My Cherished Canadian Recipe: Flapper Pie (2024)

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Head over to my updated post on Flapper Pie

In my family there are four recipes that are tradition; Cabbage Rolls, Perogies, Cabbage Buns and Date Square. When I started dating Scott, I was introduced to his family traditions; one of those being Flapper Pie!

Flapper is a super simple pie filled with custard and topped with mounds of light, fluffy meringue and sprinkled with graham crackers. It’s been a staple recipe in Scott’s family for decades and it makes an appearance at all their family gatherings. I had never heard of it until we started dating and after some research, I found that it’s a pie that’s unique to the prairie provinces.

I’ve heard many stories of this infamous pie from my boyfriends mom such as the one time she decided not to make it for a holiday and her father-in-law grumbled the whole way home that he didn’t get his flapper pie. Or all the times she would make one or two for Fowl Suppers down in southern Saskatchewan and they would never make it to the table. She would go to deliver her contribution to the supper and the organizer would just pop it into the truck of his car and ask her how much money she wanted for it. It seemed to always be a huge hit and it’s one of the things she’s best known for!

Flapper Pie is one of those desserts you make just a few hours before serving because the custard and meringue tend to slip apart after it’s been sitting in the fridge for awhile. It’s easiest and must faster if you use the microwave to make the custard – you can get instructions on how to do that here.

My Cherished Canadian Recipe: Flapper Pie (2)

My Cherished Canadian Recipe: Flapper Pie

A Prairie Classic Pie

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Canadian

Keyword: Retro Dessert

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 8 Servings

Ingredients

Crust:

  • 1 1/4 cups graham crackers
  • 1/4 cup melted butter
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • dash of cinnamon

Filling:

  • 2 1/2 cups 2% milk
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1/4 cup cornstarch
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Meringue Topping:

  • 3 egg whites
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/4 tsp cream of tartar

Instructions

Crust:

  • Mix all the ingredients together and press into a 10 inch pie plate. Reserve 2 tbsp of the graham crust mixer to use later.

  • Place in the refrigerator until ready to fill.

For the filling:

  • Combine the filling ingredients in a saucepan and cook on a medium heat until it boils and thickens, making sure to stir constantly. Continue to mix for 2-3 more minutes until mixture is very thick. You may need to add more cornstarch.

  • Or you can use the microwave instructions listed above.

  • Set aside to cool.

  • *Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

For the Meringue:

  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat all the meringue ingredients together until they form stiff peaks.

To Assemble:

  • Pour the cooled filling into the crust and top with the meringue.

  • Sprinkle the rest of the crumbs on the top and bake in a 350 degree oven.

  • Bake until the meringue browns slightly, around 10 minutes but watch it carefully.

  • Cool in the fridge and eat the same day.

Nutritional calculation was provided by WP Recipe Maker and is an estimation only. For special diets or medical issues please use your preferred calculator

Did you make this recipe?Mention @culinarycool or tag #culinarycool!

Recipe courtesy of Val Turgeon

This blog entry is part ofThe Canadian Food Experience Projectwhich began June 7, 2013. As we (participants) share our collective stories across the vastness of our Canadian landscape, through our regional food experiences, we hope to bring global clarity to our Canadian culinary identity through the cadence of our concerted Canadian voice. I will be writing new entries and posting them on the 7th of each month with a focus on Canadian food,particularlyfood found in Saskatchewan and the Canadian Prairies. Please join us.

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Comments

  1. My Cherished Canadian Recipe: Flapper Pie (3)Denise Campbell

    Hi Nicole: Thank you so much for publishing this recipe. My mother used to make this when I was a kid and unfortunately the recipe died with her. I have searched for this recipe for years and have been unsuccessful until today. You have made my day.
    Denise

    Reply

    • My Cherished Canadian Recipe: Flapper Pie (4)Nicole

      I’m SO glad you stumbled upon this recipe! I hear this story all too often. I’m glad to reunite you with a family favourite!

