Shoofly Pie
Shoofly Pie is this old Pennsylvania Dutch recipe where you pour molasses filling into a pie crust and top it with brown sugar crumbs. The filling stays soft and gooey while the topping gets crispy, kind of like eating pie and coffee cake at the same time.
The filling is just molasses, hot water, baking soda, and an egg. The topping is flour, brown sugar, and cold butter. The molasses gives you this deep, almost butterscotch flavor you can’t get any other way, and the brown sugar crumbs on top get all caramelized and crunchy.
My husband kept going back for “just one more sliver” until half the pie was gone. Even my family members who claim they don’t like molasses demolished their slices. Turns out when you balance that molasses with all those buttery brown sugar crumbs on top, even the molasses-haters come around.
Shoofly Pie Recipe Highlights
- Uses pantry basics you already have
- No rolling pin or fancy pie skills needed
- Two bowls and 15 minutes of actual work
- Makes 8 generous slices
- Freezes perfectly for single servings
Ingredient Notes
Please check the recipe card below for a detailed, printable ingredient list.
MOLASSES – Light or dark molasses both work great, just skip the blackstrap which tastes like iron. This is your main flavor, so don’t try to substitute it with anything else. The molasses creates that signature gooey layer that makes this pie special. If your molasses has been sitting around forever, give it a taste first to make sure it hasn’t gone bitter.
BAKING SODA – Fresh baking soda matters more than you’d think. That ¾ teaspoon helps the molasses stay smooth and gives the filling the right texture. If yours has been open more than a year, spring for a new box. It’s worth the two bucks.
EGG – Beat it separately first so you don’t get scrambled bits in your filling. Room temperature is ideal but straight from the fridge works too. The egg helps the filling set up just enough to slice cleanly while keeping that gooey center.
FLOUR – Plain all-purpose flour for the crumb topping. Nothing fancy needed. You want the full 1½ cups to get enough coverage. Short on flour means bald spots where filling shows through, and nobody wants that.
SUGAR – Pack it when you measure for the right sweetness level. Light brown sugar is fine, dark brown adds more molasses notes that echo the filling. Fresh, soft brown sugar makes better crumbs than the rock-hard stuff in the back of your pantry.
BUTTER – Has to be cold for proper crumbs. Soft butter makes paste. Cut it into cubes while it’s still cold, then work fast. Unsalted is traditional but salted works if that’s what you have. The slight salt actually plays nice with all that sweetness.
PIE CRUST – Store-bought saves time and nobody will know. If using frozen, thaw in the fridge not on the counter. Keep it cold right up until you fill it. The cold crust hitting the hot oven helps prevent soggy bottom syndrome.
How To Make a Shoofly Pie
Please check the printable recipe card below for more detailed instructions.
- Preheat oven to 400° Fahrenheit.
- Whisk molasses, hot water, and baking soda. Stir in beaten egg. Pour mixture into pie crust.
- Combine flour, brown sugar, and butter until mixture resembles crumbs. Sprinkle crumb mixture over filling.
- Bake 15 minutes at 400° Fahrenheit. Reduce to 350° Fahrenheit and bake the Shoofly Pie for an additional 30 more minutes.
Leftovers and Storage
STORE – Keep your Shoofly Pie at room temperature under a cake dome or loosely tented foil for up to 3 days. Never seal it airtight or the topping will pull moisture from the filling and go soggy. The molasses filling actually stabilizes at room temperature better than refrigerated, where it can weep liquid.
FREEZE – Flash freeze individual slices uncovered for 2 hours until solid, then double wrap. This prevents ice crystals from forming in the filling. The molasses acts like antifreeze, so even frozen slices stay slightly soft. Thaw at room temperature, not in the microwave, to prevent separation.
REHEAT – If you must warm it, use a 300° Fahrenheit oven for 5 minutes, not the microwave. Microwaves create hot spots that turn molasses filling into lava. The gentle oven heat warms evenly without breaking the emulsion.
MAKE AHEAD -This Shoofly Pie needs at least 4 hours to cool and set properly. Overnight is even better. The filling firms up as it cools, going from soupy to that perfect gooey-but-sliceable texture. If you cut it warm, you’ll have molasses running everywhere. Trust me, the wait is worth it for clean slices that hold their shape.
More Easy Pie Recipes
Serving Suggestions
BLACK COFFEE – The traditional Pennsylvania Dutch pairing for a Shoofly Pie. Bitter coffee cuts through the sweetness perfectly. This is breakfast pie if you’re brave enough.
