Yelapa pie is one of the first things visitors hear about and one of the last things they forget. In this small, car-free village on the south shore of Banderas Bay, local bakers make pies at home and sellers carry them along the beach, cutting slices for people in the beach chairs. Coconut is the classic, but there's a lot more to try. This guide covers the flavors, how to buy a slice, the sweet corn pie that food writers love, and how to bake a Yelapa-style pie at home, as of October 30, 2026.
Looking for restaurants, coffee, and groceries? Our guide to where to eat in Yelapa covers those. This post is all about the pie.
What is Yelapa pie?
Yelapa pie is homemade pie sold by the slice, mostly on the main beach. Sellers walk the sand with a container of pie, cut a slice, and hand it over wrapped in foil, so you can eat it right where you're sitting. The crust is made to travel: sturdy enough to hold in your hand, and still tender.
The tradition has fans far beyond the bay. Milk Street, the cooking magazine and public television show, sent its founder Christopher Kimball to Yelapa for a July-August 2022 magazine story called The Pies of Yelapa, and the trip became an episode of the same name in Season 6 of Milk Street Television. The picture that sold him on the trip was a simple one: standing on the beach, eating a slice of pie out of hand.
Flavors to try
Flavors change from day to day and from baker to baker, so take what looks good when it comes by. In the Milk Street story, one Yelapa baker's spread included:
- Coconut, the flavor most people mean when they say "Yelapa pie"
- Chocolate
- Banana
- Lemon meringue
- Cheese
- Pecan
- Sweet corn, known in Spanish as pay de elote
Sweet corn pie (pay de elote)
If you try one flavor you can't easily get at home, make it corn. Kimball called the corn pie his favorite of the day, with a sweet, gentle corn flavor and a soft, custard-like texture. Milk Street liked it enough to turn it into a recipe, linked below.
How to buy a slice of pie in Yelapa
Buying pie in Yelapa is easy, because the pie comes to you.
- Find a beach chair. Sellers work the rows of chairs and umbrellas on the main beach.
- Carry small bills in pesos. Go2Yelapa's tips page notes that there are no ATMs in Yelapa, so bring cash before you come. Small peso bills make buying a slice simple.
- Say yes when you see your flavor. Sellers carry a few kinds at a time, and popular ones can sell out.
- Buy two. One to eat now, and one wrapped in foil for later.
Where pie fits in a Yelapa day
Pie fits into almost any plan here. Walk to the waterfall in the morning, swim in the cove, then wait for the pie to find you on the sand. Our things to do in Yelapa guide has the full list of walks, swims, and boat trips, and our guide to Yelapa beaches covers where to swim and how the tides work.
Coming over for the day? Water taxis leave from Puerto Vallarta and Boca de Tomatlán, and go2yelapa's transport page lists the current times. Our guide on how to get to Yelapa from Puerto Vallarta by boat explains the piers. Boats run in daylight, so plan on an afternoon boat back, or stay the night and have pie two days in a row. Still deciding? Our post on whether Yelapa is worth a day trip or an overnight can help.
Bake Yelapa pie at home
Back home and missing it? Milk Street's Pies of Yelapa episode makes three pies inspired by the beach in Yelapa, all with a hot water crust, and the recipes are on its site:
They don't come with a view of the bay, but they're a sweet reminder to plan the next trip.
Checked October 30, 2026. Flavors and sellers change with the day and the season, so look for pie on the beach when you arrive.
Sources
- Milk Street, The Pies of Yelapa (magazine story, July-August 2022)
- Milk Street Television, The Pies of Yelapa (Season 6, with recipes)
- Go2Yelapa, tips for visitors
Plan your stay
Staying a few nights means pie on more than one afternoon. Casa Gratitud is an ocean-view house in the jungle above the bay, with two king bedrooms, a fully stocked kitchen, and terraces facing the water. It sleeps up to 8, and our host family meets you at the pier and is on hand during your stay. Compare the parts of town in our guide to where to stay in Yelapa, check dates and rates, and book direct at yelapacasagratitud.com.