Be it pecan, pumpkin, sweet potato, apple or decadent chocolate cream, the holidays are prime time for pies.
Thanksgiving then Christmas call for freshly made-from-scratch pies on the table. And Jacksonville-area bakeries stand ready, willing and very able to answer that call.
The holidays are “a pie event,” that local bakers say means more than just a sweet slice of dessert. The pies are special — not only reflecting the flavors of fall but also sparking life-long memories of family and friends.
“I think pie evokes a sense of nostalgia. It just reminds people of a time when they were just sitting around the family table and they are just laughing. They’re eating something that is delicious and they’re engaged in meaningful conversation,” Chef Natasha Burton, founder and owner of Mixed Fillings Pie Shop, said of the power of pie.
So, whether you are culinarily challenged, procrastinate until nearly the last minute or just want to leave it to the professionals, these Jacksonville-area bakeries offer a sweet slice of holiday cheer.
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1748 Bakehouse
Allison Vaughan, founder, owner and baker-in-chief at 1748 Bakehouse roasts fresh-from-the-farm pumpkins at the heart of her signature Thanksgiving Best pumpkin pie which also features caramel, chocolate and candied pecans.
The pie tops the bakehouse’s Thanksgiving-only specialty pies, which also include Maple Roasted Pumpkin, Chocolate Chess, Apple Cranberry Crumble, Vintage Pecan and Old Fashioned Apple. And by popular demand, a Pecan Carrot Cake is on the menu.
Vaughan relies on her family recipes as well as those she’s created that were inspired by growing up in the South. 1748 Bakehouse focuses on fresh seasonal ingredients that are locally sourced and sustainably grown. In addition, they use refined sugar sparingly, preferring agave to sweeten their baked goods, she said.
The Christmas menu is being finalized. It will feature a similar specialty pie selection as well as cakes. Also available will be their regular variety of muffins, tarts, pastries, milk bread rolls and other baked goods, Vaughan said.
This year’s Thanksgiving pies range from $38 to $44 dollars. 1748 Bakehouse is open 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday and closed Monday.
1748 Bakehouse, 1748 N Main St., Jacksonville, (904) 374-2541, 1748bakehouse.com
Amaretti Desserts
Amaretti Desserts is a family-owned bakery specializing in desserts as well as breakfast pastries that routinely draw customers from throughout Northeast Florida as well as Georgia.
Founder and owner Donna Damiano personally makes their signature apple pie, which tops the Thanksgiving pie menu, said her daughter, Marissa Saint Cyr, who is the bakery’s manager.
Also on the menu are Dutch Apple, Chocolate Silk, Kentucky Derby, Coconut Cream, Sweet Potato Praline, traditional pumpkin and pecan. Minus the sweet potato, the Christmas pie menu will be the same, Saint Cyr said.
Amaretti also features cakes, Italian cookie trays, cupcakes, muffins, pastries dinner rolls and other baked goods.
“It’s nice to be a part of people’s holidays and get to know that the stuff we make goes on their tables and they are sharing it with their families,” Saint Cyr said of the role they play in the holidays.
Pies range from $28 to $40. Amaretti Desserts is open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, noon to 6 p.m. Sunday and closed Monday.
Amaretti Desserts, 14965 Old St. Augustine Road, Jacksonville, (904) 619-8279, amarettidesserts.com
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Mixed Fillings Pie Shop
Mixed Fillings Pie Shop is rolling out two versions of its popular Bourbon Sweet Potato Pie this Thanksgiving.
One features a house-made whipped cream topping and is available only for pre-order. The other has a house-made vanilla marshmallow topping and is available only for walk-in customers, Burton said.
Key lime with spiced cranberry sauce on top is a returning holiday favorite. Also featured are traditional apple and pumpkin pies which both have a walnut streusel topping. They’re also offering a chiffon latte pumpkin pie with a ginger snap crust and espresso whipped cream, a toasted pecan, and a chocolate espresso pie, she said.
Pies range from $38 to $42. Mixed Fillings is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. or until sold out Wednesday through Saturday and closed Sunday through Tuesday.
Mixed Fillings Pie Shop, 1049 Park St., Jacksonville, (904) 619-6455, mixedfillingspieshop.com
Pie Heaven Bakery Cafe
Pie Heaven Bakery Cafe is known for its “grandma classics” — you know, the sweet and savory pies made with love by a doting grandma, said Anita Hyde, founder and owner of the bakery that recently celebrated its 10th anniversary.
“We’re not fancy. We spend our time and with the quality of the ingredients, we try to make something that feels like your grandma just reached out and hugged you from heaven,” Hyde said.
Topping their fruit pies is apple. It’s stuffed with more than three pounds of fresh apples. Also popular are the Salted Caramel Apple, Wild Maine Blueberry, traditional Mincemeat, Strawberry Rhubarb and Mixed Berry.
Customer favorites also include Coconut Custard, Country Chocolate, Margarita Key Lime, Organic Pumpkin, Classic Pecan, Bourbon Pecan and Chocolate Bourbon Pecan, Hyde said.
Pies range from $39 for a whole 9-inch pie while a 6-inch pie is $15. It’s first come, first served at Pie Heaven Bakery Cafe, which doesn’t accept pre-orders. The bakery is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and closed Sunday and Monday.
Pie Heaven Bakery Cafe, 1980 Mayport Road, Atlantic Beach, (904) 524-7274, pieheavencafe.com
Wicked Batter Cafe
Wicked Batter Cafe is known for its traditional as well as Keto diet and diabetic-friendly desserts ranging from pies to cupcakes, custom cakes, cookies, brownies and fruit tarts.
“Specifically for Keto, we do a lot of cheesecake pies: Key Lime, strawberry, blueberry, raspberry and Chocolate Pecan Ganache. We also do a pecan pie and a pumpkin pie for Keto,” said Barbara Tharp, founder and owner, noting the family bakery offers Keto year-round.
For the holidays, Tharp said they’re offering all the classic fruit pies such as Strawberry-Rhubarb, Apple, Blackberry, Pumpkin, Blueberry and Mixed Berry.
Pecan Praline is one of their signature pies. Among the bakery’s cold and pudding pies are Belgian Chocolate Cream, Banana Cream and Vanilla Cream. Cheesecake pies, including Chocolate Pecan Ganache, Strawberry, Key Lime and Peanut Butter, also are customer favorites, she said.
Traditional pies are $25 each while the Keto pies are $48 each. Wicked Batter Cafe is open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, Wednesday and Thursday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and closed Monday and Tuesday.
Wicked Batter Cafe, 6000 Lake Gray Blvd. Suite 20, Jacksonville, (904) 374-2487, wickedbattercafe.com
Teresa Stepzinski is the dining reporter for the Times-Union. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @TeresaStepz or reach her via email at tstepzinski@jacksonville.com.
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