13 Pudding Pies You'll Want To Dig Right Into

Pudding pies probably aren't the first pies you think of, but we think you should. In the context of special occasions and holiday meals, pouring some pudding into a crust and refrigerating is the kind of ease you'll welcome as a host or potluck guest. When you're in pie-making mode (rolling out crusts, etc.) for whatever you clan requires, and questioning whether you might want an additional pie for Uncle Jim who can't eat nuts or for your little one that won't lay a finger on anything including cooked fruit, these easy pies are your eureka moment.

So, let us be your guide, with the simplest, no-fussiest pudding pies whose flavors, by the way, are very complementary to any other popular flavors you may be working with year-round. This salted caramel banana pie is a good place to start. Its crust is made from vanilla wafers (genius), and it's filled with banana pudding and caramel sauce. Trust us, no one will be talking about how non-traditional it is as they scrape up every last crumb from their plates.

You won't be able to wait to perform false modesty when eaters cut into this pie and discover not one, but three, iconic flavors inside. What, this easy pie? The secret behind keeping the banana, peanut butter and chocolate puddings separate is the cookie walls. Incredible, but true.

You have our attention for anything double-chocolate. Here, it takes the form of the chocolate pudding that fills it, plus the chopped chocolate that melts somewhat into deeper bittersweet pockets throughout. Pair with a graham cracker crust and we're doubly excited.

We defy you to find a quicker pie to assemble than this one. No pudding-making is necessary; just stir whipped topping, coconut milk and coconut pudding together, then add to the crust. Top with already-toasted coconut flakes and look like a hero.

Here you get a two-in-one, but you only have to make one pudding to achieve it! Just one vanilla pudding, split off into a half-batch, becomes chocolate with the addition of chopped chocolate. Swirling the two together in the pie looks adorable and tastes divine.

For those of us who live for the combination of chocolate and peanut butter, this is the kind of pie you just want to take by yourself into a dark room with your favorite movie. The crust is fashioned from chocolate graham cracker, and the pudding is peanut-butter-flavored. The garnish, chocolate chips and peanuts, is not optional at all. Not one bit.

Whoa, this one almost veers into Thanksgiving-specific territory! But it's so much less work than a caramel apple pie. The secret is the "caramel apple flavor bomb" base, a mixture of apple butter, caramel sauce and apple pie spices, that gets you into the express-lane for bringing out those iconic flavors. Instant vanilla pudding on top takes you the rest of the way.

If you're missing those campfires of summertime, here's a pie that will be a surefire hit (see what we did there). From-scratch chocolate pudding and graham cracker crust are only part of the story. The finale of a crown of marshmallows, toasted in the broiler (keep an eye on it the whole time; we can't stress this enough) turns it into a real showstopper.

This pudding and pie are almost too gorgeous to eat. The natural green of pistachios goes so beautifully with the blushing magenta of real rose petals, which enhance the rose water perfume folded in. Save this one for a very special occasion.

This very-berry pie is like a party in a crust, and will be welcome even in the dead of winter. The base is a from-scratch vanilla pudding, studded through with frozen blueberries. Finally, a layer of strawberry jam makes for a bright red surface.

This pie celebrates traditional banana pudding, which typically doesn't actually use banana pudding. Instead, it pairs vanilla pudding with sliced fresh bananas, and the way that the vanilla carries the banana flavor, you would swear that it's indeed banana through and through. Here, a vanilla whipped cream enhances the effect.

Rachael Ray turns the banana-pudding idea on its head by switching the pudding to chocolate! Along with fresh bananas and a pastry crust, it makes for a fun change of pace (and who doesn't love banana with chocolate?). Chocolate shavings on top will make it look uber-homemade; no one needs to know that whipped cream came out of a can!