Top 11 Canadian Pies

Sugar pie is a popular dessert in France, Belgium, the United States of America, and Quebec, Canada. The dessert consists of an open pie without a top crust, filled with a combination of sugar, maple syrup, cream, butter, and a bit of salt. The pie is usually flavored with vanilla. The popularity of sugar pie throughout the world is due to the fact that many immigrants from Northern France and Belgium went to Canada, discovering maple syrup along the way, which was sometimes the only available sweetener. Today, sugar pie is a holiday favorite in Quebec, when it is usually topped with a dollop of whipped cream. In Indiana, there is a variation on the recipe called sugar cream pie, prepared with somewhat more cream and flour, making for a fluffier filling with a slightly different flavor.Expand

A warm and light piece of traditional Canadian Saskatoon berry pie is a regional trademark, especially when accompanied by a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream on the side. It is made with Saskatoon berries, native to Western Canada, which grow from the Plains to the coast of British Columbia. The indigenous people of Canada used Saskatoon berries as a food source, grinding them into a paste and drying them for storage over the winter. Later, they were used in pemmican, pies, and various desserts. The city of Saskatoon in Canada is, in fact, named after these same berries, which are also protected by the Slow Food initiative. The pie is made from flour, pie pastry, butter, eggs, and Saskatoon berries (similar to blueberries, but harder and with smaller seeds, drier and earthier in flavor). Today, Canadian Saskatoon berry pie is served in many Saskatchewan and Alberta confectioneries and pastry shops as a signature dessert.Expand

Tourtière is a traditional spiced meat pie that is often prepared between Christmas and New Year's Eve, but since it is so savory and fragrant, it doesn't stay on the menu for too long. Usually made with pork, it sometimes also includes beef for a different texture and flavor. The meat is additionally enhanced with lots of onions, diced or mashed potatoes, and spices such as cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and allspice. The mixture of meat, herbs, and vegetables is served under a lid of golden, flaky pastry dough, making it an ideal winter meal. Some sources say that the meat pies came to Canada with French immigrants in the 17th century, while some locals claim that it is a Québécois invention, originally using game meat instead of beef and pork. The dish takes its name from the round tin mould in which both sweet and savory tarts are traditionally baked. Today, this festive twist on a classic Christmas pie is usually served with cranberry sauce, pickled beets, or anything sweet and sour with a kick, pairing nicely with the spicy meat and the flaky crust.Expand

Comforting and hearty, chicken pot pie is an American and Canadian savory pie that has a top crust made with flaky pastry and a filling of chicken and vegetables such as peas, potatoes, onions, and carrots. There is no set recipe, and other ingredients can be included. As far as method goes, the pie can be prepared in the oven, on the stovetop, or in an iron pie over an open fire. Also, although it's traditionally considered that chicken pot pie only has a top crust, it's common to find double-crusted ones. Still, chicken pot pie is just one kind of pot pie, albeit the most famous one, and there are pot pies with beef, lamb, and turkey. Pot pie is a popular dish with a long and vivid history, dating back to the Roman Empire when it was regularly served at banquets. The ancient custom of pot pie was revived in 16th-century England when cooks used to make meat pies with tiny, gooseberry-stuffed birds on the inside. The popularity of pot pies soon spread to other countries, so in the 19th century, Americans became obsessed with a pot pie that featured robins in it. Today, pot pie is an American tradition and comfort food of the first order. It even has its own day, known as the National Great American Pot Pie Day, celebrated annually on September 23rd.Expand

Pâté chinois is a popular Quebec dish consisting of a layer of ground beef, a layer of whole or creamed corn, and another layer of mashed potatoes on top. This comfort food staple can be found throughout most cafeterias in Quebec, where it is traditionally served with tomato ketchup on the side. The name of the dish means Chinese pie, and it is believed that it was invented during the building of the Canadian railway in the 19th century by Chinese cooks, who adapted it from the famous shepherd's pie.Expand

Salmon pie is a delicious, comforting, and inexpensive dish from the Canadian region of Québéc. It consists of a pie crust that is filled with a combination of mashed potatoes and cooked salmon, along with spices and other ingredients such as black pepper, parsley, thyme, eggs, and onions, depending on the varieties. It is then baked until golden brown in color, and when it is served, salmon pie can be additionally garnished with a few dollops of sour cream.Expand

This layered meat pie is typically made with meat such as moose, hare, partridge, veal, pork, beef, or chicken. It is believed that the name cipaille originated from sea-pie, an identical pie that is made with meat, fish, or seafood, although some claim that the dish is derived from a layered meat pie called pâte-royale, where the dough needed to be folded six times, hence the other name of the pie, six-pâtes. Nowadays, the alternating layers of pastry and seasoned meat in cipaille are usually submerged in stock, and the pie is then left to simmer in a pot.Expand

This pie is a staple of Canadian prairie culture, consisting of a graham crumb pie crust that is filled with a creamy custard, then topped with an airy meringue. The custard is usually made with milk, sugar, cornstarch, egg yolks, vanilla, and salt, while the pie crust consists of graham crackers, sugar, butter, and maybe a bit of cinnamon. Although flapper pie is notorious for the fact that it falls apart quite easily, preparing this dessert is certainly worth the effort. Before serving, it is typically sprinkled with breadcrumbs and left to chill in the refrigerator.Expand

Bakeapple pie is a traditional pie of the Canadian Newfoundland and Labrador region. Despite its name, there are no apples in this pie since bakeapple denotes cloudberries – sweet, bright orange fruits filled with seeds. The pastry dough is typically made with flour, salt, eggs, vinegar, and baking powder, while the filling consists only of cloudberries and sugar. Once baked, the pie is left to cool and set, and then it's ready to be eaten.Expand

Flipper pie is a traditional pie made with an unusual ingredient – harp seal flippers. It originates from Newfoundland and Labrador, where it has been prepared and consumed during the Lenten season (especially Good Friday and Easter) and the annual seal hunt since 1555. Most recipes call for flour-coated, pan-fried seal meat, which is then roasted with vegetables such as onions, potatoes, carrots, and turnips. The combination is baked in a pastry shell, and the pie is often served with Worcestershire sauce on the side. Interestingly, the practice of seal hunting and the preparation of this pie have been criticized by animal rights activist groups and Sir Paul McCartney.Expand