Crustless Pies: 18 Holiday Desserts That Skip the Rolling Pin, Starting With Swedish Apple Pie

Crustless pies are the easiest way to bake for the holidays, and one of them is suddenly everywhere. Google searches for Swedish apple pie recipes jumped 300 percent in the past week, and easy Swedish apple pie has become a breakout search this fall. The reason is simple: the hardest part of any pie is the crust. Rolling, chilling and crimping scares off a lot of home bakers. These pies skip the crust completely. Some bake a buttery cake-like top, some make their own thin crust as they bake, and some are silky custards baked right in the dish. They are perfect for Thanksgiving and Christmas..

Crustless Pies: No Rolling Pin Required

The hardest part of any pie is the crust. These pies skip it completely, and searches for one of them jumped 300 percent this week. Most are stirred together in one bowl and baked in a buttered pie dish. Here is the basic method most of them share..

You will need: A 9-inch glass or ceramic pie dish, butter or baking spray, one mixing bowl, a whisk and a spatula.

How to make it: 1. Butter the pie dish well, including the sides. 2. Spread the fruit or filling in the dish. 3. Whisk the batter or custard in one bowl. 4. Pour or spread it over the filling. 5. Bake until golden and just set in the middle. 6. Cool at least 30 minutes so slices hold their shape.

Easy Swedish Apple Pie, the One Everyone Is Searching For

Swedish apple pie is really a cross between a pie and a cake. Sliced apples go straight into a buttered dish with cinnamon sugar, and a thick butter batter is spread on top. It bakes into a crackly, golden crust over soft apples. Allrecipes’ Easy Swedish Apple Pie has hundreds of five-star ratings. Serve it warm with vanilla ice cream. Ice cream or whipped cream?

You will need: 4 apples peeled and sliced, 1 tbsp sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon. Topping: 3/4 cup melted butter, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup flour, 1 egg, 1/2 cup chopped nuts optional, pinch of salt.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 350F and butter a 9-inch pie dish. 2. Fill the dish two-thirds full with apple slices. 3. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. 4. Mix the butter, sugar, flour, egg, nuts and salt into a thick batter. 5. Spread it over the apples. 6. Bake 45 to 55 minutes until golden.

Crustless Pies for Christmas: Swedish Cranberry Pie

Swap the apples for fresh cranberries and walnuts and you get a jewel-red holiday version of Swedish pie. The tart berries burst under the sweet buttery top, and it looks gorgeous on a Christmas dessert table. It is sometimes called Nantucket cranberry pie. Use frozen cranberries straight from the bag. Tart desserts: love or pass?

You will need: 2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries, 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, 1/4 cup sugar. Topping: 2 eggs, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup flour, 3/4 cup melted butter, 1 tsp almond or vanilla extract.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 350F and butter a pie dish. 2. Spread the cranberries and walnuts in the dish and sprinkle with sugar. 3. Whisk the eggs and sugar. 4. Stir in the flour, butter and extract. 5. Pour over the berries. 6. Bake 40 to 45 minutes until golden.

Swedish Cherry or Peach Pie

The same easy batter works with almost any fruit, which is why Swedish-style crustless pies are so handy. Use frozen cherries in winter or canned peaches any time of year. Drain the fruit well so the top stays crisp. A little almond extract makes cherries taste amazing. It is a sweet reminder of summer in the middle of the holidays. Cherry or peach?

You will need: 3 cups frozen sweet cherries thawed and drained or 2 cans (15 oz) sliced peaches drained, 2 tbsp sugar. Topping: 3/4 cup melted butter, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup flour, 1 egg, 1/2 tsp almond extract.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 350F and butter a pie dish. 2. Spread the fruit in the dish. 3. Sprinkle with sugar. 4. Mix the butter, sugar, flour, egg and extract. 5. Spread over the fruit. 6. Bake 45 to 50 minutes until golden brown.

