Regardless of cultural backgrounds, dietary restrictions, or myriad family dramas, Thanksgiving-celebrating Americans seem to agree that pie is the proper way to end the feast.
But people have heated opinions as to which pie is preferable. So a gracious host, who is already stressed about the hard-to-find bird, is pressured to provide a full sideboard of options.
Lighten the load a little bit by ordering your pies instead of baking them. Luckily, these ten Texas-based bakeries all happen to ship to your door, so you don’t even need to worry about picking up the pumpkin, pecan, apple, chess, chocolate, and sweet potato desserts. If that is still too much of a burden, just throw in the towel and head to Luby’s.
Dessert Gallery Bakery & Cafe
Houston
After pursuing a career in law, fifth-generation Houstonian Sara Brook switched gears to baking and opened Dessert Gallery in 1995. She’s known for her pecan pies, for which she toasts the pecans before adding them to the brown-sugar filling for extra nutty flavor.
To receive the pecan pie in time for Turkey Day, order the Southern Pecan Pie Care Package or To-Die-For Fudge Pecan Care Package by November 18.
Emporium Pies
Dallas, Fort Worth, and McKinney
Emporium Pies’ seasonal selections include the Drop Dead Gourdgeous, the Buttercream Gang, and the Lord of the Pies (a deep-dish apple pie), but the crowd favorite for Thanksgiving is the Drunken Nut, says CEO and lead “entrepieneur” Megan Wilkes. The bourbon pecan pie features Texas pecans mixed with caramelized brown butter and brown sugar in a shortbread crust.
Order through the website no later than November 15, because these sell out fast and shipping quantities are limited.
Gladys’ Bakery
Weimar
Gladys Farek started her bakery out of her garage fifty years ago with the help of her six daughters. She later rose to prominence for her 150-pound Texas-shaped fruitcake that appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and Late Night with David Letterman in 1990 and 1991, respectively. By then, Gladys’ Bakery was well-known for smaller versions of that fruitcake, which are chock-full of pecans and don’t include filler ingredients like raisins and dates.
If fruitcakes aren’t really your bag, you can opt for a pecan pie or apple strudel: just order through Goldbelly or the website by November 16.
Goode Company
Houston
Goode Company president and chef Levi Goode says the Brazos Bottom Pecan Pie recipe is his grandmother’s, “so it brings back many memories and is a true comfort food of mine.” It uses fresh Texas pecans harvested from the banks of the Brazos River, resulting in a “bigger and gooier and richer” pie, the website says. If all of that doesn’t convince you, it does come in a snazzy keepsake wooden box.
To get the pie and its box delivered by Thanksgiving, place orders by November 20. For Houston locals, check out the pie drive-through November 22.
Megan Thee Stallion’s Pie
Online only
Houston rapper Megan Thee Stallion has certainly had a busy fall. In addition to launching a mental health initiative and hosting Saturday Night Live, she’s offering her H-Town Hottie Pie for Thanksgiving, inspired by her single “Sweetest Pie.” The twist on pecan pie includes coconut and butterscotch chips with a dusting of edible gold.
To get this pie in your mouth, order by November 21.
Pie in the Sky Pie Co.
Conroe and the Woodlands
Pie in the Sky Pie Co.’s best-selling pies are strawberry rhubarb and chocolate pecan, which is made with pecans from Central Texas. They also happen to be owner Marlene Stubler’s favorites. She got into the pie business after abandoning her dream of becoming a famous singer. She started by wrapping pies and cakes for sale at her parents’ convenience store, and she eventually opened her own shop in Conroe eighteen years ago. The buttermilk vanilla pecan, the Mississippi mud, and the bumbleberry—made with blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, and rhubarb—are also worth trying out.
Order by November 18.
Royers Cafe
Round Top
Before Round Top became the nationwide mecca for antiques, Royers Cafe was churning out pies for the town with a population of around 80 at the time (it has bumped up to 87 now). Jonathan “J.B.” Royer now runs his father’s small-town cafe with his wife, Jamie-Len. He says he prefers to create “a giant pie sandwich” with a slice of the pecan pie, made with Millican Pecan Company pecans, and a slice of pumpkin. The Texas Trash Pie is probably the cafe’s most famous, though, with caramel, chocolate chips, coconut, graham crackers, and pretzels.
The cafe makes up to a thousand pies a week during busy seasons, so be sure to order by November 17. Royers will also ship to overseas troops who order via email.
Texas Talking Pies
Rockdale
For that super-extra host or guest who wants to add a little style to their delicious dish, Texas Talking Pies offers monogrammed pies. Marketing manager Callie Limes says that since the pies are custom engraved, the bakers can add “some extra Texas on top with a ‘Howdy Y’all’ message or Lone Star emblem.”
Order flavors like chocolate, buttermilk, pecan, lemon, or coconut with your family name or company logo by November 18.
Texas Pie Company
Kyle
After losing her banking job 36 years ago, Julie Albertson says she “set out with a rolling pin and a plan” and founded Texas Pie Company using her grandmother’s Southern recipes. The restaurant attracts so many tourists, it led Governor Greg Abbott to designate Kyle as the Pie Capital of Texas last year. Albertson says the pumpkin and pecan pies (with pecans from Comanche County) are the natural best-sellers, but there’s also peach, Almond Joy, cherry, and coconut macaroon for those who want to venture outside the typical Thanksgiving flavors.
Order by November 19.
Tiny Pies
Multiple locations in Austin, one in Waco
Amanda Wadsworth got the idea for her business when her son asked why he couldn’t take a slice of apple pie to school. Twelve years later, Tiny Pies is thriving with Wadsworth’s family recipes. The recipe for the Sweet Texas Pecan pie, made with San Saba pecans, is four generations old, tracing back to Wadsworth’s great-grandmother Maude. It comes as a Not So Tiny nine-inch pie or as a cupcake-size tiny pie in a twelve-pack assortment box, which also features apple, cherry, and Texas Two Step, with a pecan and brownie filling.
The last day to order for Thanksgiving is November 21.
