The Bakeries Around Philly Making Practically Perfect Pies

It’s October, which means pie season has arrived. Wherever you stand on the pie versus cake debate, there is nothing quite like a slice of pie with a flaky, buttery crust, no matter the occasion. Pumpkin, apple, chess, savory, and more — pie varieties abound in and around the city of Philadelphia, which stands on ancestral Indigenous land known as Lenapehoking — and while it may feel like it was just summer, Thanksgiving is only three weeks away. Preorders for pies are open at most places now, so take this chance to plan ahead.

Pie Bird Farm

641 Cafferty Road, Ottsville

Pie Bird Farm is an hour from Philly, but as the saying goes: Have pie fork, will travel. (Plus, Pie Bird pops up at the Doylestown Farmers Market, about half an hour away.) The 161-year-old farm was renovated by husband-and-wife team Jennifer Brodsky and Eric Theesefeld, and in due time, their pandemic pie-making hobby became the focus. All-butter crusts in varieties like salted caramel apple, blueberry cardamom crumb, Pennsylvania pumpkin, and a special Thanksgiving themed turkey dinner pie with stuffing crust are on offer. For the 2022 fall pie season, Pie Bird is doing a frozen, ready-to-bake pie option that can be picked up in advance of Thanksgiving on three different dates in November. Preorders can be placed here.

James Narog

Frosted Fox Cake Shop

6511 Germantown Ave, Mt. Airy

Despite the name, the bakers at Frosted Fox Cake Shop are experts in more than just beautifully decorated cakes for all occasions. The Frosted Fox offers a variety of seasonal pies for pickup or preorder (they go fast, though, so call ahead). For Thanksgiving, preorders are available online and by phone, with five delicious varieties to enjoy the season with: pumpkin, sweet potato, pecan, apple crumb, and pear ginger.

Night Kitchen Bakery

7723-25 Germantown Avenue, Mt. Airy

Not too far from the Frosted Fox, Night Kitchen Bakery makes pies with all-butter crusts that are flaky and filled to perfection. Seasonal options include sweet potato pie and apple double crust. Preorders can be made online for Thanksgiving — but get those orders in before November 20 if you want to bring a Night Kitchen pie to dinner

Honeysuckle Provisions

310 S. 48th Street, West Philly

To celebrate their grand opening, Honeysuckle Provisions will return to its roots by selling pies that center cuisine of the African diaspora. Instead of the traditional bean pies that Honeysuckle sold as a reward in their GoFundMe, the provisions shop will be selling Princess Pamela’s Molasses Pie and a sweet potato pie. The former is inspired by Pamela Strobel’s Princess Pamela’s Soul Food Cookbook, while the latter is made in honor of John Coltrane with locally grown red garnet sweet potatoes and caramelized and charred potato skins. You can preorder by emailing orders@honeysuckleprovisions.com.

Stargazy

1838 East Passyunk Ave, East Passyunk

No matter how you slice it, a pie is still a pie, and at Stargazy in East Passyunk, the specialty is savory pies, both of the hand and large-format variety. The British pie shop has an impressive list of savory pies for preorder, from chicken and mushroom to steak and kidney, and they come in several different sizes, from hand to party size. Even better, each pie can be ordered par-baked so you can fib to your family and say you whipped that buttery beef and onion pie up all by yourself. After all, you’ve been watching a lot of Great British Bake-Off.

Beiler’s Doughnuts + Bakery

51 North 12th Street at Reading Terminal Market

While most people know this Reading Terminal bakery as a doughnut spot, Beiler’s also offers a good selection of seasonal and year-round pies, from lemon meringue to pecan. Stop by the market to check out the selection, or order on Grubhub.

Sweet T’s Bakery

51 North 12th Street at Reading Terminal Market

All manner of beautiful desserts can be had at Sweet T’s Bakery in Reading Terminal, but it’s all about the sweet potato pies. And while sweet potato pie is an excellent choice all year round, for Thanksgiving it simply hits different. There are mini options and regular sizes, as well as sweet potato cheesecakes and sugar free varieties to choose from.

Little Susie’s Coffee and Pie

2532 E. Lehigh Avenue, Fishtown

While guests at Thanksgiving dinner may be confused when you serve hand pies instead of slices of pie as their Thanksgiving dessert, they’ll get over it the minute they taste a glazed cherry hand pie from Little Susie’s. The move this Thanksgiving may be to just order a dozen hand pies instead of a pie cut into slices — no plates, no forks, no mess. Plus, everyone gets their own. Order from Little Susie’s (with locations in Fishtown and Old City) by going to their homepage.

Crust Vegan Bakery

4409 Main Street, Manayunk

The bakers at Crust Vegan Bakery say that pie season is all year round, and with the tasty vegan pies they make, it’s no surprise. Luckily, those who are devoted to Thanksgiving as the holiday for pie, Crust typically does preorders for a small range of pies, with gluten-free options. Keep an eye on Crust’s social media for Thanksgiving 2022 orders.