If you haven’t tried Shoofly Pie yet, let me convince you boos. It’s got a buttery pie crust, an indulgent caramelized molasses filling, and a warm spiced crumble topping! We are talking layers and layers of robust flavor and incredible texture in each bite. At the end of this day, there’s a reason why a shoofly pie recipe is such a classic. That flavor hits every single time y’all.
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If you’ve never had shoofly pie, you’re in for such a treat boos because this unique dessert is unlike any you have ever tasted. This classic Amish recipe has such rich molasses flavor that’s perfectly complimented by the sweetness of the buttery brown sugar crumble on top! We have every texture imaginable in this pie from the crispy crust and crunch of that crumble to a gooey molasses filling that melts in your mouth. Get into y’all.
The Lowdown of This Shoofly Pie Recipe
Cuisine Inspiration: Pennsylvania Dutch Vibes
Primary Cooking Method: Baking!
Dietary Info: Sweet, Super Rich and Decadent. Can be made gluten-free with some ingredient swaps.
Key Flavor: Gooey Molasses Caramelized Vibes with Buttery Crumble topping!
Skill Level: Easy Y’all (No Sweat Fam!)
This Ain’t Your Common Pie
If you are tired of the same ole same ole pies, you gotta try this one. The unique molasses filling gives you flavor vibes you probably haven’t tried before, and it’s simply delish.
Old School Charm
Sometimes you gotta go back to a classic, and this OG pie with so much history is a straight up slice of nostalgia served on a plate.
Easy Peasy
If you are a beginner pie baker, you will love this pie. It doesn’t require a complicated lattice due to the simple crumble topping. Plus, that filling comes together so easily with straightforward whisking.
Ingredients You’ll Need to Make Shoofly Pie
- Store Bought (or Homemade) Pie Shell: Whether you go with a homemade pie crust or grab a store-bought option for ease, it will taste amazing. Do you boos!
- Molasses: This deep intense sweetness and flavor is what gives this pie its signature taste.
- Dark Brown Sugar: This sweetens up our filling with more molasses flavor and adds moisture creating a sticky-sweet filling!
- All Purpose Flour: We use just a little to create structure within the filling so it sets right up as it cools.
- Baking Soda: A little soda will help the filling puff up a bit and take up space in the pie crust.
- Egg: These help create a more stable, custard-like filling!
- Vanilla: I add just enough to bring some aromatic depth to the pie.
- Boiling Water: molasses is an extremely concentrated ingredient, so we need to thin it out a little to avoid an overly sweet and pungent pie.
- Cinnamon + Nutmeg: both spices work together to add warmth and essence to the overall flavors.
- Baking Powder: We add just a pinch to lighten the crumble and help it to poof up some in the oven.
- Salted Butter: That richness and irresistible flavor can’t be beat, plus when chilled, it makes the ultimate crisp crumble.
How To Make Shoofly Pie
How to Serve Pennsylvania Dutch Shoofly Pie Recipe
- Ice Cream: Serve a slice up warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and watch it melt down the sides like a boss.
- Dollop It Up: A scoop of fresh whipped cream is also a nice compliment too.
- Drizzle It On: Give a nice spoonful of chocolate ganache or easy caramel sauce on top.
- Classic Comfort Food Meal: Serve up a delish Southern baked chicken dish along with sour cream mashed potatoes, butter beans and flaky biscuits.
Recipe Substitutions
- Dark Brown Sugar: Light brown sugar is fine to use though the flavors will be less intense. If you don’t have any lying around, make your brown sugar with granulated sugar and extra molasses.
- Molasses: For a less intense filling, use maple syrup instead.
- Spices: Replace your individual ground cinnamon and ground nutmeg with a pre-made spice blend like pumpkin pie spice.
- Salted Butter: You can go with unsalted butter here. Just sprinkle in some salt to balance out the sweetness.
Recipe Variations and Additions
- Gluten-Free: Just replace all of the flour in this recipe with your fave 1:1 ratio gluten-free flour blend. The texture may change slightly but it will still be delish.
- Use Coffee: For a more intense filling, swap out the boiling water for coffee. It will give the flavor ingredients deeper richer notes.
- Add Chocolate: Tossing in a little cocoa powder can give a delish rich chocolatey flavor that can knock this pie out of the park.
- Booze it Up: Toss some bourbon or whiskey into your filling to add a little adult remix.
- Swap the Crust: For more texture, switch out the pie crust and replace with a graham cracker crust.
