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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
I’ve been making Flapper pie for years; in fact, it’s the name of my first bestselling cookbook, so I am incredibly fond of this pie! This is a fast, easy pie that uses simple ingredients that you most likely have at home. And best of all, you should eat it the same day that you make it.
Flapper pie is a long, long time family favorite of my mother’s, mainly because it’s her favorite pie on earth. My mom doesn’t have much of a sweet tooth- I inherited my sweet tooth from my dad- but a few years back my sister and I discovered that my mom loves a piece of flapper pie above all other desserts.
Karlynn’s Recipe Notes
- Skill Level: Flapper pie does use meringue so it’s a little bit finicky but not difficult. If you have baked pies before, you should be able to pull this off. I’d rate this as medium difficulty.
- Total Time: Making this pie takes about 50 minutes plus chilling time.
- Tools Needed: You’ll need a pie plate, a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or a hand mixer.
Flapper Pie
When you read the title of my newest pie recipe for pie day, you’re most likely going to be in one of two camps: either you’re going to scratch your head and think to yourself: “What the devil is flapper pie?” or you’re going to think “Wow, now there’s a pie I haven’t heard of in a long time!!”
I’ll give a small percentage of you the chance of falling into the rare category of “Ooh, that’s a family favorite!” My mom was in seventh heaven when she found it in a small cafe around Pine Lake, Alberta, and made sure to visit whenever she and my dad went out to the lake for the weekend.
What is Flapper Pie?
Flapper pie is a graham crumb crust pie filled with a decadent, creamy custard filling topped with a meringue. It’s so unique to the prairies that if you didn’t grow up here, you most likely haven’t ever heard of it. Indeed, perhaps not many Albertans have heard of flapper pie; this is a Manitoba recipe straight from the family archives, one that would have been passed around the farms!
The Lost Prairie Pie?
Flapper pie seems to have been popular with my Grandma’s generation……then just plainly died out. My mom never made it. I never had it at my friends’ houses. When I asked around, so few people have heard of it. Even fewer have ever baked it! What once was a staple in prairie kitchens is now a rarity to find, unless you are lucky enough to still find an older generation baking it in their cafe or restaurant, such as the one in Pine Lake.
I don’t ever recall having flapper pie, so even though this is something my mom grew up loving, it’s not something we had as kids. My mom isn’t a pie baker; that fell to my Grandma, and now apparently I’ve taken up the baking mitts and am carrying on the tradition.
If you read last week’s pie day post – Drunken Peach Galette – you’ll know that I spent the week at my sisters’. What you also might know if you follow me on Instagram is that my sister and I were up at 9 am baking pies one morning.
This is what Ukrainian women do. We get up. We bake pies. Sometimes in pajamas.
My sister was totally in her pajamas.
I have no pictures because I value my life.
Vintage Recipe Card Shorthand
Here is how to fit the recipe onto recipe cards if desired.
Flapper pie is notorious for being delicious and falling apart easily. It’s very hard to nail it so that it stays together, so be prepared that it won’t be picture perfect. Using butter in the crust will help solidify it when refrigerated, but really, custard and meringue? You know it’s not going to be a clean slice.
I really hope you all try this recipe. What a truly lost prairie pie this is, and I really don’t understand why! It’s so simple yet decadent. If nothing else, add it to your archives to try one day and pass it on to your kids! I know I will be including this at family meals a lot now, knowing it’s a childhood favorite of my mom’s.
Have a fabulous weekend all!
Happy Baking!
Love,
Karlynn
Flapper Pie- The Lost Prairie Pie
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs
- ¼ cup melted butter
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 pinch cinnamon
Filling
- 2 ½ cups milk
- ½ cup white sugar
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 3 large egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- pinch salt
Meringue Topping
- 3 large egg whites
- ¼ cup sugar
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
Instructions
- Mix all the crust ingredients together until fully combined. Reserve 2 tbsp of the crumb mixture to the side and press the rest into a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate. Press firmly into the bottom and up the sides of the pie plate to create a crust. Place in a refrigerator to firm up while you prepare the filling.
- Combine the filling ingredients together in a medium-sized saucepan. Whisk the ingredients together until smooth with no lumps. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly to ensure the filling doesn't burn, until it comes to a low boil and thickens. The filling should coat the back of a spoon and be thick and creamy. Set aside to cool while you make the meringue.
