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15 Easy Pie Recipes (Perfect for Beginners)

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15 Easy Pie Recipes (Beginner-Friendly Desserts)

Simple & Delicious Desserts

Homemade pie doesn’t have to be intimidating. These fifteen easy recipes are designed specifically for beginners, using straightforward techniques and readily available ingredients to guarantee success. From classic double-crust fruit pies to effortless no-bake cream pies, this collection proves that impressive desserts are within everyone’s reach. Whether you use store-bought crust for convenience or try your hand at homemade pastry, these recipes deliver bakery-quality results with minimal stress.

Classic Fruit Pies

1. Easy Apple Pie

Time: 1 Hour 15 Minutes

Classic favorite with perfectly spiced apples and store-bought crust for ease.

Ingredients:

  • 2 refrigerated pie crusts
  • 6 cups thinly sliced apples (Granny Smith preferred)
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 egg (for wash)

Step-by-Step Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
  2. Mix apples, sugar, flour, and cinnamon in large bowl.
  3. Line pie plate with bottom crust.
  4. Fill with apple mixture and dot with butter.
  5. Top with second crust, seal edges, and cut vents.
  6. Brush with beaten egg.
  7. Bake 45-50 minutes until golden and bubbly.

2. Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

Time: 1 Hour 10 Minutes

Sweet strawberries meet tart rhubarb in this simple seasonal classic.

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Ingredients:

  • 2 pie crusts
  • 3 cups chopped rhubarb
  • 3 cups sliced strawberries
  • 1 1/4 cups sugar
  • 1/3 cup cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoon butter

Step-by-Step Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
  2. Combine rhubarb, strawberries, sugar, and cornstarch.
  3. Pour filling into bottom crust.
  4. Add top crust, crimp edges, and cut slits.
  5. Bake 50-60 minutes until filling thickens and bubbles.
  6. Cool completely to let filling set.

3. Easy Blueberry Pie

Time: 1 Hour

Juicy berry filling shines in this straightforward summer dessert.

Ingredients:

  • 2 pie crusts
  • 5 cups fresh blueberries
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest

Step-by-Step Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
  2. Toss berries with sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and zest.
  3. Fill pie shell with berry mixture.
  4. Top with lattice or full crust.
  5. Bake 50 minutes until bubbly.
  6. Cool at least 3 hours before slicing.

4. Classic Cherry Pie

Time: 1 Hour 5 Minutes

Vibrant red filling makes this pie a stunning centerpiece.

Ingredients:

  • 2 pie crusts
  • 4 cups pitted cherries (fresh or frozen)
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup cornstarch
  • 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1 tablespoon butter

Step-by-Step Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
  2. Mix cherries, sugar, cornstarch, and extract.
  3. Pour into bottom crust.
  4. Dot with butter and add top crust.
  5. Bake 45-55 minutes.
  6. Cool completely on wire rack.

5. Peach Pie

Time: 1 Hour 10 Minutes

Fresh peaches need little adornment in this simple summer pie.

Ingredients:

  • 2 pie crusts
  • 6 cups sliced peeled peaches
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 3 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice

Step-by-Step Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
  2. Toss peaches with lemon juice, sugar, cornstarch, and cinnamon.
  3. Fill crust and top with second crust.
  4. Bake 50-60 minutes until juices are thick.
  5. If crust browns too fast, cover edges with foil.

No-Bake & Cream Pies

6. 3-Ingredient Strawberry Lemonade Pie

Time: 15 Minutes + Freezing

Effortless frozen dessert perfect for hot days.

Ingredients:

  • 1 graham cracker crust
  • 1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 can (12 oz) frozen pink lemonade concentrate, thawed
  • 8 oz whipped topping (Cool Whip)

Step-by-Step Instructions:

  1. Mix condensed milk and lemonade concentrate.
  2. Fold in whipped topping gently.
  3. Pour into crust.
  4. Freeze for at least 4 hours or overnight.
  5. Garnish with fresh strawberries before serving.

7. Easy Chocolate Cream Pie

Time: 20 Minutes + Chilling

Rich chocolate flavor without cooking custard from scratch.

Ingredients:

  • 1 chocolate cookie crust
  • 2 packages instant chocolate pudding mix
  • 2 1/2 cups cold milk
  • 8 oz whipped topping
  • Chocolate shavings for garnish

Step-by-Step Instructions:

  1. Whisk pudding mix and milk for 2 minutes.
  2. Let sit 5 minutes to thicken.
  3. Spread into crust.
  4. Top with whipped topping.
  5. Chill 2 hours before serving.

8. Key Lime Pie

Time: 25 Minutes + Chilling

Tangy, creamy filling requires minimal baking time.

