Hoosier Pie
intro
A silky, eggless sugar cream pie from Indiana, this beloved Midwestern treat has warm vanilla and nutmeg notes in a flaky buttery crust.
Ingredients
Steps
Prep crust and preheat oven
Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C). Press the 220g 9-inch unbaked pie crust evenly into a 9-inch glass pie dish, crimping the edges as desired. Prick the crust bottom 8-10 times with a fork to prevent air bubbles, line with parchment paper, and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Blind bake for 10 minutes, then remove weights and parchment, and bake 2 more minutes until the crust base is lightly set.
Whisk dry filling ingredients
In a medium 2-quart mixing bowl, combine the 200g granulated sugar, 24g all-purpose flour, 1.5g fine table salt, and 1g ground nutmeg. Whisk vigorously for 30 seconds until fully blended, with no visible clumps of flour or spice remaining.
Blend in wet ingredients
Slowly pour the 240ml heavy whipping cream, 120ml whole milk, 57g slightly cooled melted unsalted butter (cool 2 minutes after melting to avoid clumping flour), and 5ml pure vanilla extract into the dry mixture. Whisk constantly for 1 full minute until the filling is completely smooth, with no grainy residue at the bowl bottom.
Fill par-baked crust
Remove the par-baked crust from the oven, keeping the oven set to 425°F (220°C). Set the pie dish on a rimmed metal baking sheet to catch any spills, then carefully pour the smooth cream filling into the warm crust, leaving a 1/8-inch gap at the top of the crust edge to prevent boil-over during baking.
Bake the pie thoroughly
Transfer the baking sheet with the pie to the middle oven rack. Bake at 425°F (220°C) for 10 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (175°C) without opening the oven door, and bake for an additional 40-45 minutes. The pie is done when the outer 2/3 of the filling is fully set, and the central 2 inches jiggles softly like set Jell-O, not sloshing like loose liquid.
Cool and chill to set
Remove the baked pie from the oven and transfer to a wire cooling rack. Let cool completely at room temperature for 2 hours, then cover loosely with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 1 full hour before serving. Dust the top with a pinch of extra freshly grated nutmeg before slicing if desired.
Tips
2.If you do not own ceramic pie weights, use dried beans or uncooked white rice for blind baking—these work identically to store-bought weights, and can be stored and reused for future baking projects.
3.For the most authentic, bright flavor, grate whole nutmeg fresh for the filling and top dusting; pre-ground nutmeg has a duller, less aromatic flavor that does not match the traditional Hoosier pie profile.
OMG, this pie is exactly what my Hoosier grandma used to make! I brought it to our church potluck last Sunday and every single slice was gone in 10 minutes. It was so easy too— I’m not a great baker and I still pulled it off with zero mess. The cinnamon and nutmeg balance is *chef’s kiss*, not too sweet, perfect creamy texture. My kids loved it so much they begged me to make another one before the week was out, so I’m prepping a second tonight for our family dinner! 10/10, game changer recipe.
SO good! I was looking for a simple dessert to make for meal prep this week and this fit the bill perfectly. It only took me about 15 minutes of active prep, which is wild for how rich and delicious it tastes. I added a tiny extra drizzle of caramel on top of my slices and it was chef’s kiss. Already sent the recipe to my whole group chat.
Wait, I followed the recipe exactly but my filling came out a little runny? Did I do something wrong? It still tasted amazing, don’t get me wrong, I just want it to set perfectly next time I make it. Flavor is 10/10, texture was just off for me this round.
I’ve lived in Indiana for 40 years and I can confirm this is the real, authentic sugar cream pie recipe! No weird fancy add-ins, just the simple, creamy, sweet filling I remember from county fairs and school bake sales growing up. It’s so easy even my teenage granddaughter helped me make it last weekend, and she’s never baked anything in her life. We served it with a dollop of whipped cream and it was perfect.
Made this for our football watch party yesterday and it was a total hit! I was worried it would be too sweet since it’s a sugar cream pie, but it was perfectly balanced. Even my buddy who swears he ‘doesn’t like dessert’ had two slices. Super easy to throw together while I was manning the grill for the burgers and brats, too. Will absolutely be making this again for our next tailgate.
I tested a dairy free version of this for my lactose intolerant cousin last weekend using full fat oat milk and vegan butter, and it turned out SO good! It was a tiny bit less creamy than the original I made a few weeks prior, but no one at the table could tell the difference. 10/10, such a forgiving, easy recipe even when you swap ingredients.