Our Favorite Fall Pie Recipes

By The editors of MidwestLiving.com
Updated September 09, 2020

Midwest readers, bakers and the Midwest Living Test Kitchen offer delicious twists on all-time apple, cherry, pumpkin and other fall pie classics.

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Wisconsin Harvest Pie

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This almond-kissed, fruit-packed pie comes from David Harper, of Richland Center, Wisconsin. He likes to serve it with a wedge of Wisconsin cheese, but it's just as good with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream! The recipe was a finalist in one of our recipe contests.

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Pumpkin Chess Pie

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The bakers at Wick's Pies in Winchester, Indiana, crossed chess pie with pumpkin pie, adding more eggs, more spices and a little cornmeal to their pumpkin recipe. The result: a pie with a more intense pumpkin and spice flavor, and a slightly thicker filling.

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Redemption Hazelnut Pie

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This über-sweet pie is essentially a traditional pecan pie made with hazelnuts. This recipe comes from Patty Pinner's cookbook Sweety Pies.

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Apple-Cranberry Walnut Pie

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Sweet apples balance the tang of cranberries in this fall favorite.

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Sister Chestermae Hayes’s Apple Butter Pie

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Imagine a pumpkin pie made with jarred apple butter in place of the usual canned pumpkin. It's the perfect home-baked treat to cap off a cozy autumn supper. Patty suggests sprinkling pecan pieces over the whipped cream or ice cream before serving. We opted for grated fresh nutmeg. This recipe comes from Patty Pinner's cookbook Sweety Pies.

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Apple Pie

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Lisa Sparks, who owns Lisa's Pie Shop in Atlanta, Indiana (north of Indianapolis), blends tangy Granny Smiths and mellower Jonathans in her double-crust pie seasoned with cinnamon. Tapioca thickens her pale filling, making a lusciously clear sauce that wraps itself around the tender sliced fruit. The trick to tapioca: Soften it in liquid before baking. Lisa says this apple pie recipe brought top honors at both local and national pie competitions.

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Caramel Apple Pie

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Caramel-dipped apples inspired baker Caroline Imig to create this dessert for Wayne's Family Restaurant in Oconto, Wisconsin. A mantle of flour-sugar-butter crumbs bakes crisp over the sliced crisp-tart Cortland apples. Each serving gets a spoonful of caramel topping and a sprinkling of toasted nuts. Carolyn covers the pie loosely with foil during the first 15 minutes of baking to keep it from overbrowning.

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Apple Butter Pumpkin Pie

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The classic pumpkin pie gets even better with the addition of apple butter, which gives extra sweetness and a slightly softer texture to the dessert. A streusel topping adds a bit of crunch.

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Michigan Tart Cherry Pie

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If you're a fan of classic, not-too-sweet cherry pie, look no further. This is our best one.

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Cherry Crisp Pie

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"Cherry Crisp Pie is popular because it's not overly sweet and has just the right bite to it. That makes it a true cherry lover's pie," says Kathy McCauley, owner of Kathy's Pies in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. "The crumb topping is a nice twist on the traditional (double-crust) pie, giving it a shot of sweetness" with every bite.

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Mommy's Pumpkin Pie

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"This recipe is adapted from my mother's classic pumpkin pie," says Linda Hundt, owner of Sweetielicious Bakery Cafe in DeWitt, Michigan. "I added cream to make it a bit richer and orange zest for flavor." The result is a dark, mahogany pumpkin pie with ginger-cinnamon-clove spiciness.

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Triple Pear Pie with Walnut Crust

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You can't mistake the fruit in this cardamom-spiced beauty. Pear nectar and dried pears complement thick slices of fresh, juicy Bosc pears.

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Cherry Berry Berry Pie

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Red raspberries and blueberries join ruby-red cherries in this favorite from Sweetielicious Bakery Cafe in DeWitt, Michigan. The trio yields a dark, rich filling crowned with a crunchy streusel topping.

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Apple Pear Praline Pie

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This picture-perfect pie takes more than a flaky crust. "The key to this pie is the apples you use," says Mary Schrier of Cumberland, Iowa, who got this recipe from an old, handwritten family recipe book. She suggests not using Red Delicious apples. Instead, make this with Granny Smith, Jonathan or any sweet-tart heirloom apples. "There are quite a few orchards that are starting to carry the heirloom apples, and this old recipe is just waiting for them," she says.

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Maple Pumpkin Pie with Salted Pecan Brittle

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The combination of maple and pumpkin flavors make a second slice of this pie hard to resist. Prepare the pecan brittle up to a week ahead, then sprinkle on just before serving.

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Pumpkin Chiffon Pie

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A spiced filling, made from whipped cream, creates a lighter-tasting version of traditional pumpkin pie. The gingersnap crust adds more kick than classic crusts.

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Paradise Pumpkin Pie

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A cheesecake layer and nut topping help this pumpkin pie stand out from its peers. This recipe was a winner at the Morton, Illinois, Pumpkin Festival baking competition. 

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Mom's Oatmeal Pie

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We love the nutty oatmeal taste of this sweet treat, and it's a healthier alternative to most desserts. If you're watching calories, serve this pie with a berry topping instead of whipped cream. 

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Finnish Blueberry Pie

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This berry pie proves that there's beauty in simplicity. The piecrust is wrapped around a three-ingredient filling that includes fine dry breadcrumbs. You don't even need a pie plate to make this juicy treat.

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Caramel-Apple Pie

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Apple trees by the thousands cover the hills that rise along the Missouri River in Nebraska's southeast corner, where Nebraska City hosts the Applejack Festival each fall. The pie-baking contest draws dozens of entries. This recipe took first place two years in a row. It's easier to eat than a caramel apple, but tastes just as good.

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By The editors of MidwestLiving.com