Shoofly pie is a beloved Pennsylvania Dutch classic made with a rich molasses filling, a flaky pie crust, and a sweet, sandy crumb topping. This traditional dessert has a wonderful contrast of textures: a sticky, almost cake-like layer on the bottom and buttery crumbs on top. If you enjoy old-fashioned desserts made with simple pantry ingredients, this wet-bottom shoofly pie is a recipe worth adding to your collection.
What makes this version special is its gooey molasses layer. Unsulphured molasses provides the pie’s deep, distinctive flavor, while a little flour, egg, baking soda, and hot water help form the filling. The topping combines all-purpose flour, dark brown sugar, granulated sugar, and butter to create delicate crumbs that bake into a sweet, lightly crisp layer. Everything comes together in a 9-inch pie crust, making this an approachable recipe even if you use a ready-made crust.
To make the pie, prepare the crust in a pie plate and mix the molasses filling until smooth. Dissolve the baking soda in hot water before stirring it into the filling, then pour the mixture into the crust. Rub the butter into the flour and sugars until the topping resembles coarse sand, and sprinkle it evenly over the filling. Bake at 350°F until the filling is set and the crust edges are browned.
Patience is important after baking. Let the pie cool completely before slicing so the filling has time to settle and the slices hold together. Shoofly pie is delicious served on its own, with freshly whipped cream, or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. It also makes a lovely addition to a holiday dessert table or a cozy afternoon coffee break.
Traditionally associated with Pennsylvania Dutch cooking, shoofly pie has long been enjoyed as both a dessert and a breakfast treat with coffee. This recipe makes eight slices and brings that old-fashioned molasses flavor to your own kitchen with straightforward ingredients and minimal fuss.
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Shoofly Pie
The Pennsylvania Dutch are responsible for this gooey molasses pie, made easily from pantry ingredients to satisfy a sweet tooth any time of the year.
- Total Time: 9:05
- Yield: 8 Slices
Ingredients
Pie:
Topping:
Instructions
- For the pie: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Unroll the pie dough and fit into a 9-inch glass pie plate. Trim the edges if necessary and crimp. Place on a baking sheet.
- Combine the molasses, flour and egg in a bowl. Dissolve the baking soda in the hot water and stir into the molasses. Pour the filling into the pie crust.
- For the topping: Mix together the flour, brown sugar and granulated sugar. Rub the butter into the flour until crumbly; the mixture will be like sand. Sprinkle over the pie filling. Bake until the filling is set and the edges of the crust are browned, about 50 minutes. Let cool completely or up to overnight before cutting. Serve with whipped cream, if desired. Store loosely covered at room temperature.
- Prep Time: :15
- Cook Time: :50
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Pennsylvania Dutch