Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise—easy pie recipes should only require a few simple ingredients and minimal hands-on time to become desserts fit for a holiday or dinner-party table. Even if you enjoy the process of cutting butter into dough, rolling it out, and fussing over a neatly latticed top, sometimes you just need something a little more relaxed.
Not in the mood to make a pie crust this time? Opt for store-bought (Note that store-bought crusts will cook faster than homemade ones; if yours browns before the filling is ready, cover lightly with aluminum foil). Short on time to blind bake? Some fruit pie recipes skip that step altogether. Don’t want to turn on the oven? Fridge- and freezer-friendly lemon icebox pie and chocolate pie keep the experience oh-so-chill.
What makes for an easy pie recipe, you ask? It’s all subjective, but the selections below are narrowed down by a few key factors:
- None of them uses more than 10 ingredients (excluding a homemade crust, which we said you could buy pre-made or make ahead and stash in the freezer), plus salt and optional toppings like whipped cream or ice cream.
- None has more than one cooked element.
- Recipes should keep the equipment to a minimum.
- The time spent cooking should be minimal, though we can’t help it if you have to tell yourself to be patient with the cooling, chilling, or baking time.
Now, onto our easiest pie recipes.
