Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Rich, deep molasses flavor
• Crisp, buttery crumb topping
• A nostalgic, old-fashioned dessert
• Surprisingly easy to bake from scratch

Equipment You’ll Need

• 9-inch pie plate
• Large mixing bowl
• Medium mixing bowl
• Whisk
• Pastry blender or fork
• Rolling pin (if using homemade crust)
• Measuring cups and spoons

Ingredients

• 1 (9-inch) unbaked pie crust, store-bought or homemade
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup unsulphured molasses (not blackstrap)
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 3/4 cup boiling water
• 1 teaspoon baking soda

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Press your unbaked pie crust into a 9-inch pie plate, crimping the edges as desired. Set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, prepare the crumb topping. Combine the all-purpose flour, light brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Whisk until well combined.
3. Add the cold, cubed butter to the flour mixture. Using a pastry blender, two forks, or your fingertips, cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces of butter remaining. Set aside.
4. In a separate medium bowl, prepare the molasses filling. Whisk together the unsulphured molasses and the lightly beaten egg until smooth.
5. In a small heatproof cup, carefully pour the boiling water and add the baking soda. It will fizz and foam. Stir gently until the baking soda is dissolved.
6. Slowly pour the hot water and baking soda mixture into the molasses and egg mixture, whisking constantly until everything is well combined and smooth.
7. To assemble the pie, take about half of your prepared crumb topping and gently press it into the bottom and slightly up the sides of the unbaked pie crust.
8. Carefully pour the liquid molasses filling over the crumb base in the pie shell.
9. Sprinkle the remaining half of the crumb topping evenly over the top of the liquid filling, covering it completely.
10. Carefully place the pie on a baking sheet to catch any potential drips. Bake for 15 minutes at 375°F (190°C).
11. After 15 minutes, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (175°C) and continue to bake for another 25-30 minutes.
12. The pie is done when the crumb topping is golden brown and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. The center should be set and not jiggle.
13. Remove the pie from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool completely. This is a crucial step! Allow the pie to cool for at least 4 hours at room temperature before slicing. This allows the filling to set properly for clean, beautiful slices.

Expert Cooking Tips

• For the richest flavor, use a good quality, dark, unsulphured molasses. Avoid blackstrap molasses as it can be too bitter for this pie.
• Don’t overmix the crumb topping! You want pea-sized pieces of butter throughout for a tender, crisp texture.
• The pie is done when a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. The center should be set and not jiggly.
• Allow the pie to cool completely, for at least 4 hours, before slicing. This is crucial for the ‘wet-bottom’ filling to set properly and to get clean slices.

Substitutions and Variations

You can use a store-bought pie crust to save time. For the molasses, dark or light unsulphured molasses works best; blackstrap will make the pie bitter. If you don’t have a pastry blender for the crumb topping, you can use two forks or your fingertips to cut in the butter.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

A common mistake is underbaking the pie, which results in a runny filling. Make sure the center is fully set before removing it from the oven. Another pitfall is slicing it while it’s still warm; this pie needs to cool completely to set, so be patient for the best results!

Serving Suggestions

Shoofly pie is traditionally served at room temperature or slightly chilled. It’s absolutely divine with a dollop of fresh whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream to balance the rich molasses flavor. A hot cup of black coffee is the perfect companion.

Storage and Reheating Tips

Store the pie loosely covered with plastic wrap or foil at room temperature for up to 2 days. For longer storage, you can refrigerate it for up to 5 days. It can be served chilled or brought back to room temperature before serving.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is shoofly pie and where does it come from?

Shoofly pie is a traditional dessert from the Pennsylvania Dutch community. It’s a type of molasses pie with a crumb topping and a cake-like texture in the filling, created by adding baking soda to hot water.

Why is it called ‘shoofly pie’?

The most popular theory is that the sweet molasses filling would attract flies while it cooled on windowsills, and bakers would have to ‘shoo’ the flies away. The name stuck!

Is this a wet-bottom or dry-bottom shoofly pie?

This recipe creates a classic ‘wet-bottom’ shoofly pie. This means it has a gooey, liquid molasses layer at the bottom with a more cake-like layer on top, all under the crumb topping. It’s the most popular and beloved version!

Can I make this pie in advance?

Yes! Shoofly pie is an excellent make-ahead dessert. You can bake it a day or two in advance. In fact, many people think the flavor is even better the next day as the molasses has time to mellow.

Conclusion

There’s nothing quite like the comforting, old-fashioned charm of a homemade Shoofly Pie. Every bite is a delicious journey of rich molasses, warm spices, and buttery crumbs. If you try this recipe, I’d love to see it! Tag me on social media and share your beautiful creations on Pinterest.