This 4-ingredient Amish shoofly pie is the kind of simple, sweet comfort that used to finish off Sunday dinners on my grandparents’ farm. Grandpa Eli always asked for this particular pie, and it’s easy to see why: a buttery crust, a dark, gooey molasses center, and a crumbly brown sugar top that bakes up golden and fragrant. It comes from the old Pennsylvania Dutch tradition of thrifty baking—using pantry staples to make something special. With just molasses, brown sugar, butter, and a ready pie crust, you can have a nostalgic, old-time treat on the table in no time, and don’t be surprised if the pan is empty before anyone even asks what it is.
Serve this Amish shoofly pie slightly warm or at room temperature so the molasses center stays soft and gooey. A small scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream is lovely, but a plain slice with a hot cup of coffee or tea is how the old-timers liked it best. It makes a cozy ending to a simple Sunday dinner—think pot roast, meatloaf, or baked chicken with mashed potatoes—and the leftovers, if you have any, are wonderful with breakfast alongside scrambled eggs or a slice of sharp cheddar cheese.
4-Ingredient Amish Shoofly Pie
Servings: 8
Ingredients
1 (9-inch) unbaked pie crust, fitted in a glass pie plate
1 cup unsulphured molasses
1 cup packed light or dark brown sugar, divided
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cut into small cubes
Directions
Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Place the glass pie plate with the unbaked 9-inch pie crust on a sturdy baking sheet to catch any drips and make it easier to move in and out of the oven.
In a small saucepan or a microwave-safe bowl, gently warm the molasses just until it loosens and pours easily, about 15–30 seconds in the microwave or a minute on low heat. You don’t want it hot, just comfortably warm so it spreads nicely in the crust.
Pour the warmed molasses into the bottom of the unbaked pie crust, spreading it out so it forms an even layer. Set the pie aside while you make the crumb topping.
In a medium mixing bowl, add the brown sugar. Using your fingers or a pastry cutter, work in the cold cubed butter until the mixture forms coarse, moist crumbs. You want some sandy bits and some small pea-sized clumps; this crumbly mixture is what will bake into that golden, crackly top over the molasses.
Sprinkle the brown sugar–butter crumbs evenly over the molasses layer in the pie crust. Try to cover the molasses completely, all the way to the edges, so you get a good contrast between the dark, gooey center and the crumbly golden top.
Slide the baking sheet with the pie into the preheated oven. Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 35–45 minutes, until the top is deep golden and set and you can see the molasses bubbling up thickly around the edges. The center will still look a bit jiggly, but it should not be sloshing like liquid when you gently nudge the pan.
Carefully remove the pie from the oven and place it on a wire rack or a folded kitchen towel on your counter. Let it cool at least 1–2 hours so the molasses layer can thicken and settle into that soft, gooey texture. The pie will slice much more cleanly once it has cooled.
