PHILADELPHIA - If you want to know what's the most popular Thanksgiving pie, you'll have to go to the southern part of the country. Pumpkin is the preferred Thanksgiving pie for millennials, while out-of-season blueberry and strawberry pies are the least favorites among seniors. And of course, we can't forget the traditional pumpkin and apple pie. But which is the best Thanksgiving pie? It depends on who you ask.
The first thing to know about Thanksgiving pies is where you're likely to find them. There are eight popular varieties of pie in the U.S., but the most famous is pumpkin pie.
What is the Most Popular Thanksgiving Day Pie?
Apple pie has always been a crowd-pleaser, but it wasn't until recently that we discovered how delicious it can be. In a survey of 20,000 people on Instagram, they ranked the most popular Thanksgiving Day desserts. While they were all a hit, there were some dark horses, including chocolate and cranberry. Among these, pumpkin and apple pie came out on top in six states, with cranberry bringing up the rear in two. And while apple pie is the staple of Thanksgiving tables across the country, it's not as widely known as its pumpkin counterpart.
Apple pie and pumpkin are not the only types of pie that is popular on Thanksgiving. Pecan pie is more widely known and more popular in the South. In New England, apples are more popular than pumpkin, but they are still the preferred pie for Thanksgiving. The first Thanksgiving dessert was eaten in England before Columbus came to the Americas. Even though pumpkin is a popular Thanksgiving dessert, apple was popular in England long before the first pilgrims sailed to the New World. Its history has also inspired the use of the phrase "as American as apple pie" in speech.
Pumpkin pie can be made from fresh or canned pumpkins. Often a pumpkin is pureed, mashed, or canned, and topped with a sugarcane filling. It's baked until it's golden and bubbly. A traditional Thanksgiving day pie is a pie that is both delicious and comforting.
The mid-Atlantic region is unified in its love for pumpkin pie, while the Pacific and West North Central regions are more likely to enjoy apple pie. In fact, apple pie is the most popular Thanksgiving dessert in the country. The south-eastern, mountain, and Pacific regions have pumpkin-pie-loving citizens. The Mid-Atlantic states voted for the apple and the pumpkin varieties. Those in the Midwest and New England overwhelmingly favored the pumpkin version.
