I Asked 3 Pastry Chefs How to Make the Best Thanksgiving Pies—They All Said the Same Thing

Every year as Thanksgiving nears, my phone lights up with texts from friends looking for advice on all things pie: how far in advance they should make their doughs and fillings, how to make the silkiest pumpkin pie, and more. For the entire month of November, I become a personal pie hotline, fielding questions left and right. This year, however, I'm streamlining things by publishing a guide—for my friends, family, and the general public—that answers some of the most frequently asked questions about pie. For additional insight, I reached out to three experts: Ashley Drum, executive pastry chef of ABC Kitchen and ABCV in Manhattan; Kelly Mencin, pastry chef and owner of Radio Bakery in Brooklyn; and award-winning pastry chef and cookbook author Caroline Schiff.

Prep Ahead

When I asked Mencin, Drum, and Schiff what readers could do to make Thanksgiving baking easier, they all recommended prepping pie doughs and fillings in advance and baking your pie the day before Thanksgiving. "Thanksgiving baking for me really comes down to planning and making sure I'm not baking anything the day of," Mencin says. "I make my pie shells up to a month in advance and freeze them." 

Though Schiff doesn't prep as far in advance as Mencin, she does recommend making your pie dough up to three days ahead, filling up to two days before, and baking your pie the day before you plan to serve it. "Consider what you absolutely need your oven for on the big day. Generally, that's the turkey and the sides, so dessert should really be done the day before," she tells me over email. 

Drum, who relies on detailed checklists to get everything done, even runs a test a few weeks ahead to troubleshoot any issues that might arise.

Keep Your Pie Crust Cold

For the flakiest crust, it's essential to keep the dough as cold as possible. Drum advises freezing all ingredients for at least 30 minutes before mixing the dough, which helps it stay cold and ensures it bakes into crisp, flaky layers. "If it gets too soft, put it back in the fridge, take a breath (or a drink!), and come back to it," she says. 

"You want to make sure that the butter is frozen and cold, so that when it hits the oven, the water [in the butter] melts and expands immediately," creating pockets of steam that lift the dough and set into nicely buttery layers, Mencin tells me. 

Similarly, Schiff emphasizes the importance of resting and chilling the dough well. "Let it chill again once you've rolled and shaped it into the crust," she says. "This helps it hold its shape while baking and prevents shrinking."

Yes, Canned Pumpkin Is Fine

Though Drum makes purée from scratch using low-moisture zuccuri squash—noting that it gives her pies more complexity—both Mencin and Schiff swear by the canned stuff. "Making purée from scratch means there's a lot of variation in the water content, which can affect the recipe," Schiff says. "Most recipes are well-tested using canned purée, and it's a very consistent product."

Bake Your Pumpkin Pie Low and Slow

Pumpkin pie filling consists of pumpkin, eggs, and dairy, typically evaporated milk, condensed milk, or heavy cream. "If you bake it too high, you're going to coagulate the eggs too quickly and the custard will curdle and break," Mencin warns. "I wouldn't bake it above 325°F (160°C)." One of the easiest ways to guarantee success is to use an oven thermometer, which will tell you exactly how hot or cold your oven is. 

Both Drum and Schiff advise pulling the pie from the oven when it seems almost underdone. "It should be wobbly in the center, and just barely set around the edges because it will continue to cook as it cools," Schiff says. It's also key to let the pie cool gradually and completely at room temperature, which will "keep the surface smooth and uncracked," Drum tells me. Place it in the fridge too soon, and the drastic temperature change can result in fissures across the top.

Practice Makes Perfect

For those intimidated by the prospect of making and shaping pie, both Drum and Mencin recommend heading to YouTube—where home cooks can find videos and tutorials from professionals like former Serious Eats editor Stella Parks—for a better visual understanding of techniques such as crimping and shaping the crust. "I personally hate making pies," Mencin confesses. "That's how I practiced, just watching the videos and doing it as they did."

Still, if your pie doesn't look flawless, don't sweat it. "Odds are a pie that isn't perfect will still be delicious, and with each attempt, you'll learn and refine your skills," Schiff says. "A little uneven crimping, a broken lattice, or some jammy fruit juices that bubble over the sides are kind of how pies are! Who cares? You made a pie, and it's going to make everyone happy."