This recipe for old-fashioned vinegar pie will make you feel like one of those hardy pioneer bakers who were able to make something delicious from almost nothing.
It is so good and easy to make!
Click to find more old fashioned pie recipes.
Pies in Time of Desperation
Sometimes, you just need something sweet. Something simple to throw together with a few pantry staples, something soul-satisfying and made with love. Sometimes you just need pie.
These days, most Americans are very fortunate to have ingredients handy to make fruit pies or chocolate pies whenever we feel like it, but back in the days before refrigeration, before huge supermarkets with all their bounty from all over the world, our pie-loving forebears had to be pretty creative in order to have pie in the dead of winter.
These pies relied on staples that were almost always available. Flour, butter from a cow, and water = pastry, and the fillings were based on other pantry stand-bys like:
- molasses (shoo fly pie)
- sorghum (sorghum pie)
- cream (sugar cream pie),
- cornmeal (chess pie)
Eggs were almost always available because most people had chickens.
And there you had it: pie whenever you needed a sweet pick me up between the distant memory of bright crimson and golden leaves and the much longed for buds of May.
But Vinegar Pie? Really?
I hear you. I mean, of all the desperation and “pioneer pies” I’ve ever heard of, old-fashioned vinegar pie seems to be the most desperate kind of pie, you know?
The pie is like an answer to a challenge. Two pioneer women talking about what they could make out of nothing, and then one says to the other,
“Oh, yeah?! How ’bout you make a vinegar pie, Marjorie!”
And Marge pushes up her sleeves, adjusts her bonnet, tightens her apron strings and is all “Hold. My. Beer, Blanche.”
I think you’ll get over the weirdness once you realize the pie isn’t made mainly of vinegar. It’s not like a sliceable sweet and sour sauce.
The vinegar in vinegar pie is used as a flavoring agent. Like vanilla. There’s just enough vinegar in the mix to bring a nice tartness to round out the sweetness.
It reads as a “lightly lemon pie,” not as a pie full of vinegar.
The rule “you catch more flies with honey (or in this case, sugar) than you do with vinegar” is still true.
Nobody is going to eat a pie that has a cup of vinegar in it, least of all me.
History of Vinegar Pie
Okay, so maybe my “hold my beer” scenario is pure fiction. Over on Instagram, I even wrote a one-act play about how vinegar pie was invented and featuring everyone’s favorite pioneers, Charles and Caroline Ingalls and their kids, Mary and Half-Pint. More fiction?
Well, according to Carissa from the blog Pretty Hungry, Laura Ingalls-Wilder wrote about vinegar pie and a bunch of other crazy/awesome desperation pies her mom used to make in that little house on the prairie or in the big woods or wherever they were living at the time Charles would look over at her in January, and say, “Hey, hon? Make me a pie!”
It is my feeling that the history of vinegar pie is the same history as all the other desperation pies.
Someone, somewhere wanted pie. And that someone decided they were going to make pie out of whatever was available.
I am not sure there was a single person that invented this pie.
It was probably a bunch of able and creative (and desperate) home bakers who all said something along the lines of “I have eggs, sugar, and vinegar. I’mma make a pie. Hold my beer.”
How to Make a the Most Desperate of the Desperation Pies
I did some research on pioneer vinegar pie, trying to get a good feel for the basic ingredients. There seem to be two camps.
- Camp One is a stirred, starch-thickened, water-based custard flavored with vinegar, poured into a pre-baked shell and then chilled. For an example of that kind, complete with a hand-written recipe, see Cassidy’s post, linked above.
- Camp Two is a richer, egg-based custard that gets whisked up quickly, poured into an unbaked or par-baked shell and then baked until set. That’s the camp I decided to go with.
I saw a few recipes that were a weird hybrid of Camps One and Two. Let’s call that camp Camp One and a Half.
These recipes had you make a water-based, starch-thickened custard, pour it into a pie shell, and then bake it for a long time.
That’s just doing twice as much work, since the pie filling as written should set up on its own in the fridge. Between the eggs and the added flour, you really have all the thickening power you need.
To those people, I say “feh.” Feh, I say.
You can get the same effect by making the Cassidy Camp One pie, letting it set up in the fridge overnight, and then either hitting it with a torch or setting it under the broiler for a few minutes to color the top. Full-on baking is not necessary unless you just like to waste time.
Camp One and Three Quarters, which I just made up, wants you to make your starch-thickened, water-based custard in a double boiler.
Right. Ma Ingalls does not have time for all of that.
Let’s Make Some Old-Fashioned Vinegar Pie
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Is This Pie Hard to Make?
In a word, no. It really is an easy pie to make. Especially if you start with a store-bought crust, all you need to do is whisk a handful of ingredients together, pour them into the pie crust, and bake until the filling is no longer wobbly.
Seriously. Is There Any Way I Can Mess This Up?
I guess the worst that could happen is that you overbake the filling and scramble the eggs.