Expert Tips and Tricks
- Pick the Right Molasses: If you want a super deep rich flavor, go with a dark or robust molasses. If you want it a little more subtle, go with light. Avoid blackstrap since it will taste bitter in the end.
- Go Cold: Make sure your butter is very cold when you make your crumble so those coarse crumbs are defined once baked up.
- Blind Bake: Make sure you pre-bake your crust so it won’t get soggy when you add the filling.
- Watch Your Crust Bake: Since you are pre-baking, that crust can get too brown in a second. Either cover with foil halfway through the bake or use a pie shield to protect the color.
How to Store Homemade Shoofly Pie
Leftovers should be cooled completely then tightly covered. It can be stored at room temp for a couple of days. If you want to store longer, pop in the fridge.
How long will this shoofly pie recipe last in the fridge?
It should last in the fridge for about 5-6 days.
Can I freeze it?
For sure boos. Cover individual slices with plastic wrap then add to a freezer bag releasing all air. Make sure you label with the date. It can stay frozen up to 3 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
The pie should be set around the edges with the center having a slight jiggle. If the center is still super liquidy, keep on baking boos.
Absolutely boos. You can make this a day ahead since it can be stored at room temperature easily before you slice and serve it up.
You probably didn’t blind-bake the crust before you added the filling.
After your dough is placed inside it’s pie plate, use a fork to prick holes over the bottom. Next add parchment paper to your dough inside it’s pie plate then toss in pie weights or dried beans and bake at 400°F (200°C) for 15-20 minutes, or until the edges are a tiny bit golden.
This shoofly pie recipe is such an unexpected surprise with wonderful intense flavors in each bite. The textures snap off too! I love having that gooey filling paired with that crumble topping. You will love it too! Get at it!
More Pie Recipes
- Chocolate Chess Pie
- Banana Pudding Pie
- Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie
- S’mores Pumpkin Pie
- Sweet Potato Pie
- Chess Pie
- Egg Pie
- Vinegar Pie
Shoofly Pie
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Ingredients
For the Crust
- 9 inch deep dish unbaked pie shell, pre-baked or 1 homemade single pie crust , prebaked
For the Filling
- ½ cup dark brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup robust molasses
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup boiling water
For the Crumble Topping
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ cup salted butter very cold and cut into cubes
Instructions
For the Filling
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the dark brown sugar, flour and soda. Add in the molasses, egg, and vanilla extract. Beat until smooth and well-combined.
- Slowly pour in the boiling water while whisking quickly and consistently to avoid curdling the raw egg. The mixture will start to look foamy.
- Carefully pour the molasses filling into your pre-baked crust.
For the Crumble Topping
- In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, dark brown sugar, spices and baking powder. Mix until combined.
- Using your fingers, a pastry cutter, or a fork, cut the butter into the flour until coarse crumbs form.
- Use a spoon or your hands to evenly spread the crumble over the top of the liquid filling. Be sure to get all around the edges!
To Bake
- Carefully transfer the pie into the oven. Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until mostly set with a slight jiggle in the center. The pie will puff up but that will settle as it cools and continue to set completely.
- Remove the pie from the oven and set it on a wire rack. Allow it to cool for 30 minutes. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream if you like!
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I’m sure this pie is great but I’ve never had a shoe fly pie with only 2 layers. Generally you have the filling or wet bottom layer the molasses cake layer and then the crumb layer. I’m gonna try yours though. Just noting that the traditional cake is different and not southern.
You’ll have to let me know what you think!
Great recipe. In the description through, it says “Enjoy this Southern pie”.
Forgive me for being corrective, but Shoofly Pie is, and has never been a Southern pie.
It is strictly associated with the Pennsylvania Dutch, and Amish country.
The recipe is fantastic, and very reminiscent of the shoofly pie i grew up loving, at our Family reunions in the summertime, near Annville Pennsylvania!
Another great recipe from you! I have never even heard of this pie but the description and pictures hooked me in. It’s really delicious and decadent, definitely needs a scoop of ice cream or some cream, in my opinion.
This was utterly divine! I’d never actually heard of shoofly pie so was keen to try it and so glad I did. Thank you for the fabulous recipe.
This pie is so good, perfect for molasses lovers! Thank you for the in-depth instructions on how to make it too.
i’ve never heard of Shoofly Pie but it was quite tasty
I haven’t had this pie in years. I can’t wait to make this deliciousness!