10 Family-Owned Pie Shops In Kentucky Passed Down For Generations
Kentucky is home to pie shops where recipes and traditions are treasured across generations.
These family-owned spots serve more than dessert; they offer slices of history, care, and love baked into every crust.
From fruit-filled classics to creamy, decadent creations, each pie tells a story that has been passed down and perfected over time.
Step inside, take a bite, and experience why these pies have kept families and communities coming back for decades.
1. Plehn’s Bakery — Louisville’s Sweet Corner Since 1924
German immigrant brothers brought their European pastry skills to Louisville nearly a century ago, creating what would become a Bluegrass institution.
The vintage display cases still showcase their famous butter cream cakes alongside heavenly fruit pies.
Fourth-generation bakers now follow the same handwritten recipes, refusing to cut corners with modern shortcuts. Locals swear their chocolate chess pie alone is worth crossing county lines for!
2. Burke’s Bakery & Delicatessen — Danville’s Time Capsule of Flavor
Walking into Burke’s feels like stepping back to 1930, complete with the original wooden floors that creak pleasantly beneath your feet.
Grandmothers drive from counties away just for their legendary transparent pie – a Kentucky specialty with a filling so delicately sweet it borders on magical.
The Burke family guards their recipes like treasures, passing them only to blood relatives who prove worthy of the rolling pin.
3. Hadorn’s Bakery — Bardstown’s Swiss-Inspired Pie Paradise
Swiss immigrant Leo Hadorn couldn’t have imagined his little bakery would become Bardstown’s morning ritual for four generations.
The line forms before sunrise as locals queue for their signature buttermilk pie, still made in the same basement kitchen where Leo first baked.
Current owner-baker Rose Hadorn still uses her grandfather’s wooden spoons and measuring cups. “These tools have memory,” she says with a wink. “They know exactly how the pies should taste.”
4. Kern’s Kitchen — Home of the Legally Protected Derby-Pie®
You haven’t truly experienced Kentucky until you’ve tasted the one-and-only Derby-Pie® from Kern’s Kitchen. So special is this chocolate-nut creation that the Kern family trademarked the name back in 1968!
Every single pie is still handmade in small batches according to George Kern’s original recipe.
The family is famously protective – they’ve filed over 25 lawsuits against imitators trying to use their name. One bite explains why they guard this chocolate treasure so fiercely.
5. Missy’s Pie Shop — Lexington’s Slice of Homemade Heaven
Thirty years ago, Missy started baking pies in her home kitchen for a few local restaurants. Today her shop cranks out hundreds daily, yet somehow each tastes like it came straight from grandma’s oven.
The secret? No commercial machinery allowed. Every crust is hand-rolled, every filling measured by experienced eyes rather than digital scales.
Their peanut butter pie has developed such a cult following that UK basketball players have been spotted waiting in line before big games – presumably for good luck!
6. Homemade Ice Cream & Pie Kitchen — Louisville’s Double-Dessert Dynasty
Genius struck when the Ehrler family decided to combine Kentucky’s two favorite desserts under one roof.
Their Dutch apple caramel pie paired with homemade vanilla bean ice cream has prevented countless family arguments about which dessert to bring home.
Three generations of Ehrlers have maintained their commitment to small-batch baking.
Grandpa Ehrler’s original marble slab for cooling pies still sits in the kitchen, considered too precious to replace even though modern alternatives exist. Some traditions simply make the pie taste better!
7. Schlabach’s Bakery — Amish Tradition in Every Delicious Bite
Hidden in Guthrie’s Amish country, Schlabach’s operates without electricity yet produces pies that would make modern pastry chefs weep with joy.
Their shoofly pie, a molasses creation from old Pennsylvania Dutch recipes, draws visitors from neighboring states. The Schlabach women rise at 3am to bake by oil lamp, using butter churned on their own farm.
No phones mean no pre-orders – you simply show up and hope your favorite isn’t sold out. The uncertainty makes victory that much sweeter when you score the last peach pie!
8. Patti’s 1880’s Settlement — Grand Rivers’ Legendary Inch-Thick Pies
What began as a simple hamburger stand in the 1970s transformed into a Kentucky landmark when Patti’s inch-thick meringue pies entered the picture.
Their signature Sawdust Pie – a peculiar but addictive mix of coconut, graham cracker crumbs, and pecans – has inspired marriage proposals.
After a devastating fire in 2018, three generations of the Tullar family rebuilt using the original recipes rescued from the flames.
Regulars swear the pies taste identical to those from 40 years ago – perhaps the ultimate culinary compliment!
9. Adam Matthews Bakery — Louisville’s French-Inspired Southern Pie Haven
Founded when Adam Matthews returned from studying pastry in France, this bakery beautifully marries European technique with Southern flavors.
Their bourbon pecan pie features spirits from local distilleries, creating a dessert that’s quintessentially Kentucky.
Now run by Adam’s grandchildren, the bakery still uses the antique French rolling pins he brought back from Paris.
During Derby week, they produce over 600 pies daily, with locals placing orders months in advance. Their chess pie variation with lavender has won national awards!
10. The Whistle Stop — Glendale’s Railroad-Side Pie Destination
Trains still rumble past this converted hardware store where the Bale family has been serving slices of Kentucky nostalgia since 1975.
Their coconut cream pie recipe came from Great-Grandma Bale, who allegedly once served it to railroad workers during the Great Depression.
Current owner Mary Bale claims the secret ingredient is the train vibrations that gently shake the pies as they cool.
Whether that’s true or just family lore, nobody leaves without trying their famous vinegar pie – an old Appalachian recipe that tastes infinitely better than it sounds!