Creamy, luscious and way better than any instant pudding pie you ever ate, this old fashioned sugar cream pie is absolutely unforgettable and only gets better as it rests, so make it TODAY!
This wonder pie hales from Gerschuh's Restaurant in Greenville, OH, a neighboring town of my childhood home near the Indiana border. You know the kind of place, where shiny chrome bar stools, huge glistening plate glass windows and red pleather covered chrome edged booths line the walls. That was Gerschuh's Restaurant the best place in the world for pie. If you read on below the recipe card, I'll tell you about Gerschuh's.
WHY THIS RECIPE FOR SUGAR CREAM PIE WORKS
- All natural ingredients
- Eggs thicken the pie as it cooks
- Vanilla and sugar together are the key.
- The cinnamon on top gives it a lovely color when it is done.
- Just mix, pour and go.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT SUGAR CREAM PIE
The Basic Sugar Cream Pie Recipe
- Preheat oven 325 and put pie crust in 9” pie plate for sugar cream pie recipe.
- In bowl, mix sugar, flour, salt, whipping cream.
- In smaller bowl, mix half and half, egg yolks and vanilla.
- Pour egg mix into sugar mix, stir well, pour into pie shell.
Bake sugar cream pie recipe at 350 until bubbling through 10 minutes.
WHERE DID SUGAR CREAM PIE ORIGINATE?
According to my friends over at Wikipedia, sugar cream pie originated in western Europe and is now a favorite in the midwestern states.
Other names for this pie include:
- Hoosier Pie
- Indiana Cream Pie
- Indiana Farm Pie
- Finger Pie (don't ask, I don't know why)
WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SUGAR CREAM PIE AND BUTTERMILK PIE?
Sugar Cream Pie is similar but the Buttermilk pie actually uses buttermilk in place of the cream and half and half! So the Btr milk pie is a little more tangy than this creamy sugar cream pie.
WHAT IS THE INDIANA STATE PIE?
This sugar cream pie! Of course!
WHAT OTHER PIES WERE FAMOUS AT GERSCHUH'S RESTAURANT?
This OLD FASHIONED BUTTERSCOTCH PIE was also very famous at that restaurant.
DO YOU HAVE TO REFRIGERATE SUGAR CREAM PIE?
Yes, you really should refrigerate this pie after baking. It tastes best that way anyway.
HOW LONG WILL SUGAR CREAM PIE KEEP?
If you cover it and place it in the refrigerator it will be good for about 5 days. No worries, the people in your house will make sure it disappears before 5 days are up.
CAN I MAKE SUGAR CREAM PIE WITH A GRAHAM CRACKER CRUST?
Yes, of course you can! That would be yummy too.
TIPS AND TRICKS FOR MAKING A PERFECT SUGAR CREAM PIE
- Firstly, watch the video that is in the recipe card of Wendi making a sugar cream pie, that will help!
- There is enough filling to make two thin pies or one very thick pie. I always opt for the thick pie.
- If you choose to make two pies instead of just one, bake for less time.
- Bake the pie on a cookie sheet, as it could bubble over a little.
- Do NOT make this in a frozen pie crust unless you will make two. Those pie crusts are not deep enough for this filling (even the deep dish ones).
- Allow the pie to cool completely before cutting it or it will be a watery mess in the bottom of the pie plate.
- I always allow mine to cool to touch on the counter and then place in the refrigerator for several hours before cutting.
THE ORIGINAL INSTRUCTIONS.
- The original instructions from George say that when the pie has “bubbled through” for 10 minutes, it is done.
- That made no sense to me on first reading the instructions.
- After making this pie several times, what you need to know is that about an hour in, the pie starts to boil and bubble - all the way across the pie.
- Once it starts doing this, let the bubbling happen for 10 minutes and then the pie is done - regardless if it is jiggly or not.
- It will set up later in the fridge
IF YOU ENJOYED OLD FASHIONED SUGAR CREAM PIE YOU MIGHT ALSO ENJOY....
If you are interested in Pie - delicious Pie - try some of my other pie recipes too...
- Cranberry Orange Pie
- Blueberry Pie
- Blackberry Pie
- Strawberry Pie
- Fudge Pie with Salted Caramel drizzle
LET'S SEE HOW THIS SUGAR CREAM PIE IS DONE...
First line your pie plate with crust...
Mix together the sugar flour and salt
Add the heavy cream
Add the eggs, half and half and vanilla in a separate bowl.
Pour the one mixture into the other
After mixing together then pour into the pie crust.
Dot butter around the top of the pie
Sprinkle cinnamon across the top of the pie
TOOLS I USE TO MAKE THIS RECIPE:
- A large bowl
- Medium bowl
- Whisk
- Rubber spatula
- Pie plate
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Old Fashioned Sugar Cream Pie
Ingredients
- 1 pie crust
- 1 Cup Granulated Sugar
- 5 Tbs All purpose flour
- dash of salt
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1 cup half and half may use half cream/half whole milk
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 9 inch pie shell
- 2 tbs butter - cut into pea sized pieces
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 and place a rack in the center of the oven.
