9 Underrated Fall Pie Flavors You Have To Try

Fall has so many good vibes — cool, but not overbearingly cold temperatures, beautiful landscapes with changing colors, and so many delicious food items (like fresh fall fruits) unique to this time of year. While we associate fall with plenty of distinct flavors in our dishes and desserts, one of the most enjoyable ways to experience them might very well be a tasty pie.

For us, pies just scream autumn. While many of the season's top tastes — apple, maple, pumpkin, cinnamon — can be enjoyed year-round, there's just something about fall that makes us want to incorporate them into a nicely baked pie. Beyond the most common fall flavors, there are quite a few underrated flavors and combinations that are also worth consideration.

With that said, we put together a list of nine underrated fall pie flavors you have to try. There's nothing wrong with the standard apple and pumpkin pie options, but if you want to switch things up a little this year, then here are some ideas to think about.

We'll start fairly simple. Pears often get a backseat to other autumn produce, like pumpkin, apple, and cranberry, but we think pears deserve their due as a tasty fall fruit. Pears are also best during the fall, as pear season in the United States runs roughly from late summer through January. With pears, you can always make delicious pear pie — it's a similar process to making an apple pie — and incorporate other fall flavors like cinnamon. Think about adding in caramel or making a combination pie with another fall fruit. Cranberries, for example, work well with pears.

These are two classic fall flavors, so while they're not revolutionary on their own, you probably haven't thought of pairing them together in a pie. Maple does a lot of the lifting here in terms of sweetness, though you can still incorporate brown sugar. You can use other classic ingredients as well, like cinnamon, lemon juice, and nutmeg. Some recipes even call for slices of cheddar cheese on top of the pie, melted in the oven, before serving. You can go in all sorts of directions when making a pie with apple and maple. These ingredients really work well together, so it's a combination that should yield a delicious dessert no matter which recipe you follow.

Cranberry is another star fruit of the fall season. You'll see plenty of cranberry dishes, including pies, that use this fruit as a stand-alone ingredient — but have you ever tried them with fudge? This underrated combo could very well change your Thanksgiving dessert table forever. One potential way to make a pie like this is to use the fudge as a filling and make a cranberry sauce that tops the pie. Some recipes even call for candied cranberries on top. Now that sounds amazing!

We're not here to tell you that ham and cheese is some groundbreaking flavor combination — at least, not when it's eaten in a sandwich. What we will say is that these two classic ingredients are game changers when used as elements of a savory pie. Do they work together in this way? Absolutely. Add a little spinach and you really have one of the better savory pies you could possibly make. While these ingredients combine well in a large pie, you might also consider using them as part of mini breakfast pies. Or they would also be perfect as an appetizer at a dinner or holiday party.

Figs have two seasons: One smaller crop appears around June, and a larger crop arrives around August through fall. Much like pears, figs are often overlooked for some of the more superstar fall fruits — actually, forgive us, figs aren't fruits, but that's just a small detail. The point is — don't sleep on figs as a delicious pie filling. A basic fig pie is a pretty easy dessert to make. For a standard-sized pie, you'll quarter a few cups of figs, pour a thoroughly combined mix of eggs, sugar, flour, butter, lemon juice, and ginger over them, and bake. Optionally, top with whipped cream, and you have a fantastic fig pie.

You know how the world melts down when two powerhouse celebrities combine to make a new album or appear in the same movie? This pecan and pumpkin collab is kind of like that. These two famous fall flavors deserve to spend a little time together, and a pecan pumpkin pie with cream is the perfect way to do that. There are plenty of ways to make this happen, and quite a few recipes online that will show you how. You might not think of putting these two flavors together, but when done right, it's a really underrated combination.

Of course, sweet potatoes are a classic fall food option. You often see them baked or as part of some type of dish that incorporates caramelized marshmallows and leaves you crashing down from a sugar bomb hours later. But sweet potato pie is definitely a viable dish in the fall — and pairing it with some type of nut is a great way to add even more flavor and texture. You could always go with pecans, but you might also consider other nuts, like hazelnuts, walnuts, or almonds. With the sweet potato as the filling and star of the show, the nut combination makes for an excellent crunchy topping.

Blackberry season in the United States typically runs from early summer through October, and this fruit has a good amount of tart flavor to pair nicely in a pie with the sweetness from honey. These two make the perfect filling, mixed in with some other ingredients like sugar, cinnamon, and lemon juice. You might not think about blackberries as a typical pie ingredient, but try them next time you're looking for something a little different than the traditional fall pie.

We've already shared one savory pie option, so we'll leave you with a second one to close things out. Sausage, apples, and cheese might seem like a weird trio of flavors, but they are actually a very underrated flavor combo. Again, these ingredients fit especially well for smaller mini pies — either as a breakfast entree or as a pre-party appetizer. They're easy to carry alongside a glass of wine or cocktail, and more importantly, they're delicious. We would recommend using Granny Smith apples — known for their tartness — to counter the saltiness of the sausage and cheddar.