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Oatmeal pie belongs to the years when a pecan tree was a piece of property and a cup of pecans cost more than a pie was worth. Grandmothers in the Ozarks, the Upland South and across the Midwest had the rest of a pecan pie in the pantry already, the brown sugar, the corn syrup, the eggs and the butter, and a canister of oats. In the oven the oats float to the top of the filling and toast in the caramel, and when it cools the top crackles and the middle sets into the same sweet, sticky, chewy slice as the expensive pie.
It is not an imitation so much as a cousin. The filling is a straight pecan pie filling, and the oats do what the nuts would do: they soak up the syrup, rise to the surface and give the pie its bite. Quick oats are the right kind, because they soften fully in the 50 minutes and settle into a layer rather than staying separate flakes. A pinch of cinnamon and a spoon of vanilla round it out. Some houses add a handful of coconut, and some houses consider that showing off.
The only way to ruin it is to overbake it. The pie puffs in the oven and looks unfinished long after it is done. Pull it when the middle still trembles slightly, like set gelatin, and let it cool all the way. The filling finishes setting on the counter. Wait for the top to stop moving in the oven and you have a slice as hard as a candy bar.
Why this oatmeal pie works
- Quick oats. They hydrate fully in the syrup and bake into a tender, layered top. Old-fashioned oats stay chewy and separate; steel-cut never soften.
- Brown sugar and light corn syrup together. The corn syrup keeps the filling smooth and gooey without crystallizing; the brown sugar gives the caramel color and flavor.
- Three eggs. Enough to set a custard under the oats so the pie slices clean instead of running across the plate.
- Out of the oven while it still jiggles. The center keeps cooking as it cools. A pie pulled at a slight wobble sets chewy; one baked until firm sets hard.
Ingredients
Makes one 9-inch pie, 8 slices. The measurements are in US cups with grams in brackets.
- 1 unbaked pie crust for a 9-inch pie, homemade or store-bought
- 3 large eggs
- 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar (150g)
- 3/4 cup light corn syrup (240g)
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (113g), melted and cooled slightly
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 cup quick-cooking oats (80g), not instant and not steel-cut
- 1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut (45g), optional
Quick oats are rolled oats cut small so they cook in a minute; they are not the flavored instant packets. Dark corn syrup can stand in for light and gives a deeper, more molasses-like pie. Keep the crust cold until you fill it.
How to make oatmeal pie
- Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) with a rack in the lower third. Roll the crust into a 9-inch pie plate, trim and crimp the edge, and put it in the refrigerator while you make the filling.
- In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until smooth. Whisk in the brown sugar, breaking up any lumps, then the corn syrup, the melted butter, the vanilla, the cinnamon and the salt, until the mixture is glossy and even.
- Stir in the oats, and the coconut if you are using it. Let the filling stand 5 minutes so the oats begin to soften and soak up the syrup. It will look thin and loose. That is correct.
- Stir once more and pour the filling into the cold crust. The oats will float toward the top as it bakes; that is where they belong.
- Set the pie on a baking sheet and bake at 350°F for 45 to 50 minutes. The pie will puff up across the whole surface and the top will turn a deep golden brown and start to crackle. It is done when the edges are set and the center, about 2 inches across, still jiggles slightly like set gelatin when the pan is nudged. If the crust browns too fast, lay a ring of foil over the edge.
- Cool the pie completely on a rack, at least 2 hours and better 3. It sinks a little and the top crackles as it cools; the filling sets into a sliceable, chewy layer. Cut with a sharp knife into 8 wedges.
Tips that make the difference
- Whisk the eggs first, alone, before anything else goes in. Eggs added to the syrup last are hard to blend and leave white streaks in the filling.
- Watch the middle, not the clock. The jiggle should be a slight tremble in the center, not a wave across the whole pie.
- Bake on the lower rack. The bottom crust needs the heat to bake through under all that syrup.
- Do not cut it warm, no matter who is asking. Warm, it runs. Cold, it slices like pecan pie.
Variations
- Coconut oatmeal pie. Add the optional 1/2 cup coconut, or up to 1 cup (85g) for a pie closer to a chewy macaroon.
- Chocolate chip. Scatter 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips (85g) over the bottom of the crust before pouring in the filling.
- A few pecans after all. Stir in 1/2 cup chopped pecans (57g) if you have a tree. It is then simply pecan pie with oats, and very good.
- Maple. Replace 1/4 cup of the corn syrup with pure maple syrup and skip the cinnamon.
Storage and make-ahead
Covered at room temperature, the pie keeps 2 days. The top stays crackly and the middle stays chewy.
Refrigerated, it keeps 5 days. Let slices come to room temperature, or warm them 10 seconds, so the filling softens.
The baked pie freezes well for up to 2 months, wrapped whole or in slices. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Frequently asked questions
Does oatmeal pie really taste like pecan pie?
Close enough to fool most of a table. The filling is the same brown sugar and corn syrup custard, and the toasted oats on top give the chew and the caramel crackle that the nuts would. What is missing is the nut flavor itself, and most people do not notice until they are told.
Can I use old-fashioned rolled oats?
Yes, and the pie will be chewier and more textured, with the oats staying more separate. For a texture closer to quick oats, pulse them in a blender 3 or 4 times to break them up before stirring them in.
Why did my pie come out hard?
It was overbaked. The filling looks unfinished when it is actually done, so people leave it in until the middle is firm, and the sugar sets like candy as it cools. Pull it while the center still trembles slightly.
Why is my pie runny?
Either it came out too early, with the center still sloshing rather than trembling, or it was cut warm. Bake until only the middle 2 inches wobble, then cool it completely, at least 2 hours, before the first slice.
Whisk it in one bowl, pour it in the crust, pull it while it still trembles, and let it cool all the way. Then serve it without a word and see who asks about the pecans.
Old-Fashioned Oatmeal Pie (The Poor Man's Pecan Pie)
The Depression-era oatmeal pie: quick oats, brown sugar, light corn syrup, eggs, melted butter and vanilla baked in an unbaked 9 inch crust at 350°F for 45 to 50 minutes. It cuts and tastes like pecan pie with no pecans in it. Cups and grams.
Ingredients
- 1 unbaked pie crust for a 9-inch pie, homemade or store-bought
- 3 large eggs
- 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 3/4 cup light corn syrup
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (113g), melted and cooled slightly
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 cup quick-cooking oats (80g), not instant and not steel-cut
- 1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut (45g), optional
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) with a rack in the lower third. Roll the crust into a 9-inch pie plate, trim and crimp the edge, and put it in the refrigerator while you make the filling.
- In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until smooth. Whisk in the brown sugar, breaking up any lumps, then the corn syrup, the melted butter, the vanilla, the cinnamon and the salt, until the mixture is glossy and even.
- Stir in the oats, and the coconut if you are using it. Let the filling stand 5 minutes so the oats begin to soften and soak up the syrup. It will look thin and loose. That is correct.
- Stir once more and pour the filling into the cold crust. The oats will float toward the top as it bakes; that is where they belong.
- Set the pie on a baking sheet and bake at 350°F for 45 to 50 minutes. The pie will puff up across the whole surface and the top will turn a deep golden brown and start to crackle. It is done when the edges are set and the center, about 2 inches across, still jiggles slightly like set gelatin when the pan is nudged. If the crust browns too fast, lay a ring of foil over the edge.
- Cool the pie completely on a rack, at least 2 hours and better 3. It sinks a little and the top crackles as it cools; the filling sets into a sliceable, chewy layer. Cut with a sharp knife into 8 wedges.
