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5 Perfect Pies To Bring To Your Next Party

None of these tasty desserts are meant to be eaten hot --which means you can easily make them ahead of time. Just pop the crust in the oven until golden, pile in the fillings, chill and enjoy.
Lynn Andriani
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A Unique Way to Play the Sweet and Salty Game
Heather Baird
If crushed graham crackers can make a delicious pie crust, then why can't saltines? That's the thinking behind this unusual pie from Heather Baird's new book, Sea Salt Sweet. You combine the ho-hum crackers with butter and sugar for an unexpected flavor that's terrific with a lemon filling. Add a sprinkling of fleur de sel before serving, for one more salty hit.

Get the recipe: Lemon Pie with Soda-Cracker Crust
The Banana Cream Pie with a Crunchy Surprise Layer
Steve Legato
Banana pudding and banana cream pie are both classic comfort foods, but we had no idea how well they went together until we tried this twist from Magpie: Sweets and Savories from Philadelphia's Favorite Pie Boutique by Holly Ricciardi. The recipe has you spread banana-pudding filling into the pie shell; top it with a layer of Nilla Wafers and banana slices, then cover them with more pudding, so you get a perfect ratio of creamy to crunchy.

Get the recipe: Banana-Nilla Pudding Pie
Dessert and Coffee, All in One Delicious Slice
Steve Legato
Making a chocolate-bottom pie is as easy as pouring some hot custard onto chopped, semisweet chocolate, whisking to melt the mixture together and spreading it along the bottom of a pie shell. The next and last layer is a coffee mousse; then, finally, you top this rich and flavorful dessert from Magpie with whipped cream and chocolate shavings.

Get the recipe: Cafe Mocha Pie
The Desert-Island Dessert
Steve Legato
Coconut milk is the secret to making a pie with full, lush coconut flavor, which Ricciardi demonstrates in this intriguing recipe. The other ingredient that brings the pie to another level: Jamaican rum. The Caribbean spirit plays up the coconut's tropical taste, and a smattering of toasted coconut chips on top adds a lovely finishing touch.

Get the recipe: Coconut Rum Pie
A Double-Pretzel Pie
Caren Alpert
Another version of the crushed-up, salty crust comes from Duff Goldman and Sara Gonzales' new book, Duff Bakes: Think and Bake Like a Pro at Home. The wonder ingredients here are the finely ground crumbs from both long, thick pretzel rods and peanut-butter-filled pretzels. Inside this flavor-bomb of a crust, you spread melted chocolate, then pastry cream and bananas; then, finally, whipped cream.

Get the recipe: Banana Cream Pie with a Pretzel Crust

Also on HuffPost:

The Best Thanksgiving Sides Ever
Brussels Sprouts Everyone (Even Vegetarians!) Will Love(01 of08)
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Although it's easy enough to have a filling meal without turkey, if you're avoiding meat altogether, many side dishes are off-limits, even if they are vegetable-based. This recipe uses maple butter, instead of the usual bacon or pancetta; they give Brussels sprouts a toasty, caramel-like flavor that's irresistible to everyone.

Get the recipe: Browned Brussels with Maple Butter (credit:Ben Pieper Photography)
A Vegetable Puree No One Ever Expected(02 of08)
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Sweet-savory is a classic combination on Thanksgiving tables, with all those apples and cranberries showing up in stuffing and other sides. But here's one take on the pairing we hadn't seen before: turnip and pear. Cooked and pureed, the vegetable and fall fruit are rich and satisfying, yet with a bright, sugary pop. Along with ginger, cinnamon, a touch of orange marmalade and some black pepper, the dish makes for a terrific alternative to a traditional sweet-potato casserole.

Get the recipe: Turnip and Pear Puree (credit:William Abranowicz)
A Lighter Green Bean Casserole That Helps You Save Room For Pie(03 of08)
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This expected Thanksgiving side is often laden with a heavy sauce made from canned cream of mushroom soup and topped with deep-fried onions. But Dashing Dish blogger Katie Farrell lightens things up in her version, using plain, low-fat Greek yogurt in place of the creamy soup, and panko bread crumbs for crunch.

Get the recipe: Skinny Green Bean Casserole (credit:Katie Farrell)
Old-School Bread With The Year's Trendiest Oil(04 of08)
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Garlic bread is warm, savory and has a familiar flavor that goes with almost everything. Instead of using the usual butter, though, try this recipe; it uses coconut oil, which has been getting lots of recent attention, to give the toast a faintly honey-like flavor and keep it from feeling too heavy. A smattering of chili flakes adds just a touch of heat.

Get the recipe: Garlic Bread (credit:© Kathleen Finlay)
Potatoes with a French Touch(05 of08)
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A few spoonfuls of fresh goat cheese add creaminess and tang to regular mashed potatoes, as chef Eric Ripert demonstrates in this easy recipe. It's a French twist on a classic American dish -- and the flavors will pair wonderfully with everything else on the Thanksgiving table.

Get the recipe: Goat Cheese and Chive Mashed Potatoes (credit:Craig Cutler)
Ciabatta Stuffing With Chorizo, Sweet Potato, And Mushrooms(06 of08)
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Melissa Villaveces's favorite lazy Sunday morning breakfast is a hash made from sauteed chorizo, sweet potato, red onion, shiitake mushrooms and rosemary, topped with a fried egg or two. She incorporated those flavors into this dazzling stuffing. Try it for breakfast the next morning topped with an egg.

Get the recipe: Ciabatta Stuffing with Chorizo, Sweet Potato, and Mushrooms (credit:Sarah Shatz)
Apple, Celery, And Sourdough Bread Stuffing(07 of08)
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The sweet-tart character of Granny Smith apples combines with the tang of sourdough bread in this moist, flavorful side. The crusts add a nice chewiness, but if you prefer a slightly more refined dish, you can cut them off.

Get the recipe: Apple, Celery, and Sourdough Bread Stuffing (credit:Quentin Bacon)
Wild Rice And Mushroom Stuffing(08 of08)
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This recipe makes an elegant alternative to ordinary bread stuffing. It's richly flavored with two kinds of mushrooms (shiitake and white), cranberries, carrots, celery, onion and thyme.

Get the recipe: Wild Rice and Mushroom Stuffing (credit:Brian Hagiwara)
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