Packed with flavoursome fillings and encased in pastry, pies are among the most satisfying forms of food out there, and they come in various guises around the globe. From Greece’s spinach-packed spanakopita to Australia and New Zealand's hand-held meat pies, we've rounded up the best pies from around the world that everyone should try.
Click or scroll through our gallery to discover the most delicious pies from around the globe, counting down to our number one – how many have you tried?
We've based our ranking on the enduring popularity of each pie in its place of origin and beyond, and on the opinions of our well-travelled (and well-fed) team. The list is unavoidably subjective.
Because there are endless varieties and styles that could be included here, we've tightened our definition of pie to those with a pastry base and top – so no tarts, potato-topped dishes, turnovers or pasties.
Stargazy pie originated in the small village of Mousehole in Cornwall, England. The story goes that it was invented in the 16th century, when local fisherman Tom Bawcock returned with a triumphant catch after a turbulent, stormy day out at sea – helping to save the village folk from famine. Although various fillings can be used, the pie is traditionally made by loading a thick pastry crust with whole pilchards, hard-boiled eggs and potatoes. You’ll usually find the pilchards’ heads poking out of the top, gazing up at the sky.
A dish whose roots stretch back to the Ottoman Empire, borek – sometimes called byrek – has been around for centuries. Hugely popular across the Balkans, the Middle East and Central Asia, this savoury pie is made by rolling out pastry (usually filo), then packing it with a variety of different fillings. In Albania, where it's a mainstay of street food stalls, it usually comes stuffed with minced beef, cheese, or spinach and eggs.
Berry-filled pastry treats can be found all over the globe, but this Canadian pie is something truly special. Originating from the Canadian Prairies, this simple dish comes crammed with a mouth-watering filling of the country's native Saskatoon berries – which are similar in taste and shape to blueberries – plus plenty of sugar, lemon juice and cornflour. It’s best served with a generous drizzle of cream or a scoop of ice cream.
This pie’s humble beginnings can be traced back to 19th-century Preston, in the English county of Lancashire. At this time, the city's Catholic community fasted on Fridays, abstaining from meat and alcohol – so, to keep mealtimes interesting, they came up with an idea for a tasty meat-free dish. Covered on the top and bottom, this double-crusted pie was traditionally made with a filling of potatoes, onions and butter. Also known as Friday pie or Catholic pie, it can still be found in shops, cafés and restaurants across the city. Paul McCartney even mentions it in his song Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey.
Hailing from the Netherlands’ southernmost province, Limburg, vlaai is a sweet pie that combines a bread-style pastry and a fruity filling, usually made with cherries, apricots or plums. It comes in a few different guises – topped with a lattice-style lid, fully cloaked in pastry or with a crumble-like topping made from sugar and butter. Its origins are murky, but it's thought to date back as far as the 12th century. However it came to be, its popularity skyrocketed when the first vlaai shop opened in Amsterdam in 1986.
This traditional Balkan pie has been a staple of Bulgarian and North Macedonian cuisine for generations. It's sometimes made with a simple leavened wheat flour dough – but, like borek, it's more commonly made with crispy layers of filo pastry. The filling changes depending on where you try it, though you’ll usually find it stuffed with feta cheese, sirene (a white brine cheese), eggs, meat, leeks, onions and rice. It also sometimes features leafy greens like collards or cabbage, and it's often enjoyed during the winter holiday season.
The word 'goulash' might conjure images of a steaming bowl of stew – but these traditional Egyptian pies couldn't be more different from the soupy Hungarian staple. In fact, Egyptian goulash (also known as phyllo meat pies) are flaky, bite-sized parcels, made with minced beef and crisp filo pastry. Typically baked in the oven in a giant dish, they're lightly spiced with a fragrant blend of paprika, coriander and allspice.
Georgia is known as the Peach State for good reason – every summer, its orchards teem with sweet, juicy, aromatic peaches, which are used to make all manner of sweet and savoury treats. However, in our opinion, Georgia peach pie is the best of them all. The recipe sees peaches, sugar, lemon juice, flour and butter poured lovingly into a buttery pie crust, then baked until the pastry’s golden and the filling is oozy and bubbling. Served chilled and cut into slices, it’s a taste sensation when paired with plenty of whipped cream.
This simple meat-filled pie is especially popular on the Greek island of Kefalonia. Recipes vary from household to household, but kreatopita is traditionally made with at least two types of meat (usually lamb and pork). Before being packed between sheets of filo pastry, the meaty mixture is flavoured with herbs and spices, including oregano and cinnamon, and combined with Carolina rice – a type of soft white grain that's grown in Serres, northern Greece. Made to share, the dish is often served as part of a mezze grazing platter.
