How many pies for Thanksgiving: free pie calculator
The plates are cleared, somebody puts the kettle on, and the pies come out to a small cheer. Tell us who is coming and which pies you love, and get how many to bake or buy, how many of each, the whipped cream, and when to bake each one. Free, no sign-up, and nothing leaves your browser.
Your pie table
When to bake them
Sources: Tasting Table, quoting pastry chef Zac Young (a 9 or 10-inch pie can serve 8 to 10; with several pies on Thanksgiving, plan 6 servings a pie; pumpkin and apple as the classics, pecan close behind). A child as half a slice, the leftover allowance, the bake-ahead plan and the whipped cream amount are our own estimates.
Pass the Toast: try it free
A gentle pass-the-phone game for bridal showers, rehearsal dinners and holiday tables: 72 original prompts, anyone can pass, no names and no scores.
Plan the rest of the table
Pie is the last course of a long day. The Thanksgiving Host Planner keeps the menu, the shopping list, the guest list and the day-of timeline in one place; hosting with friends, the Friendsgiving Planner tracks who brings what.
Menu, shopping list, guest list and a day-of timeline for hosting Thanksgiving, in one spreadsheet.
See it on Etsy Details
Potluck sign-up, headcount and who brings what for a Friendsgiving.
See it on Etsy Details
More: the free turkey and oven timing calculator, the Friendsgiving sign-up sheet and the Thanksgiving hosting checklist.
Thanksgiving pie questions
How many pies do I need for Thanksgiving?
Count an adult as one slice and a child as half. With more than one kind of pie, plan about 6 servings per 9 or 10-inch pie, because people take a sliver of two; with one kind, about 8. So 12 adults and 4 children with three kinds is 14 slices, or 3 pies, one of each. Add a pie if you want leftovers to send home.
How many slices are in a pie?
A 9 or 10-inch pie can serve 8 to 10. On Thanksgiving, with several pies on the table, pastry chef Zac Young plans 6 servings a pie.
How many kinds of pie should I have?
Pumpkin and apple are the classics, with pecan close behind. For up to about 10 people, two or three kinds is plenty; the calculator spreads the pies across the kinds you pick.
Can I bake pies the day before Thanksgiving?
Yes. Pumpkin, pecan and other custard pies are made to be baked the day before; once cool, cover them and keep pumpkin and other egg-custard pies in the fridge. Fruit pies can be baked the day before or that morning and warmed for a few minutes before serving.
How much whipped cream do I need?
Heavy cream about doubles when whipped, so a cup of cream makes about 2 cups. Our estimate is a cup of cream for every 8 people at the table.
Do you store what I type in?
No. Everything is worked out in your browser. Nothing is sent or saved; print the list or copy it before you close the page.