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A man at our table ate a whole slice of my mother’s brown sugar pie and then asked her what kind of nut she had left out of it. ‘None,’ she said. ‘There was never a nut in it.’ He did not believe her until she showed him the bowl. It tastes so much like the inside of a pecan pie that half the people who eat it are sure something is missing, and the other half like it better than pecan pie and say so.
Brown sugar pie is one of the old Southern and Midwestern pantry pies, the kind made when there was no fruit and no money for nuts, a cousin of sugar cream pie and chess pie. The list is brown sugar, butter, eggs, a little milk, vanilla and salt, and every bit of it was in the house on any day of the year. The melted butter is stirred into the brown sugar until it looks like wet sand, the eggs go in one at a time, then the milk and vanilla. It bakes into a soft caramel custard with a thin, crackly sugar top like creme brulee. The only hard part is knowing when the middle is done, so that is explained carefully below, and then making everybody wait while it cools.
Why this brown sugar pie works
- Brown sugar is the flavor. Its molasses gives the deep caramel taste. Dark brown sugar makes it richer still.
- Melted butter stirred into the sugar. This dissolves the sugar and gives the filling its glossy, smooth texture.
- A touch of flour. One tablespoon helps the custard set firm enough to slice clean without turning it cakey.
- A gentle oven. At 350 degrees the custard sets slowly and evenly, and the top forms a thin crackly crust.
- A long cool. The pie finishes setting on the counter. Cut it warm and it runs; cut it cool and it slices like silk.
Ingredients
Makes one 9 inch pie, 8 slices. The measurements are in US cups with grams and milliliters in brackets.
For the filling
- 1 unbaked 9 inch pie crust, homemade or store-bought, chilled
- 1 1/2 cups packed light or dark brown sugar (300g)
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour (8g)
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled (113g)
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup whole milk or evaporated milk (120ml)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
To serve (optional)
- Softly whipped cream
Light brown sugar gives a gentle butterscotch flavor; dark brown sugar gives a deeper, almost molasses caramel. Evaporated milk makes the filling a little richer and firmer.
How to make brown sugar pie
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees (175°C). Fit the crust into a 9 inch pie plate, crimp the edge, and keep it in the refrigerator while you make the filling.
- In a mixing bowl, stir the brown sugar, flour and salt together, breaking up any lumps.
- Pour in the melted butter and stir until the mixture looks like wet sand.
- Whisk in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each, until smooth and glossy.
- Whisk in the milk and vanilla until the filling is completely smooth.
- Set the chilled crust on a baking sheet and pour in the filling.
- Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the top is deep golden with a thin crackly crust, the edges are set and puffed, and the very center, about the size of a quarter, still jiggles slightly when you nudge the pan. A thermometer in the center should read about 200 degrees (93°C).
- Cool the pie on a rack for at least 3 hours, until it is fully at room temperature, before slicing. Serve with softly whipped cream.
Tips that make the difference
- The jiggle test is everything. The edges should be firm and the center should tremble gently like a set custard, not slosh like liquid.
- If the crust edge browns before the filling is set, cover the rim with a ring of foil for the last 15 minutes.
- Let the butter cool for a few minutes after melting so it does not cook the eggs when they go in.
- Bake it on a baking sheet. It catches any drips and helps the bottom crust brown.
- Wipe your knife clean between slices for neat edges.
Variations
- Brown butter. Brown the butter in a saucepan until it smells nutty before stirring it into the sugar.
- Buttermilk. Use buttermilk in place of milk for a tangier pie, closer to buttermilk pie.
- Pecan. For anyone who still misses the nut, scatter a cup of pecan halves over the filling before baking.
- Spiced. Add 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg to the sugar for a fall version.
Storage and make-ahead
Once cool, brown sugar pie keeps covered at room temperature for 1 day, or in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Many people like it best cold from the refrigerator.
Let refrigerated slices stand for 15 minutes before serving, or warm them for a few seconds in the microwave.
The pie freezes well for up to 2 months. Wrap the cooled pie well and thaw it overnight in the refrigerator.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know when brown sugar pie is done?
The top is deep golden with a thin crackly crust, the edges are set and slightly puffed, and only a small spot in the very center still jiggles gently when you nudge the pan. It sets the rest of the way as it cools.
Why is my brown sugar pie runny?
It came out of the oven too soon or was cut before it cooled. Bake until only the center jiggles slightly, then cool for at least 3 hours.
What does brown sugar pie taste like?
Like a smooth caramel custard, or the filling of a pecan pie without the pecans. It is sweet, buttery and rich.
Is brown sugar pie the same as chess pie?
They are close cousins. Chess pie is usually made with white sugar and often a little cornmeal and vinegar or lemon; brown sugar pie uses brown sugar for its caramel flavor.
Brown sugar, butter, eggs and a little milk. Bake it until the middle barely trembles, let it cool all the way, and wait for somebody to ask where the nuts went.
Old-Fashioned Brown Sugar Pie (A Caramel Custard Pie From the Pantry)
Old-fashioned brown sugar pie: brown sugar, melted butter, eggs, milk and vanilla in an unbaked crust, baked at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes until the edges are set and the center jiggles slightly, then cooled 3 hours.
Ingredients
- 1 unbaked 9 inch pie crust, homemade or store-bought, chilled
- 1 1/2 cups packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup whole milk or evaporated milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Softly whipped cream
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees (175°C). Fit the crust into a 9 inch pie plate, crimp the edge, and keep it in the refrigerator while you make the filling.
- In a mixing bowl, stir the brown sugar, flour and salt together, breaking up any lumps.
- Pour in the melted butter and stir until the mixture looks like wet sand.
- Whisk in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each, until smooth and glossy.
- Whisk in the milk and vanilla until the filling is completely smooth.
- Set the chilled crust on a baking sheet and pour in the filling.
- Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the top is deep golden with a thin crackly crust, the edges are set and puffed, and the very center, about the size of a quarter, still jiggles slightly when you nudge the pan. A thermometer in the center should read about 200 degrees (93°C).
- Cool the pie on a rack for at least 3 hours, until it is fully at room temperature, before slicing. Serve with softly whipped cream.
