Thanksgiving is the most popular time of the year for pie purchases. According to Nielsen Fresh, sales approach $90 million for Thanksgiving week, with the next closest being $30 million for Christmas week.

A recent survey by GE Appliances found the top holiday pie choices in each region of the country. While the New England states prefer apple pie, and the West South Central states of Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas enjoy pecan pie, the most popular option across America is pumpkin.

Most areas of the country, including the South Atlantic, East North Central, West North Central, Mountain, and Pacific regions, all favor pumpkin pie. It's an integral part of the holidays, whether it be Grandma's traditional recipe or a bakery-bought version to finish off a delicious meal.

There are, of course, many different ways to offer pumpkin in pies. Several of those were on display earlier this year at the 2018 American Pie Council National Pie Championships. Unique versions such as Orange Kissed Apple Butter Pumpkin Pie and Boo Pumpkin Pecan Maple Pie took home top honors in the category. One of the top pumpkin pies at the event was Jeanne Ely's Pumpkin Pie with Salted Caramel Streusel, which won first place in the Amateur division. You can find the recipe for the pie below.

The milestone 25th anniversary of the National Pie Championships will take place April 11-13, 2019 at the Renaissance SeaWorld Hotel in Orlando, Florida. For more information on the 2019 APC National Championships, visit the Pie Council's website.

Pumpkin Salted Caramel Streusel Pie

Crust
3 cups King Arthur Perfect Pastry Blend flour
1 tsp salt
¾ Cup lard
1 stick butter
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
5 Tbsp. cold water
1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar

Cut together flour, salt, lard, butter, and sugar until oatmeal like consistency. Beat egg in cup, add water and vinegar. Beat all and pour into flour mixture. Blend well. Roll out half of the dough and place in 9” deep dish pie plate. 

Pumpkin Filling
2 Large eggs
1 15 oz. can pumpkin
1 14oz. can Eagle brand sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. ginger
½ tsp. nutmeg 
½ tsp. salt

Beat eggs until blended. Add pumpkin, sweetened condensed milk, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt to the eggs and whisk until well blended. Place in the pie shell and bake at 350 for 15 minutes. 

Salted Caramel Streusel topping
1 Cup Oats
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. butter
½ Cup Salted caramel sauce

Combine Oats, brown sugar, and butter in a small dish. Place on top of the pumpkin and continue baking 30 minutes. When you pull it out of the oven, drizzle salted caramel sauce on top. Allow to cool. Garnish if you want or enjoy it plain.