It’s easy to get into a rut at Thanksgiving. People bring the same old side dishes, make the same old jokes about tryptophan in the turkey making everyone fall asleep after eating, and serve good old pumpkin pie. We love tradition, but isn’t there some way to liven things up? It turns out that sometimes the solution to injecting a little fun into your celebratory meal isn’t modernizing it, but looking to the past. We’re talking vintage pie recipes.
While the pie arena seems to have narrowed over the years, pies used to be a huge deal. How many diners have you seen in movies and old television shows where there was a case filled with dozens of different pies? We searched high and low for a variety of vintage custard pie, fruit pie, chocolate pie, and dried fruit pie recipes, and they just go to show how tasty it is to look to the past for inspiration. It’s time to break out those old recipe notecards you have lying around from Grandma’s stash — who knows what treasures might be in there?
It’s a dying art, but reviving these vintage pie recipes for your Thanksgiving this year, forgoing the traditional pumpkin pie you serve every year, just might be what you need to shake the menu up a little bit.
Vintage Cinnamon Apple Pie
Even modern apple pie recipes adhere pretty closely to the classic, but this vintage cinnamon apple pie recipe (also called rosy apple pie or candy apple pie), which became popular in the 1940s, gets a kick of cinnamon flavor thanks to Red Hot candies.
Get the recipe from Cook This Again, Mom.
Arkansas Possum Pie
We love the names of some of these vintage pie recipes! Thankfully, Arkansas Possum Pie doesn’t contain any actual possum, just layers of creamy chocolate and cream cheese filling and a nutty press-in pie crust.
Get the recipe from House of Nash Eats.
Buttermilk Pie
Fans of creamy custard pies will fall for this buttermilk pie, which has a creamy, tangy, buttery filling. Don’t be afraid of putting your own twist on it for Thanksgiving; a little pumpkin pie spice added to the filling could be delish!
Get the recipe from Lil’ Luna.
Raisin Pie
Here’s one vintage pie recipe that deserves a modern renaissance. Raisins just don’t get the love they deserve, but this pie puts their fruity, earthy flavor and sticky-sweet texture in the spotlight where they belong.
Get the recipe from Tastes Better From Scratch.
Old School Sweet Potato Pie
Fans of sweet potato pie know the truth: pumpkin pie can’t even begin to compete with this “old school” soul food classic.
Get the recipe from Old School Soul Food.
Great Depression Water Pie
Making this pie exposes you to some serious baking magic. It was popularized during the Great Depression, when many ingredients were too expensive or hard to come by. The taste is buttery and sweet, like a custard pie, and you can experiement with adding your own favorite spices and flavor extracts to make things a little more exciting. We think adding a sprinkle of nutmeg would be delicious.
Get the recipe from Southern Plate.
Shoofly Pie
Shoofly pie is a traditional dessert that comes from Amish and Mennonite communities. The pie has a crumble topping and a gooey molasses filling that’s made very simply with just three ingredients.
Get the recipe from Platter Talk.
Marlborough Pie
Marlborough pie is a spin on apple pie that was made popular in Britain before being brought to the USA, and is still popular in Massachusetts. It’s an apple custard pie, so if you’re looking for a new (old) spin on apple pie, this could be the recipe to try.
Get the recipe from Grow It Cook It Can It.
Maple Syrup Pie
This maple custard pie is a popular dessert in Canada and New England states like Vermont, where maple syrup is made. It has a deep, caramelized sweetness that pairs beautifully with the creamy custard filling. A modern twist you won’t want to skip? Add a sprinkle of flaky sea salt, like Maldon, before serving to help tame the sugar.
Get the recipe from Seasons & Suppers.
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