Crustless Pies Grandma Loved: Impossible Coconut Custard

This vintage recipe is famous because it makes its own crust. Everything goes into a blender, gets poured into a pie dish and bakes into three layers: a soft bottom crust, a creamy custard middle and a toasted coconut top. Grandmothers loved it in the 1970s and 80s. It is one of the easiest crustless pies you will ever make. Have you tried it?

You will need: 4 eggs, 2 cups milk, 3/4 cup sugar, 1/2 cup flour, 1/4 cup melted butter, 1 tsp vanilla, 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 350F and butter a 10-inch pie dish. 2. Blend the eggs, milk, sugar, flour, butter and vanilla. 3. Stir in the coconut. 4. Pour into the dish. 5. Bake 45 to 50 minutes until the center is set. 6. Cool, then chill before slicing.

Crustless Pies for Thanksgiving: Classic Pumpkin

All the flavor of classic pumpkin pie with none of the crust work. A spoon of flour in the filling helps it slice cleanly. It is lighter, gluten-free if you use a gluten-free flour, and perfect for anyone who always leaves the crust on the plate anyway. Top with whipped cream and a pinch of cinnamon. Is the crust your favorite part or not?

You will need: 1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree, 1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk, 2 eggs, 3/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup flour, 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp vanilla.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 350F and butter a 9-inch pie dish. 2. Whisk everything together until smooth. 3. Pour into the dish. 4. Bake 45 to 55 minutes until a knife comes out clean. 5. Cool to room temperature. 6. Chill and serve with whipped cream.

Pumpkin Pie Custard Cups

Bake the same crustless pumpkin filling in ramekins or mugs and everyone gets their own little dessert. They bake faster than a whole pie and look adorable on a Thanksgiving table. Set the cups in a pan of hot water so the custard stays silky. Top with whipped cream or a crumble of gingersnaps. Cute or too fancy?

You will need: Same filling as crustless pumpkin pie, 6 to 8 small ramekins, hot water, whipped cream and crushed gingersnaps to serve.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 350F. 2. Butter the ramekins and set them in a baking pan. 3. Fill each with pumpkin filling. 4. Pour hot water into the pan halfway up the cups. 5. Bake 30 to 35 minutes until just set. 6. Chill and top before serving.

Sweet Potato Sonker, the Forgotten Southern Pie

Sonker is a deep-dish dessert from Surry County, North Carolina, somewhere between a pie and a cobbler. Sweet potatoes bake in a sweet, buttery syrup under a simple batter or lattice top, and it is served with a vanilla milk dip poured over each bowl. Allrecipes recently called it a nearly forgotten Southern dessert that might be better than pie. Have you ever heard of sonker?

You will need: 4 cups cooked sweet potatoes sliced, 1 1/2 cups sugar, 1/2 cup butter, 1 tsp cinnamon, 2 cups water. Topping: 1 cup self-rising flour, 1 cup milk, 1/2 cup melted butter. Dip: 2 cups milk, 1/2 cup sugar, 2 tbsp cornstarch, 1 tsp vanilla.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 375F. 2. Layer the sweet potatoes in a buttered 9×13 dish. 3. Simmer the sugar, butter, cinnamon and water and pour over. 4. Whisk the flour, milk and butter and spoon over the top. 5. Bake 45 to 50 minutes. 6. Cook the dip until thick and pour over each serving.

Crustless Pecan Pie Bake

Pecan pie filling bakes beautifully on its own in a buttered dish, like all the best crustless pies. It turns into a gooey, caramel-like custard with a crunchy layer of toasted pecans on top. Serve it in small squares because it is rich. It is a great choice for anyone who only eats the filling of pecan pie anyway. Warm or cold?

You will need: 3 eggs, 1 cup light corn syrup, 3/4 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup melted butter, 1 tsp vanilla, 1/4 tsp salt, 2 tbsp flour, 1 1/2 cups pecan halves.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 350F and butter an 8-inch pie dish. 2. Whisk the eggs, corn syrup, sugar, butter, vanilla, salt and flour. 3. Stir in the pecans. 4. Pour into the dish. 5. Bake 40 to 45 minutes until set with a slight wobble. 6. Cool completely before cutting.