VANILLA ICE CREAM – Classic warm pie and cold ice cream combination. The vanilla doesn’t fight with the molasses flavor. Spring for the good stuff.
WHIPPED CREAM – Fresh whipped with a touch of vanilla. Takes 2 minutes and beats canned every time. Kids especially love this option.
PLAIN – Honestly, this pie stands on its own. The contrast between gooey and crunchy is all you really need.
Recipe Success Tips
MOLASSES MAGIC – That baking soda does something special with molasses to keep your filling smooth instead of grainy. Without it, the sugars clump up and feel sandy in your mouth. It also makes the molasses darker and richer tasting, which is why the raw filling looks lighter than the baked pie.
BUTTER “SCIENCE” – Your butter needs to be really cold, straight from the fridge. Soft butter mixes too much with the flour and makes paste instead of crumbs. Cold butter stays in little pieces that turn into those crispy bits on top. Cut it up fast and stick it back in the fridge if you need to.
TWO-STAGE BAKING METHOD – Starting hot for 15 minutes firms up your crust so it doesn’t get soggy. It also helps your crumb topping stay separate instead of sinking. Then lowering the temperature lets everything finish cooking without burning the top. Both temperatures matter for the right texture.
VISUAL DONENESS CUES – Watch for small bubbles popping slowly on the surface, not crazy boiling. When you gently shake the pan, the whole filling should wiggle together like jello, not splash around like liquid. The topping should be golden brown with slightly darker edges.
Expert Tip – Some professional bakers stir a tablespoon of flour into the molasses mixture. It helps the filling hold together better and slice cleaner without changing the taste. Not traditional, but it works if you want insurance against runny filling.
Commonly Asked Questions
Why Does My Filling Separate Into Layers?
Your oven was too hot or you baked it too long. When eggs cook too fast, they push out water and create that weird clear layer on top. That’s why we drop the temperature after 15 minutes. Follow the times exactly and you’ll be fine.
Can I Fix Crumbs That Turned Into Paste?
Nope, start over. Once butter melts into flour, you can’t undo it. Next time, freeze your butter for 15 minutes first and work super fast. Stop mixing when you still see little butter pieces about the size of peas. Some loose flour is totally normal.
Why Different Results With Different Molasses Brands?
Every brand is a little different. Some are sweeter, some are more tart. They all work, but tart ones make firmer filling. If your pie comes out too runny with your usual brand, add an extra pinch of baking soda next time.
Can I Make a Shoofly Pie At High Altitude?
Use only ½ teaspoon baking soda and add 2 tablespoons flour to your filling. High altitude makes things puff up more and dry out faster. Also bake 5 minutes longer. The adjustments keep your pie from overflowing or being too runny.
Why Does Refrigerated Pie Get Watery?
Cold makes molasses weep liquid, just like honey gets weird in the fridge. Always store this pie covered at room temperature. Only refrigerate if your kitchen is super hot. The texture stays way better at room temperature anyway.
Shoofly Pie
Ingredients
- 1 cup molasses
- ¾ cup hot water
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 large egg beaten
- 1 ½ cups flour
- 1 cup brown sugar packed
- 4 tablespoons butter unsalted, cold
- 1 unbaked pie crust
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400° Fahrenheit.
- Whisk molasses, hot water, and baking soda in a large mixing bowl until fully combined.
- Stir in the beaten egg until the mixture is smooth and well blended. The filling will be very thin.
- Pour the molasses mixture into the unbaked pie shell and set it aside briefly.
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, and butter. Use a pastry cutter, fork, or your fingertips to cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles fine crumbs.
- Sprinkle the crumb mixture evenly over the pie filling.
- Place the pie in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 350° Fahrenheit and continue baking for 30 minutes or until the center is set and no longer wobbles. The pie may puff up during baking but will settle as it cools.
- Allow the pie to cool completely before slicing and serving.
Equipment
Nutritional Information
Nutritional Disclaimer
Cheerful Cook team members are not trained nutritionists or medical professionals. Calorie information and nutritional values are estimates. If you have nutritional concerns, we recommend using a nutritional calculator.
Maike Corbett is the founder and food blogger of Cheerful Cook, a popular recipe website featuring comfort food recipes from the US and Germany. She has been featured in numerous media outlets, including the AP Wire and MSN.
