Thanksgiving will soon be here and for many of us, that means pies will be featured on the dessert menu. These pie crust decorating ideas will take your Thanksgiving pies to a whole new level.
Homemade pies have never looked as appealing as these beautiful and easy pie crust designs. With stenciled pie crust tops, to lattice designs and leaf edges cut from special cutters, these pie crust decorating ideas will wow your guests.
If ever there was a time to add a special touch to your pie, it’s during the Thanksgiving holiday.
These decorative pie crust toppers are the perfect way to personalize your pie, and delight your holiday party goers.
Leaf Edge Pie Crust
Making a leaf edge pie crust is very easy to do. Use leaf pie crust cutters to cut about 65 leaves of different designs.
The leaf cutouts are then baked for about 6-8 minutes or until they are golden brown. The pumpkin pie is cooked separately. Once it is cooked, arrange the leaves in an overlapping design around the edges of the pie.
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Take your Thanksgiving pie to a whole new level with these awesome pie decorating ideas. From stenciled pie top, to a lattice crust and cut out designs, we have your holiday dessert table covered. Click To TweetPithivier Pie Crust
If you aren’t in the mood to get involved in a fancy pie crust, try a pithivier. This decorative pie crust idea is so simple and quick to prepare.
To make the pie top designs, the surface of the pie crust is scored with a paring knife to make a decorative pattern. This pie decoration design can be as simple as lines cut into the top of the crust or you can make more elaborate swirls.
To make the cuts look sharper, be sure to use egg wash on the pastry before you score it. This will make the score marks lighter than top layer as the pie crust browns to enhance the design when cooked.
Maple Leaf Pie Crust Design
This pie crust looks difficult but actually is not. To make the design, just use a large maple leaf die cut over the top of the crust. The leaf will act as a stencil.
While the leaf is in place on your baked pie crust, just dust the top of the pie with powdered sugar around the outside. When you remove the leaf, the center of the pie will show with the powder around it. So pretty!
The idea is demonstrated here with a cake but can easily be done over a pie crust, too. This idea just screams fall.
Lattice Pie Crust Design
There is nothing more old fashioned than a freshly baked pie with a lattice top crust. The open work texture of this type of decorative pie crust allows the diner to easily see what is inside the pie.
The small holes in the pie crust also add a functional feature – they make perfect vents, allowing the steam to escape from the pie!
To make this pretty pie crust, simply cut very cold pie crust dough into strips. The wider the strip, the more rustic the pie will look. You can even a pastry wheel to give the strips a scalloped edge finish.
Lattice pie crusts can have the strips simply overlapping each other in opposite directions, or interwoven for a more intricate effect.
For a fun final touch to your pie crust design, dust the edges of the pie with powdered sugar after baking for a decorative look.
Cut-Out Pie Crusts
Cut-out pie crusts are easy to make. To prepare this type of design, roll out very cold pie crust dough with a marble rolling pin and make some cut-outs in the pie dough with a sharp paring knife.
Carefully place the pie crust with the cut-outs on top of your filled pie shell and crimp the edges together. The cut-outs will allow the pie to vent while cooking and will give a decorative look to the pie when baked.
More Pie Crust Decorating Ideas
These pie decorating ideas are just what you need to make your Thanksgiving pies the hit of your dessert table for the upcoming holidays. 
Are you still looking for inspiration? One of these pie crust decorations should be just the idea to add a touch of flair to your Thanksgiving pies this year. This adorable turkey crust pumpkin pie is much easier to make than you might think. You don't even need fancy cutters to get the shape. A card stock pattern of the pieces cut out with scissors will do the job. This delightfully colorful autumn leaves apple pie may look like it’s difficult to make but with these easy tips and tricks, you too can make an adorable (and delicious) easy pie crust design! Apple pie designs such as this one always deserve a special place on any dessert table. They’re not only a pretty way to decorate apple pie, they’re also great conversation starters. Decorative pie crust edges take any pie to the next level. In this design, the process of lattice work and braiding are combined for a really intricate look. This technique takes some time to master, but is worth it for the rave reviews you will get on Thanksgiving day. Feeling a bit crafty? This easy DIY Stenciled Pie Crust project just takes a few extra minutes to add some cinnamon sugar or powdered food color over the top of a special pie stencil. Once the decorating is done, then bake as usual. Give your holiday baking a distinctive flair that shows you really "cook with love." This crust takes a bit of practice but the end result is worth the effort! Once you get the knack of it, the project really is not that difficult. Your family and friends will never believe you did it yourself! Egg wash makes cinnamon sugar stick to the pie crust and the design can be varied according to the stencil you choose. The beauty of this pie is the domed top. The leaves are cut in a similar way to the leaf edge pie crust above, but then they are layered over the top of a pie recipe with lots of filling in it and then baked. The result is an amazing textured pie crust design that screams fall. Take your crimped pie crust to a new level with a fishtail-braided rim and a scattering of pie crust cutout shapes. A dusting of powdered sugar completes the look. Pie crust decorations like this will help you go from the "ooh" to the "aah" stage this Thanksgiving. Decorative pie crust tops like this fall apple pie design are a great way to make use of pastry off-cuts. The cut out stem design gives a vent to the apple pie filling center and the hand painted leaves bring the color of autumn to the Thanksgiving table. For another take on this idea, be sure to see my Thanksgiving fall leaf cookies. Remember the knit sweater that your mom used to wear on chilly days? It has lots of cables, braids, and maybe a few other intricately woven details. While vintage sweaters might not exactly be your style, This unique pie crust design uses a knit sweater theme to make the most stunning pie crust ever. Decorative pie crust tops are not just for Thanksgiving! This festive poinsettia pie crust topper has a painted design that is just perfect for Christmas. The pie crust cutouts are easily done and the design takes just minutes to prepare.Decorative Pie Crusts
Invest in just a few kitchen tools, such as leaf pie crust cutters (or mini cookie cutters,) a spiral pastry wheel and a few pie crust stencils and these decorative pies will just be the beginning of your creations.
Pin These Pie Crust Ideas for Later
Would you like a reminder of these pie decorating ideas? Just pin this image to one of your cooking boards on Pinterest so that you can easily find it later.
Sara
Friday 10th of November 2023
There are not a lot of details on the how to parts. For instance, the pumpkin pie with the leaves on the edge - says to cut out @65 leaves and cook them separately. They look like maybe you egg washed them. Is that a step I should take. Do they just stay on the edge - no slipping around? And I am guessing regarding cooking (6-8 minutes) that it is at the same temperature as the pie? Looks amazing and eager to try. Thank you for your help.
Carol Speake
Friday 10th of November 2023
Hi Sara. These are not my recipes. Each one has a link to the original source. If you click on that and put the question to the recipe creator, they should be able to help you.