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Emma Mackereth

These five pies will help you break up the ordinary pies you have for the holidays. Each pie is unique and can bring a new taste to your holiday meal.

Pie has been a Thanksgiving essential since even before it was a nationally recognized holiday, thanks to Sarah Josepha Hale, a 19th century woman who promoted making Thanksgiving a national holiday through her writings and recipes, most notably her pumpkin pie recipe  Although sometimes the same apple, pumpkin, or other basic pie can get boring. Here’s a quick guide to some more unique pies that can be found around Carlisle.

Cracker Barrel Chocolate Pecan Pie

3 E. Garland Drive, Carlisle, PA 17013

The Cracker Barrel chocolate pecan pie is good for when you want a slight twist on a Thanksgiving classic. The chocolate isn’t overwhelmingly sweet, with the caramel adding the sweetness needed to keep everyone satisfied. It tastes somewhat like a Snickers, or as Samantha Martin put it,  “the world’s greatest granola bar.”

Giant Egg Custard Pie

950 Walnut Bottom Road, Carlisle, PA 17015

Despite a rather unappealing name, the egg custard pie is actually rather sweet, and does not taste like eggs. While not perfect for those who are sensitive to texture, as it’s rather grainy, the flavor was surprisingly satisfying. 

Pie Haus S’mores Pie

46 W. High St, Carlisle, PA 17013

This is a delicious pie with a graham cracker crust and a chocolate filling with toasted marshmallows on top. This pie was one of the most popular, but it was very expensive, at 5 dollars a slice. This pie is definitely the best choice for a single person or a very small group. 

Pie Haus Pumpkin Mousse

46 W. High St, Carlisle, PA 17013

At first glance, this seems to be a classic pumpkin pie, however, it’s much lighter, not overpowering with pumpkin flavor, and still close enough to the original to keep those who like their thanksgiving to be traditional happy.  This pie was also one of the most popular ones, but at the same small size and high price as the s’mores pie. It’s another good option for a small twist on a classic Thanksgiving pie. Sam Salomone said, “It tasted like a pumpkin roll” as it has the classic pumpkin flavor, but not exactly like a basic, cheap pumpkin pie.

Beeman’s Montgomery Pie

51 S. Orange Street, Carlisle, PA 17013

This pie is better for people who generally prefer cake over pie, or a group that can’t agree on whether to have cake or pie, since it has a normal pie crust, but a cake-like filling. It also has a lemon molasses filling between the cake-like part and the crust.

Kimberly’s Chocolate Whip

530 W. High St, Carlisle, PA 17013

This one is definitely best for people with a strong sweet tooth, or for kids who like things very sweet. The chocolate can be overwhelmingly sweet for some, but most will be okay as long as they have a drink to counter the sweetness. It’s heavy and rich, generally the favorite pie that wasn’t from Pie Haus. “It’s very good, but  I don’t know that I could do [a whole piece] this heavy,” said Kate Muir.