If you’re pie-purchasing style is more “drop in and hope for the best” than “research and order ahead,” Lanauderié tarterie Création Madeleine, which operates a stand in Jean-Talon market, may be the way to go. With over 20 classic pie flavours on offer, including fall favourites like maple sugar and apple, you may have to make some difficult decisions.

Italian patisserie and boulangerie Café dei Campi has gone all out for the season, with pumpkin meringue tartlets (a combo that deserves to be way more ubiquitous than it is), salted caramel walnut tarts and apple turnovers. A great choice for anyone who believes that many (small) pies are better than one.

Local chain Mamie Clafoutis can always be counted on for a great seasonal pie, and this autumn, it’s all about the apple, with a tarte Normande (a shortcrust-based apple tart that originated in Normandy) and a cinnamon apple crumble pie. Orders can be placed online for pickup at Mamie’s six locations, all of which are open seven days a week.

If you’re a diehard pumpkin spice fan but want to impress your dinner party guests with something a little more refined than a simple ol’ pumpkin pie, head to Sachère, where the desserts are veritable works of art. That goes for the caramel-adorned tarte tatin and the pumpkin, pecan, and whiskey pie, which features a whipped pecan ganache, chocolate garnishes, and whiskey jelly, and sits on a sweet dough base.

Montreal’s premier vegan bakery, Sophie Sucrée, is offering pumpkin tartlets — complete with plant-based versions of the flaky crust and whipped cream topping — as part of its autumn menu, which also includes a pie-adjacent apple turnover and apple-spiced apple crumble cake. 

“Classic country pie stand” Rusitque is the gold standard for pie in Montreal, and you can’t go wrong with any of the six seasonal flavours currently on offer, each of which is encased by the Saint-Henri pie shop’s signature thick, buttery crust. If you’re a traditionalist, go for the classic pumpkin (served with fresh whipped cream and toasted pumpkin seeds), or choose another fall favourite, like Quebec apple or pecan. Can’t decide? Opt for an assortment of 2” mini pies in an assortment of three flavours.

The best pies are often the most rustic, which certainly checks out in the case of Sweet Lee’s. The Verdun bakery does a great pie, and this season’s flavours include maple sugar and apple cinnamon (available as 9” pies, 4” pies, or mini tartlets). Good luck making it out of the shop without an armful of Sweet Lee’s equally delicious assorted vegan goodies, viennoiseries, savoury pastries, and breads.