For some San Antonians, baking a perfect holiday pie is as easy as…well, you get it. Those of us who curl into a fetal position at the mere mention of blind baking could use a cheat code from Alamo City’s hardworking bakeries. Whether hosting this year or hunting for a host gift, these local dessert shops are the upper crust.
Bakery Lorraine
Instead of whipping up a flat custard, this French-inspired San Antonio bakery writes a glorious ode to texture with its pumpkin pie, topped with streusel and pepitas. The pecan pie is just as creative, adding a touch of whiskey for extra bite. Every treat features an extra-thick, extra-flaky crust. For something unexpected, try the brown sugar banana or coconut cream.
Bird Bakery
We’re not saying you have to go full Martha Stewart during the holidays. (Really, who has time to knit a chunky table runner?) But consider replacing the usual nine-inch rounds with adorable rustic apple mini pies from this Uptown shop. All the flaky goodness is packed into a four-bite nosh. And the praline topping is absolute genius.
A pie buffet at The Bread Box.The Bread Box/ Facebook
The Bread Box
This Far North Side charmer only offers three Thanksgiving pies — cherry, pecan, and apple — but the extra-deep treats are all anyone could want. The bakery also has a few other holiday hacks up its sleeve: buttery Parker House rolls sold by the dozen, a vegetarian dressing spiked with herbs, and a green bean casserole made with a luscious mushroom cream sauce and crispy shallots.
Broadway Daily Bread
The Thanksgiving table doesn’t have to be a tangle of arms reaching for the last scoop of mashed potatoes. This year, go New American, and plate all those starches up. For dessert, order a few of this Broadway bread shop’s pecan pie bars. Arrange them on individual white plates, add a quenelle of vanilla ice cream, and a premade tuile cookie. No one but your hairdresser will know you aren’t a pastry chef.
Cake Thieves Bakery
Have a plant-based crowd coming over for Friendsgiving? Serve this East Side bakery’s treats alongside the Tofurkey. Choices include salted caramel pumpkin, brown butter pecan, Cheddar apple, and a couple of vegan cheesecakes. The shop is also offering a caramelized onion and spinach quiche if you want to make pies the theme of brunch.
Extra Fine Bakery
We’re always a sucker for a deal. Both the Monte Vista and Southtown outposts are dishing out a four-pie holiday bundle for $100 with mix-and-match choices like pumpkin hazelnut cream, chai-spiced apple crumble, pecan coconut cashew, and cranberry meringue. It’s a bargain on its own, but Extra Fine adds a little sugar with a $50 gift card.
Gobble up this turkey pie from Nadler’s.Photo courtesy of Nadler’s Bakery & deli
Lick Honest Ice Creams
Let’s face it: San Antonio will probably never get a rom-com autumn. Warm holiday weather calls for some improvisation, like swapping pumpkin pies for pumpkin pie ice cream. Luckily, this shop makes sure you don’t have to sacrifice fall flavor. Choose from several seasonal pints in the freezer or enjoy the Sweet as Pie Sundae in-shop until November 27.
Nadler’s Bakery & Deli
After 61 years of baking Thanksgiving pies, this San Antonio staple has the holidays down pat. Most of the flavors are traditional — pumpkin, pecan, and apple — but for a true showstopper, go for the turkey pie. The playful tart mimics a preening gobbler with a piped icing face and neck and a feathered fan of blueberries, kiwis, mandarins, and strawberries.
Tootie Pie Co.
This Hill Country mini-chain is Southern through and through, serving buttermilk chess, sweet potato crumb, and whiskey pecan pies drizzled with a lattice of frosting. But the bakery’s pièce de résistance is its signature Huge Apple Pie, a towering dome of chopped apples weighing a hefty six pounds. While stocking up on dessert, don’t forget an easy meal to warm up during Thanksgiving prep. The veggie-packed chicken pot pie should do the trick.