Food and Recipes Desserts Pies 20 Classic Pies Grandma Loves To Bake Sweet treats just taste better coming from her kitchen. By Cameron Beall Cameron Beall Cameron Beall is a writer, marketer, photographer, and creative with over a year of experience with Southern Living in the realm of homes and home building. She was infatuated by home design from a young age, credit to her mother and grandmother. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Published on August 15, 2024 Close Photo: FRED HARDY, FOOD STYLIST: MARGARET MONROE DICKEY, PROP STYLIST: CALEB CLARKE If there's one thing Grandma is better at than everyone else in the family, it's baking. And in her house, there's no such thing as having too many sweets at the ready—especially an irresistible pie. And we're not sure how, but it seems like any dessert, especially pies, that come from Grandma's kitchen always taste like a slice of heaven. No matter the time of year, nothing says Grandma's like the smell of a freshly baked pie wafting from the kitchen. From Classic Chess Pie and Key Lime Pie to Old-Fashioned Apple Pie and Fudge Pie, these are pie recipes you'll always find at Grandma's house. 20 Of Grandma's Most Memorable Summer Desserts 01 of 20 Cherry Pie Victor Protasio; Food Stylist: Margaret Dickey; Prop Stylist Christina Daley Homemade cherry pie is a nostalgic summertime favorite. From backyard barbecues to church potlucks, you're bound to find Grandma carrying this treat into the party. Get The Recipe 02 of 20 Classic Chess Pie Jen Causey, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley, Food Stylist: Ana Kelly Chess pie has been a Southern staple for as long as anyone can remember. Thanks to refrigerated pie crust and a short ingredient list, this classic is a cinch to make. Get The Recipe 03 of 20 Old-Fashioned Chicken Pot Pie Stacy K. Allen; Food Stylist: Torie Cox; Prop Stylist: Shell Royster Like a hug in a casserole dish, there's nothing more homey than walking into Grandma's house to the smell of a warm chicken pot pie coming out of the oven. Get The Recipe 04 of 20 Lemon Icebox Pie Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox Creamy and tangy, this simple pie is an impressive treat for summer gatherings and only requires 10 minutes of hands on time before it goes into the refrigerator to chill for at least 7 hours. Get The Recipe 05 of 20 Old-Fashioned Apple Pie ANTONIS ACHILLEOS; PROP STYLING: MISSIE NEVILLE CRAWFORD; FOOD STYLING: TORIE COX In Grandma's house, apple pie isn't just for the Thanksgiving table. In the summertime, serve it with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream and add in additional warm spices to make it more cozy for the fall. Get The Recipe 06 of 20 Banana Cream Pie Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Torie Cox This classic pie combines two favorite Southern desserts: banana pudding and cream pie. The only thing more magical than the combination of bananas, custard, and whipped cream is when it comes from Grandma's kitchen. Get The Recipe 07 of 20 Blackberry Pie Victor Protasio, Food Stylist: Margaret Dickey, Prop Stylist: Christina Daley A messy slice of summery fruit pies will always remind us days at Grandma's house. The simple and fresh filling highlights the berries with a little extra flavor from lemon, cinnamon, and vanilla. Get The Recipe 08 of 20 Heavenly Key Lime Pie Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Torie Cox There are few things better than going over to Grandma's house in the summertime and finding a homemade key lime pie in the fridge. And while she'll always look for fresh key limes, she's not afraid to use store-bought bottled juice. Get The Recipe 09 of 20 Easy Peach Pie Ann Taylor Pittman/Southern Living Whether from Grandma's backyard or the local famers' market, fresh peaches are the key to this simple pie. Get The Recipe 10 of 20 Wilma Tidwell's Chocolate Chip Pie Greg DuPree, Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn, Prop Stylist: Christine Keely At Grandma's house chocolate chip cookies aren't confined to a few inches in scale. This recipe from reader Cassie Tidwell Tramel's grandmother, Wilma Tidwell, is a delicious example of a pie-sized cookie. Serve as is or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Get The Recipe 11 of 20 Coconut Cream Pie Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer, Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless A generous sprinkle of toasted coconut on top of the rich coconut custard and extra sweet whipped cream takes this delicacy from good to great. Get The Recipe 12 of 20 Southern Buttermilk Pie Fred Hardy II; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall; Props Stylist: Christina Brockman Grandma doesn't even need to look at a recipe when making this old-fashioned dessert. The humble pie only requires a few staple ingredients and is best when served with fresh summer berries and a dollop of homemade whipped cream. Get The Recipe 13 of 20 Fudge Pie Iain Bagwell There's no such thing as too-sweet or too much sugar in Grandma's kitchen and this over-the-top chocolate pie is a prime example. Get The Recipe 14 of 20 Blueberry Pie FRED HARDY, FOOD STYLIST: MARGARET MONROE DICKEY, PROP STYLIST: CALEB CLARKE Grandma would never cut corners when it comes to a summertime blueberry pie—the fresher the berries, the better. Get The Recipe 15 of 20 Pecan Pie Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox There's a reason this traditional pie graces the Thanksgiving table year after year. You can't go wrong with a golden buttery crust, sweet and chewy nut filling, and crunchy top. Get The Recipe 16 of 20 Macaroni Pie Antonis Achilleos The only thing better than a casserole dish of baked mac and cheese is when it's served in a flakey, buttery pie crust. The best part about this recipe? The trifecta of cheese—gruyere, extra-sharp white cheddar, and fontina. Get The Recipe 17 of 20 Georgia Peanut Pie with Peanut Butter Crust and Brown Sugar-Bourbon Whipped Cream Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Kay E. Clarke; Food Styling: Torie Cox No one can say no to a slice of this sweet and salty delicacy when it's coming from Grandma's pie dish. The cookie-like peanut butter crust is filled with a gooey peanut butter filling that gets topped with crunchy peanuts. After baking, finish it off with brown sugar bourbon whipped cream. Get The Recipe 18 of 20 Chocolate-Pecan Chess Pie Photographer: James Ransom; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely; Food Stylist: Ruth Blackburn While you can't go wrong with a traditional chess pie, chocolate makes everything better right? This cocoa powder and semi-sweet chocolate chip version only requires 20 minutes of hands on time. Get The Recipe 19 of 20 Over-The-Moon Chocolate Pie Caitlin Bensel; Food Styling: Torie Cox Inspired by MoonPies, which have been made in Chattanooga, Tennessee since 1917, this iconic Southern pie is a prized treat. The layers of graham cracker crust, rich chocolate filling, and marshmallowy meringue are a multi-generational favorite. Get The Recipe 20 of 20 Mississippi Mud Pie Antonis Achilleos; Prop Stylist: Caleb Clarke; Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall Chocolate lovers won't be able to resist a second slice of this three-layer (rich brownie, creamy chocolate pudding, and fluffy whipped cream) pie. Not to mention the Oreo cookie crust. Get The Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit