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Pennsylvania Dutch shoofly pie is a molasses pie with a gooey, custard-like bottom and a spiced brown sugar crumb on top. This is the wet-bottom style, baked in a 23 cm / 9-inch crust.
There’s something about molasses and cinnamon coming out of the oven on a gray Saturday. Dark. Warm. A bit like gingerbread, but softer.
The pie comes from Pennsylvania Dutch home baking, where it’s often eaten with coffee at breakfast. The name goes back to a story about shooing flies away from the cooling pie.
The one thing that trips people up is cutting too soon. The filling needs a full 2 hours to set. Cut early and it runs onto the plate. Wait, and the slices hold.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Two textures: gooey molasses bottom, crumbly spiced top
- Built from pantry staples, with nothing to hunt down
- Crumb topping can be made 2 days ahead
- Slices cleanly once cooled and keeps for days
Ingredient Notes
- unsulphured molasses: Use mild or regular molasses. Blackstrap turns the filling bitter and almost black, so save it for other recipes.
- dark brown sugar: Packed dark brown sugar gives a deeper crumb. Light brown sugar works and tastes slightly less caramel-like.
- unsalted butter: Keep it cold so the crumbs stay in clumps. For dairy free, use firm plant-based butter sticks, not a soft tub spread.
- pie crust: Homemade or store-bought both work. Check the label on store-bought crusts, since some use lard, which matters if you’re cooking vegetarian.
- baking soda: It reacts with the molasses and hot water, making the mixture foam. That reaction keeps the filling tender instead of dense.
Pennsylvania Dutch Shoofly Pie with Molasses Crumb Top
Ingredients
Method
- Heat the oven to 190 C / 375 F with a rack in the lower third. Fit the crust into a 23 cm / 9-inch pie plate, crimp the edge, and set the plate on a 33 x 46 cm / 13 x 18 inch rimmed baking sheet.
- Whisk the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt in a 3-quart / 2.8 L bowl. Rub in the cold butter with your fingertips until you have coarse crumbs, with some clumps pea-sized and some larger. Set aside.
- Whisk the molasses, hot water and baking soda in a 1 L / 4-cup heatproof jug until the soda dissolves and the mixture foams. Let it stand 2 minutes to cool slightly, then whisk in the egg.
- Pour the filling into the crust. It will look thin, and that's right. Scatter the crumbs evenly over the top without pressing them down. Some will sink into the filling.
- Bake at 190 C / 375 F for 15 minutes. Lower the oven to 175 C / 350 F and bake 25 minutes more, until the topping looks dry and the center barely wobbles when you nudge the pan.
- Cool the pie on a wire rack for 2 hours at room temperature so the filling sets. Cut 8 slices with a sharp knife, wiping the blade clean between cuts.
Notes
- Cool the pie a full 2 hours before slicing, or the filling will run.
- Don't press the crumbs down. They sink a little on their own, which is normal.
- Use mild molasses, not blackstrap, for a balanced flavor.
- Make the crumb topping up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate it.
Tips for Success
- Choose unsulphured mild molasses, not blackstrap, which makes the filling bitter and much darker than a traditional shoofly pie.
- Wait 2 minutes after whisking the hot water and molasses before adding the egg, so the egg doesn’t scramble.
- Set the pie plate on a rimmed baking sheet, because the filling can bubble up at the edges and drip.
- Rub the butter in with your fingertips and leave some clumps pea-sized and some larger, so the buttery crumble topping stays crumbly.
- Wait the full 2 hours before slicing, and wipe your knife clean between cuts for neat edges.
Variations
- Replace 60 ml of the molasses with dark corn syrup for a milder, slightly sweeter filling.
- Stir 40 g of chopped pecans into the crumb topping for crunch and a toasted flavor.
- Press a thin layer of crumbs into the unbaked crust before pouring in the filling for a slightly cakier bottom.
Storage and Reheating
Shoofly pie keeps in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days, covered loosely with foil or in an airtight container. Because the filling has egg, move it to the fridge once it has cooled completely.
To reheat, set slices on a baking sheet at 160 C / 325 F for 8 to 10 minutes, until the crumbs feel dry and the center is warm. You can also leave a slice out for 30 minutes to come to room temperature. I skip the microwave, since it makes the crumbs soft.
To freeze, wrap the fully cooled pie in plastic wrap and then foil for up to 2 months. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator. The crumb topping alone can be made 2 days ahead and kept in the fridge until you’re ready to bake.
Serving Suggestions
Shoofly pie is traditionally served with hot coffee, and often at breakfast in Pennsylvania Dutch homes. The bitter edge of the coffee balances the sweet molasses.
For a dessert plate, add a spoonful of softly whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Keep slices modest. The filling is dense and sweet, and one eighth of the pie is plenty.
Serve it at room temperature or slightly warm, after the full 2-hour cool.
FAQ
Why is my shoofly pie runny in the middle?
Your shoofly pie was most likely cut too soon or pulled from the oven early. The filling should barely wobble in the center when you nudge the pan, and it keeps setting as it cools for 2 hours. If it still sloshes straight out of the oven, bake 5 more minutes at 175 C / 350 F.
Can I use honey or maple syrup instead of molasses in shoofly pie?
Not as a straight swap, because shoofly pie gets its dark, slightly bitter flavor from molasses. Honey and maple make a sweet pie but it won’t taste like shoofly. If you want a milder pie, replace up to 60 ml of the molasses with dark corn syrup and keep the rest.
What is the difference between wet-bottom and dry-bottom shoofly pie?
Wet-bottom shoofly pie has a gooey, custard-like molasses layer under the crumbs, while dry-bottom has a firm, cake-like base with no gooey layer. This recipe is wet-bottom. Dry-bottom travels better and holds up in a lunch box, so it’s a good pick for bake sales.
Can I freeze shoofly pie, and how do I thaw it?
Yes, shoofly pie freezes well for up to 2 months once it’s fully cooled. Wrap the whole pie in plastic wrap and then foil, and thaw it overnight in the refrigerator. Warm slices at 160 C / 325 F for 8 to 10 minutes so the crumbs dry out again.
What goes well with shoofly pie?
Hot black coffee is the classic pairing, since its bitterness cuts the molasses. Softly whipped cream or vanilla ice cream also work if you want a dessert plate. Keep portions small, because one slice of this pie is dense and sweet.
How do I make shoofly pie dairy free?
Swap the butter in the crumb for firm plant-based butter sticks, and check the label on any store-bought crust. The molasses filling has no milk in it. The pie still contains gluten and egg, so it isn’t suitable for those diets.
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