Shoofly Pie

Get ready to discover the most intriguingly delicious pie you’ve never heard of! Shoofly pie combines deep molasses, warm coffee, and a crumbly streusel topping into something that’s part cake, part pie, and completely irresistible.

This Pennsylvania Dutch classic gets its quirky name from the way bakers would have to “shoo” flies away from the sweet, sticky molasses as the pies cooled. With its gooey bottom layer and buttery crumb topping, each bite delivers a perfect balance of rich flavors and contrasting textures.

Ingredients

For the Crust:

• 1 pie crust, thawed if frozen, or homemade
• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, softened

For the Crumb Topping:

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar

For the Filling:

• 2/3 cup hot brewed coffee
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/3 cup light molasses (such as Grandma’s Original)
• 1/3 cup dark corn syrup (preferably Karo)
• 1 large egg

Steps

1. Place butter in a medium bowl and let soften at room temperature (about 30 minutes). The butter should be soft enough to easily indent with your finger but not melted or greasy.
2. Position rack in middle of oven and preheat to 350°F. Roll pie dough into a 12-inch circle (about 1/8-inch thick). Transfer to a 9-inch standard pie plate, gently pressing into corners without stretching. Crimp edges decoratively and refrigerate while preparing filling. Pro tip: Cold dough ensures a flakier crust!
3. Make the crumb mixture by combining flour and sugar with softened butter. Using a fork, cut butter into dry ingredients until you achieve pea-sized pieces. The mixture should look sandy with various-sized crumbs. Don’t overwork or it will become paste-like.
4. In a large bowl, combine hot coffee with baking soda – watch for the exciting fizzy reaction! While still hot, whisk in molasses and corn syrup until smooth. Add egg and whisk vigorously until fully incorporated and mixture is glossy.
5. Take approximately 1/3 of your flour mixture (about 3/4 cup) and stir it into the wet ingredients. Don’t worry about lumps – they’re supposed to be there! The mixture will be quite loose at this point.
6. Pour the filling into your chilled crust. Sprinkle remaining crumb mixture evenly over top, working from the outside in. Important: Let the crumbs sit on top naturally – don’t press them down!
7. Bake 35-45 minutes until center is set and springs back when gently touched. A knife inserted near the center should come out mostly clean with just a few moist crumbs. Cool completely on a wire rack (about 2 hours) before slicing.

Smart Swaps

• Replace dark corn syrup with maple syrup for a more complex flavor
• Use decaf coffee if serving after dinner
• Try blackstrap molasses for extra mineral content and deeper flavor

Make It Diabetes-Friendly

• Substitute monk fruit sweetener for sugar in crumb topping (use 1/3 cup as it’s sweeter)
• Use sugar-free maple-flavored syrup instead of corn syrup (reduces carbs by 15g per slice)
• Serve smaller portions (cut into 12 instead of 8 slices)
• Pair with protein to slow sugar absorption

Pro Tips

• Chill your pie plate before adding crust for maximum flakiness
• Use fresh coffee – the flavor really matters!
• Let ingredients come to room temperature for best results
• Cool completely before cutting for clean slices