It’s not very likely, especially since we’re baking the filling in a crust, and crust provides insulation.
If you are concerned, use an instant read thermometer to check the internal temperature in the center of the pie. It should ready right around 165F. Once it reaches the magic temperature, pull it out and let it cool on a rack.
I hope I’ve made my case for the tastiness of this pie. As I said in the recipe, I used brown sugar rather than white. I figure a pie “seasoned” only with a bit of salt and vinegar (chips! No, not chips) might need the additional flavor of molasses. Anyway, I hope you give it a try and that you enjoy it very much.
As unlikely as it sounds, I think this homey pie will win you over with how easy it is to make and how easy it is to eat!
Looking for a Not-So-Desperate Dessert?
If it’s summer and fruit is at its peak, please make something luscious like a juicy peach blueberry pie or maybe a lazy peach sonker or a German plum cake.
But when fruit is scarce, turn to desperation pies. Pure comfort when it’s cold outside and summer is but a distant memory.
Okay, enough talk. You need to make this pie. Let’s go.
Old-Fashioned Vinegar Pie
Many of the early American pioneers, who really came from all over the world to live here, were masters of making something delicious out of next to nothing. The humble and unlikely sounding vinegar pie is one of these pies made out of the desperate want of something sweet, even in the dead of winter. This is an easy to make, comforting pie that tastes very similar to a lightly flavored lemon pie. Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 1 crust for a single crust pie, your favorite recipe or store-bought
- 3-4 large eggs, at room temperature (three will give you a softer set)
- 1 cup light brown sugar*, packed
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, I used Morton's (yes, that much)
- 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter (3/4 sticks)**, melted and cooled slightly
- 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
Instructions
For the Crust
- Line a 9" pie pan (not deep dish) with your pastry. Crimp however you'd like.
- Line the crust with parchment or a large coffee filter and then fill it with beans or other weights. Bake for 15 minutes at 350F.***
- Carefully remove lining and weights and set aside. Brush crust all over with egg wash (1 egg beaten well with a pinch of salt). Prick the bottom crust well with the tip of a sharp knife, and then bake an additional 10-15 minutes, or until the bottom of the pie crust looks dry. If the crust bubbles up at all with air pockets, carefully press them out.**
- Remove the crust from the oven and set aside. The crust will be pale. It's okay, it will bake some more once you put the filling in.
For the Filling
- Whisk together the eggs, sugar, and salt until well combined and smooth.
- Drizzle in the melted butter while whisking constantly.
- Whisk in the apple cider vinegar.
- Pour into the crust and bake for about 35 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the pie is 165F. The filling will rise up and be nicely browned on the top. It will sink back to level as it cools.
- Remove pie from oven and cool to room temperature. Serve at room temperature or slightly chilled from the fridge. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator.
Notes
*Most recipes I researched call for white sugar. I think brown sugar is more likely since it was probably less expensive than white sugar. I also think Ma Ingalls could have possibly sweetened her pie with maple syrup. You can do that too, if you want.
**A reader made this and had an issue with some of the butter leaking out. If you are concerned about this happening, you may cut back the amount of butter to 4 Tablespoons, or half a stick.
***You do not have to blind bake your crust if you don't want to, but it will take a few extra minutes to bake it through. In that case, once the filling is a nice golden brown, loosely tent the pie with foil so it can finish baking.
****For more wonderful, old-fashioned pie recipes, including another tried and true recipe for vinegar pie, please check out Nancie MacDermott's Southern Pies, linked below.
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Nutrition Information
Yield 8 Serving Size 1/8 pieAmount Per Serving Calories 313 Saturated Fat 7g Cholesterol 115mg Sodium 276mg Carbohydrates 37g Sugar 26g Protein 4g
Thanks for spending some time with me today, friends. Take care, and have a lovely day.
Renee Goerger says
I have always wanted to make this pie and today may be the day! I have all the ingredients on hand and some extra time this afternoon set aside for pie baking. Thanks for the delicious recipe. I’m excited!!
Jennifer Field says
I’m so excited you’ll be making this, Renee! Enjoy it!
Pamela says
Even more curious than I am about the Vinegar Pie, which I’ve heard about for years, I’m trying to figure out where this obsession of the wife always having a beer in her hands. Truthfully, that is just about the LAST thing should would have had. Despite what they show on old western television programs and John Wayne movies, women, NOT even prostitute or “ladies of the evening” were allowed in saloons. Pioneer women didn’t sit at home wasting resources making home brew or even homemade wine. Unless you’re talking the VERY back hills of Kentucky, Tennessee and probably West Virginia, who are not pioneer women, these are the prairies of Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Indiana, and moving west as the decades rolled along. Making moonshine and homemade liquor was not a thing for these families. Most, believe it or not were very religious , far far more than people today. These folks didn’t have much to base hope on and God and religion was one of the few things they did. Oh sure, there may be an odd scattering of people who did, but it was not the norm. So I’m really baffled at where you get this picture of these women, trying to feed a family and make a life with little or nothing sitting around knocking back beers.
