranberries Recipe
    2 of 11 Sliced Sweet Potato Pie
    3 of 11 Arkansas Black Apple Pie with Caramel Sauce
    4 of 11 Peanut Pie
    5 of 11 Transparent Pie
    6 of 11 Cushaw Pie
    7 of 11 Persimmon Pie
    8 of 11 Grapefruit Chess Pie
    9 of 11 Over the Moon Chocolate Pie
    10 of 11 Double-Decker Pecan Cheesecake Pie
    11 of 11 Caramel Tart

    Share & More

    Tweet Pinterest Email Send Text Message Print
    Southern Living

    Magazines & More

    Learn More

    • About Us
    • Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
    • Books from Southern Living
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Content Licensing this link opens in a new tab
    • Accolades this link opens in a new tab

    Connect

    Follow Us
    Subscribe to Our Newsletter
    MeredithSouthern Living is part of the Meredith Home Group. © Copyright 2022 Meredith Corporation. Southern Living is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporationthis link opens in a new tab All Rights Reserved. Southern Living may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
    © Copyright Southern Living. All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.southernliving.com

    Sign in

    View image

    Lost Pies of the South
    this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.