Old-Fashioned Shoofly Pie (Wet-Bottom Molasses Pie)

Why you’ll love it

• Three textures in one slice: gooey bottom, cakey middle and crunchy crumb top.
• Pantry ingredients like molasses, flour, brown sugar and butter.
• A true heirloom recipe that tastes like fall and travels well to gatherings.

Quick facts

Ingredients

For the crust

• 1 1/4 cups (160 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup (113 g) cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
• 3–5 tbsp ice water
• Shortcut: 1 refrigerated 9-inch pie crust also works

For the crumb topping

• 1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup (135 g) packed dark brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 6 tbsp (85 g) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

For the molasses filling

• 3/4 cup (180 ml) boiling water
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 cup (240 ml) unsulphured molasses (not blackstrap)
• 1 large egg, beaten

To serve

• Lightly sweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice cream (optional)

Step-by-step method

1. Make the dough. Whisk the flour, sugar and salt. Cut in the cold butter with a pastry blender or your fingertips until the pieces are the size of peas. Sprinkle in the ice water a tablespoon at a time, tossing with a fork, just until the dough holds together when squeezed. Shape into a disk, wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

2. Line the pie plate. Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C) with a rack in the lower third. Roll the dough on a floured surface into a 12-inch (30 cm) circle and fit it into a 9-inch (23 cm) deep-dish pie plate. Trim, fold the edge under and crimp. Refrigerate while you make the filling.

3. Make the crumb topping. In a medium bowl, mix the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Work in the cold butter with your fingertips until the mixture looks like coarse, clumpy crumbs. Refrigerate until needed.

4. Make the molasses filling. In a large heatproof bowl or measuring cup, stir the baking soda into the boiling water (it will foam). Stir in the molasses until smooth and let it cool for 5 minutes. Whisk in the beaten egg.

5. Assemble. Place the pie plate on a rimmed baking sheet to catch any drips. Pour the molasses filling into the crust, then sprinkle the crumb topping evenly over the top. Some crumbs will sink; that is what creates the cake-like layer.

6. Bake. Bake 10 minutes at 400°F (200°C), then lower the oven to 350°F (175°C) and bake 30–35 minutes more, until the crust and crumb are golden brown and the filling is puffed and set around the edges but still jiggles slightly in the center. If the crust browns too fast, cover the edge with foil.

7. Cool completely. Let the pie cool on a wire rack at least 3 hours so the wet bottom layer sets before slicing. Serve at room temperature, plain or with whipped cream.

How to know it is done

Shoofly pie is done when the edges are puffed and firm, the crumb topping is deep golden, and the center moves only slightly, like set gelatin, when you gently nudge the pan. A toothpick inserted about 1 inch from the edge should come out with moist crumbs but no liquid. The center will look soft when it comes out of the oven and finishes setting as it cools.

Tips for the best result

• Use regular unsulphured molasses; blackstrap molasses is too bitter for this pie.
• Let the hot molasses mixture cool a few minutes before adding the egg so it does not scramble.
• Use a deep-dish pie plate and set it on a baking sheet, because the filling foams up as it bakes.
• Be patient with cooling: sliced warm, the gooey bottom will run.

Variations and substitutions

• Dry-bottom shoofly pie: stir half of the crumb mixture into the molasses filling and sprinkle the rest on top for a more uniform, cake-like pie.
• Spiced: add 1/2 tsp ground ginger and a pinch of nutmeg and cloves to the crumb topping.
• Lighter molasses flavor: replace 1/4 cup of the molasses with dark corn syrup or golden syrup.
• Store-bought crust: use a refrigerated or frozen deep-dish crust to save time; do not pre-bake it.

Make ahead

Shoofly pie is a great make-ahead dessert because it needs to cool and set anyway. Bake it up to 2 days before serving, let it cool completely and keep it loosely covered at room temperature. You can also make the dough up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate it, or freeze it up to 2 months.

Storage and reheating

Store the pie loosely covered at room temperature up to 2 days, or in the refrigerator up to 5 days. It is best served at room temperature; to warm a slice, microwave it 10–15 seconds or heat it in a 300°F (150°C) oven for 8–10 minutes. To freeze, wrap the cooled pie (or slices) tightly in plastic and foil for up to 2 months, then thaw overnight in the refrigerator.