Of all the amazing confections that mankind has created, the coveted pie holds a very sacred position. Which is why I was excited to try out the modern spin on pies at The Pie Hole, one of the vendors for the highly anticipated Dessert Goals this year. Located in the Arts District of Los Angeles, The Pie Hole exudes a comfortable atmosphere akin to that of a local coffee shop. Upon walking in, I was not bombarded with products, hosts or even the pies. I was instead met with the wooden seating area peppered with fall trinkets and adorable fake gourds. Fall was breezing through every corner! Aside from their selection of creative pie holes and decadent full pies, The Pie Hole also has a selection of savory pot pies including a creamy Mac ‘n Cheese Pot Pie and an old fashion Sheperd’s Pot Pie.
Everyone knows that a pie is only as good as its base, the crust! The crust for all of the pie-holes was divine. The texture was flakey and the flavor was buttery. The first pie hole to be devoured was the original pie flavor, Apple. This flavor was apple with a twist, Apple Caramel Crumble! The exterior had a layer of vanilla icing and was topped with an apple streusel. The filling was an apple-jelly mixed with juicy cubes of tart green apple. This was definitely the best flavor for lovers of traditional pie. To keep in line with traditional fruit flavors, I decided to try the Blueberry pie hole next. The exterior had a healthy coating of light purple icing that coated the entire ball. I gushed over how gooey and rich the blueberry filling was. The baker somehow fit all of the bold and aromatic flavors of a blueberry into such a small ball. This would be another fan favorite for lovers of traditional pie.
The next fruit flavor I decided to try was the Raspberry Cream Cheese pie hole. This ball of goodness somehow transported me to the very first time I had tried a strawberry cream cheese bar as a child. The pie hole had everything, from the whipped cream cheese topping to the raspberry glaze underneath it, finishing off with a richer raspberry jelly filling inside the ball. It was an elevated version of the cream cheese bars I loved. It was also surprisingly the least sweet of all the fruit flavors. Next up was the Nutella flavor. The outside was topped with a light dollop of fresh whipped cream and sprinkled with crushed hazelnut. The whipped cream helped balance out the rich sweetness of the filling. The minute I bit into it, I was met with a flavor bomb of rich, decadent chocolate. The chocolate hazelnut filling had a fudge-like consistency akin to a slightly softer Ferrero Rocher chocolate without the whole hazelnut in the middle. To keep the chocolate train going, I decided to move onto the Mexican Chocolate flavor. What surprised me the most about this flavor was how the whipped cream topping had a bold coffee taste. If I had not known the name of the flavor, I would have assumed it was espresso. Underneath that whipped topping was a layer of chocolate ganache. The same semi-sweet ganache filled the inside of the pie hole. This flavor was a nice break from its strikingly sweet cohorts.
The next pie hole I consumed was what I believed to be Peanut Butter Pretzel, but upon further questioning I realized the flavor went by the name Sweet n’ Salty. The amount of decadent flavor in this pie hole almost made me feel guilty. Almost. The topping was a swirl of soft peanut butter icing with a waterfall of chocolate ganache underneath it. The center was filled with the same chocolate ganache except it had a velvety consistency. And of course the concoction was topped with a salty twisted pretzel.
The second to last pie hole was nothing short of a fruity pebble explosion. The name of said hybrid pie hole was none other than Cereal Killer, a fitting name for such a dangerous treat. The Fruity Pebble medley was glued to the pie hole with a layer of cream cheese icing. The Fruity Pebbles topping added some much needed texture to the pie hole. The filling was what shocked me, I had expected a milky filling with pieces of Fruity Pebbles but instead I was met with raspberry jelly, similar to the one inside of the Raspberry Cream Cheese pie hole.
The last pie hole of my visit was the showstopper that went by a simple alias; Birthday. This pie hole was covered by a menagerie of sprinkles, everything from wedding pearls to old fashion jimmies to classic confetti sprinkles. The filling of this sprinkle blasted confection was none other than the raspberry jelly! In addition to the delicious pie, the entire staff at The Pie Hole was equally if not more sweet than the decadent treats. Be sure to check out this hotspot in Downtown Los Angeles when you get the chance! You can expect to find The Pie Hole as one of the sweet vendors at Dessert Goals this year! Check out our article here for more information!