- Line a deep dish pie plate with a crust (make your own or use a refrigerated pie crust, see note section). Then set the pie plate aside.
- In a large bowl, mix the sugar, flour and salt until evenly blended. Use a whisk to make sure that lumps are broken down. Add the 2 cups of whipping cream and mix well but do not whip or beat.
- In a separate smaller bowl, mix the half and half, egg yolks and vanilla together well. (Use a whisk but do not whip or beat).
- Then, pour the egg yolk mixture into the sugar mixture and blend together well - do not beat.
- Pour the mixture into the pie shell and dot the butter pieces around evenly on top of the pie
- Sprinkle the top of the pie with cinnamon
- Bake at 350 “Until it bubbles through for 10 minutes” (in a regular oven - about an hour, but check the pie by wiggling the edge of the pie plate - if the pie is still loose in the center, it isn’t quite done - as soon as it no longer loosely and sloppily jiggles, it is done - it will still be jiggly like Santa's tummy in the center).
Notes
- Firstly, watch the video that is in the recipe card of Wendi making a sugar cream pie, that will help!
- There is enough filling to make two thin pies or one very thick pie. I always opt for the thick pie.
- If you choose to make two pies instead of just one, bake for less time.
- Bake the pie on a cookie sheet, as it could bubble over a little.
- Do NOT make this in a frozen pie crust unless you will make two. Those pie crusts are not deep enough for this filling (even the deep dish ones).
- Allow the pie to cool completely before cutting it or it will be a watery mess in the bottom of the pie plate.
- I always allow mine to cool to touch on the counter and then place in the refrigerator for several hours before cutting.
Nutrition
*** This recipe for Sugar Cream pie was originally posted on Loaves and Dishes in 2015 and has been updated with new information, video, photos and recipe instruction updates****
GERSCHUH'S IN GREENVILLE, OHIO
This Old Fashioned Sugar Cream Pie was one of the understated and elegant crown jewels of an establishment called Gerschuh's in Greenville, Ohio. I do remember that it was always a big decision to choose between the Butterscotch Pie and a few others.
I have a recipe for thanks to some of my old friends from home.
Gerschuh's was a diner with the accompanying sound of glassware tinkling and the low level sound of people talking. Everything in the diner shined of 50's chrome. The table tops were formica. There was usually a wait.
Mostly though, I remember the smiling owner, George, coming out to greet guests and ask them how their dinner was and to invite guests to try his pie. Believe me, you didn’t want to miss the pie, especially the Old Fashioned Sugar Cream Pie.
Recipe Inspiration for OLD FASHIONED SUGAR CREAM PIE
This recipe for Old Fashioned Sugar Cream Pie is directly from Facebook where a friend directed me towards the source. The source indicates that the recipe was given to him by the owner of the Gerschuhs establishment.
I compared several of the recipes found from various sources all claiming to have George’s original recipe. The recipes mostly matched and thus, here it is.
There are no changes to the ingredients because I simply rewrote the directions in my own words explaining as best I could as I went along. Thank you, George.
Thank you people who graciously shared the recipe. Believe me when I say, you don’t often taste pie like this. Delicious!
A VERSE TO SHARE
Shout for joy, O heavens; rejoice, O earth; burst into song, O mountains! For the LORD comforts his people and will have compassion on his afflicted ones. Isaiah 49:13
Fingerboardhlq says
Europe, and in Ancient Russia
Lori says
Pie is delicious every time!!!
cathy fox says
excellent pie recipe. best flavor.
Samantha says
Thank you for this wonderful recipe. It is spot on to the same one my grandma would bring to Thanksgiving every year. Hers just didn’t have the cinnamon. I now make one with and without cinnamon, as some request it. Brings back wonderful memories. With love from Ohio - Samantha
Wendi Spraker says
Hi Samantha, Isn't a trip back in time fun with food? So glad you found the recipe you were looking for!
Momma G says
Never heard of this pie until a friend from Indiana mentioned it. I searched the internet for hours trying to find one that looked as she described. When I tried this, I knew I struck GOLD!! Soooooooo easy to make and sooooooo very good. It has become a staple in our home. My friend from Indiana LOVED it and said it was exactly as she remembered as a child. My husband was a happy man as well!! You probably already have all the ingredients too! 10 STARS!!!!
Wendi Spraker says
I'm so glad you enjoyed it and yes, it is the real deal from the real place. I'm proud to have it preserved here on this website.
Denise says
i noticed on your video on you tube that you did not add the 1 cup half and half to the vanilla yolk mixture ? was not added at all ~~just the heavy cream ~~ so which is the proper way of mixing this please ?
Wendi Spraker says
Sometimes things aren't caught on camera, please use the ingredients listed in the recipe. That will yield the best result.