Jennifer Field says
It is in no way based in fact, Pamela. The image of a pioneer woman drinking a beer and asking her friend to hold it a visual joke. The term “hold my beer” is similar to “just watch me,” and in no way was meant to indicate these women actually drank any sort of alcohol, let alone beer. The pie is wonderful, regardless of whether you drink or not. I hope you enjoy it!
Heide says
Pioneers, both the religious and the nones, did make beer, wine and liquor and pioneer women imbibed. Children were offered small sips. Alcohol, the making and consumption of (not to mention other mind altering substances), is an integral part of the history of humankind including the pioneers.
Michael says
Calm down Pamela.
Loucile says
Believe it or not but my family was pioneers from Virginia who came to the back hills of Kentucky as you call it. Home brew has been around forever and it was kept around for medicinal use not only for drinking. I don’t know where you got your information but way out west there were women who worked in saloons but they weren’t prostitues.
Ruth Merike Vilgats says
Thanks for this very exciting recipe. I tried it also, but I am sure that I overbaked it. Tasted well, but looked like an omelette. I also added 3 tablespoons of flour, but I read again and no flour was needed. But in what temperature you put it in the oven. I tried 170 degrees celsius for about 25 minutes. Today I am sure, temperature was too high. I will like to try again and not fail .
Thanks for your nice page and comments
With best regards
Ruth
Jennifer Field says
Hi, Ruth! I’m glad you tried the pie and that you liked it enough that you want to give it another go. The recipe calls for 350F, so 170C was a good starting place. Maybe knock it back to 160-165C and keep an eye on it. I also like to check for doneness with an instant read thermometer. For a custard pie like this, you’ll shoot for 72-73C in the center. Mine took 35 minutes to bake. If you think it is browning too much on top, loosely cover the top with some foil. Please let me know how your second guy turns out, and thank you so much for leaving a comment. It’s nice to get feedback and I’m always happy to help by answering questions!
Ruth Merike Vilgats says
Thank you so much for your answer! After some busy days I will certainly try again and let you know. But about the eggs. Did you beat the eggs very fluffy like for bisquit or just a little bit? Does it matter anyway? I thought that it was therefor so thick, that I didn´t beat the eggs correctly.
Thanks a lot for your help!
With very best cooking regards
Ruth
Jennifer Field says
Glad I could help! No, everything is just whisked together until smooth, so you don’t have to beat the eggs like for meringue or sponge cake. Let me know how round 2 goes when you have the chance!
Sally Ann says
Did you use 3 or 4 eggs? I will be making this for a pie lover and I do not bake very well!
Jennifer Field says
I think you will prefer the texture with 3 eggs. Just whisk everything together and bake. I think you will end up with a Successful Pie! Enjoy!
Sally Ann says
Hi again! Thank you so much for the reply. One more question: If I use a store bought crust already in a tin pan, can I still “blind bake” it? The filling looks easy enough, but the crust scares me!
Jennifer Field says
Yes, you can absolutely do that, Sally Ann. It’s a great time saver! I hope you guys enjoy!
Tracy says
If I buy a store bought crust (pillsbury brand)..do I have to bake it first before putting the custard in? (that crust normally says to bake at 425*F) Or can I just put the filling in the unbaked crust and bake it all together? (At 350*F as your recipe states)?
Jennifer Field says
Hey, Tracy. You can bake it straightaway, but since the box calls for a much higher temperature, I think you’ll be happier with the crust if you blind bake for a few minutes first. Line the crust with parchment or a large coffee filter, pour in pie weights or dry beans and bake the crust for 10 minutes or so at 425. Remove the parchment/filter and beans, make sure to prick the crust well with the point of a knife, and bake an additional 5 minutes before turning down the heat, adding the filling, and baking the pie. If the edges appear to be getting too dark before the pie is done, tent the pie loosely with foil. I hope you enjoy it!
Tracy says
Thanks so much! Can’t wait to try it!
Jennifer Field says
I hope you and your family enjoy it!
Tracy says
It came out perfect 🙂
Jennifer Field says
I’m so pleased! Yay!
terri says
I just watched someone win the Thanksgiving cooking contest on Food Network with a meal that included a pie similar to this.
The differences are that he used honey to sweeten it and, more important for my purposes, he also used a graham cracker-pretzel crust. I’ve been reading all the questions about pre-baking the crust on this page, and I thought maybe for those of us who are less than stellar bakers, it might be easier to avoid the regular pastry crust altogether, and just go with the easier pressed-crumb crust.
Jennifer Field says
I *wondered* why everyone and their brother found this pie recipe last night! Mystery solved, Terri! And yes, you can absolutely use a Graham crust, especially if you are not super comfortable working with pie dough. You have now inspired me to develop a honey vinegar pie to go along with this one. I really hope you make one, and if you do, please let me know how you and your family enjoyed it, Terri! Thanks so much for commenting!