A dry bottom version of a traditional Pennsylvania Dutch pie, Shoofly Pie (aka Molasses Pie) is deeply flavored with molasses and topped with a buttery brown sugar crumb topping. It's easy to make, and perfect for serving anytime of day!
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Why this recipe works
- This pie is richly flavored with molasses, but isn't overly sweet or cloying
- The filling is easy to make and only needs standard pantry ingredients
- You can make a full-sized pie or a mini version for small gatherings
Let me begin by saying I take requests.
If a family member or friend asks me to make something special for them, I'm happy to oblige. And when the item is something I've never tried (or even heard of, for that matter), all the better. I get my horizons expanded while making someone happy.
Case in point - my son-in-law's friend mentioned that he hadn't had Shoofly Pie (aka Molasses Pie) in some time, so my older daughter piped up and said I could make one for him.
I'd never had this pie before. It being pie (one of my favorite desserts), I was eager to try one.
[Side note: I've seen this pie spelled many different ways: Shoofly Pie, Shoo fly Pie, and Shoo-fly Pie. I'll stick with shoofly, just to make things easy. Oh, and I'm sorry if the Shoofly Pie song is now stuck in your head.]
Having never had Shoofly Pie before, I wasn't sure how it would (or even should) taste. My mini Molasses Pie was probably more like a wet-bottom pie (the larger one was more dry, I was told), but it was luscious.
I love the hearty molasses flavor and the buttery, crumbly topping. This pie is not overly sweet or cloying, and the texture is soft but not gooey. In other words, totally delicious.
Shoofly pie would be a great addition to the usual assortment of pies at a Thanksgiving dinner, though perhaps a bit unexpected. If you like the flavors of gingerbread or molasses cookies, you'll love this pie.
Who knows, maybe someday my grandkids will come and ask me to make them my "famous" Shoofly Pie, and they'll brag to their friends how it's the best.
After all, I take requests!
Recipe Ingredients
You'll need the following ingredients to make this recipe:
Ingredient Notes
Molasses: Go for a dark molasses for the deepest flavor, but don't use blackstrap molasses by mistake.
Brown sugar: Made with molasses (that's the "brown"), brown sugar provides sweetness and contributes to the soft texture while highlighting the molasses flavor.I use dark brown sugar for the crumb topping to mimic the deep molasses flavor of the filling.
Butter: There was also a lot of discussion about whether butter, lard, or shortening should be used in the pie filling (as well as the pie crust). Well, shortening is processed (something I avoid, as long-time readers know), and I don't eat lard, so I went with butter. You can choose for yourself.
Baking soda: Like in a sticky toffee pudding recipe, baking soda is used to cut back the astringency of an acidic ingredient, in this case the molasses (it's the dates in sticky toffee pudding, in case you're wondering).
Pie crust: I use my flaky all butter pie crust recipe, but feel free to use use your favorite crust, either homemade or store bought.
See recipe card for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
How to make Shoofly Pie
Step 1: Make your pie crust
Ease the crust into a 9-inch pie pan and chill while you make the filling.
Step 2: Make the crumb topping
Combine the flour and brown sugar in a medium bowl. Cut the butter into the flour mixture using a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse crumbs (photo 1).
Measure out ½ cup (67 grams) of the mixture for the crumb topping and set aside.
Step 3: Make the filling
In a small bowl, dissolve the baking soda in the boiling water. Stir in the molasses until it's fully incorporated. Add the molasses mixture, egg, and vanilla into the remaining crumb mixture and whisk well (photo 2).
Step 3: Assemble the pie
Fill the chilled pie shell with the batter (photo 3).
Step 4: Top with crumbs and bake
Sprinkle the reserved crumb mixture over the top of the batter.
Bake at 400°F for 10 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and bake another 35 to 40 minutes, or until filling is set (photo 4).
