The 411 on Pie Dreams #
Address: 5855D Jarvis Avenue
Newark, CA
Website: https://www.piedreamsco.com/
The Vibe: I started following Pie Dreams on Instagram shortly after moving to southern Alameda County in 2021. I was in the market for a bakery selling creative pie flavors after Pietisserie left the Bay Area. I am admittedly more a fan of cake than pie, partly because the classic fruit pie—think fruit in a gelatinous filling over a sometimes limp crust—just doesn’t do it for me. Add in cream and adventurous ingredients, however, and we’re talking!
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Like banana and black sesame!
Pie Dreams fits the bill for me. They experiment with some truly exciting flavors and opened a storefront soon after I became aware of them—I do prefer brick and mortar over virtual shops, though I understand how high the overhead can be. Plus, they make savory pot pies and meat, gravy, and pastry have always been friends of mine.
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A chicken-bacon pot pie
Pre-ordering is the best way to get your hands on a whole pie, which you can do on the website. Ten inches is their standard size. Whole pies are also available at the counter, along with slices and fresh and frozen hand pies, but they do sell out. Flavors change seasonally, with one or two familiar flavors for the less adventurous customers always on the menu. Think french silk and key lime.
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A seasonal slice of strawberry-mango pie (I think).
Be sure to order well ahead for Halloween, winter holiday season, or Pi Day pies. And if no pie calls to you from the default “Sweet” tab on their website, check the “Ready to Bake” tab in case what you want is there. Tell me how it goes baking one of their sweet pies at home! I haven’t done that yet.
I’ve never tried them, but they also sell butter-crust bites from their pies, tossed with sugar. If you’re a crust lover, that’s for you!
My Take on Pie Dreams #
The Food: All the Pie Dreams pies that I’ve tried have been made on their excellent butter crust. I’ve seen no graham cracker or sugar cookie crusts, though chocolate is occasionally mixed in. The crust is tasty and sturdy; I quite often forgo a fork and lift a whole slice to my mouth to dig in.
One of my favorite flavors is the caramel apple.
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It has a luscious crumble on top and nicely sliced portions of granny smith apple whose tartness the salted caramel complements.
I also enjoy the seasonal eggnog pudding pie that has a bold burst of cranberry compote on bottom.
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The pudding is nicely spiced, but the cranberry is what makes that pie stand out. My friends have enjoyed the Santa's Slice around that time of year, a chess pie with maple and brown sugar flavors.
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Despite enjoying their pies, Pie Dreams still haven’t converted me into a chess pie fan. Something about chess pies comes across as too simple, and thus boring, for my free-wheeling taste buds. But their lemon chess comes close! It’s smooth and delicious, and I just may have a second slice.
In the citrus realm, the key lime pie hits all the appropriate notes: hints of sweetness followed by tart richness.
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And I love its cute dots of whipped cream and sprinkles of zest for decoration. Another green option is a Halloween specialty: the Cauldron Pie with a dark chocolate butter crust, pandan custard made with coconut milk, and more whipped cream dots.
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It lends a fun, tropical feel that, admittedly, doesn’t scream Halloween. But the color does! Though I declare, I like their Devil’s Pie even more.
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That one’s made with dark chocolate pudding, kirsch-bathed cherries, and a homey dollop of fresh whipped cream. I love black forest cakes; I have no choice but to love the Devil’s Pie with that ingredient list.
I have also twice had the chicken-bacon hand pie now. First time, hot and fresh from the shop—
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Here’s a picture after breaking into it.
—and second, baking it from frozen at my house.
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It is best directly from the shop, of course, but it was tasty and satisfying both times. The frozen option is smaller, but you get two in a pack. Its herb gravy brings tons of flavor to the hand-pie party, and the veggies and chicken are cut into good-sized chunks. Not too dry or too moist inside or out. Pie Dreams also sells a pork chile verde pot pie, but I haven’t tried it because I don’t like beans.
Would I Go Back? I peruse the menu every time they update it! Here’s the June list. If one of the flavors sounds intriguing (I’m looking at you, Orange Dreamsicle), I can trust that Pie Dreams will serve it up in a satisfying crust that I will enjoy. So yes, I’ll be back the next time their pie descriptions seduce my sweet tooth. And then I’ll stock up on some savory ones, too.
Visited multiple times 2022–2026.
