5 North Carolina Hidden Bakeries Still Turning Out Fried Pies & Cobblers The Old-Fashioned Way

There’s something magical about biting into a hand-crimped fried pie still warm from the fryer or spooning up a bubbling cobbler that tastes exactly like your grandmother’s recipe.

I’ve spent years tracking down North Carolina’s hidden bakery gems where time seems to stand still, and dough is still rolled by hand.

These small-town treasures preserve culinary traditions that chain stores simply can’t replicate, using recipes passed down through generations.

1. B&G Pies: Winston-Salem’s Century-Old Pie Pocket Paradise

My first bite of a B&G fried apple pie transported me straight back to my childhood kitchen. Since 1949, this Winston-Salem institution has been crimping dough by hand around sweet fruit fillings, creating those distinctive half-moon pies that locals crave. Their tiny storefront on Acadia Avenue doesn’t look like much from outside, but magic happens within those walls.

The family-owned operation still uses the original recipes, with each pie hand-formed and fried to golden perfection. While apple remains their bestseller, don’t miss the seasonal peach or their legendary cherry pie. What makes them special? They refuse to cut corners—each batch of filling is cooked slowly in copper kettles, just as it was decades ago.

2. Papa & Nana’s Old-Fashioned Fried Pie: Hendersonville’s Pocket-Sized Treasures

“Lord have mercy, honey, you haven’t lived until you’ve had a fried pie!” That’s how I was greeted by Papa Joe when I stumbled upon this Hendersonville gem. Housed in what was once a gas station, Papa & Nana’s churns out hundreds of hand-held pies daily, each one a perfect portable dessert. The husband-and-wife team started their business after friends begged them to sell the treats they brought to church potlucks.

Their signature move? A sprinkle of raw sugar on top that caramelizes during frying, creating a delicate crunch that contrasts with the tender crust. The pecan pie version is pure Southern decadence—somehow they’ve managed to capture that gooey filling in a portable format without sacrificing any of the rich flavor. Get there early; they regularly sell out by noon.

3. Town House Bakery: Asheville’s Mountain-Inspired Pastry Haven

Last summer, I followed the advice of an Asheville local who insisted I try the blackberry cobbler at Town House Bakery. “It’ll make you slap your grandma,” she promised with a wink. She wasn’t wrong—this downtown bakery makes cobblers that could bring tears to your eyes. The small, brick-fronted shop is easy to miss among Asheville’s trendier establishments, but locals know it as the real deal.

Third-generation baker Emma Thompson still gathers wild blackberries and apples from her family’s mountain property, preserving the intense flavor that commercial fruit can’t match. Her signature move is a lattice top sprinkled with turbinado sugar and a hint of cardamom—a spice her grandmother introduced after tasting it in a neighbor’s Swedish cookies. During apple season, the line stretches down the block for her caramel apple cobbler.

4. Granny’s Kitchen: Waynesville’s Heirloom Recipe Sanctuary

“These are ugly pies, but they sure taste pretty!” That’s the motto at Granny’s Kitchen, where appearance takes a backseat to flavor. Hidden on a back road outside Waynesville, this converted farmhouse bakery has been serving mountain-style desserts since 1962. I discovered it during a rainstorm when I ducked inside for shelter and found myself surrounded by the most heavenly aromas.

Current owner Betsy Williams learned every recipe from her grandmother, including how to make the distinctive lard-based crust that shatters delicately between your teeth. Their signature sour cherry fried pies use fruit from the ancient trees surrounding the property. What makes these pies different is the slight tang in the crust—a result of using buttermilk instead of water. Betsy won’t ship her creations because “they’re meant to be eaten warm, straight from our kitchen to your mouth.”

5. Miss Betty’s Pie Pantry: Outer Banks’ Coastal Comfort Desserts

You wouldn’t expect to find traditional mountain-style fried pies at the beach, but Miss Betty’s Pie Pantry in Ocracoke Island breaks all the rules. Betty Johnson relocated from the Blue Ridge foothills in the 1970s, bringing her family recipes with her and creating an unexpected culinary tradition. The tiny blue cottage with white trim houses just enough room for a kitchen and a small counter where Betty, now 87, still crimps each pie by hand.

Her innovation? Adding sea salt harvested from Ocracoke waters to her dough, creating a subtle contrast to the sweet fillings. The fig fried pies are legendary—made with local island figs that grow wild throughout Ocracoke. During hurricane evacuations, locals joke that they grab “children, photos, and a box of Miss Betty’s pies” before heading to the mainland. Nothing comforts quite like tradition, even at the edge of the sea.