Pie in any form is a nearly perfect food, and while Pi Day may have been inspired by a mathematical concept, it’s become inextricable from America’s favorite circular dessert-in-a-crust. In advance of this year’s 3-14 celebration, Google graced the internet with a map of the most-searched pie in every state (just like they did for the most-searched Super Bowl foods), using data from the past seven days.
Google
There’s a strong showing from savory pies, but as you might expect, sweet sweeps the nation. You’re sure to find a slice you like in this virtual bakery case of popular pies—but whether your pick aligns with your home state’s preference is another matter.
Here’s the data in list form, but for an in-depth breakdown (including recipes, of course), keep scrolling!
- Alabama: Buttermilk Pie
- Alaska: Shepherd’s Pie
- Arizona: Lemon Meringue Pie
- Arkansas: Buttermilk Pie
- California: Mud Pie
- Colorado: Spaghetti Pie
- Connecticut: Chicken Pot Pie
- Delaware: Shepherd’s Pie
- Washington, D.C.: Pecan Pie
- Florida: Key Lime Pie
- Georgia: Buttermilk Pie
- Hawaii: Haupia Pie
- Idaho: Strawberry Pie
- Illinois: French Silk Pie
- Indiana: Peanut Butter Pie
- Iowa: Coconut Cream Pie
- Kansas: Cheeseburger Pie
- Kentucky: Peanut Butter Pie
- Louisiana: Crawfish Pie
- Maine: Chicken Pot Pie
- Maryland: Pumpkin Pie
- Massachusetts: Ricotta Pie
- Michigan: Cheeseburger Pie
- Minnesota: French Silk Pie
- Mississippi: Buttermilk Pie
- Missouri: Coconut Cream Pie
- Montana: Chicken Pot Pie
- Nebraska: Cherry Pie
- Nevada: Shepherd’s Pie
- New Hampshire: Chicken Pot Pie
- New Jersey: Tomato Pie
- New Mexico: Pecan Pie
- New York: Chicken Pot Pie
- North Carolina: Sweet Potato Pie
- North Dakota: Chocolate Pie
- Ohio: Peanut Butter Pie
- Oklahoma: Chocolate Pie
- Oregon: Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
- Pennsylvania: Tomato Pie
- Rhode Island: Cheeseburger Pie
- South Carolina: Tomato Pie
- South Dakota: Apple Pie
- Tennessee: Buttermilk Pie
- Texas: Millionaire Pie
- Utah: Banana Cream Pie
- Vermont: Chicken Pot Pie
- Virginia: Butterscotch Pie
- Washington: Banana Cream Pie
- West Virginia: Peanut Butter Pie
- Wisconsin: French Silk Pie
- Wyoming: Shepherd’s Pie
This old-fashioned pie is creamy, custardy, and quite sweet, despite the tangy namesake ingredient. It’s especially popular in the south, as Google’s data attests.
Is shepherd’s pie really a pie? It doesn’t usually have a bottom crust, which seems like a pretty important criteria for counting in the pie category. But it is America’s second most popular savory pie right now, which may have something to do with the fact that St. Patrick’s Day is just around the bend.
Arizona is looking for a pie as sunny as their state, topped with a billowy mound of burnished meringue. If that’s a little too much work for you, though, try this Arizona Sunshine Lemon Pie that just has you throw everything (including unpeeled lemons) in the blender.
Turns out, buttermilk pie has lots of fans in The Natural State too. Seems appropriate, since the pie is made from such simple, natural ingredients itself (eggs, buttermilk, sugar, butter, flour, lemon juice, and vanilla).
5. California: Mud Pie
This pie usually has “Mississippi” in the name, but mud pie’s biggest fan base seems to be in California—fitting, if it’s true that the chocolate ganache-topped coffee ice cream pie was invented at a San Francisco restaurant.
Why serve spaghetti in the form of a pie? Well, why not? It’s definitely easier to eat than twirling saucy noodles around a fork, and has a certain retro appeal.
