Make Your Best Pie Ever

The trick to the filling in this Iowa State Fair prizewinning recipe? Stirring and stirring while it cooks. The recipe comes from Louise Piper of Garner.

This pie might be the ultimate comfort food: a gooey chocolate-pecan filling nestled in a flaky piecrust.

This longtime reader-favorite recipe makes two pies; if you like, freeze one. To thaw, let the frozen pie stand in the fridge overnight.

Peanut butter lovers, rejoice. This pie is so good, and it has a twist: Melba toast replaces graham cracker crumbs for a crisp, salty foil to the decadent filling.

This pie is a bit of a time commitment, but what a showstopper! The recipe comes from the Sister Pie cafe in Detroit. Note that you'll need pie weights or a couple pounds of dried beans for blind-baking the crust. Also, if you don't have a broiler-safe pie plate (metal is safest), you will need a kitchen torch to toast the topping. They are quite inexpensive.

Gerard Klass, chef and co-owner of Soul Bowl in Minneapolis, created this genius sweet-and-salty pie. It calls for pretzels, so nut allergy folks can finally have in on the goodness of pecan pie.

The filling of this chocolate-crust pie is luscious, but not too rich. (Think old-fashioned chocolate pudding.) A bit of sour cream in the whipped topping balances the chocolate perfectly.

Lisa Ludwinski of Sister Pie in Detroit says this sweet-tart recipe, which she shares in her new Sister Pie cookbook, might be her all-time favorite-especially served with vanilla ice cream. Note: There is a step of blind-baking the crust (par-baking it before filling so that the crust gets nice and crispy). You'll need pie weights or a couple pounds of dried beans.

Cream cheese brings body and richness to so-chocolatey mousse filling. More wow comes from the blend of marshmallow crème and crème de cacao draped over the top.

This recipe for this creamy, pecan-custard pie takes its name from the battleship Missouri, where it was said to be served to President Harry Truman. When the president requested the recipe, the chief steward refused, but decided to share it after retiring in 1970.The recipe was submitted by a Columbia, Missouri, reader for a Midwest Living® pie contest. "I fix it a lot for company," says the reader. "Almost everybody asks for the recipe after they try it." 

Dream about all the ingredients you'd like to see in a dessert, and you'll see why we named this Fantasy Chocolate Pie. It's made with three kinds of chocolate pieces (milk chocolate, semisweet and semisweet-and-white-chocolate swirled)-plus coconut, pecans and almonds. For extra indulgence, top with whipped cream and chocolate curls.

This rich, chocolate-y pie's flavor really depends on ripe, flavorful pears. (In other words, if they're still rock-hard, don't bother.) For a topping idea, try making homemade whipped cream with a dollop of sour cream whipped in; the slight acidity nicely cuts through the pie's chocolatey richness.

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.

It's all in a name, right? That's what Lou Ginocchio of Cincinnati's O Pie O discovered when Honey Vinegar Pie sent customers' heads spinning. "No one was expecting a pie with vinegar in its name to be this luxurious."

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 our annual recipe contest.

Sliced bananas hide under a rich filling of peanut butter, cream cheese and honey. Chopped peanuts and a graham cracker crust lend the perfect crunch.

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

Vanilla ice cream, gooey fudge sauce and peanuts sit on a chewy rice-cereal crust. Trust us, it's out of this world-perfect for potlucks or family dinners.

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.

This pie earns its triple-lemon name from lemon zest, lemon juice and lemon extract. (You can add lemon slices and whipped cream on top of the baked pie for even more lemony goodness.) A store-bought piecrust speeds prep time.

Line zest and lime juice combine in this light, airy and easy-to-make dessert from a Kansas bakery. The recipe gives instructions for an orange variation, too.

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

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.

Who needs strawberries? Rhubarb shines alone in this wonderfully old-fashioned streusel-topped pie.

This recipe combines favorite pie fillings apple and cherry into one mouthwatering pie. A layer of toasted almonds adds a nutty crunch.

Can't find mint-flavored pieces? Use regular chocolate chips and add ½ teaspoon peppermint extract to the batter.

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.

Crisp on top, sweetly tender inside, this quintessential fall dessert blends tart and sweet apples-Granny Smith, Jonagold and Braeburn-with sugar and cinnamon under a brown-sugar and walnut crumb topping.

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

This lemon meringue pie recipe, which includes candied lemon peel, is a favorite at Southmoreland on the Plaza, a historic 13-room inn northeast of Country Club Plaza in Kansas City, Missouri. The recipe comes from Luke Reichle, brother of Southmoreland co-owner Mark.

On The Register's Annual Great Bicycle Race Across Iowa (RAGBRAI), pie is king, and rhubarb reigns supreme. Orange peel and cinnamon flavor the soft rhubarb filling in this recipe inspired by RAGBRAI food vendors that populate the route.

This winning double-crust pie from Faye Hunton of Sedalia, Missouri, gets big flavor from plumped apples, apricots and cherries.

Called the Blueberry of the Northern Plains, juneberries (also known as serviceberries) give bakers in North and South Dakota a reason to warm kitchens in summer. Pies featuring the berry bake a deep purply red and bring a nutty almond flavor to every fork full.

This chocolate version of pecan pie always disappears fast at Historic Clifton Mills restaurant in Clifton, Ohio.

Creamy peanut butter filling with a swirl of meringue on top makes this dessert irresistible at Tonka Hills Restaurant in Linn Creek, Missouri.

Frozen unsweetened tart red cherries, frozen red raspberries and cherry juice or cranberry juice form the heart of this recipe inspired by the Cherry-Berry Pie served at Jesperson's Restaurant in Petoskey, Michigan.

"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.

The recipe for this classic meringue-topped specialty comes from The Overlook Restaurant in Leavenworth, Indiana. The light meringue is a perfect topping for the rich-and-creamy coconut filling.

Whipping cream, semisweet chocolate and bittersweet chocolate create a rich, tall filling for this gluten-free pie from Murray's restaurant in Minneapolis. A sweet meringue forms the crust.

This pie offers a great a blend of pecans, chocolate and butterscotch. The recipe comes from the Horse and Plow restaurant at The American Club in Kohler, Wisconsin.

A triple dose of lime-zest, juice and curd-gives this dreamy pie its refreshing flavor. The pretzel crust adds unexpected salty punch.

This sunflower pie, from a North Dakota restaurant, has the texture of pecan pie. It's rich and sweet, with a sunflower crunch.

This luscious dessert includes a chocolate crumb crust and caramel-pecan filling crowned with melted chocolate. It's like a big candy bar on a plate!

Blend just four ingredients, including either fresh or frozen raspberries, for this super-easy two-crust pie. The recipe comes from The Clarmont restaurant in Columbus, Ohio.

A stately meringue tops this creamy pie from the Downing Cafe in Downing, Wisconsin.

Fort Wayne, Indiana, cookbook author Marcia Adams loves this standout treat. "It's so easy to prepare," she says. This is Marcia's rendition of the Southern classic chess pie: a basic dessert made with eggs, sugar, butter and a little flour.

Nutmeg and cinnamon spice up a classic sweet potato pie mix of eggs, sugar, butter and evaporated milk.