OLD FASHIONED SUGAR PIE RECIPE {BROWN SUGAR PIE} (2024)

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Old Fashioned Sugar Pie Recipe is a vintage but very popular pie with a gooey brown sugar filling and flaky crust. It’s a simple recipe, butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, flour, and milk, using pantry staples.

OLD FASHIONED SUGAR PIE RECIPE {BROWN SUGAR PIE} (1)

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OLD FASHIONED SUGAR PIE RECIPE

I had a reader ask about an Old Fashioned Sugar Pie Recipe after I posted this Buttermilk Pie. Since I began making the brown sugar pie, it has become one of our favorites.

A lot of people confuse a Chess Pie with Sugar Pie, but they are not the same. In fact, Chess Pie, Sugar Pie, and Butter Pie are all similar. As well, the lines are blurred even more with personal modifications and bloggers’ renaming or misnaming these recipes based on SEO target keywords.

A Sugar Pie has a single crust and is filled with a mixture of butter, brown sugar, flour, milk, eggs, and vanilla. When it bakes the filling turns into a caramel-like mixture (from the butter and brown sugar).

Sometimes the Old Fashioned Sugar Pie is referred to as ‘desperation pie’ because it could be made with ingredients that would always be on hand ‘on the farm’, butter, sugar, flour, and eggs. Similarly, the reason Buttermilk Pie, Vinegar Pie, and Chess Piebecame popular.

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WHERE DID SUGAR PIE ORIGINATE?

This pie is originally from France. It came to Quebec, and subsequently the rest of Canada, during colonization. Sugar Pie varieties can also be found in other western European countries, as well as throughout the mid-west in the US.

IS TART AU SUCRE THE SAME AS SUGAR PIE?

Yes! Tarte au Sucre is a French term meaning “sugar pie.”

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Sugar Pie Recipe

I found a simple version of the recipe in one of my Grandmother’s old recipe books. Basically, there were just measurements and no good instructions. After a couple of tries, it turned out great.

Turns out this recipe is crazy simple to make. I even modified it after initially posting this recipe to an even more simple method of mixing it. Most recipes that have been around for a long time are simple. But, they stand the test of time because they’re also goodand usually economical to make.

This Sugar Pie Recipe has a gooey, sugary consistency. It’s like flan or creme brulee without the caramelized sugar on top. You could totally top this pie with meringue if you’re not meringue-opposed like I am. Instead, I prefer to serve it with whipped cream or ice cream.

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What you’ll need to make this recipe

  • Butter. Real butter, no substitution
  • All-purpose flour.
  • Milk.
  • Eggs.
  • Brownsugar.
  • Pure vanilla extract.
  • Pie crust. You can make pie crust. I love this Never Fail Pie Crust recipe as well as this Coconut Oil Pie Crust. Of course, you can also purchase a pie crust. This is a regular, not deep dish, pie crust. If you use a deep dish pie crust, you will need to double the filling ingredients as well as cook the pie longer. (I’m not sure about the time, you’ll need to watch and test it.)
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Old Fashioned Sugar Pie Tips

As mentioned above, I changed the method for making this pie over time. I mix all the ingredients in a bowl, pour it into the prebaked pie crust, and put it in the oven. It’s so much easier than the way I originally published the recipe.

Likewise, be patient when baking the pie. It takes a long time to bake, especially when you’re dying to taste it. This pie will still be slightly jiggly in the center when it’s done. But the edges will be set and the top will be lightly browned. And, hey, if you take it out of the oven before it’s set, serve it over ice cream as a sauce and it’s still good. #becauseIknow

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I updated this post from an earlier version dated October 15, 2017. I made new photos and simplified the recipe instructions.

These were the original photos for this sugar pie.

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OLD FASHIONED SUGAR PIE RECIPE {BROWN SUGAR PIE} (8)
OLD FASHIONED SUGAR PIE RECIPE {BROWN SUGAR PIE} (9)

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OLD FASHIONED SUGAR PIE RECIPE {BROWN SUGAR PIE} (15)

Old Fashioned Sugar Pie Recipe

Butter, sugar, and brown sugar cook in a flaky crust to form a gooey pie. It'ss simple yet decadent.

Author: Paula

4.95 from 94 votes

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Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 55 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Servings: 8 slices

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 3 tablespoons flour
  • ½ cup whole milk
  • 1 and ½ cups brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 9-inch Pie crust I used a store bought crust

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 325°F. Place the pie crust on a cookie sheet (in case it boils over). Blind bake the crust for 10 minutes.

  • When you remove the crust from the oven after 10 minutes, turn the oven up to 350°F.

  • In a large bowl, whisk the melted butter, flour, milk, vanilla, and brown sugar.

  • Whisk the eggs separately, then stir them into the brown sugar mixture.

  • Pour the mixture into pre-baked pie crust.

