The Best Pie Shops in LA (2024)

By

Tiffany Tse

The dish: Pumpkin Pie
Okay, so this isn’t your traditional pumpkin pie. In fact, Go Cakes refers to it as “Not Your Usual Pumpkin Pie.” It’s an accurate way of describing this ingenious cake/tart/pie hybrid by founder Stephanie Fong, who once trained with Instagram’s most revered pastry chef, Amaury Guichon, and turns out delicate, delicious, Asian-inflected desserts from her San Marino shop. Beautifully decorated, like all of Fong’s creations, this “pie” is a symphony of taste and texture, encapsulating the best flavors of fall in one bite. First, your teeth will sink into carrot ribbons and cream cheese mousse (a wonderfully pleasing texture mashup of crunch and fluff). Then, you’ll reach an incredibly moist and flavorful layer of carrot cake. Finally, you’ll hit spiced pumpkin pastry cream and a crisp, buttery crust.
How to order: Order online for pickup on November 22 and 23.

The dish: Turtle Cheesecake Ice Cream Pie
Founded by Taiwanese-Americans Alice Cherng and Belinda Wei, Dear Bella is a plant-based ice cream shop that churns out some of the most superior scoops in the city. After tinkering with recipes for years, the friends developed an extraordinary vegan base with a creamy consistency that mimics dairy-based ice cream. Everything in their shop is made from scratch using 100% whole, natural ingredients without artificial colors, sweeteners, preservatives, and hydrogenated oils. This Thanksgiving, enjoy their ice cream in dairy-free pie form—rich vanilla cheesecake ice cream with sweet and salty shards of chocolate-covered roasted pecans, a generous dollop of graham crust crumbs, and silky chocolate and caramel ribbons, all poured into a divine, house-made graham crust.
How to order: For local pickup, order here. For nationwide shipping, order here. November 20 is the last day to place an order and receive it before Thanksgiving.

The dish: Ube Pumpkin Meringue Pie
When the pandemic started, pastry chef Ishnoelle Richardson launched his home baking business, making treats that are often a twist on traditional Filipino desserts from his background. This Thanksgiving, he’s releasing a one-of-a-kind Ube Pumpkin Meringue Pie—a creamy, delectable blend of his classic pumpkin with his ube cheese pie (sans cheese). His crisp, crave-worthy crust is made with Tehachapi Grain Project’s Sonora wheat flour, which is organic and milled fresh to yield a rich, full-bodied flavor. If pumpkin ube’s not your thing, he’s also got you covered with Earl Grey Salted Honey Chess Pie, Bourbon Chocolate Banana Pecan, Pear Apple, and more.
How to order: Order online by November 19 for pickup on November 23 or 24.

The dish: Apple Ice Cream Pie
You heard it here first: ice cream pies are taking over. For those who prefer frozen desserts over baked pastries, Sweet Rose Creamery has you covered with its festive Apple Ice Cream Pie. A celebration of seasonal, local produce, the pie’s made completely from scratch with See Canyon’s orchard-fresh fruit. A graham cracker cookie crust is filled with apple pie ice cream, apple pie filling, and a caramel swirl before it’s crowned with a very generous oat crumble, and even more caramel sauce.
How to order: Walk in or order delivery via the Rustic Canyon Family app. Pies are available on a first-come, first-served basis until November 24. To guarantee a pie, pre-order online until November 18 for pickup November 21-24.

The dish: Sweet Potato Pie
This Downtown LA bake shop has been churning out fresh, homemade pies since 1956 and has been owned by the same family for three generations. Now it’s led by Olympic Gold Medalist and former head coach of the U.S. Olympic women's track and field team, Jeanette Bolden-Pickens, her husband Al, and her sister Denise, who use the same recipes passed down from their grandfather. The bakery holds the title of the largest sweet potato pie manufacturer on the West Coast, and you’ll quickly see why upon sinking your teeth into a supple and savory slice. In addition to the famous Sweet Potato Pie (which is also offered sugar-free), the pecan pie, sweet potato pecan pie, 7-UP cake, and peach cobbler (which is available in a single serving cup) are also worthwhile desserts.
How to order: Walk in, place an order by phone at 323-233-3469, or order online to have your pies shipped. Fresh orders are shipped out on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays. Orders placed after 3 pm on Wednesdays will be shipped the following Monday.

The dish: Sweet Potato Pecan Pie
Catarah Coleman and Shoneji Robison founded Southern Girl Desserts in 2007, drawing from family recipes to create a specifically Southern-inspired bake shop with hospitality to match. You might recognize the pair from Food Network’s Cupcake Wars, where they took home the grand prize. The menu spans cupcakes, pound and bundt cakes, cookies, “pudding and thangs,” plus pies and custom desserts, but their Sweet Potato Pecan Pie is the perfect option for the holidays. A finger-licking combo of two fall favorites, this dessert gives you a taste of custardy-smooth, pureed sweet potatoes spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg, along with the crunch of sweet pecans, in one satisfying bite.
How to order: Order online by November 18.

