13 ways to make a store-bought pie look and taste better

Sophia MitrokostasNov 12, 2020, 21:53 IST

Pie is a holiday staple.Rachel Askinasi/Insider

Insider asked chefs, foodies, and bakers to share their best tips for making store-bought pie taste better.
Melting butter or cheese on top can balance out overly sweet pies.
You can decorate your dessert with a designed dusting of powdered sugar or frosted lettering to make it look fancy.

When you don't have the time or inclination to whip up a homemade dessert, grabbing a premade pie at the store is often the next best thing — but there's no need to sacrifice flavor or presentation.

Insider asked professional chefs, foodies, and bakers how to dress up a store-bought pie so that it tastes and looks like the gourmet alternative.

Read on for 13 easy ways to upgrade your premade pies.

Make an herbed caramel sauce to add a gourmet flair to a store-bought pie.

A drizzle of caramel can elevate your dessert. Charles Brutlag/Shuttershock

Pop your store-bought pie out of its packaging to make it look homemade.

Take your pie out of the store's packaging so it doesn't look pre-made. Animas Photography / Shutterstock

Top blueberry or cherry pie with a dollop of lemon curd.

You can either make your lemon curd or buy it from the store. Romix Image/Shuttershock

Melt butter on top for extra richness.

Only add a tablespoon or two of butter at a time to taste. Business Insider Video

Sprinkle on some salt to balance overly sweet pies.

Adding salt can save your pie from tasting too sweet. SEAGULL_L/Shuttershock

Melt cheese onto your apple-pie crust.

You can add cheese to apple pie for a Midwestern take. Rachel Askinasi/Insider

Serve your pie with homemade whipped cream.

All you need to make whipped cream is heavy cream and powdered sugar. excursionista.net/Shutterstock

A light dusting of powdered sugar is a fast way to dress up your pie.

Dust some powdered sugar on your pie for an elevated look and extra touch of sweetness. FabriZiock/Shutterstock

Add homemade lettering on top for a personal touch.

Piped frosting can be a nice touch on a store-bought pie. Staniela R. Nikolova/Shuttershock

Top with ice cream for a pleasing temperature mix.

Ice cream goes well with pies that are traditionally served warm. MSPhotographic/Shuttershock

Turn your treat into a pie milkshake.

You can blend leftover pie to make milkshakes. Larry Crowe/AP

Sprinkle some bacon bits on top of your pie for a savory kick.

Adding bacon to your pies can result in a delicious sweet and savory combination. Shutterstock

Add fresh fruit to cream pies.

Different fruits go well with specific flavors of pie. AS Food studio/Shuttershock

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