This comfort food classic is America’s sweetheart, at least when it comes to savory pies; six states searched for this more than any other type of pie in the past week, and we all know why (it’s delicious and homey and brings together flaky pastry and rich gravy).
The savory selection without a pastry crust but with plenty of mashed potatoes on top ranks again in Delaware, the Diamond Sate. Still not sure how we feel about its status as a pie, despite it being in the name…but we’ll allow it.
9. District of Columbia: Pecan Pie
Washington, D.C. does sit south of the Mason-Dixon line, so maybe it’s not so surprising that pecan pie is #1 in the political capital.
Also not surprising: Florida’s love for Key lime pie. The state was a commercial producer of the small, fragrant limes through the late 1920s, when a hurricane wiped out most of the crop, but they’re still associated with the tart citrus, and this classic American dessert.
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Here’s that Southern staple of the dessert table again: buttermilk pie. If your curiosity is piqued, there’s no better time than Pi Day to try it!
It doesn’t get more Hawaiian than haupia, the smooth and surprisingly firm coconut pudding served at family barbecues, local lunch spots, and tourist-packed luaus alike all over the Aloha State. Combine it with chocolate custard in a macadamia nut crust and you have a truly perfect pie, wherever you are.
Fresh, simple, and understated, strawberry pie is a respectable option for any picnic spread or summer dessert table. Maybe not the best choice for the pre-spring season, but as long as your berries taste good, go for it. (Many versions call for strawberry Jell-O to help the filling set, but that’s up to you.)
The Prairie State is searching for this Parisian-sounding pie, which in fact is all-American. Most sources say the rich yet delicately-textured chocolate mousse and whipped cream concoction was invented by the 1951 Pillsbury Bake-Off champ, Betty Cooper. Clearly, it’s still going strong, at least in Illinois, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.
Similar to French Silk in texture, peanut butter pie is usually a fluffy peanut butter mousse filling smoothed into a chocolate or graham cracker crust. Frankly, we’re surprised it only topped the search list in four states.
There are many versions of coconut cream pie out there, but they’re almost all good. A creamy coconut filling, airy whipped cream on top, and a shower of shredded toasted coconut—how could that not be a winner?
Swinging back into the savory pie realm, Kansas has a thing for cheeseburger pie, and honestly, so do we. It often comes in a pastry crust, but our version just tops the ground beef with an easy batter of flour, baking powder, eggs, and milk—and lots of cheddar cheese.
Practically perfect in every way, peanut butter pie won the prize (of being most-Googled) in Kentucky too.
Louisiana, like Hawaii, is feeling hyper-local and searched a lot for crawfish pie, a Cajun delicacy that’s a little like crawfish etouffee in pie form (as if it wasn’t already delicious enough).
An unassuming yet solid choice for a state you might describe the same way. (Of course, you could always go with a fancy lobster pot pie to feel more regionally specific.)
The only state to favor the classic Thanksgiving pie as winter is winding down. It’s certainly a timeless choice in many respects, but are people actually still eating it now that fall is over?
Another idiosyncratic showing, ricotta pie was the most-searched in The Codfish State over the last week. This lightly sweet cheese pie is often served as part of Italian Easter menus, which might explain its current popularity. This version has a soft olive oil-enriched crust.
Clearly, Kansas isn’t the only state who likes their burgers in crowd-pleasing pie form; Michigan appreciates the mash-up too (as does Rhode Island).
French Silk Pie appears again in The Gopher State. We could sure go for a slice right now, ourselves…
We’re running out of things to say about buttermilk pie, except that it really is delicious, and you should try it.
One other state besides Iowa has a present predilection for coconut cream, and that’s Missouri (although, really, you could kind of think of Hawaii’s haupia pie as a distant cousin to coconut cream…)
Chicken pot pie is tops in Montana, and we’re not mad. Just really hungry.
