3 Go-To Toppings For The Best Holiday Cream Pies

The holidays are creeping up, and there is nothing your guests will love more than a good pie to cap off a smoked and roasted Thanksgiving turkey recipe, a holiday ham, or a festive beef Wellington. But if you want your pie to look as festive as the season, you might want to dress it up with a simple but elegant topping. Daily Meal caught up with Saura Kline, pastry chef at Denver-based Local Jones, who shared her favorite three go-to toppings for her holiday cream pies, and you will appreciate the simplicity, taste, and aesthetics of each. Kline, author of "The Essential Pie Cookbook: 50 Sweet & Savory Recipes," told Daily Meal, "Whipped cream would always be my go-to because it complements any filling so well."

It is also a tried-and-true favorite for dessert eaters, especially considering that more than 203 million Americans consumed this favorite adornment on a dessert of choice in 2020. Whipped cream can also be as fancy or as simple as you want. If you are looking for convenience, buy a can and get about eight servings from it. If you prefer to whip it up yourself, we have at least 14 easy ways to take whipped cream to the next level, including adding cocoa powder for a chocolatey whipped cream for your pumpkin cream pie. But if you are looking for something a little different, Kline has you covered.

Saura Kline also shared two other suggestions for topping your holiday pies. The cookbook author said, "A spiced oatmeal streusel would be a great one to have for a good textural difference."

Oatmeal has such a fall feel, and transforming it into a streusel only requires mixing some oats, melted butter, flour, sugar, and cinnamon. Add in some chopped pecans or walnuts or sprinkle in some cloves and nutmeg and sprinkle it over an apple cream pie or an apple and egg custard pie for a lovely contrast in consistency. 

But don't worry, chocolate lovers, Kline has your back, too. She said, "Lastly, you can never go wrong with chocolate shavings to make your pie more decadent and appealing." We hear that. Chocolate shavings are elegant when they are effortlessly strewn atop a mound of cream pie, and they add both texture and a melt-in-your-mouth creaminess to your dessert. You can make your own chocolate shavings with a block of chocolate and a grater, or you can buy them at the store if you don't want the hassle. These will taste delicious on your double cream pie recipe or a creamy chocolate-mint pie.