How many pies for 20 people?
For 20 people with three kinds of pie and about 1½ slices each, plan on 6 pies — 2 pies of each kind, 9 in pies cut in 8 — covering 33 slices with 15 slices to spare.
How to work it out
- 20 adults × 1.5 slices × 1.1 extra = 33 slices
- 33 slices ÷ 8 per pie ÷ 3 kinds = 1.38, rounded up = 2 pies of each → 6 pies
Twenty at Thanksgiving usually means three pies on the counter — pumpkin, apple and pecan — and a lot of guests who want a sliver of each. That is why the count is higher than one slice per guest suggests.
Adjust for your project
More options: Kids · Extra
- Of each kind
- 2 pies
- Slices needed (incl. extra)
- 33 slices
- Spare slices
- 15 slices
- Rounding each kind up to whole pies adds some spare slices — fine for leftovers, or drop a kind.
- Cream, custard and pumpkin pies are perishable: keep them in the fridge until serving and do not leave them out more than 2 hours.
Pies by number of guests (slices, cut and kinds as above)
| Guests | Pies | Of each kind | Spare slices |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | 3 pies | 1 pie | 10 slices |
| 12 | 3 pies | 1 pie | 4 slices |
| 16 | 6 pies | 2 pies | 21 slices |
| 20 | 6 pies | 2 pies | 15 slices |
| 30 | 9 pies | 3 pies | 22 slices |
| 50 | 12 pies | 4 pies | 13 slices |
| 100 | 21 pies | 7 pies | 3 slices |
Why six pies, not three
One slice each for twenty guests, plus 10% extra, is 22 slices — three 9 in pies cut in 8, by the Clay County quantity table’s cut. But with three kinds, guests tend to take a thin slice of two, so the calculator plans 1½ slices each: 33 slices. Divided among three kinds that is 11 slices of each, and each kind rounds up to two pies — six in all, with 15 slices to spare for seconds and Friday breakfast.
| Plan for 20 | Slices (+10%) | Pies (9 in, cut in 8) |
|---|---|---|
| One kind, 1 slice each | 22 | 3 |
| Three kinds, 1 slice each | 22 | 3 (one of each) |
| Three kinds, 1½ slices each | 33 | 6 (two of each) |
| Two kinds, 1½ slices each | 33 | 6 (three of each) |
Thanksgiving pie plan
- Bake fruit pies the day before; keep pumpkin and other custard pies in the fridge until dessert.
- Cut them in the kitchen into 8 or 10 so the line moves and every kind gets tried.
- Leftovers: refrigerate custard pies within 2 hours of serving.
The rest of the meal for the same table: how big a turkey for 20 people and how much green bean casserole for 20 people. How the slices are counted: how many slices in a pie.
Different size? Use the full Pie Calculator.
What you’ll need
- Heavy-duty paper plates (bulk)Budget price
Sturdy plates that do not fold under a scoop of baked beans. Get small ones too for dessert.
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Frequently asked questions
How many pies for 20 people with one slice each?
3 pies — 1 pie of each of three kinds.
How many pies for 12 people?
3 pies — 1 pie of each of three kinds at 1½ slices each.
How many pies for 30 people?
9 pies — 3 pies of each of three kinds.
Other common sizes
- How many slices in a pie — 8 slices in a 9 inch pie (6 in an 8 inch)
Sources
- Clay County, Minnesota — Amounts of food to serve fifty (cooking for large groups) (opens in a new tab) — Quantity table for 50 servings, built on a 3 oz cooked meat serving; sides, rolls, desserts, punch and lemonade.