Welcome to Man-Made Pies!
Man-Made Pies is a collection of homemade pie recipes, crusts, and a few things that aren’t pies.
Some recipes are classics. Others get a little bourbon, browned butter, or an unexpected ingredient. I’ve spent years baking, testing, and tweaking them in my own kitchen, and I only share the ones I’d happily make again.
Whether you’re baking your first pie or your fiftieth, I hope you find something here worth making.
Featured Recipes
Man-Made Pies on WJZ-TV
Man-Made Pies made an appearance on WJZ-TV’s morning show, where I shared some of my award-winning pies and a few of the twists I’ve developed along the way.
Meet the man behind Man-Made Pies
I’m Michael, a father of two teenage boys in Towson, Maryland, baking pies in a regular row house kitchen while working full-time in government affairs. I’m also helping launch the National Cottage Food Alliance, an organization dedicated to helping home bakers navigate the sometimes confusing laws and regulations surrounding cottage food businesses.
What started during the COVID lockdown as a quest to make the perfect pecan pie eventually led me to the Maryland State Fair, where I started bringing home ribbons. In 2024, that pecan pie took 1st Place, and Man-Made Pies was born.
Since then, Man-Made Pies has grown into a Maryland cottage food business. I now sell handcrafted pies and offer private pie-making classes, but the recipes are still where this all started, and they’re still at the heart of what I do.
There are thousands of pie recipes online. This isn’t a collection of recipes I’ve found. It’s a collection I’ve made. Every pie, crust, and “not pie” on this site is something I’ve tested, refined, and would happily bake again for my family, friends, neighbors, or a baking competition.
Order a Pie or Learn to Make One
Order Homemade Pies
I sell handcrafted pies from my Towson kitchen under Maryland’s cottage food laws. Not every recipe on this website is eligible for sale, but you’ll find a selection of classic pies and seasonal favorites available to order.
Private Pie-Making Classes
If you’re in or around Baltimore, gather a few friends and make a pie party out of it. I offer private, hands-on pie-making classes where we can tackle any of the recipes on this website, including pies I can’t sell under Maryland’s cottage food laws.
Pick a recipe, invite your friends, and we’ll spend some time baking together.