When Daniel Walker touts pie, you take notice. He’d been telling me about Little Rock’s newest pie-maker, Honey Pies, a few weeks back, and how I needed to put it on my radar of things to try out. Is there a better endorsement in this town?

To be honest, I typically don’t seek out desserts like Walker does. Don’t get me wrong, I love sweet treats, but Walker would give up a kidney if it meant a lifetime of free donuts.

So when he brought over a Gingerbread Apple Pie from Honey Pies on New Years Eve, I knew it would be legit.

It was.

Don’t believe me?  Just take a look at owner Sharon Woodson’s picture.

As you can see, Sharon takes great pride in presentation, but this is not at the expense of taste. She also uses top quality ingredients in this 9-inch, deep-dish pie, including organic apples, organic sugar, Saigon cinnamon, and organic heavy cream. For the crust, she uses organic unbleached flour, organic dark brown sugar, hormone-free butter, molasses, organic milk, Saigon cinnamon, ginger, baking soda, cloves, and salt. Says Woodson, “High quality ingredients are absolutely essential when creating a nuanced flavor profile. Skimping on quality compromises flavor and that’s just a deal breaker for me. When I’m feeding my family, I want to know where our groceries come from, as it’s very important to me to use all natural ingredients. That’s easier when produce is organic and locally sourced. Taking care of my family is my highest priority and Honey Pies let’s me extend that care into our community.”

For me, it’s the crust that separates Sharon’s pies from the competition, as was the case with her seasonal pear pie. I love pears, but rarely, if ever, have I eaten a pear pie. Sharon’s is loaded with the fruit and highlighted by a top layer of lightly sugared crust. Nothing about this pie is over-the-top, rather, the beauty is in its simplicity, relying on superior ingredients to elevate the taste.

So, just why did Woodson get into the baking business?

“As a small girl, I always followed my grandmother around the kitchen helping everywhere I could. Baking keeps me grounded and helps me feel closer to my family and friends. Honey Pies is a natural extension of my need to grow my baking dreams and help my family bond over a pie like my grandmother would have baked,” says Woodson.

Here’s hoping her baking dreams keep on growing.

Need to Know …
–Most pies cost $24 (sweet and savory options available, including honey pecan, apple, chocolate fudge brownie, coconut cream, maple oatmeal, pear, gingerbread apple, cowboy quiche)
-Design your own pie ($24)
-Take and bake chicken pot pie ($32)
-Delivery is available
-Special Promotion on January 23rd, National Pie Day … free delivery
-Gluten-free option
-The website is second to none … with a detailed description of each pie.
-Sharon even maintains a blog on the site.