Serve the pie warm with whipped cream, if desired
Storage instructions
Shoofly Pie will stay fresh at room temperature for up to 5 days at room temperature. It can also be refrigerated (wrapped in plastic) or frozen. Thaw the pie in the refrigerator overnight, then bring it to room temperature before serving.
How to make a mini Shoofly pie
Since I was making this recipe for my son-in-law's friend, I adapted the recipe to make a mini version for my family. How else was I going to try some?
Just divide the filling ingredients by half for a 7-inch pie pan. You can leave the egg whole (or just weight it and take out half). Baked for 25 minutes total, reducing the oven temperature after 5 minutes.
Questions asked and answered
Here are some questions you might have...
This treat is a molasses-based pie that's tempered with brown sugar and finished with a crumb topping. The Pennsylvania Dutch developed Shoofly Pie in the 1880s as a hand-held breakfast to be served alongside black coffee.
Those facts aren't in dispute, at least according to Wikipedia.
However, in looking over several molasses Shoofly Pie recipes (and the comments within), it seems that people have very strong opinions on how this pie should be made, and everyone's grandmother makes the best one.
Although to be honest, even though my grandmother never made Shoofly Pie, I'm sure if she did, hers would top all others (just sayin').
Like the versions of the pie, there are many explanations for the name "Shoofly Pie." One possibility is that bakers would have to "shoo" flies away from their pies cooling on the windowsill. Another is that it's an indirect reference to the "Shoo-fly" song, by way of the famous "Shoofly the Boxing Mule," who was part of a popular traveling circus act in the Dutch Country and had many baking products named after him.
Whatever the reason for the name, this molasses-flavored pie is delicious!
The main point of discussion in the various Shoofly Pie recipes is whether it should have a dry-bottom or a wet-bottom (feel free insert appropriate baby-bottom joke here).
In a dry bottom recipe, it's baked until the filling is mostly set so it has a more cake-like consistency. A wet bottom pie has a cake-like texture near the top where its mixed with the crumb topping, but has a gooier consistency nearer the bottom. Think Butterscotch Pie or Pecan Pie without the pecans.
The main difference in achieving the two types seems to be the amount of flour and brown sugar used, and the length of time the pie is baked.
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I hope you like this recipe! Let me know if you have any questions, and don't forget to leave a comment and rating. Thanks!
Slainté! L'chaim! Cheers!
- Tammy
More pie, tart, & cobbler recipes to try
Recipe
Dry Bottom Shoofly Pie (Molasses Pie)
Equipment
Ingredients
For the pie crust
- 1 recipe single pie crust, homemade or store bought, see Recipe Notes
For the filling
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ⅔ cup dark brown sugar, packed
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, grated or cubed
- ¾ cup boiling water
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ cup molasses, mild, or dark corn syrup
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- whipped cream, for garnish
Instructions
- Make the crust: Prepare a pie crust for a single crust pie. Ease the crust into a 9-inch pie pan and chill while you make the filling.
- Preheat oven to 400 °F.
- Make the filling: Combine 1 cup all-purpose flour and ⅔ cup dark brown sugar in a medium bowl. Cut the 2 tablespoons unsalted butter into the flour mixture using a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Measure out ½ cup (67 grams) of the mixture for the crumb topping and set aside.
- In a small bowl, dissolve the 1 teaspoon baking soda in ¾ cup boiling water. Stir in ¾ cup molasses until it's fully incorporated.
- Add the molasses mixture, 1 large egg, and 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract into the remaining crumb mixture and whisk well.
- Pour the batter into the chilled pie shell, then sprinkle the reserved crumb mixture over the top.
- Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 350 °F and bake another 35 to 40 minutes, or until filling is set.
- Remove the pie from the oven, transfer to a wire rack, and cool for 30 minutes.
- Serve the pie warm with whipped cream, if desired. Enjoy!
- Storage instructions: Shoofly pie will stay fresh at room temperature for up to 5 days at room temperature. It can also be refrigerated (wrapped in plastic) or frozen. Thaw the pie in the refrigerator overnight, then bring it to room temperature before serving.
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