Sugar Cream Pie
intro
A rich, silky, custardy Midwestern American pie with sweet vanilla-cinnamon filling, flaky buttery crust, and a warm, gently spiced finish.
Ingredients
Steps
Blind bake the crust
Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Press the unbaked 9-inch pie crust into a 9-inch pie dish, crimp the edges as desired, line the crust with parchment paper, and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 12 minutes, then carefully lift out the parchment and weights, and bake for 3 additional minutes until the crust is pale golden and dry to the touch. Set aside to cool for 5 minutes before adding filling.
Combine dry filling ingredients
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar, 1/4 cup (50g) packed light brown sugar, 1/4 cup (30g) all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon (2g) ground cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon (1g) fine sea salt. Whisk for 30 seconds until fully blended, breaking up any lumps of brown sugar with the back of the whisk to create an even, uniform mixture.
Whisk in wet ingredients
Slowly pour 1 1/2 cups (360ml) heavy whipping cream, 1/2 cup (120ml) whole milk, 3 tablespoons (42g) melted and slightly cooled unsalted butter, and 1 teaspoon (5ml) pure vanilla extract into the dry ingredient bowl. Whisk constantly for 1 minute at a steady pace until the filling is completely smooth, with no visible flour clumps remaining.
Pour filling into crust
Set the par-baked pie crust (still in its dish) on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper to catch any spills. Slowly pour the smooth cream filling into the crust, stopping 1/4 inch below the crimped top edge to prevent bubbling over during baking.
Bake until set
Carefully transfer the baking sheet with the pie to the middle rack of the preheated 375°F (190°C) oven. Bake for 35–40 minutes, until the outer edges of the filling are fully set and the central 2-inch circle has a soft, Jell-O-like wobble. Sprinkle the top with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon during the last 5 minutes of baking.
Cool and chill thoroughly
Remove the pie from the oven and transfer it to a wire cooling rack. Let it cool completely at room temperature for 2 hours, then cover loosely with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 additional hours to let the filling fully set before slicing and serving.
Tips
2.For a traditional, extra-rich top, dot the surface of the unbaked filling with 1 tablespoon (14g) of thin cold butter slices before placing the pie in the oven, which melts into a golden, bubbly crust as it bakes.
3.Do not skip the full cooling and chilling step: Slicing the pie before it has chilled for at least 2 hours in the refrigerator will result in runny, loose filling that does not hold its shape.
I swapped the regular pie crust for a gluten-free shortbread crust and this turned out absolute chef’s kiss. I’ve been searching for a good dairy-free swap too—has anyone tried using oat milk or coconut cream for the filling? I’d love to make this for my sister who can’t have dairy when she visits next month.
OMG, this was such a hit at our Sunday family dinner last weekend! I grew up eating Hoosier sugar cream pie at my grandma’s house in Indiana and was so nervous I’d never get the texture right, but this recipe was SO easy to follow even for a beginner baker like me. My kids loved it so much they begged for second slices before we even finished the main course! 10/10 will be making this for our next church potluck too.
Wait, no eggs? I was so skeptical when I scanned the ingredient list but wow, this is a total game changer. The cinnamon-sugar top is perfectly sweet without being cloying, and it took me literally 10 minutes to throw the filling together before popping it in the oven. I added a tiny extra dash of nutmeg because I love that warm spice flavor, highly recommend that tweak if you’re a nutmeg fan!
Brought this to an office potluck recently and people were literally scraping the pie plate clean. I was worried it would be too plain next to all the fancy chocolate lava cakes and fruit tarts on the table, but that simple, creamy, sweet vanilla flavor is SO good, so nostalgic and comforting. It was also a huge win for meal prep since I baked it the night before and didn’t have to fuss with anything morning of, no fancy equipment required. This is going to be a permanent fixture in my dessert rotation from now on!