The dish: Double Crust Apple Pie
The epic pies at Chainsaw are masterminded by Karla Subero Pittol, the former pastry chef at Here’s Looking at You—where we heard some diners visited solely for her bar pies. With no startup cash, Pittol turned her garage into a full-fledged bar/restaurant concept a few years ago—and Chainsaw’s baked goods have since achieved near-mythical fame. Her fruit pie changes based on what’s in season, but you can always count on it being loaded with sun-sweet farmers market produce that she’s harnessed to reach its full flavor potential. Premium ingredients are key to Pittol’s perfect pies. Her dough, which won Best Crust at KCRW’s annual Pie Contest, is made with top-grade butter—like Kerrygold (which she says yields the crispiest texture), Clover, or Strauss. Perfect for the holidays, the Double Crust Apple Pie adds dates and a sprinkling of verjus in addition to farmers market apples and cinnamon, all double-wrapped in that award-winning crust. True to Pittol’s M.O., her homemade whipped cream is far from an afterthought; served on the side, this delightful dollop melds heavy cream, Strauss yogurt, brown sugar, and Salvadoran crema for a little tang and a lot of body.
How to order: Order online for pickup on November 22 and 23.

The dish: Carolina Classic Cherry Pie
Lawyer-turned-piemaker Brianna Abrams grew up in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, where all the women in her family—including her great-grandmother, grandmother, mother, and sister—baked together for every occasion. When she moved to Los Angeles and took in the abundance of fresh fruit at local farmers markets, Abrams was inspired enough to ditch the courthouse and start churning out her now-famous crusts. Named after the Carolina Classic Fair, her cherry pie is nothing like the saccharine, jelly-like concoctions out there. Instead, this lightly sweetened culinary masterpiece is filled with fresh, juicy, whole dark cherries in a flaky double crust that makes it one of Abrams’s favorites. Want to pretend you put a little more effort into the dessert spread? Winston also has bake-from-home harvest apple pies, which arrive raw, unbaked, and fully egg-washed and sugar-dusted—so all you have to do is pop ‘em in the oven.
How to order: Order online for pickup or delivery; nationwide shipping is also available.

The dish: Coffee Cream Pie
Helmed by Nicole Rucker, a former pastry chef at the Gjelina Group, Fat + Flour doesn’t overwhelm you with too many choices. Instead, Rucker executes a handful of flavors exceptionally well from her tiny pie shop tucked inside Grand Central Market. This year, she’s ditching traditional pumpkin in favor of a few inventive creations—including a sensational Coffee Cream Pie dreamt up by Fat + Four baker Molly Donnellon with silky-smooth cold brew filling, caramelized macadamia nuts, and macadamia praline ganache. Also on the menu? Ginger Sweet Potato, Pumpkin Cream Cheese, Hidden Rose Pink Apple, and more.
How to order: Order online for pickup on November 23.

The dish: Strawberry Cream Pie
Housed in a distinctive, cottage-style building, this family-owned and operated Los Feliz icon has been turning out pies and brewing coffees since 1969. In California, it’s the sole survivor of the original, wide-ranging House of Pies franchise (created by IHOP founder Al Lapin Jr. and all but wiped out by the ‘80s). Their recipe for success hasn’t changed much: stellar customer service and a reasonably priced menu chock-full of diner-style offerings like burgers, pancakes, and sandwiches. But the fresh-baked pies are by far the main attraction. Their seasonal strawberry cream is a sumptuous medley of vanilla custard and whipped cream balanced by a generous serving of juicy, glazed strawberries. And where other strawberry cream pies run the risk of being gloopy and overly saccharine, this heavenly version tastes (and looks) like a lightly sweetened cloud that’s easily polished off within days.
How to order: In-person takeout.

The dish: Winter Luxury Pumpkin Pie
You could dig into a regular ol’ pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving dinner this year. Or you could feast on Valerie Gordon’s—which is made using Winter Luxury pumpkins, a special variety that, when roasted, boasts a deep underbelly of caramel flavor. Valerie, a chocolatier who’s developed artisanal truffles and other confectionery treats at her namesake shop since 2004, roasts and purees the gourds before adding her proprietary blend of winter spices. Poured into a pâte brisée crust—the French-style version of a classic, all-butter pastry crust—the nuanced pumpkin filling is garnished with pillowy whipped cream and freshly ground nutmeg for a highly sophisticated take on a timeless Thanksgiving treat.
How to order: Order online for pickup.