Found across Scotland in bakeries, supermarkets and cafés, Scotch pies are said to date back 500 years. Made with hard hot water crust pastry for mess-free snacking, these hearty pies used to come with a thrifty spiced mutton filling. Nowadays, they're usually made with beef. Also known as shell pies, mince pies and even football pies, they're often served up at matches across the country.
A Brazilian staple similar to chicken pot pie, empadão de frango is a warming comfort food dish. Usually made with shortcrust pastry, this wholesome pie is filled with a tasty mix of chicken, vegetables and herbs, and it comes both in large sharing sizes and individual portions for one. It draws inspiration from a similar Portuguese pie, the empada de galinha, whose roots date back to Roman times.
A hearty dish first created by the country's Muslim Cape Malay community, the pepper steak pie holds a special place in South African hearts. Made with beef, vegetables and a rich gravy flavoured with plenty of ground black peppercorns, the piping hot filling is encased in a golden puff pastry crust. It's a comfort food masterpiece that's totally worth trying – whether you grab one from a bakery or make it at home.
The ultimate treat for lovers of tangy, lemony flavours, limonnik is a citrus-packed delicacy that’s both slightly sour and pleasantly sweet at the same time. In its homeland of Russia, it's commonly enjoyed in the summer to help cut through the heat, and it features fresh, locally grown lemons, crushed and combined with sugar. Limonnik is made with shortcrust pastry and typically dusted with icing sugar before being sliced to serve.
This traditional English pie is made with chopped pork and hot water crust pastry. Hard and thick, this unconventional type of pastry dates back to Medieval times, when it was used to help keep meaty fillings fresh for longer. Pork gelatine is funnelled into the top of each pie to finish them off, and they're left to set overnight. Pork pies are traditionally served cold – either on their own, or with chutneys and mustard on the side – and they remain a favourite in British pubs and restaurants to this day.
This sweet, walnut-filled pie is a family favourite in homes across Switzerland. Though similar recipes date back to the 19th century, the modern Bündner Nusstorte was developed in 1926 by baker Fausto Pult – and the pie's popularity exploded when Fausto began selling it at the 1934 Mustermesse fair in Basel. You’ll find these nutty delicacies in bakeries all over the Graubünden region of Switzerland.
Best known as the national dish of Georgia, khachapuri is traditionally made by filling leavened bread with oozy cheese and a cracked egg. However, you'll find a handful of regional styles across the country, including penovani khachapuri – a pastry take on the classic. Thought to have originated in the southern region of Samtskhe-Javakheti, the delicacy is part puff pastry casing and part rich, cheesy filling. It might be easier to make than many other khachapuri varieties, but we think it's just as delicious.
If you like small, hand-held empanadas, you’ll love this giant, shareable pie. A Spanish delicacy from Galicia, the empanada gallega's history stretches way back, with some written recipes dating from the seventh century. The pie was traditionally eaten on pilgrimages, with the pastry helping to preserve the filling during the journey. Fast-forward to today and the classic recipes – which see meat or fish combined with peppers and onions – are still popular.
If you love a pint of Guinness, you’ll want to try a slice of this rich, stout-filled pie. Drawing inspiration from the classic British steak and kidney pie, this steak and Guinness alternative has become a winter staple in Ireland. Made with a good glug of the beloved Irish stout created by Arthur Guinness in 1759, and shrouded in flaky golden pastry, this meaty favourite is packed with flavour, and features on pub menus throughout the Emerald Isle.
This sweet little dessert was born in Geraardsbergen in the East Flanders region of Belgium – and it’s a huge source of town pride. Made with a filling of curdled milk, eggs and sugar, and wrapped in a golden puff pastry crust, the pocket-sized treat has tantalised Belgian taste buds for centuries; its recipe appeared in the very first Dutch cookbook, published in the early 16th century. These days, it’s protected by the European Union, meaning it can only be called a mattentaart if it’s made in Geraardsbergen or the neighbouring town of Lierde.
Much like Vietnam’s popular bánh mì sandwiches, the pâté chaud was born out of French colonialism in the 19th century. Now famous in their own right, these little pies draw influences from both Vietnamese and French cuisine. Available in bakeries across Vietnam, they're meant to be eaten on the go, and are traditionally made by encasing a pork and mushroom filling in flaky puff pastry.
Known as mincemeat pies in the USA, and fruit mince pies in Australia and New Zealand, mince pies are traditionally eaten at Christmas. Different takes on these divisive little treats have been enjoyed since the 13th century, when they were served filled with a range of meats, fruits and spices. However, nowadays they come filled with a spiced fruit mixture, so they're usually vegetarian-friendly – though they sometimes still include suet or animal fats.
In New Zealand, a picnic wouldn’t be a picnic without a hearty bacon and egg pie – a snack that fans insist is best served cold, with a dollop of tomato sauce on the side. It’s exactly as it sounds; to make it, a winning combination of smoky bacon and eggs is enveloped in a flaky pastry crust, along with vegetables and Worcestershire sauce. Though it’s especially popular among Kiwis, the dish is said to have been invented in the British county of Cornwall back in the Middle Ages.
