It is the morning after Thanksgiving. The house is eerily quiet. The dishwasher is humming its third cycle of the last twelve hours, and the air still smells faintly of sage and roasted poultry. You wander into the kitchen, bleary-eyed, in search of sustenance.
Your hand reaches for the oatmeal. It hovers over the yogurt. But then, your eyes drift to the counter. There, under a slightly crinkled tent of aluminum foil, sits the real prize. The survivor. The last quarter of the pumpkin pie.
Social norms—those pesky, invisible rules that govern our daily lives—would tell you that you cannot eat pie for breakfast. Society tells you that you must eat eggs, or toast, or perhaps a green smoothie that tastes like punishment.
I am here today to tell you that society is wrong.
As a culinary enthusiast and a human being who has survived many holiday seasons, I have compiled a comprehensive, peer-reviewed (by me and my dog), and arguably scientific defense of eating leftover pie for breakfast. If you are looking for permission to grab a fork and eat straight out of the pie dish while wearing flannel pajamas, consider this your official authorization.
The Nutritional “Vegetable Loophole”
Let’s look at the facts. What is the primary ingredient in your standard Thanksgiving dessert? If we are talking pumpkin or sweet potato pie, the answer is right there in the name.
It is a vegetable.
According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), a cup of cooked pumpkin is packed with Vitamin A, providing over 200% of your daily recommended intake. Vitamin A is essential for eye health and immune function. Therefore, by eating pumpkin pie, you are not “indulging in dessert”; you are engaging in a proactive ocular health regimen.
Getty Images
If you were to roast a squash and eat it with a side of toast, nobody would bat an eye. But mash that squash, add some warming spices (cinnamon is an antioxidant, after all), and put it inside a crust (which is essentially toast that hugs the filling), and suddenly it’s “unhealthy”? The logic doesn’t hold up.
By consuming this pie, you are technically starting your day with a serving of vegetables. You are being responsible. You are practically a nutritionist.
The Custard Argument: It’s Basically an Omelet
Let’s deconstruct the filling further. To get that rich, creamy texture in a pumpkin or pecan pie, what do we use? Eggs and milk (or evaporated milk).
If you whisk eggs and milk together and cook them in a skillet, it’s scrambled eggs. If you bake them in a pastry shell with cheese and bacon, it’s a quiche—a socially acceptable, sophisticated breakfast.
Why does the addition of sugar negate the protein content of the eggs or the calcium in the milk? From a macronutrient standpoint, your body is still receiving the satiating benefits of protein. Healthline notes that high-protein breakfasts are linked to reducing cravings and helping you feel full longer.
So, really, if you think about it, eating a slice of pie is a strategic move to prevent mid-morning snacking. The density of the custard, combined with the fats in the crust, provides a slow burn of energy that will sustain you through the grueling work of Black Friday online shopping.
The Psychology of Comfort (and Cortisol)
The holidays are stressful. Between navigating family dynamics, timing the turkey perfectly, and ensuring the gravy doesn’t turn into wallpaper paste, your cortisol levels have likely been spiking for 48 hours.
Cortisol, the stress hormone, puts your body into “fight or flight” mode. Recovery is not just physical; it is psychological. There is legitimate psychological validity to the concept of “comfort food.”
When we eat foods that we find pleasurable, our brains release dopamine. This isn’t just about gluttony; it’s about emotional regulation. Denying yourself a simple pleasure like a slice of pie because of arbitrary dietary rules creates more stress. Psychology Today discusses the role of comfort foods, noting that they can provide a sense of emotional well-being and connection to positive memories.
Eating the pie is an act of self-care. It is a signal to your body that the war is over. The turkey has been conquered. You are safe. You are allowed to enjoy the cinnamon-spiced spoils of victory.
The Great Breakfast Double Standard
We need to address the elephant in the room: the hypocrisy of American breakfast culture.
Walk into any coffee shop in America at 8:00 AM, and what do you see?
- Muffins (essentially un-iced cake).
- Donuts (deep-fried cake with glaze).
- Pancakes (cake cooked on a skillet, drowned in syrup).
- Waffles (cake with abs, drowned in syrup).
- Danishes (pastry with fruit jelly).
We happily consume these items and call it “breakfast.” A standard blueberry muffin can often contain more sugar and carbohydrates than a slice of pumpkin pie. A stack of pancakes with maple syrup is a glycemic event that rivals any dessert.
