Thanksgiving is all about pairings, from choosing the right bottles of wine to serve with the feast to syncing up sides to go along with the turkey (or tofurkey).
One of the most delicious duos — for dessert lovers, especially — is pie and ice cream. Sure, you could go with vanilla ice cream for your pie à la mode. But scoop shops around Denver have several more interesting fall flavors that pair beautifully with popular Thanksgiving pies.
Here are five ice cream and pie pairings to try out this Thanksgiving.
High Point Creamery’s Brown Sugar Cinnamon + Pumpkin Pie
“When I think of ice cream and fall flavors, I like something that warms you,” said Erika Thomas, owner of High Point Creamery. That’s exactly what guided the creation of the brown sugar cinnamon ice cream that, when paired with pumpkin pie, gives the dessert a little extra sugar and spice.
Three Denver locations: Hilltop: 215 S. Holly St., Denver; Berkeley: 3977 Tennyson St., Denver; RiNo, 2669 Larimer St. in Denver Central Market; highpointcreamery.com
Little Man Ice Cream’s Eggnog + Chocolate Pie
If you’re the type to put up your Christmas tree before Thanksgiving, you’ll especially love this pairing. Rich and creamy, the seasonal eggnog ice cream could complement just about any holiday pie, said Ryanne Trefethen, chef and production manager at Little Man Ice Cream Factory. “You can have your favorite holiday drink, pie, and ice cream all in one,” Trefethen said. The egg nog ice cream will be available at all Little Man Ice Cream locations (but not at Dang, its soft-serve spot).
Little Man has seven associated locations in Denver, Englewood and Fort Collins. littlemanicecream.com
High Point Creamery’s Joan’s Pumpkin Pie + Pecan Pie
Why choose between pecan or pumpkin pie when you can have both with this pairing? Thomas makes her late mother’s chiffon pumpkin pie recipe (it has a nip of whiskey in it) in large batches for this special seasonal ice cream. She then crumbles the homemade pie with graham cracker crust into a vanilla ice cream.
(See locations above.)
Van Leeuwen’s Buttermilk Berry Corn Bread + Pumpkin Pie
Be careful pairing this ice cream with pie; it could steal the show. Tart berries and bits of soft, honey cornbread are mixed into Van Leeuwen’s signature French-style ice cream that’s made with double the amount of egg yolks as standard ice cream, making it extra rich.
1459 Larimer St., Denver; 1750 29th St., Boulder; vanleeuwenicecream.com
Sweet Action’s Stranahan’s Whiskey Brickle + Sweet Potato Pie
Slightly sweet, the beauty of a sweet potato pie is how it caramelizes when it’s baked. The Southern-style pie goes just right with Sweet Action’s ice cream that’s infused with Stranahan’s Single-Malt Whiskey and generously packed with crunchy bits of butter brickle.
Four Denver locations: Broadway: 52 Broadway, Denver; Washington Park: 1061 S. Gaylord St.; Uptown: 530 E. 19th Ave.; Jefferson Park: 2851 W. 25th Ave.; sweetaction.com.
Brittany Anas is a freelance writer specializing in travel, food, health and the outdoors.
