Pecan pie is the official dessert of the Lone Star State, and not just because Texas is the nation’s largest pecan producer: Pies, in general, are iconically Texan. They’re a symbol of southern hospitality. They’re county-fair treats. They’re church provisions. And they’re inarguably delicious.
It makes sense, then, that in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, where the food scene is second only to the Cowboys, so many establishments sling top-notch pies—especially around the holidays.
The holidays are stressful enough without having to bake a variety of pies to please the crowd. That’s what all the bakeries, pie shops, and diners in the Metroplex are for. Let these experts take the pie-making off your hands.
Emporium Pies
When this iconic pie shop opened its doors more than a decade ago in the Bishop Arts district, it operated out of a renovated 1930s-era house. Since then, thanks to not just high quality but an ever-rotating and eclectic selection of pies, it’s expanded to three other spots around the Metroplex. Holiday favorites include Drop Dead Gourdgeous (pumpkin custard filling a gingerbread-cookie crust) and Father Christmas (dark chocolate cookie crust, white chocolate peppermint custard, and peppermint whip cream). Multiple locations, emporiumpies.com/
Buttermilk Sky
Boasting locations all over the country, including 10 in Texas, this beloved pie shop’s seasonal offerings are some of their best. Try the rich Caramel Turtle pie teeming with caramel, chocolate, and crunchy pecans, or the creamy Spiced Pumpkin topped with a big shortbread pumpkin that everyone at the table will fight over. Multiple locations, buttermilkskypie.com/
Uncle Willie’s Pies
A local favorite since it opened in 1996, this family-run bakery offers desserts that are as pretty to look at as they are tasty. (That probably explains why Uncle Willie’s is a popular choice for wedding cakes.) For the holidays, try the Sweet Potato Pecan Pie, the buttery Maple Brown Sugar Chess Pie, or go for the 12-count Mini Pie Set to sample as many flavors as possible. 208 N. Hampton Rd., Ste. C, DeSoto, unclewilliespies.com/
Haute Sweets Patisserie
With two Dallas locations, this bakery, run by lauded pastry chef Tida Pichakron, offers a nice selection of holiday pies. One of the new ones is a pie chef Pichakron wowed her friends with at a 2024 Friendsgiving: Oreo Chocolate Cream, an Oreo crust filled with chocolate pot de crème and Oreo pieces. The topping, a thick layer of Cool Whip, is garnished with chocolate curls. Multiple locations, hautesweetspatisserie.com/
JudyPie
Not only does Judy Balunda make some of the country’s best pies (USA Today named JudyPie one of the Top 10 best pie shops in the United States in 2024 and 2025), but she uses her business for good. She advocates for mental health causes, offering support and pies to Tarrant County’s My Health My Resources, an organization that assists those struggling with mental health. The most famous menu item is Rhoda’s Pecan, but the Buttermilk is another don’t-miss. 520 S. Main St. #200, Grapevine, https://www.judypie.com/
Norma’s Café
Among Dallas’s most iconic diners, Norma’s, with its Texas-flag booths, kitsch, and famous chicken fried steak, has been serving up homemade pies since it opened in 1956. Choose among traditional holiday options, including Chocolate Meringue, Cherry, and Apple. If you don’t want everyone fighting over the biggest slice, grab a dozen mini pies. Multiple locations, normascafe.com/
Unrefined
If you’re expecting guests with allergies or food sensitivities at your holiday table, get your pies from Unrefined. Even omnivores won’t miss dairy or gluten because Unrefined goods are just as tasty as their full-ingredient counterparts. During the holidays, Unrefined goes beyond pies. For example, you can order an “All But the Turkey” Thanksgiving meal, but make it vegan, paleo, or keto, depending on your preferences. Multiple locations, https://unrefinedbakery.com/
Piefalootin
Reserve your holiday pies as early as possible at this popular neighborhood pie shop: Small businesses can only handle so many orders, for one thing. For another, popular flavors start dropping off the list as supplies dwindle. Enjoy the classics, including Texas Pecan, Pumpkin, and Apple Crumble. Any time of year, it’s worth stopping by Piefalootin for a pie flight so you can sample three flavors at once. 2441 Goldfinch Ln., Garland, piefalootin.com/
MeLisa the Pie Lady
MeLisa Gingrich became MeLisa the Pie Lady when she started baking pies to raise money for legal fees: Her nephews were living with an elderly relative and in foster care respectively, and she wanted to raise them herself. It turned out she was better at baking pies than she knew, and soon she had a fulltime business on her hands. For the holidays, try the Bourbon Chocolate Pecan or the Blueberry. 3805 Main St. #107 The Colony, melisathepielady.com/
Malai Kitchen
This holiday season, everyone’s favorite Thai-Vietnamese-restaurant-and-brewery-in-one is also a bakery. Even if you don’t stop in to sample their fresh noodles, spicy samosas, and Thai PA (an IPA brewed with lemongrass, ginger, galangal, turmeric, kaffir lime, and coriander), you can order your holiday desserts to go: Choose between coconut cream pie and Vietnamese coffee tiramisu. Multiple locations, malaikitchen.com/
