National Boston Cream Pie Day
Slice a Boston cream pie on National Boston Cream Pie Day. The dessert is a cake, not a pie: two layers of sponge, a pastry-cream filling, and a chocolate glaze, born at Bostonâs Parker House and later named Massachusettsâ official state dessert.
About National Boston Cream Pie Day
History & origins
National Boston Cream Pie Day falls on October 23. It is an informal U.S. food observance, not a federal holiday, and the exact founder of the food day is unclear. Day-tracking calendars keep October 23 without a documented congressional origin.
The dessert is well documented. Bostonâs Parker House hotel (now the Omni Parker House) opened in 1855. The hotel and most food historians credit French-born chef Augustine François Anezin (also spelled Sanzian) with serving the cake around the 1856 opening, first as chocolate cream pie. Nineteenth-century kitchens often baked cakes in pie tins, which is why the name stuck. Early printed recipes use âchocolate cream pieâ; the name âBoston cream pieâ appears in late-nineteenth-century cookbooks. The Parker House version is two layers of sponge or butter cake, rum-syrup in some hotel recipes, thick custard, chocolate fondant on top, and sometimes toasted almonds on the side.
On 12 December 1996, Massachusetts designated Boston cream pie the official dessert or dessert emblem of the Commonwealth (Chapter 434 of the Acts of 1996; General Laws chapter 2, section 41). A Norton High School civics class sponsored the bill; it beat Toll House cookies and Indian pudding. Betty Crocker sold a Boston Cream Pie mix from 1958. The Boston cream doughnut â official state doughnut in 2003 â is a related pastry, not the same dessert.
Why it matters
A âpieâ that is a cake is the kind of food-history joke that is actually true. The day is a Boston story that became a supermarket cake, and it is a chance to distinguish the original custard cake from the doughnut. It is not National Pie Day.
How to celebrate
Order a slice at a bakery, or at Parkerâs Restaurant in the Omni Parker House if you are in Boston. Bake the two-layer version at home: sponge, pastry cream, chocolate ganache. Serve it in wedges so it still looks like a pie. Try the doughnut only as a side note; the day is for the cake. Share the Massachusetts state-dessert fact, which is on the books.
Facts
- The Parker House in Boston is the hotel most often credited, around 1856
- Chef Augustine François Anezin (Sanzian) is the cook most often named
- It is a custard-filled cake with chocolate glaze; the âpieâ name comes from pie tins
- Massachusetts made it the official state dessert on 12 December 1996
- The Boston cream doughnut is a separate official state doughnut (2003)
Upcoming dates
- Friday, October 23, 2026
- Saturday, October 23, 2027
- Monday, October 23, 2028
- Tuesday, October 23, 2029
- Wednesday, October 23, 2030
Frequently asked questions
When is National Boston Cream Pie Day in 2026?
National Boston Cream Pie Day in 2026 falls on Friday, October 23, 2026.
What is National Boston Cream Pie Day?
It is an informal food day for Boston cream pie, the custard-filled, chocolate-glazed cake associated with the Parker House. Massachusetts later named it the state dessert.
Who started National Boston Cream Pie Day?
The founder of the October 23 food day is unclear. The dessert is credited to the Parker House and chef Augustine François Anezin around 1856. The state-dessert law came in 1996.
How do you celebrate National Boston Cream Pie Day?
Eat a slice of the cake â sponge, pastry cream, chocolate glaze â or bake one. The doughnut is a cousin, not the main event.
Is National Boston Cream Pie Day an official holiday?
No. It is not a U.S. federal holiday. Boston cream pie is the official Massachusetts state dessert, which is an emblem, not a day off.
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