If you have never tried Southern Brown Sugar Pie, you are in for a treat! It’s an easy pie that’s full of rich, brown sugar flavor!
Southern Brown Sugar Pie
It recently came to my attention that brown sugar pie is not a commonly known dessert. “What?!”, I thought! The world doesn’t know about BROWN SUGAR PIE?! Well I intend to change that, one Pizzazzerie reader at at time. This pie is a family tradition that my mother made for every holiday, her parents made for every holiday, and generations back.
Southern brown sugar pie is very similar to chess pie but yet, so different. The rich brown sugar flavor and caramelizingon top is just.so.good. It’s hands down my favorite pie (even over my red velvet fudge pie, which is saying a lot).
Now I’m not saying it’s a gorgeous “look at me” pie. It’s simple-looking, plain jane, ho-hum. But watch out because there is a reason it’s the first dessert gone at holidays. The crispy caramelized crust on topis my favorite part. Then the ooey gooey brown sugar inside is so delicious.
Now you can give it a little extra pizzazz with some whipped cream or butter pecan ice cream but know that it doesn’tneed it as it’s stand-alone amazing. I also love that it only has a few ingredients (ingredients I often have on hand anyway) so it’s perfect for a last-minute dessert too! I might even make it into mini pies this year to give as gifts!
I’m so thankful for ALL of the readers that have shared their photos of the brown sugar pie, emailed to tell me how much their families love this pie, and those who have tagged me on social media to share pies.
It’s clearly a little hidden gem of a recipe that doesn’t necessarily look like it would be the “winning dessert” but in my family, it absolutely is!
WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING:
“Thank you so much. The pie turned out just wonderful! This is hands down a new family favorite. My kiddos said it is better than birthday cake! (Which to them is better than anything else)” – Brittney
Your oven may take longer to cook, so just watch it. It will still “set up” once it cools but try to be sure your brown sugar pie is slightly firm before bringing out of the oven. I hope you’ll try it this year! It’s definitely a delicious southern tradition that would be a tragedy to never taste, especially if you have brown sugar.
My husband’s grandmother says it reminds her of a pecan pie (without pecans) so if you like pecan pie, you’ll definitely love this one too! And because it’s thin, you’re totally allowed to have two pieces. Enjoy!
Southern Brown Sugar Pie
While our original family recipe yields two pies, I have adjusted this recipe to one pie in my new book, The Southern Entertainer’s Cookbook. Follow the recipe for two pies below or if you only want one, I recommend following the adjusted recipe for 1 in my new book.
If you want to make your own homemade pie crust, I recommend THIS recipe!
More Desserts to Try
Butterscotch Cinnamon Pie
Chocolate Chess Pie
Homemade Brownies (from Scratch)
Southern Brown Sugar Pie
Author: Courtney Whitmore
A delicious southern favorite, this brown sugar pie is delicious!
SERVINGS 16slices
Print Rate Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutesmins
Cook Time 55 minutesmins
Total Time 1 hourhr15 minutesmins
Ingredients
1poundlight brown sugar
1/2cupunsalted butter - melted
3eggs
1tablespoonvanilla extract
2pie crusts
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Prepare each pie pan with pie crust.
Lightly whisk together eggs and add in sugar, butter, and vanilla. You don't want to over-beat your pie filling.
Pour pie filling into each pie pan. Bake pies on middle rack of oven for 45-55+ minutes or until golden brown. Update: It might need longer based on oven temperatures. Check to see that pie is baked through (if you move it slightly, it shouldn't jiggle).
Note: You may need to loosely place aluminum foil around pie crust edges to prevent them from getting too brown. I often allow it to cool and then refrigerate it to set up further. Then I warm slightly before serving. Remember, this makes TWO pies.
Notes
You may need to cook your pie longer, but know that it will set up while cooling! This recipe yields TWO pies.
Tarte au sucre: The tarte au sucre dessert found in Northern France and Belgium resembles a tartlet made from brioche dough, baked with a top layer of sugar, cream, and butter. The French-Canadian brown sugar pie from Quebec resembles a traditional pie and features maple syrup and white or brown sugar in the filling.
Using dark brown sugar when a recipe calls for light will give your final product a more robust taste and a darker color, and it might slightly affect the texture. Because acidic molasses reacts with baking soda, using dark brown sugar in place of light might cause a higher rise and/or a wider spread.
If you will not be enjoying your fresh pie right away, you should refrigerate it for up to 6 days. You may also freeze your pie wrapped in plastic wrap inside a large freezer bag or inside the pie box.
The famous dessert reportedly originated in the 1850s in resourceful Amish communities in Indiana. According to What's Cooking America, the pie consisted of only four simple ingredients: brown sugar, flour, heavy cream, and an 8-inch pie crust at 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
Today, pie is a national dish, beloved everywhere from Washington to Florida. Yet in the American imagination, pie is often considered a Southern dish prepared by the family matriarch wearing an apron dusted in flour.
Since it is crafted differently, Turbinado contains less moisture and features larger crystals than typical Brown Sugar. These qualities make it better for use in beverages, as a garnish or as a substitute for typical granulated sugar in your favorite recipes.
The two types of brown sugar, light and dark, refer to the amount of molasses that is present. Light brown sugar is used more often in baking, while dark brown sugar, with a bolder molasses flavor, is delicious used as a rub for steaks. A lot of bakers, however, will use light and dark brown sugar interchangeably.
In most baking recipes, you can substitute brown sugar for white sugar in a one-to-one ratio. So, if your recipe calls for one cup of white sugar, swap one cup of brown sugar. The sweetness level will be the same, but the brown sugar may change the texture of your baked goods.
If a pie contains eggs or dairy products, it should be stored in the refrigerator and not left out at room temperature for more than two hours. Pies that do not contain dairy products, such as fruit pies can be stored, loosely covered at room temperature for up to two days.
Cream and chiffon pies must be stored in the refrigerator.These pies can be kept three to four days. Fruit pies such as cherry and apple can be stored at room temperature one to two days or seven days in the refrigerator.
Eating an expired pie will not cause harm, unless it's so old it's begun to mold, which is terribly unlikely. The risk comes from eating a pie containing dairy, eggs, or custard, that has not been refrigerated properly. Most all foods are good past their expiration date.
The dessert typically features a nut-crumb crust, a cream cheese layer, a chocolate layer, a vanilla layer and whipped cream or Cool Whip layer. It can be made in a baking dish or a pie plate.
Most recipes suggest that the seal meat is coated in flour, pan-fried and then roasted with onions, pork fat and root vegetables like carrots, turnips, potatoes and parsnips. Once the dish has a nice, flaky crust, it is often served with a side of Worcestershire sauce.
Historians trace pie's initial origins to the Greeks, who are thought to be the originators of the pastry shell, which they made by combining water and flour. The wealthy Romans used many different kinds of meats, even mussels and other types of seafood, in their pies.
The history of the pie has its roots in ancient Egypt and Greece. The ancient Greeks ate pie (artocreas), though it was of the savory type with meat in an open pastry shell. The Romans may have been the first to create a pie that included a top and bottom crust.
Introduction: My name is Carlyn Walter, I am a lively, glamorous, healthy, clean, powerful, calm, combative person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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