      Reply

  2. My Cherished Canadian Recipe: Flapper Pie (5)Zeak Rice

    My wife grew up with Flapper Pie. She cannot have dairy anymore. So, can Flapper Pie be made with non-dairy milk? Cashew Cashew/almond, coconut, oat, hazelnut etc?

    Reply

    • My Cherished Canadian Recipe: Flapper Pie (6)Nicole

      Hi Zeak, unfortunately, I have never tested this recipe with non-dairy milks.

      Reply

Leave a Reply

My Cherished Canadian Recipe: Flapper Pie (2024)

FAQs

What is flapper pie made of? ›

A custard pie made with a graham cracker crumb crust and topped with meringue.

Why is my flapper pie runny? ›

Meringue pies will ''weep'' water because of the interaction between the filling and the whipped meringue. If one or the other is overcooked, water beads will form and weep. Egg whites can also weep if they are over-beaten or are from old eggs.

How did flapper pie get its name? ›

Flapper pie is a wonderful Canadian dessert that originated in the Prairies in the 1920s. They called it Flapper pie because it was popularized in the same era as the Flapper girls - fabulous!

What is Dolly Parton pie? ›

Calling all Dolly Parton fans! This dessert legendary holiday walnut pie is a delicious and easy play on a pecan pie using walnuts instead of pecans. A bit of sugar, corn syrup, and melted butter comes together as a smooth, subtle filling. Save the recipe for Thanksgiving, we are sure you'll enjoy it.

What meat is used for flipper pie? ›

Flipper pie is a traditional Eastern Canadian meat pie made from harp seal flippers. It is similar to a pot pie in that the seal flippers are cooked with vegetables in a thick sauce and then covered with pastry.

Can I use powdered sugar instead of granulated sugar in meringue? ›

It can be made with any sugar. One cup of superfine sugar or packed brown sugar is equal to 1 cup of granulated sugar; 1-3/4 cups powdered sugar equals 1 cup granulated. Superfine sugar may dissolve more readily and produce a smoother glossier meringue, but volume will not be as great.

What are the mistakes when making custard? ›

The most common mistake people make in baking a custard is not putting enough water in the hot-water bath. The water should come up to the level of the custard inside the cups. You must protect your custard from the heat.

Can you put uncooked meringue in the fridge? ›

You're best off using uncooked meringue immediately, but if you need to store it, keep it in the fridge in an airtight container for up to twenty-four hours.

What is Elvis Presley pie? ›

Chef Paula Haney shares with Duff the bakery's recipe for the Fat Elvis Pie, which was inspired by Elvis Presley's love of peanut-butter-and-banana sandwiches. The pie includes chocolate pastry cream, peanut butter filling and slices of banana in a crust made of graham cracker crumbs, dry roasted peanuts and pretzels.

Why is it no longer called crack pie? ›

Name change

Some food writers and others have criticized naming foods including Crack Pie after addictive substances as insensitive and offensive. In May 2019, Devra First of the Boston Globe criticized the name in a column for making light of addiction by alluding to the addictiveness of crack cocaine.

What is a 1920 flapper girl? ›

Flappers of the 1920s were young women known for their energetic freedom, embracing a lifestyle viewed by many at the time as outrageous, immoral or downright dangerous. Now considered the first generation of independent American women, flappers pushed barriers to economic, political and sexual freedom for women.

What kind of pie is in Twin Peaks? ›

Double R Diner's cherry pie from “Twin Peaks” (1990-91)

Some damn fine cherry pie. The latticed pies became a trademark of David Lynch's quirky series, a welcome addition to each scene set in the town's Double R Diner.

What is Oreo pie made of? ›

This crust could be baked, but for this no-bake Oreo pie recipe—the crust is placed in the freezer to set. The filling is a mixture of whipped cream cheese, heavy cream, sour cream, powdered sugar and crushed Oreo cookies.

What were medieval pies made of? ›

In medieval England, they were called pyes, and instead of being predominantly sweet, they were most often filled with meat — beef, lamb, wild duck, magpie pigeon — spiced with pepper, currants or dates.

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