Pear and Cranberry Clafoutis

Clafoutis is a French country dessert that is basically fruit baked in a sweet, eggy pancake batter. It puffs up in the oven and settles into a tender custard. Pears and cranberries make it perfect for the holidays, but any fruit works. It is elegant enough for Christmas Eve and easy enough for a Tuesday, a true cousin of crustless pies. Have you ever made clafoutis?

You will need: 2 ripe pears sliced, 1/2 cup cranberries, 3 eggs, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup flour, 1 cup milk, 1 tsp vanilla, pinch of salt, powdered sugar.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 375F and butter a baking dish. 2. Arrange the pears and cranberries in the dish. 3. Blend the eggs, sugar, flour, milk, vanilla and salt. 4. Pour over the fruit. 5. Bake 35 to 40 minutes until puffed and golden. 6. Dust with powdered sugar and serve warm.

Crustless Apple Cranberry Pie

Apples and cranberries are a perfect holiday pair, and this skillet pie makes them shine. The fruit bakes under a light, tender batter that is part cake and part custard. Bake it right in a cast iron skillet for a rustic look. It is one of the crustless pies that disappears first at every potluck. Skillet or pie dish?

You will need: 3 apples sliced, 1 cup cranberries, 1/3 cup brown sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon, 2 eggs, 3/4 cup milk, 1/2 cup flour, 1/4 cup sugar, 3 tbsp melted butter, 1 tsp vanilla.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 375F and butter a 10-inch skillet. 2. Toss the apples and cranberries with brown sugar and cinnamon and spread in the skillet. 3. Whisk the eggs, milk, flour, sugar, butter and vanilla. 4. Pour over the fruit. 5. Bake 35 to 40 minutes until golden. 6. Dust with powdered sugar.

Magic Lemon Custard Pie

Magic custard pies are crustless pies that separate into layers as they bake, and the lemon version is bright and refreshing after a heavy holiday meal. The batter is thin, but the oven works its magic and turns it into a tender bottom, a silky custard and a light top. Dust with powdered sugar before serving. Lemon desserts: yes or no?

You will need: 4 eggs separated, 3/4 cup sugar, 1/2 cup melted butter, 3/4 cup flour, 2 cups warm milk, juice and zest of 2 lemons, powdered sugar.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 325F and butter a pie dish. 2. Beat the yolks and sugar until pale, then add the butter. 3. Mix in the flour, then the warm milk and lemon. 4. Beat the whites to soft peaks and fold in gently. 5. Pour into the dish and bake 50 to 60 minutes. 6. Cool and chill before slicing.

Crustless Pies for Cheesecake Lovers

Skip the graham crust and bake creamy cheesecake right in a buttered pie dish. It is lighter, faster and slices like a dream. Top it with cranberry sauce for Thanksgiving or cherry pie filling for Christmas. A water bath is not needed in a shallow pie dish. Plain or with fruit on top?

You will need: 2 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese softened, 2/3 cup sugar, 2 eggs, 1/2 cup sour cream, 1 tsp vanilla, 1 tbsp lemon juice, fruit topping to serve.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 325F and butter a 9-inch pie dish. 2. Beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. 3. Beat in the eggs one at a time. 4. Mix in the sour cream, vanilla and lemon. 5. Pour into the dish and bake 35 to 40 minutes until the center barely wobbles. 6. Cool and chill 4 hours.

Crustless Pies for Chocolate Lovers: Fudge Pie

This is the dessert for chocolate lovers. A brownie-like batter bakes into a fudgy pie with a thin, crackly top, and no crust is needed at all. Serve it slightly warm with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. It is ready to bake in five minutes with one bowl. Brownie edge or gooey middle?