Ingredients:

  • 1 graham cracker crust
  • 2 cans sweetened condensed milk
  • 3/4 cup key lime juice
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1 tablespoon lime zest

Step-by-Step Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. Whisk milk, lime juice, sour cream, and zest.
  3. Pour into crust.
  4. Bake 10 minutes (filling should not brown).
  5. Chill thoroughly before serving.

9. Banana Cream Pie

Time: 30 Minutes + Chilling

Classic diner dessert made easy with instant pudding hack.

Ingredients:

  • 1 baked pie shell
  • 3 bananas, sliced
  • 2 packages instant vanilla pudding
  • 2 1/2 cups milk
  • Whipped cream for topping

Step-by-Step Instructions:

  1. Layer sliced bananas in baked pie shell.
  2. Prepare pudding with milk.
  3. Pour over bananas.
  4. Chill 3 hours.
  5. Top with whipped cream just before serving.

10. Peanut Butter Pie

Time: 20 Minutes + Chilling

Rich, creamy peanut butter filling in a chocolate crust.

Ingredients:

  • 1 chocolate cookie crust
  • 8 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 1 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 8 oz whipped topping

Step-by-Step Instructions:

  1. Beat cream cheese and peanut butter until smooth.
  2. Add powdered sugar and beat well.
  3. Fold in whipped topping.
  4. Spoon into crust.
  5. Freeze or chill until firm.

Holiday & Seasonal Favorites

11. Pumpkin Pie

Time: 1 Hour

Thanksgiving essential that’s surprisingly simple to mix and bake.

Ingredients:

  • 1 unbaked pie crust
  • 15 oz pumpkin puree
  • 14 oz sweetened condensed milk
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon cloves

Step-by-Step Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
  2. Whisk all filling ingredients until smooth.
  3. Pour into crust.
  4. Bake 15 minutes.
  5. Reduce heat to 350°F and bake 35-40 minutes more.
  6. Knife inserted should come out clean.

12. Pecan Pie

Time: 1 Hour 10 Minutes

Gooey, crunchy nut pie requiring only one bowl for mixing.

Ingredients:

  • 1 unbaked pie crust
  • 1 cup corn syrup
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 1/2 cups pecans

Step-by-Step Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. Mix corn syrup, eggs, sugar, butter, and vanilla.
  3. Stir in pecans.
  4. Pour into crust.
  5. Bake 60-70 minutes until center springs back.

13. Sweet Potato Pie

Time: 1 Hour 15 Minutes

Southern classic with smooth, spiced texture similar to pumpkin.

Ingredients:

  • 1 unbaked pie crust
  • 2 cups cooked, mashed sweet potatoes
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup butter, melted
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Step-by-Step Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. Blend potatoes, sugar, butter, eggs, milk, and nutmeg.
  3. Pour into crust.
  4. Bake 55-60 minutes until set.
  5. Cool completely.

14. Lemon Meringue Pie (Simplified)

Time: 45 Minutes

Bright lemon filling topped with impressive meringue.

Ingredients:

  • 1 baked pie shell
  • 1 can sweetened condensed milk
  • 1/2 cup lemon juice
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 3 egg whites
  • 1/4 cup sugar (for meringue)

Step-by-Step Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. Mix milk, lemon juice, and yolks. Pour into shell.
  3. Beat egg whites until soft peaks form.
  4. Add sugar gradually, beating until stiff peaks form.
  5. Spread meringue over filling, sealing edges.
  6. Bake 12-15 minutes until browned.

15. Hand Pies (Any Fruit)

Time: 40 Minutes

Portable mini pies made easily with store-bought dough.

Ingredients:

  • 1 package refrigerated pie crusts
  • 1 cup fruit jam or pie filling
  • 1 egg (beaten)
  • Sugar for sprinkling

Step-by-Step Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
  2. Cut 4-inch circles from dough.
  3. Place tablespoon of filling on half.
  4. Fold over, seal edges with fork.
  5. Brush with egg, sprinkle sugar, cut vent.
  6. Bake 20 minutes until golden.

Pie Baking Tips for Beginners

Keep ingredients cold:

When working with pie crust, keep butter and water ice-cold. If dough gets warm, chill it again before baking to ensure flaky layers.

Blind baking basics:

For cream pies, prick bottom crust with fork (“docking”) or use pie weights to prevent bubbling while baking the empty shell.

Prevent soggy bottoms:

Bake fruit pies on the lowest oven rack or a preheated baking sheet to conduct heat directly to the bottom crust.

Don’t overfill:

Fruit shrinks but juices bubble up. Leave a little space at the rim and always bake on a sheet pan to catch drips.

Patience is key:

Let fruit pies cool completely (3-4 hours) before slicing. This allows the filling to thicken and set properly so slices hold their shape.

These fifteen easy pie recipes prove that delicious, homemade desserts are achievable for every skill level. Start with these simple versions to build confidence, and you’ll soon be baking pies for every occasion.

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