For a fun twist on Thanksgiving dessert, swap large pies for mini ones, and set them out alongside a variety of toppings in a personal pie bar. That way everyone at your Thanksgiving or Friendsgiving can pick their favorite, customize it, and, if the mini pies are mini enough, even sample a few this holiday!
To make designing your own pie even more fun, set out stencils and confectioner’s sugar, and guests can even add their initial or another letter to their pie by dusting the sugar over the stencil, then lifting it up. Our printable letter stencil templates come in the entire alphabet, so you can write whatever you like.
We spelled out “Thanks” in pumpkin and pecan pies for our personal pie bar. (The powdered sugar gets absorbed quickly into moister pies like pumpkin, so wait to do it until you’re just about to serve dessert.) You can also set out other Thanksgiving pies, desserts, fruit, and assorted toppings—like these raspberries, whipped cream, candied orange slices, so that every guest can pick the pie, and the fixings, they like, designing their ideal dessert.
If you like the idea of letting your dessert do the talking, you might also write a message across a pan of brownies. Or, surround your pie bar with printouts of our Fill-in-the-Pie Game cards, which prompt guests to write what they’re thankful for on a paper slice of pie. (You can download that template here.)
However you add to it, a pie bar is a fun activity, a decorative display, and delicious dessert all in one. And, once you’ve set it up, there’s no legwork involved in serving dessert! Which means that both you and your guests will be saying T H A N K S for the fun idea!
What You’ll Need
- Mini Pies (2.5 inch in diameter)
- THANKS stencil template
- Scissors
- Confectioner’s sugar
- Small sieve
- Small plates and bowls
- Various Toppings: Whipped Cream, candied and fresh fruits, ice cream, anything you like!
How-To
Step 1 Download, and print our THANKS stencil template and cut out letters.
Step 2 Place a single letter stencil over each mini pie and dust confectioner’s sugar on top using the small sieve. When you’re done, lift up the stencil to reveal the letter.
Step 3 Arrange the pies to spell out your word. Now, fill in the pie bar with other types of mini-pies, and add toppings in small bowls. We chose whipped cream, raspberries, and sliced candied orange, but you might include ice cream for pie à la mode or cheddar slices for apple pie. (The bar can be set up ahead of time, although, of course, you’ll want to save items that should be refrigerated until just before guests arrive.)
Step 4 Invite guests to pick their pie and design their dessert!