Yet, we draw the line at pie?
This distinction is entirely arbitrary. It is a marketing construct. A fruit-filled Pop-Tart is considered a breakfast food, but a homemade apple pie made with fresh Granny Smith apples and real butter is “dessert.” Do not let Big Cereal gaslight you.
The Official ‘Scientific’ Bullet Points
If the paragraphs above haven’t convinced you, here is the breakdown of why holiday calories—specifically pie calories—do not count before noon, based on the immutable laws of Holiday Physics.
- The Law of Thermal Happiness: Calories consumed while wearing fuzzy socks and pajamas are burned off immediately by the body’s need to maintain a state of “cozy.” The heat generated by your internal happiness neutralizes the caloric density of the crust.
- The Broken Clock Theory: During the four-day weekend following Thanksgiving, time is a construct. 8:00 AM is 2:00 PM. Tuesday is Sunday. If you don’t know what day it is, your metabolism doesn’t know what time it is. Therefore, your body processes the pie as “fuel” rather than “stored fat.”
- The Cinnamon Metabolic Boost: Cinnamon is widely rumored to boost metabolism. Most pies contain cinnamon. Therefore, the pie is essentially a weight-loss supplement. (Please do not fact-check this with a medical doctor; just feel the truth of it in your heart).
- The Food Waste Prevention Protocol: Throwing away food is bad for the environment. By eating the leftover pie, you are saving it from the landfill. You are an eco-warrior. This is a green initiative.
Pairing Guide: How to Make it “Continental”
If you still feel a lingering twinge of guilt—which you shouldn’t—you can legitimize the experience by focusing on the pairing. You aren’t just “eating pie”; you are having a continental breakfast pairing.
- The Coffee Balance: Black coffee is bitter and acidic. It needs a rich, sweet counterpoint to balance the palate. The pie acts as a necessary culinary foil to your morning roast.
- The Whipped Cream Calcium: Did you put a dollop of whipped cream on top? Congratulations, that’s dairy. Strong bones are important.
- The Fruit Element: If it is apple, cherry, or blueberry pie, you are practically eating a fruit salad.
Conclusion
The post-Thanksgiving weekend is a liminal space. It is a rare pause in the year where we are allowed to rest, reflect, and enjoy the fruits of our labor. If that fruit happens to be baked into a buttery, flaky crust, so be it.
Life is short. The pie will go stale if you wait until after dinner. Do the right thing. Grab a fork, pour a coffee, and enjoy the breakfast of champions.
Your salad can wait until Monday.
Read More from Culinary Passages
Now that you’ve conquered the leftovers, it’s time to look ahead to the rest of the holiday season. Keep the celebration going with these guides to hosting, gifting, and enjoying life on the Westside:
- More Than a White Elephant: 5 Themed Gift Exchange Ideas You Will Love Thanksgiving is over, which means gift-giving season is officially here. If you are tired of the same old gag gifts, check out these creative themes to spice up your next group gathering.
- How to Host an Amazing Holiday Party: 2 Brilliant Build-Your-Own Bar Ideas Planning your December get-together? Take the pressure off yourself as the host with these interactive “build-your-own” stations that guests absolutely adore.
- 5 Epic Dessert Bar Ideas to Wow Your Guests If you think having pie for breakfast is a great idea (and it is), you will love these concepts for full-blown dessert bars. Perfect for keeping the sweet tooth satisfied at your next event.
- The Best Movie Theater on the Westside Need a break from the kitchen and the relatives? Sometimes the best self-care is escaping into a dark theater with a bucket of popcorn. Here is our top pick for a cinematic escape.
- Milestone Birthday Magic: A Heartfelt Guide to Luminous Celebrations The holidays aren’t the only reason to celebrate. If you have a big birthday coming up on the calendar, read this heartfelt guide on creating a truly memorable and luminous occasion.
About the Author
Ginger Graham Ginger Graham is the founder and lead editor of Culinary Passages. A former line cook turned home-kitchen enthusiast, she believes that butter is a food group and that any recipe can be salvaged with enough confidence. When she isn’t writing about food or photographing it, she can be found arguing with her sourdough starter or trying to fit “just one more thing” into her freezer.
(Disclaimer: The “science” in this article is for entertainment purposes only. While pumpkin does contain Vitamin A, please DO NOT replace your actual medical advice with blog posts written by someone currently covered in pie crumbs.)
