Smile Politely

Sweet and savory pies from Oh, Honey Pie hit the spot

Summer is my favorite season of the year. I love going to the farmers’ markets, yoga in the park, Sholem aquatic center to float around the lazy river, but most of all, I love sitting outside on the patios of staples like Seven Saints, Crane Alley, Ko Fusion, and Cowboy Monkey.

This is the longest I’ve ever gone without eating at a restaurant, and I needed something to break the monotony of takeout and homecooked food. I followed the Oh, Honey Pie Facebook page after reviewing their pies at the Farmer’s Market last year. I was thrilled that a local business was giving back to the community even though they were working through their own struggles. My first try was the Tropical Sampler that had a pineapple pie (my favorite), coconut pie, banana pudding pie, and the lemon Atlantic Beach pie. I was so impressed with their crust, fillings, and even whipped cream that I ordered their Summer Nostalgia themed mini pie 4-pack ($25), toasted coconut pie ($25), and the mushroom pie ($25).

The process is simple, Leslie posts about the pies for the upcoming week on the Facebook page, you pick and pay for your delicious goods on their website before Wednesday night, and every Saturday you can pick up your pies from the Marble’s Catering in Savoy. When you pull up to the curb between 11 a.m. and noon, Matt brings your pie to your car for you.

Four pies placed on a sand colored counter. Photo by Thomas Nicol.

Summer Nostalgia four pack. Photo by Thomas Nicol.

The four-pack is a convenient offering if you cannot pick between all their delicious options. Most importantly, it comes with their whipped cream — which is the best whipped cream I’ve had in the United States. I could eat containers of the whipped cream for dessert every day and be happy. The vanilla bean flavor made me wonder what all dessert would taste like if it was covered in this whipped cream. Would life magically be better if Leslie made and sold this whipped cream by the pound?

Orange Dreamsicle pie from Oh Honey Pie in Champaign with a slice of mandarin orange on top. Photo by Thomas Nicol.

Photo by Thomas Nicol.

We started our culinary experience with the orange dreamsicle pie which reminded many of my friends of an Orange Julius on a hot summer day. I loved the cute decoration with the mandarin orange slices. The filling was tangy, refreshing, and creamy. The crust was a buttery cookie crust.

A close-up picture of a butterscotch pie from Oh Honey Pie. This pie is a toffee-colored butterscotch pie with candied pecan on the top. Photo by Thomas Nicol.

Photo by Thomas Nicol.

Next up was the butterscotch pie with crunchy, candied pecans as a topping. It tasted like a drumstick ice cream but in pie form. I loved the light, whipped filling and the hints of homemade butterscotch, but the highlight was the graham cracker crust.

A yellow colored lemon pie from Oh Honey Pie in Champaign with a small slice taken out sits in a mini metal pie tin on a sand colored counter. Photo by Thomas Nicol.

Photo by Thomas Nicol.

The lemon pie had a cheesecake consistency and was a crowd favorite. It was citrusy and sweet with a delicate, yet distinct, tangy finish. The top of the pie was caramelized and tasted heavenly.

Coconut pudding pie from Oh Honey Pie in Champaign with toasted coconut bits on the top. Photo by Thomas Nicol.

Photo by Thomas Nicol.

The full-sized toasted coconut pie and the smaller pie from the sampler both disappeared fast. The coconut pie was creamy with a pudding consistency filling. The toasted coconut on the top was flavorful, and the crust was baked to perfection. The big pie was a perfect dessert for a hot, summer afternoon. It tasted like a tropical dream.

A close-up picture of a mushroom savory pie from Oh Honey Pie in Champaign with herbs on the top. The savory quiche with mushrooms and eggs sits on a sand colored counter. Photo by Thomas Nicol.

Photo by Thomas Nicol.

I am a big quiche fan and love savory breakfast options. The mushroom pie had eggs cooked to a good consistency with mushrooms. The quiche was delicately seasoned. This would be a stellar choice to serve as a weekend brunch option or eat a slice here and there for a snack as I did.

If you like pies — or even if you don’t like pies, I urge you to check out the Oh, Honey Pie Facebook page and place your order as soon as possible to taste a little ray of sunshine in our crazy world right now.

Oh, Honey Pie

Top image by Thomas Nicol. 

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