How Pumpkin Pie Became the Holiday’s Iconic Dessert and the Emerging Alternatives to It

REUTERS/Hannah McKay/File Photo

Pumpkins are seen in a field at Foxes Farm in Colchester, Britain, October 11, 2017.

While there is no denying that pumpkin pie is the most popular dessert for Thanksgiving Day, it is not the only culinary creation that can cap a meal during the celebration.

Historians claim that the special dishes, including the pumpkin pie, Americans enjoy on Thanksgiving Day these days have nothing to do with what the Pilgrims served in 1621, the year when the popular holiday was first held. As it is believed that there was still no butter or flour making a pie crust back then, it was unlikely for pumpkin pie to be a a part of their menu back then. Rather, it is suspected that the Pilgrims back then may have made use of a hollowed out pumpkins with a filling made of milk, spices, and honey.

According to sources, the pumpkin pie’s popularity as a Thansgiving Day dessert can be attributed to popular magazine editor, Sarah Josepha Hale, who is said to have created the model menu for Thanksgiving Day in the middle of the nineteenth century, including the roast turkey, which is, likewise, said not be one of the dishes served in the first ever Thanksgiving Day.

Despite not being a part of the original Thanksgiving Day menu, there is no denying that pumpkin pie is a Thanksgiving Day staple. However, with the passing of time, it is apparent as well that the Thanksgiving Day dishes continue to evolve. While the pumpkin pie is still a top choice among Americans as their meal-capper on Thanksgiving Day, more American households opt for other sweet treats on the day.