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Photo courtesy of Corynn Coscia for Zingerman's Bakehouse
Pie tends to be top of mind as the holidays draw near, when dessert tables start to fill with spiced fruit, toasted nuts, custard, and cream. Around Metro Detroit, that seasonal feeling carries well beyond November and December, since a thoughtful slice can suit a family dinner, a birthday gathering, or an ordinary weekday that could use something sweet.
Sister Pie
8066 Kercheval Avenue, Detroit
Sister Pie is a beloved West Village bakery, now regularly open on Fridays and Saturdays. For those ready for the holidays, Sister Pie Owner Lisa Ludwinski shares, “On Wednesday, November 25 (starting at 8:00 am) and Thursday, November 26 (starting at 7:00 am), we will have a limited amount of pies, cookies, hand pies, muffins, and scones available in the shop to be sold first come, first served. If you missed the pre-order window, you will want to show up early and get in line. It is our experience that a line will form at least an hour before we open, so we encourage you to wear weather-appropriate clothing and comfortable shoes.” Flavors this year include Salted Maple, Cranberry Crumble, and Spiced Chocolate Pecan (with a surprise flavor or two available during the first-come, first-served hours). Outside of Thanksgiving plans, Sister Pie regularly has whole pies and slices available at the bakery during their Friday and Saturday hours. The flavors rotate each week, but always have a seasonal note.
Westview Orchards & Winery
65075 Van Dyke Avenue, Washington
Westview Orchards & Winery places pie close to its source, with orchard traditions shaping the mood before dessert even reaches the plate. Apple pie is a natural choice here, especially alongside cider mill staples like fresh cider, cider doughnuts, caramel apples, and other seasonal fruit desserts that make a visit feel connected to Michigan’s harvest calendar. Outside of the classic apple, other pie options at the Farm Market & Bakery include Very Berry, Caramel Apple Walnut, Peach Cherry Berry, Peach Praline, and seasonal Pecan and Pumpkin. The Washington setting gives pie a sense of occasion in the fall, but they can be picked up for a gathering or folded into a day spent browsing the orchard market.
JJ’s Custard Company
Multiple locations in Metro Detroit
JJ’s Custard Company brings frozen custard into the pie conversation. JJ’s Custard Company’s CEO Jamal Jawad shares, “At JJ’s Custard Company, we’re always looking for ways to put our own twist on classic desserts. This season, we’re bringing that creativity to our lineup of specialty pies, including our Fruity Pebbles Pie and Cookie Monster Pie. We transform some of our most popular flavors into fun, over-the-top desserts perfect for any occasion. We are also known for our signature Loaded Zone, where we inject the cone with delicious fillings, roll it in toppings, and load it up with our frozen custard. Our concept is built around taking desserts people already love and creating something truly unique.” Available pies for pre-order include an Oreo option, Reese’s, cookie dough, strawberry shortcake, Biscoff, Ashta Pistachio, and Dubai Chocolate custard pies.
Sugar’D Bakery
43347 Joy Road, Canton Township
Sugar’D Bakery brings a cake studio’s sense of creativity to the holiday dessert table, offering a take on pie that leans into decorated desserts and playful sweets. Founder & Owner Sarah Debs shares, “Gourmet cookies have always been one of our specialties, and since traditional pies aren’t something we typically offer at Sugar’D, I wanted to put our own Sugar’D spin on pie for the holiday season. That’s how our Cookie Pies were created. Sugar’D has always been about creating things that are unique and a little unexpected. We love making desserts that stand out; the kind of thing you bring to a dinner or put out for guests and everyone immediately wants to know where you got it. I wanted our Cookie Pies to have that same feeling. Our Cookie Pies take the thick, gourmet-style cookies we’re known for and turn them into an over-the-top pie. They’re baked with a rich, soft fudge center and sliced just like a traditional pie, so you get that thick cookie exterior with a gooey, decadent center in every slice. We started with Cookies & Cream and have since been creating flavors like Reese’s, Biscoff, and seasonal varieties. What I really didn’t expect was the response. I initially introduced them as something new to test with our customers, and social media took it from there. It has been really exciting watching something that started as a new menu experiment turn into one of the desserts people are now associating with Sugar’D. And with the holidays coming up, I love that it gives people another option when they think of bringing “pie” to the table, just not the traditional kind. It’s something familiar, but done the Sugar’D way, and hopefully the dessert that has everyone at the table talking!” Since introducing them, Sugar’D Bakery has added Circus Animal Cookie and Snickers Cookie Pie slices to their rotation.
Sweet Potato Sensations
17337 Lahser Road, Detroit
Sweet Potato Sensations brings a sense of comfort to the pie table, with sweet potato at the heart of the bakery’s identity. Sweet potato pie is a natural fit for a holiday spread, but their menu also includes sweet potato cookies, cheesecake, cake, and other baked goods that keep the flavor present throughout the year. As for their speciality pies, you can preorder their Sweet Potato Coconut option, Sweet Potato Pecan, Lemon Chess, or a sugar-free sweet potato pie, in addition to their Sweetie Pies, which are sold by the dozen. For anyone who connects pie with family recipes and gathered tables, Sweet Potato Sensations carries that feeling with a neighborhood warmth.
Zingerman’s Bakehouse
3711 Plaza Drive, Ann Arbor
Zingerman’s Bakehouse brings pie into a larger Ann Arbor baking tradition, with shelves and cases that may lead to the challah, rugelach, sour cream coffee cake, cookies, and loaves for next morning’s breakfast table. Corynn Coscia, Marketing Manager & Photographer, shared, “We’ve got Thanksgiving pies aplenty, in classic flavors like Pecan, Pumpkin, and Apple, as well as less traditional flavors like Chocolate Chess and Jumbleberry. All of our pies get made in a flaky all-butter pie crust made with award-winning Vermont Creamery Cultured Butter.” In fact, you can also pick up their traditional pie crusts for your own homemade pie recipes.
Pie Collective by Achatz
354 John R Road, Troy
19734 Haggerty Road, Livonia
1983 South Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Hills
Pie Collective by Achatz gives a dedicated stop for classic pie cravings and seasonal dessert planning. The menu has familiar flavors such as Dutch apple, Cherry Crumb, Michigan 4-Berry, Banana Cream, Chocolate Cream, French Silk, and more, making it useful whether the goal is a whole pie for a gathering or a slice when available. Around the holidays, the seasonal Chocolate Bourbon Pecan and traditional pumpkin flavors can anchor a dessert table, but they can be paired with the mix of fruit and cream options that are ready for Sunday dinners or a midweek coffee-and-pie moment.
As the holiday season begins to take shape, Metro Detroit’s pie offerings feel especially inviting, not only as dessert but as part of the gathering itself. From orchard apple pies and sweet potato classics to bakery slices, cookie-inspired creations, and custard-based specialties, these local stops show how much warmth can come from a single slice.
This article has been updated to include new information. The original article was published on October 24, 2024, and was authored by Carolyn Hall.
