You can make friends with pies. I mean that as both pies being a connection between two people and pies becoming your go-to on bad days. Pies will for sure always cheer you up. They’ll listen to your problems, they’ll fix riffs, and they’ll never let you down, as long as it’s good pie.
There’s a lot of terrible (pie) in the world, so you need to know who (has pie that) will never betray you. To make things easier on you, I’ve listed what could be considered the nine best pies in the country.
Chicago, Illinois; Evanston, Illinois
Bonked out in flavor as tribute to “The King,” this dirty saint-like tall order comes packed with chocolate, peanut butter, and bananas. The crust is equally good reason to write home about, as it’s a graham cracker-peanut-pretzel hybrid of sugary zen.
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Celebrating classic recipes with modern approaches, this spot’s magnum opus of sweet melds chocolate and banana custards. Then you've got graham cracker crust on the bottom and fresh whipped cream at the top. All their pies are made in small batches from scratch, always using locally sourced ingredients. You could be from states away, and you’d still feel at home with a bite of this perfect pie.
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Fudge, pecans, and salted bourbon caramel run wild here, conjuring up mythical flavor. Hell, this thing would be an urban legend if the locals weren’t so adamant you try it. The masterwork looks like a chocolatey oasis where your problems don’t exist. Good luck not whispering your fears and ambitions into it as you accidentally eat the whole thing.
Riverhead, New York
This daydream of a pie is fresh perfection. Fluffy whipped cream hoists up heaps of moist blueberries, held together by flaky crust. If you’re a berry person, this is how you wished all pies looked as a kid. The fact that this is sold at a little farm stand only makes it seem more like picturesque Americana.
Pie Town, New Mexico
At a truly roadside attraction, you’ll find this blessed invention. Whether it’s the molasses version (with molasses, pureed yams, heavy cream, and nutmeg) or the pecan-oat (featuring a sweet potato bottom and a pecan-oat top), this celebrated cafe is your chance to indulge. Also comes with a side of small-town friendliness.
Michigan: Ann Arbor, Armada, Beverly Hills, Chesterfield, Oxford, Shelby Twp, Troy
Despite being a regional chain, this thread of dessert outposts go at their treats with a mom-and-pop dedication, and this is their signature, best-selling pie for a reason. Local tart cherries, blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries team up beneath a heavenly pastry crust that’ll taste like there are still grandmothers setting these things on windowsills to cool.
Haleiwa, Hawaii
Photo: Teds Bakery
A blessing you can eat, this elegant beauty looks like the dessert movie couples feed each other on balconies the night of their anniversary. It’s rich, smooth, dark chocolate, and custard cream layered with haupia (Hawaiian coconut milk pudding) that’s then topped with whipped cream. It’s basically an edible love affair.
Brooklyn, New York
Run by two sisters who learned tricks of the treat trade from their grandmother on a rural South Dakota farm, this shop relies on locally sourced organic ingredients bought according to the season. They want fresh tastes for killer flavors. This local favorite gives you exactly what you hope for and expect: a honey pie topped with sea salt and rounded out with a decorative crust.
Dallas, Texas
Living up to its punny name (but with a much happier ending, of course), this edible wonder of the world sees ten apples soft-baked into the shop’s homemade caramel. Does it end there? Hell no. Then it’s topped with crispy cinnamon streusel before earning its honorable title by way of a buttery, flaky crust rising lord-like over all that is good.