Some historians believe this savoury pie dates as far back as the 13th century, and it's still enjoyed across North Africa to this day. Pastilla – also known as malsouka – can typically be found in bakeries throughout Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia. Fillings vary by location, but often include meat or seafood stuffed inside warqa, a type of pastry that's similar to filo.
Traditionally filled with sweet frangipane, this delightful (and rather impressive) pastry creation is named after the town of Pithiviers, France, where it's believed to have originated in the 17th century. Though it started out as a sweet pie, nowadays you’ll find it packed with savoury ingredients like vegetables, meat and cheese. Dome-like in appearance, its filling is encased between two puff pastry sheets, which are brushed with egg wash before baking.
This easy midweek dish has a longer history than you might realise. Born in 16th-century England, classic pot pies quickly became popular thanks to their simplicity and hearty meat fillings. The recipe was popularised further in the 19th century, when Europeans began settling in America and Canada – and, centuries later, the humble pot pie is still a firm family favourite. The pies are usually filled with leftover poultry, typically chicken, and covered with thick pastry.
Torta pasqualina is a celebrated Italian Easter recipe. Dating back to 14th-century Liguria, the puff pastry pie traditionally featured foods that would have been cheap and easy to obtain – and even today, it still comes filled with no-frills ingredients like spring greens (often chard) and hard-boiled eggs. This dish has religious ties, too: 33 layers of puff pastry are used, to symbolise each year of Jesus’ life.
It’s thought that the very first cherry pie was created in the 16th century, for none other than Queen Elizabeth I. Similar to apple pie, this sweet, fruit-filled pie was brought to America by European settlers – and, though it wasn't actually created in the USA, it's an Independence Day staple, and has become a treasured dish across the nation.
Despite being a mainstay of French cuisine, the coulibiac’s creation can be traced back to 17th-century Russia. Traditionally called kulebiaka in Russian, it became popular in France in the early 20th century when acclaimed French chef Auguste Escoffier included the recipe in his classic tome, The Complete Guide to the Art of Modern Cookery. It’s a decadent mixture of salmon, hard-boiled eggs, rice, dill and onions, all packed into a pastry case.
To make the filling for this well-known Filipino pie, buko – the flesh of young, unripe coconuts – is combined with sugar, milk and coconut water, forming a custard mixture. The dish was first created by Soledad Puhad and her sisters in 1965. Having studied and worked in the USA, Soledad took inspiration from classic apple pies, but replaced the apple with coconut, which was more widely available in the Philippines at the time.
This French Canadian meat pie is traditionally served up as part of Christmas and New Year festivities. The dish is said to have been born in Quebec in the 17th century, when French settlers tucked into a late-night feast following Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve. However, the first written recipes – which call for a filling of passenger pigeon, a type of wild pigeon that's now extinct in North America – date back to the 1840s. Nowadays, the filling varies depending on where in Canada the dish is made, with fish, pork, beef and game all common ingredients.
While its origins are difficult to pinpoint, this popular Greek pie is thought to have originated more than 400 years ago. It's made by layering a filling of chopped spinach, feta, onions, eggs and herbs between thin sheets of filo pastry, then baking until golden and crispy. It’s typically sold in Greek and Cypriot bakeries, with non-dairy versions available during religious fasting periods.
Written in 1694, the first recorded recipe for steak and kidney pie involved an unusual filling of lamb, spices and currants. However, the ingredients evolved over the years, and recipes for pies with only steak and kidney started appearing in British cookbooks in the mid-19th century. Similar to steak and kidney pudding, which is made with suet pastry, this classic pub dish is best enjoyed with mashed potato or chips, and plenty of gravy.
Consisting of diced or minced meat and gravy packed into a flaky pastry case, meat pies can be found at most takeaway spots (and sports events) in Australia and New Zealand. Their popularity exploded with the arrival of British settlers in the 19th century, and the hearty pastries remain an on-the-go staple to this day. Four’n Twenty is Australia’s most famous pie brand; first launched in 1947 by LT McClure, its hand-sized pies have woven themselves into the country’s culture.
From English and American creations to Dutch and German versions, apple pie comes in many guises. Recipes for the English kind (which features a thick filling of stewed apple slices) date back to the 14th century, and originally drew on inspiration from Dutch, French and Ottoman dishes. Famous for its flaky crust, American-style apple pie became popular when settlers brought the dish over from Europe; in 1796, two recipes appeared in America’s first cookbook, American Cookery by Amelia Simmons, and the dish has been a Thanksgiving favourite ever since.
Now discover our ranking of the most delicious dishes from around the world