  • Bake at 350°F for 50 to55 minutes. The pie will puff up with the edge appearing brown and 'firm'. The center will be a little jiggly.

  • Carefully remove the pie from the oven and allow it to cool before cutting.

  • Serve at room temperature with whipped cream or ice cream.

  • Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It's last 5 to 7 days in the fridge.

Notes

I retested this recipe and made changes to the above ingredient amounts that I believe work better. Below is simply the recipe as originally written.

  • 2 tablespoon butter
  • 2tablespoonsflour
  • ½cupwhole milk
  • 1 and ½ cups brown sugar
  • 2largeeggs
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 (9-inch) Pie crust, I used a store-bought crust

Nutrition

Calories: 245kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 60mg | Sodium: 81mg | Potassium: 153mg | Sugar: 43g | Vitamin A: 254IU | Calcium: 110mg | Iron: 1mg

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OLD FASHIONED SUGAR PIE RECIPE {BROWN SUGAR PIE} (2024)

FAQs

What country is sugar pie from? ›

Sugar pie is a dessert in northern French and Belgian cuisine, where it is called tarte au sucre. It is also popular in Canada. Various type of tarte au sucre are made.

What is another name for sugar pie? ›

The dessert may also be called finger pie in reference to the filling being stirred by the cook's finger before baking, as doing so avoids breaking the crust. It is similar to chess pie.

What does brown sugar do in baking? ›

What Brown Sugar Does in Baking. Brown sugar is often used in baking for the flavor and moistness it adds to baked goods. The molasses in brown sugar also helps to prevent cookies and cakes from drying out. It generally makes baked goods softer and moister.

What is the history of brown sugar pie? ›

The famous dessert reportedly originated in the 1850s in resourceful Amish communities in Indiana. According to What's Cooking America, the pie consisted of only four simple ingredients: brown sugar, flour, heavy cream, and an 8-inch pie crust at 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

What is a sugar pie made of? ›

In a saucepan, combine flour and sugar. Stir in milk, butter, salt and vanilla. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Pour into an unbaked pie shell.

What is a sugar pie slang? ›

sugarpie (plural sugarpies) A term of endearment; honey, sweetie, darling.

What dessert is Indiana known for? ›

Indiana: Sugar Cream Pie

Sugar Cream Pie, aka Hoosier Pie named after the Hoosier State, has been around the state of Indiana since the 1800s. This rich and creamy dessert that's been topped with cinnamon is the perfect way to finish off a delicious meal.

Who invented sugar pie? ›

Sugar cream pie: Sugar cream pie originated in early Amish and Shaker communities and is the unofficial state pie of Indiana, where it's known as “Hoosier pie.” As its name suggests, sugar cream pie contains heavy cream in the filling, along with a small amount of all-purpose flour or cornstarch, resulting in a ...

What gives brown sugar its flavor? ›

The main difference between table sugar and brown sugar is the presence of molasses, which gives brown sugar its distinct color, flavor and moisture. The molasses used to make brown sugar comes from sugar cane, not sugar beets.

Why use brown sugar over white sugar? ›

The most notable nutritional difference between white and brown sugar is that brown sugar is slightly higher in calcium, iron, and potassium. However, the amount of this mineral in brown sugar is negligible, so it is not a good source of vitamins or minerals for our body.

Is it better to bake with white sugar or brown sugar? ›

Flavor Booster: The molasses in brown sugar isn't just for show; it adds a rich, caramel-like flavor to your baked goods. This makes brown sugar the go-to choice for recipes where a hint of complexity and depth is desired. Moisture Master: Brown sugar has more moisture than white sugar, thanks to the molasses content.

Is turbinado sugar the same as brown sugar? ›

Turbinado Sugar is a type of Brown Sugar, but not the same as what you're probably used to.

What is black sugar? ›

What Is Black Sugar? If you've enjoyed the caramel-smoky flavor of this confection, you might be disappointed to learn that black sugar is unrefined cane sugar—much like raw sugars like muscovado or turbinado, which are unrefined brown sugar. It's basically white sugar that hasn't had the molasses stripped out of it.

Where did sweet pies originate? ›

Historians trace pie's initial origins to the Greeks, who are thought to be the originators of the pastry shell, which they made by combining water and flour. The wealthy Romans used many different kinds of meats, even mussels and other types of seafood, in their pies.

Which country invented pie? ›

Historians trace pie's initial origins to the Greeks, who are thought to be the originators of the pastry shell, which they made by combining water and flour. The wealthy Romans used many different kinds of meats — even mussels and other types of seafood — in their pies.

What country is pie made in? ›

The history of the pie has its roots in ancient Egypt and Greece. The ancient Greeks ate pie (artocreas), though it was of the savory type with meat in an open pastry shell. The Romans may have been the first to create a pie that included a top and bottom crust.

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