Sugar cream pie is an old-fashioned smooth, creamy and rich eggless custard cream pie topped. Top with freshly whipped cream or dusting of nutmeg and cinnamon.
Sugar Cream Pie
Sugar cream pie is also known by different names such as sugar pie, Indiana sugar cream pie or Hoosier pie. This old-fashioned cream pie can trace its roots to 19th century Indiana, where it is the unofficial state pie today. It also has an Amish history and has been popular in Pennsylvania Dutch baking.
The name for sugar cream pie comes from two of the main ingredients: sugar and cream. This eggless custard pie was originally intended to be made when there was not fresh fruit available to make a fruit pie, but quickly became well-liked. Several pie shops in the Midwest, especially in Indiana, continue to bake this pie as it is especially popular around the Holiday season.
About this Recipe
This recipe for sugar cream pie comes from my Grandma Arlene’s recipe spirals. My Grandma Arlene loved to make pies, especially cream pies like this one. This smooth, creamy pie and reminds me a lot of crème brûlée in pie form. It uses granulated sugar and uses cornstarch to thicken heavy cream to make the custard. After it is cooked on the stovetop, butter and vanilla are added before it is poured into a baked pie shell (need a simple pie crust recipe? check out this no fail pie crust). The pie is briefly baked in the oven to finish setting. Once chilled, it is topped with sweetened whipped cream or a dusting of cinnamon or nutmeg. Either option is great!
Tips for Sugar Cream Pie
- You can pre-bake the pie crust up to 3 days in advance
- This pie will keep refrigerated for up to 3 days
- This pie does not freeze well since it is a cream pie
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Sugar Cream Pie
Equipment
- 9" pie plate
- foil
- pie weights or dried beans
- fine mesh strainer
Ingredients
- 1 single crust pie dough for a 9" pie
- 2 and 1/2 cups heavy cream, plus more for brushing on pie crust
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 3 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
- 4 tbsp butter, unsalted and cut into cubes
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ground cinnamon, for sprinkling
- ground nutmeg, for sprinkling
- sweetened whipped cream, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425° F and adjust the oven rack to the middle of the oven.
- Roll out pie dough and press into 9” pie pan. Prick gently all over with fork.
- Cover center of pie crust with aluminum foil and fill with pie weights (or dried beans). Brush edges of pie crust with heavy cream or half and half.
- Bake 7 minutes. After 7 minutes, remove the pie weights and foil. Return pie crust to oven and bake an additional 5 minutes, uncovered.
- Remove from oven and reduce oven temperature to 375° F.
- In medium sized saucepan, whisk together the granulated sugar and cornstarch. Whisk in the heavy cream.
- Place over medium heat and stir constantly until boiling; once boiling cook for 2 minutes or until thick.
- Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract and cubed butter.
- Pour into prepared pie shell; force through a fine mesh strainer with a spatula when pouring into the pie shell to remove any clumps that formed while cooking.
- Cover edges of pie crust with foil or pie shield to prevent crust from burning and bake for 15- 20 minutes, or until set. When set, the custard will still jiggle slightly when gently moved, but should not have any ripples.
- Remove from oven and allow pie to cool at least one hour on wire rack. Place in refrigerator and chill at least 4 hours before serving. Top with sweetened whipped cream or dust with nutmeg or powdered sugar.
Notes
- You can pre-bake the pie crust up to 3 days in advance
- This pie will keep refrigerated for up to 3 days
- This pie does not freeze well
Originally published in June, 2021 and updated December 2022.
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