Shadow Pies: LA’s Vegan Gothic Pies

When I came across Shadow Pies’ Instagram account, I was immediately drawn to the gothic aesthetic of the pies and the black-and-white cat logo. I DMed the account to see if they would be interested in being featured on my blog. To my delight, Sheridan, the owner and founder, immediately agreed! 

Here’s a little backstory on Shadow Pies:

“My name is Sheridan & I run Shadow Pies. My cat, Shadow, was diagnosed with neurological FIP, which is a nearly always fatal kitten disease that isn’t preventable & until recently, not treatable. Because the treatment is new and experimental it’s extremely expensive, so I started Shadow Pies to pay it off. For 84 days my partner and I gave Shadow a daily treatment injection in his back at home. It was gruesome, but now we’re in the 84-day post-treatment veterinary observation period, and he’s doing amazing!

I really hadn’t planned on making this a full-time business, but I got laid off from my music industry job during a massive wave of budget cuts & simultaneously my pies started taking off. I’m definitely going to keep the pies going & have some exciting expansions coming soon. I guess when one door closes another opens, right?”

All pies ordered through her Instagram come in one size (9 inches) and cost $35. If you’d like a gluten-free version, it’s an additional $5. The pickup location is in Mount Washington.

To place an order, send her a DM, preferably at least one week in advance. You can find her monthly menu in her Instagram Highlights.

If you don’t want a full-sized pie, you can pick up a mini pie at Cosmic Vinyl in Echo Park or Habitat Coffee in Eagle Rock. These retail for $15, and the flavors change weekly, unlike the 9-inch pies, whose flavors change monthly.

Her April menu featured a vegan blueberry pie called Drew Barrymore. I asked her about this:

“Since my menu changes monthly, every cake or pie that has a person’s name is usually based on a celebrity or a friend of mine whose birthday month it is. April was the Josh cake, named after my roommate Josh, and the Drew Barrymore pie was named after my favorite fellow Pisces.”

After debating which pie to order, I went with the banana cream pie, which appealed to me the most. This was a complimentary mini pie.

Her pie designs are genius. When I asked her where she got her inspiration, she responded:

“Honestly I take a lot of inspiration from vintage clothing & friends’ art. I’ve used designs from friends like @zigzag.goods in exchange for fresh pies. I love doing trades!”

If you’re not sure what to order, Sheridan highly recommends the S’more pie, which resembles a cobweb and happens to be her favorite. “It’s not too sweet! There are pretzels in the crust so it has a nice salty balance.”

The next day, I headed to the beautiful Mount Washington neighborhood to pick up my vegan banana cream pie. The plastic container had a smiley sticker, which brought a smile to my face. It was a hot day in LA, so I popped the pie in the fridge to cool before eating it. When I asked Sheridan about the best way to store her pies, she replied:

“It depends on the pie. All are great at room temperature, but the savory pies can be heated!”

Fast-forward to after dinner: the moment I’d been waiting for all day had finally arrived.

The pie was creamy and flavorful, and the frosting was as soft as a cloud. The banana flavor really stood out without overpowering the other ingredients. The crust was delicate and slightly salty. It was so good that I had to scoop up every last bit from the container. Just wow. Even two hours after eating the pie, I didn’t feel overly full or weighed down. If I had to describe this pie in one word, it would be light. Surprisingly light. I’d kept it in the fridge before eating it, which made it especially refreshing on such a hot day.

“I started baking pies with my grandma when I was five years old, and usually did every year for the holidays. My savory crust recipe is her recipe, veganized 🙂 I’ve always loved baking! All pies have GF as an option. Most are soy-free but I offer tofu as an option in my savory pies, and some ingredients are made in facilities that process soy :-)”

If you need further proof that Sheridan’s pies are the real deal, even LA icon Angelyne ordered one from her! Since moving to LA, I’ve spotted Angelyne many times in her pink Corvette. But I digress…

“Angelyne is an angel, I was so happy to make a cake for her to celebrate her NFT. She made an interactive one with my pal Lizzie and she’s also running for governor ;)” said Sheridan.

It’s very, very important to give Sheridan a heads-up if you can’t pick up your order. Unfortunately, she’s had a few no-shows. Since Sheridan runs the business on her own, I can imagine how frustrating these no-shows must have been. She said in one of her IG stories: “If you need to reschedule a pickup, that’s totally fine, just let me know ahead of time so we can work out a plan together so no pies go to waste.”

When I asked Sheridan whether she planned to open a brick-and-mortar location in the future, she said:

“That’s the goal! I’m currently in the process of expanding my permits so I’ll be able to sell at farmers markets around LA, but ideally, I’d love to have a brick-and-mortar.”

Where are you from? How long have you been living in LA, and what are your favorite places in the city?

I’m from Central California (San Luis Obispo), moved here about 4 or 5 years ago. I live up in the Mount Washington neighborhood so the trees give me a lot of comfort and keep me from feeling too ‘city’. I do like living here though!

My favorite places in LA are probably Swingers, Habitat Coffee (where you can find my mini pies!) and The Heights Deli :-).

What is the best thing about living in LA?

Definitely the community. It’s much more diverse here than where I grew up. It’s important to be active & involved in the community you’re in.

Also, live music- my boyfriend is a musician and I can’t wait to see him and friends play again.

Follow Sheridan on Instagram to keep up with her latest menu creations!