You will need: 1/2 cup butter melted, 1 cup sugar, 2 eggs, 1/3 cup cocoa powder, 1/4 cup flour, 1 tsp vanilla, pinch of salt, 1/2 cup chocolate chips.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 350F and butter a 9-inch pie dish. 2. Whisk the butter and sugar. 3. Whisk in the eggs and vanilla. 4. Stir in the cocoa, flour and salt, then the chocolate chips. 5. Spread in the dish. 6. Bake 25 to 30 minutes until just set in the center.

Impossible Cheeseburger Pie (Vintage Dinner)

Crustless pies are not only for dessert. This 1970s dinner classic makes its own crust as it bakes: browned beef and onions go into the dish, cheese goes on top, and a simple egg and baking mix batter is poured over everything. It is like a cheeseburger casserole that slices like a pie. Kids love it. Did your mom make this?

You will need: 1 lb ground beef, 1 onion chopped, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 cup shredded cheddar, 1/2 cup biscuit baking mix, 1 cup milk, 2 eggs, pickles and ketchup to serve.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 400F and grease a 9-inch pie dish. 2. Brown the beef and onion, drain and season. 3. Spread in the dish and top with cheese. 4. Whisk the baking mix, milk and eggs. 5. Pour over the beef. 6. Bake 25 minutes until golden and a knife comes out clean.

Crustless Spinach and Ham Quiche for Christmas Brunch

A crustless quiche is the easiest Christmas morning breakfast and proof that crustless pies work for brunch too. Whisk eggs with milk and cheese, add ham and spinach, and bake in a buttered pie dish while everyone opens presents. It slices beautifully and can be made the night before. Serve with fruit and coffee cake for a full brunch. Ham or bacon?

You will need: 8 eggs, 1 cup milk, 1 1/2 cups shredded Swiss or cheddar, 1 cup diced ham, 1 cup chopped spinach, 1/4 cup sliced green onions, salt, pepper, pinch of nutmeg.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 375F and butter a 9-inch pie dish. 2. Spread the ham, spinach, onions and most of the cheese in the dish. 3. Whisk the eggs, milk, salt, pepper and nutmeg. 4. Pour over the filling. 5. Top with the rest of the cheese. 6. Bake 35 to 40 minutes until puffed and set.

Crustless Sweet Potato Pie

Southern sweet potato pie is silky, spiced and slightly lighter than pumpkin. Without the crust, it bakes like a creamy custard and is one of the simplest crustless pies for Thanksgiving. Use baked sweet potatoes for the deepest flavor. Top with whipped cream and a sprinkle of nutmeg. Sweet potato or pumpkin team?

You will need: 2 cups mashed baked sweet potatoes, 3/4 cup sugar, 1/2 cup evaporated milk, 2 eggs, 1/4 cup melted butter, 2 tbsp flour, 1 tsp vanilla, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, pinch of salt.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 350F and butter a pie dish. 2. Beat the sweet potatoes until smooth. 3. Beat in the sugar, milk, eggs and butter. 4. Add the flour, vanilla, spices and salt. 5. Pour into the dish. 6. Bake 45 to 50 minutes until set, then cool.

Norwegian Apple Cake, Swedish Pie’s Cousin

If you love Swedish apple pie, try its Scandinavian cousin. Norwegian apple cake, or eplekake, is a soft butter cake with apple slices pressed into the top and a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar. It bakes in a round pan and slices like a pie. Serve it with coffee on a cozy winter afternoon. Want more holiday dessert ideas? See our Thanksgiving desserts that are not pie. Coffee or tea with yours?

You will need: 1/2 cup butter softened, 3/4 cup sugar, 2 eggs, 1 1/4 cups flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 cup milk, 1 tsp vanilla, 2 apples thinly sliced, 2 tbsp sugar mixed with 1 tsp cinnamon.

How to make it: 1. Heat the oven to 350F and butter a 9-inch round pan. 2. Beat the butter and sugar, then the eggs. 3. Mix in the flour, baking powder, milk and vanilla. 4. Spread the batter in the pan. 5. Press the apple slices on top and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. 6. Bake 40 to 45 minutes.