This Mini Pie Maker Is Perfect For Your Mini (And Social Distance-Friendly) Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving will be different this year (that is, if you’re not an asshole). Most cities (and even the CDC at this point) have advised people not to travel, and to spend the holiday with people they’re already living with, which means no huge dinners inside, no gathering around closely around a turkey being carved, and definitely no double-dipping. It’s a huge bummer, but if we all do our part, we’ll see far less positive COVID cases, hospital over max capacity, and deaths. But just because Thanksgiving isn’t what we’re used to, doesn’t mean that it’s ruined. You can make your mini Thanksgiving special and get to bake all the things you normally would — and you can do so by wasting way less food and making it look cuter.

How? With Dash’s mini pie maker. It comes in red:

And in aqua:

If you already own their mini waffle maker (I have two, no biggie), you know that Dash likes to make miniature versions of things. And it really does make things all the more delicious (if you’ve ever wondered why fun-sized candy, like Mr. Goodbar and Snickers taste so much better, the secret is that it’s because it’s TINY).

“Is this… for babies?” My 73-year-old Russian father asked me when he saw my mini pie maker the other day (I work from home and never leave the house, and he’s retired, so we consider our visits safe). You may also get Zoolander “Is this a school for ants?” jokes. But you’ll have the last laugh when you get to serve individual pies to your guests this Thanksgiving (and other holidays/for fun) because not only does everyone get their very own little pie, but Dash’s lil’ appliance allows you to make a variety of pies in a short amount of time — and it’s super easy to use, whether you get your dough pre-made or you do it yourself, old-school. (Smitten Kitchen’s flakey, buttery pie crust is my go-to, if you’re curious).

The deets: This pie maker makes 4-inch pies (sweet or savory, your choice), and all you need to do is wait for it to heat up (it’ll tell you when it’s ready when the red light blinks), lay out your bottom crust, pile in your filling, fold your top over the filling (or lay out strips for a lattice crust), close the appliance, and wait about five minutes. And voila! You’ve got yourself a mini pie. Or a baby pie, as my dad calls it. Baby pies for all!