Nebraska isn’t even a top cherry-producing state, but they picked this fruity pie, which is a great representation of wholesome, farm-fresh Midwestern food. (There’s even a 2013 book titled “Fried Walleye and Cherry Pie: Midwestern Writers on Food.”)
There’s obviously a lot more to Nevada than Vegas, but there’s still something slightly disappointing about the Silver State’s top-searched pie being so, well, humble.
Speaking of humble pies, chicken pot pies are what The Granite State (like so many others) is craving right now.
Jersey is justly famous for its tomatoes, so the fact that its residents search a lot for tomato pie makes perfect sense. However, it’s more of a summer thing, so maybe they’re just willing the weather to change right about now?
As in D.C., pecan pie transcends the Thanksgiving season in New Mexico, and we can get behind that. For a Southwestern spin, we suggest adding extra spices, maybe even a hint of cayenne. Even better if it’s a chocolate pecan pie to begin with.
Let’s hear it for chicken pot pie (again); it’s the apple of New York’s eye too, at least for now.
The distinctly Southern answer to pumpkin pie, sweet potato is a worthy winter pie-filler, and North Carolina clearly agrees.
There are so many ways to interpret “chocolate pie”—and all of them are delicious. If you wanted to lump “French Silk Pie” in with the more general chocolate pie category, then it would be neck-and-neck with buttermilk pie.
Not the first time you’ve seen peanut butter pie on this list, nor the last. For something a little bit different, you could try bringing caramel into the mix.
Non-specific chocolate pie topped the Google charts in the Sooner State too. If you’d like a slice of your own sooner rather than later, consider this no-bake version (it does still need two hours to set, because nothing is truly perfect).
It seems like marionberry pie would have made more sense for Oregon, but sweet-tart strawberry-rhubarb it is. Not quite the right season, again, but spring is fast approaching…
Another state into tomato pie, Pennsylvania joins New Jersey in dreaming about summer food.
Inspired to try cheeseburger pie yet? It does make a quick and easy dinner that the whole family can probably agree on. And it’s thematically appropriate for Pi Day, of course.
The last state to pick tomato pie, South Carolina must be hungry for warmer weather too.
As American as apple pie is purported to be, only one state is searching for it more than others, and that’s South Dakota.
The last state in the Buttermilk Pie Belt, Tennessee knows what’s up when it comes time for dessert.
If you’re not familiar with Millionaire Pie, you might be picturing something very different from the reality. Dispel all thoughts of striking it rich with a dessert full of luxurious chocolate fudge and caramel, because this is actually a light and fluffy combination of Cool Whip, crushed pineapple, pecans, and cherries. Naturally, it’s sky-high too.
The state that brought us funeral potatoes is one of two to be currently obsessed with banana cream pie, and who can blame them? Especially when you bring some coconut into the picture.
Are you sick of chicken pot pie yet? Vermont isn’t, but they are the last state in the list to claim it as their most-searched kind of pie over the past week!
In case it wasn’t already torture trying to figure out which pie to make, along comes Viriginia’s pick: creamy, smooth, sweet butterscotch pie. This version makes it even more tempting with a spiced cookie crust and homemade butterscotch pudding beneath a mound of fresh whipped cream.
Like Utah, Washington has a fixation on lofty banana cream pie. (But if you want to be healthier about it, you can try this raw, vegan banana cream pie.)
Like several other states in this pie-loving nation, West Virginia has a thing for peanut butter pie. Try it and you’ll understand completely.
French Silk Pie wins over Wisconsin (and basically everyone who tastes it).
And savory shepherd’s pie is the top pick in Wyoming.
Pick Your Perfect Pie
In case you can’t decide which pie you want to make first, get inspired by Chowhound TorontoJo, who joined forces with friends to make 24 pies among 16 people! (Don’t have that big a squad? Take heart: You can make at least three pies in one morning by yourself.)
So peruse all our pie recipes, and see a slideshow of our favorite sweet and savory pies for Pi Day—or any other day of the year.
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