Pumpkin Pie, Who? These Are the Best Pecan Pie Recipes for Thanksgiving (2024)

FAQs

Which is better, pecan pie or pumpkin pie? ›

If you're looking for a dense and chewy crunch, pecan is your target. If you're looking for a smooth and custard-y bite, pumpkin is the winner. But if you're looking for the most decadent and dessert-y pie of them all, pecan probably comes out on top. It's just RICH.

While pumpkin pie reigns supreme in the majority of American households, sweet potato pie is still the quintessential Thanksgiving dessert in the South.

This orange-golden-crusted pie is more than just a staple of the Thanksgiving table. Pumpkin pie, which has been growing in the Americas for centuries now, symbolizes the gratitude and appreciation our ancestors once experienced each harvest season.

It does not require a scoop of ice cream, or a dollop of whipped cream, or, God forbid, something like a slice of cheddar (another knock against apple pie). Pecan pie is a pie that stands on its own. It has the gooeyness of a candy bar, the crunchy texture and warm flavor of toasted nuts, and that flaky, buttery crust.

Apple. There are five states they prefer apple pie to other flavors. Apples came to the United States with Europeans. Apple pie has English origins, according to Smithsonian magazine, but the dessert is an American classic.

Apple pie scored well with all the age groups we surveyed but Boomers (depicted by the green line in the dial test results below) loved themselves a slice of apple pie even more than Gen X-ers or Millennials.

In the pumpkin pie, calories, carbs and sodium are lower, while protein is higher. But the apple pie takes the cake when it comes to fiber and potassium, and it has less added sugar.

According to some accounts, early English settlers in North America improvised by hollowing out pumpkins, filling the shells with milk, honey and spices to make a custard, then roasting the gourds whole in hot ashes.

Pumpkin pie is a great make-ahead dessert to cross off your Thanksgiving to-do list. You can prepare and bake the pie up to two days in advance, and it will still taste great on the big day. Just make sure you store the pie in the refrigerator—not on the kitchen counter—until you are ready to serve it.

Q: My pumpkin pie doesn't taste much like pumpkin. Why not? First off, make sure you're using the right kind of pumpkin! Look for pumpkins labeled "sugar pumpkin" or "baking pumpkin." The pumpkins typically used for jack-o'-lanterns are stringy, watery, and bland.

What is the least popular pie in the United States? ›

The least popular types of pies were salted caramel, gooseberry, blueberry and peach, all being the most popular in only one state each.

The pumpkin pie wins on calories, saturated fat, protein and calcium. But the apple pie takes the cake when it comes to fiber, sugar (both total and added) and sodium.

When it comes to throwing a pie in someone's face, we've come to an agreement that a lemon meringue or as my boss recommended, “A dainty, light chocolate silk pie,” would be the best options.