8 Mini Pies You'll Want to Serve This Holiday Season (and Beyond)

Needless to say, Thanksgiving this year (and the whole holiday season) is going to look a little different than it has in the past. As we consider all the safe ways we can still celebrate—bringing the party outdoors, hosting virtual dinner parties, buying a turkey online to avoid grocery store crowds—there's one clear and obvious answer: Keep your festivities intimate. Thanks totravel restrictions and smart safety precautions, turkey day guests lists are going to be trimmed down this year, and your holiday menu should follow suit. We're all in favor of leftovers, but who needs the stress of cooking a massive bird if it's just going to be you and the kids?

The good news is that eating turkey and mashed potatoes with loved ones isn't canceled, and same goes for the grand finale: dessert. These individually-sized pies are the perfect addition to your holiday spread this year. They're made with easy press-in crusts or prepared pie dough, so assembly is a cinch. Everyone gets their own, so there's no need to fuss over slicing the perfect piece—or adding yet another 'high touch point' to your tablescape. All you'll need to consider is whether to serve whipped cream or ice cream alongside (but we think it's OK to have both).

01 of 08

Pear-Blueberry Mini Pies With Lattice Crust

Don't be intimidated by the charming lattice work on top of these mini pies. All you have to do is work in sections: Lay 3 strips across the pies in one direction and fold back on either side to weave the remaining strips over and under. The good news is, you've got 12 tries to get it just right (and they taste great no matter what).

02 of 08

Cranberry Plum Mini Pies With Crumble Topping

Sweet and tart, just like us, these crumb-topped sweets are all dressed up in red for the merry season. Pack them up as favors for your next holiday party.

03 of 08

Ginger-Pumpkin Mini Pies With Speculoos Crust and Whipped Cream

So long graham-cracker crust; we've met another cookie. These spicy sweet pies use Speculoos cookies as a base instead of the usual pate brisee or other cookie crust. It didn't take much convincing, but we're converted.

04 of 08

Lime Curd Mini Pies With Toasted-Marshmallow Coconut Cream

We swapped traditional meringue for a jar of marshmallow fluff in these tropical-flavored pies. The toasted coconut flakes are awfully pretty but you could use toasted sweetened coconut in its place. For the easiest garnish, simply zest a lime over top just before serving.

05 of 08

Butterscotch-Apple Mini Pies

You'll be making this genius caramel for more than these little pies. We mixed butterscotch chips and heavy cream for the easiest, creamiest caramel sauce. It's great for creating that gooey apple center but also good over ice cream.

06 of 08

Mini Spiced Rum Peach Pies

Add a little hint of sweet summer fruit to your turkey day with these pint-sized peach pies. They get an extra kick from nutmeg, ginger, and (our favorite) dark rum, which gives them the fall flair they need to send your Thanksgiving feast off with a bang.

07 of 08

Apple Pie Baked Apples

Talk about the perfect use for all those apples you picked at the orchard last weekend. These sweet little baked apples are disguised as mini pies, which (we like to think) makes them almost, kind of, sort of healthy. Though other varieties of crisp apples work in a pinch, we prefer Honeycrisp because they hold their shape when baked.

08 of 08

Mini Nutella S'mores Pies

To make these mini s'mores pies, you'll simply cut a dozen circles from a pre-made piecrust, transfer them into a mini muffin pan, and fill each with Nutella. Bake and top with mini marshmallows, then give them one more toasting treatment. Because who doesn't want s'mores all year round?

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