The fruit pie commonly listed alongside pumpkin and pecan as a Thanksgiving favorite is apple pie.
Apple pie is one of the best-known desserts served at Thanksgiving, where it joins pumpkin and pecan pie on many holiday tables. It is typically made by baking sliced apples with sugar and spices inside pastry, often beneath a lattice or full top crust. Cinnamon is common, though recipes vary by region and apple variety.
Apple pie is not originally an American invention. Medieval European cooks made pies containing apples and other fruit, and the tradition crossed the Atlantic with settlers. In the United States, the dessert gradually became associated with abundance, home cooking, and national identity during the 19th and 20th centuries.
Pumpkin pie is generally considered the most traditional Thanksgiving pie, while apple and pecan are frequent companions. “American as apple pie” is therefore a cultural expression rather than a claim that the dish originated in the United States. Lemon meringue, banana cream, and key lime pies are popular desserts, but they are not the standard trio named in descriptions of Thanksgiving favorites.