Maastricht Bakers Set World Record for Apricot Pie

Maastricht just gave expats the sweetest reason to head south. A record-breaking apricot pie big enough to rival a studio flat appeared at the 70th BBB Bread & Pastry Fair in Maastricht. The tart measured about 7.7 metres across and weighed roughly 1,058 kilos, with a Guinness adjudicator on site to make it official.

If you are new to Limburg, vlaai is not a standard shortcrust pie. It uses a light, yeasted dough and usually comes with a fruit filling. Apricot, or abrikoos, is a local favourite. For the giant version, the team from Patisserie Smores treated the bake as a logistics puzzle, preparing sections in multiple ovens and assembling the full circle at the venue. The numbers tell the story of just how much planning and mixing went into those celebratory slices for the crowd.

Ingredients for the Record Apricot Vlaai

350 kg flour
600 eggs
300 kg sugar
530 kg apricots
a healthy ampount of yeast, butter, and other essential baking ingredients

Pie pedants, yes, Guinness keeps separate categories. This achievement sits under apricot vlaai or pie, not in the same bucket as older meat pie records. Local chatter also wondered whether anything this huge could still be considered Limburgse vlaai, since the everyday version is far smaller. Either way, Maastricht’s attempt made the book and gave thousands a very cheerful tasting.

Make it a weekend in Maastricht

Turn it into a weekend and enjoy the city while you are at it. Maastricht is an effortless charmer on foot, with cobbled lanes, cafe terraces and slow river views. Start at Vrijthof, wander the medieval streets, then cross the Sint Servaasbrug into Wyck for indie shops and coffee. Order a slice of abrikozenvlaai and compare it to the mega edition. Most bakeries will gladly hand you a fork and point you to a sunny terrace.

Getting there is straightforward. From the Randstad, plan on about two and a half to three hours by train, and consider a quick hop to Liège if you want a cross-border add-on. If you are living in the Netherlands and collecting regional food memories, this Maastricht record breaking apricot pie a sweet reminder that local traditions are alive and sometimes gloriously oversized.