The dish: Lemon Meringue
This cozy, homey, rustic coffee shop in the NoHo Arts District is the sort of place where you dream about writing an award-winning script or the next Great American Novel—fueled by a cup of good coffee and a slice of heaven. All of their butter-crust pies are made small-batch by hand to ensure quality, so you can’t go wrong with any flavor. But there’s nothing like their old-fashioned Lemon Meringue—with its cool, custardy filling and sweet-and-tangy balance—to inspire your creativity (and satisfy your cravings). Its bright citrus zing lends optimal acidity to an ultra-smooth, creamy curd that you’ll find yourself spooning into your mouth until the plate’s left with only crumbs.
How to order: Order online for pickup.

The dish: Pecan Pie
The Apple Pan turns out pies as classic, familiar, and unpretentious as the legendary Los Angeles institution itself. While there’s nothing quite like digging into a slice at their crowded U-shaped counter on Pico, their pies taste just as good at home. And while “apple” is part of their namesake, we go for the rich, gooey, baked-fresh-daily Pecan Pie—which is made using an original family recipe that Ellen Baker (who founded the diner along with her husband Allan in 1947) brought with her from Nebraska. Her recipe dates back to 1909, but over a century later, the kitchen’s still making the Pecan Pie in the exact same way, placing every single nut by hand to create a delicate pattern on top.
How to order: Order online by November 20 for pickup on November 23, while supplies last. A limited quantity of pies will be available for walk-up purchase on November 23.

The dish: Earl Grey Tea Pie
This gourmet pie shop, which makes both sweet and savory slices to equal acclaim, started off in Los Angeles and has since grown to six locations in Southern California and three international outposts. All of its flavors—like Salted Caramel Pecan and Pumpkin—have been fine-tuned to perfection, but none showcases the restaurant’s fun, experimental approach quite like the Earl Grey Tea Pie. This deliciously decadent pie consists of several layers—butter crust, chocolate ganache, creamy white chocolate mousse infused with Earl Grey, fresh whipped cream, and a sprinkling of salted pistachios to add crunch to this otherwise smooth, supple dessert. It tastes exactly like drinking a hot cup of classic Earl Grey on a cold fall day—except far, far better.
How to order: Order online from October 21-November 18 or until sold out. Pies are available at shops on Thanksgiving week and Thanksgiving Day on a first-come, first-served basis. Select pies available for nationwide shipping on Goldbelly.

The dish: Green Apple Pie
Since first opening in 1938, Du-par’s at The Original Farmers Market has enjoyed a well-earned reputation for the city’s best pies. But there’s something about their crowd-pleasing, classic apple pie, which sports an impressive towering canopy that evokes warm, fuzzy childhood memories of mom baking in the kitchen (even if your mom never baked in the kitchen). Like the rest of their baked goods, it’s made from scratch using premium ingredients—starting with sweet and tart Granny Smith apples. The fruit is hand-peeled and piled high into crispy, buttery dough, covered in a sky-high dome, topped off with brown sugar and cinnamon, and baked until the apple slices are perfectly al dente. Pro tip: Serve each mouthwatering slice warm with vanilla ice cream.
How to order: Walk in, call 323-933-8446, or order online by November 20.

The dish: Pumpkin Ice Cream Pie
Santa Barbara-based scoop shop McConnell’s limited-edition pie is back by popular demand—featuring its signature pumpkin ice cream loaded into a scrumptious brown butter shortbread cookie crust, drizzled with salted caramel sauce, and studded with sweet pecan pralines. The star of this 11-inch pie is the creamery’s seasonal flavor—a puree of roasted pumpkin accented with cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and allspice, then stirred into California Central Coast grass-fed milk and cream. With deep molasses undertones and a velvety mouthfeel, this cold, creamy pie is just the antidote you need after a heavy turkey dinner.
How to order: Walk in, call your local scoop shop, or order online for pickup starting November 21, while supplies last.

The dish: Key Lime Pie
This burger joint only slings a few, curated items, but it does every single thing on its menu well—including a magnificent Key Lime Pie (the vote’s split between that and their equally good Banana Cream). A secret family recipe of Lysa Heslov, a filmmaker and philanthropist who’s a longtime friend of HiHo co-founder Jerry Greenberg, it’s made from scratch using old-fashioned techniques. The beauty of this slice lies in its utter simplicity. No elaborate toppings, no novel gimmicks—just satiny-smooth whipped cream and slightly tart pudding plunked into a salty-sweet-crumbly graham cracker crust. Plus, its zesty sweetness is airy and light enough to make it the perfect footnote to HiHo’s Wagyu beef burger.
How to order: Submit a whole pie request form by noon the day prior to pickup. Last day to pick up is November 23.