- Beat the egg whites and the cream of tartar on high speed until the egg whites are foamy. Add in the white sugar and continue to beat the meringue ingredients together until they form stiff peaks.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Pour the cooled filling into the refrigerated crust and top with the meringue, making beautiful little spikes that will brown up all lovely on top. Sprinkle the reserved crumbs on the top.
- Bake until the meringue browns on top, around 10 minutes,but watch it carefully! All ovens are different!
- Cool in the fridge and eat the same day. This isn’t a pie that is going to last a few days, meringue topped pies get slimy between the layers. This is best made mere hours before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Amy Carstairs says
Thanks! I’m gonna try this recipe and see how it compares.
Brenda Dolha says
My Dad comes from the prairies, but it is my MOM’s side of the family that lives for this- we don’t have cake on our birthdays, we have Birthday Pie (this recipe for flapper pie is identical). My grandmother had boarders for years, and every month they would ‘let slip’ that one of the three of them was having a birthday the following week, and Grandma would pencil it in on the calendar… she finally realized what was happening, and said “you three are aging awfully quick, having a birthday four times a year!’ BTW, amongst the hydro employees working on the hydro tunnels in Niagara Falls, there was a waiting list for Mrs. Diamond’s house!
Amber Bernauer says
My grandma used to make this. Now, my husband’s grandma makes it, and it’s awesome. It’s happiness in a pie plate 🙂
Glenda Johnson says
Love Flapper pie.
Jeannette Fortier Van Camp says
Amy makes delicious flapper pie 🙂
Dallas Boyko says
Your uncle Scott just loves this pie!
Brad Murphy says
My mom always made flapper pie, one of my faves, course I’m kinda partial to all pie!
Robin Roland says
Don’t know anyone who doesn’t like flapper pie! And if Aunt Phoos made it, it had to be good. Probably not as good as her cinnamon buns, but still delicious. Tell Chance to try and if he doesn’t like, give to me!!!
Dwayne Mayr says
My mother in-law used to make this, my wife makes it once in awhile, my daughter makes this all the time. My daughter gets requests for flapper pie from everyone she has shared it with, her in-laws, friends, even the local RCMP. We all love flapper pie, it is a favorite at family dinners or any occasion really. I can hardly wait to try it just out of the oven for breakfast. mm mm good!
Sharon Roland-Bulmer says
my Mom made it and I made it and sometimes for a change we use lemon pie filling. Myself I prefer the cream filling. Actuaaly only a couple of days ago I mentioned to my Grandson that I would make one as he said he doesn’t remember ever eating it . I am from Alberta and my Grandmother and mother both made flapper pie.
Susan Green Wood says
I have the Birds custard but wondered if the scratch is a nicer? lighter colour and flavour…
Abby Lauree Clark says
My hubby’s favourite! Gonna make for supper tonight. From Manitoba.
Kandace Vern Enslen says
Me too!
The Kitchen Magpie says
How lovely that your mom still makes this! Lucky you 😉
The Kitchen Magpie says
Thanks Fran!
The Kitchen Magpie says
Hope you enjoy it!
Roxanne Ziegler Dickie says
Yum! My favorite!
Karlynn Johnston says
I DID find it at a very small town farmers market being sold in the town center, and it was SOLD OUT every time! I never got there early enough haha! Next year!
Karlynn Johnston says
Aw, that’s the kind of thing I love to hear! Just like we found the recipe for my mom and made it. It’s such a family tradition!
The Kitchen Magpie says
Ann that’s lovely that your daughter/ daughter in law still make it!
Angela Osborne Kurtz says
I also come from Alberta. My Grandma made this pie often!! She told me they made it a lot in the winter because they didn’t always have fruit on hand for a filling but they always had eggs, milk, butter, and sugar. Thanks for the recipe that is one that didn’t get passed down. YUM!
The Kitchen Magpie says
You are very welcome! Thanks for stopping by the site!
The Kitchen Magpie says
That’s a GREAT IDEA! I forsee a Flapper Pie in a Pan recipe coming up this week, you’ve inspired me now! Thank you!
The Kitchen Magpie says
You are so very welcome! Have fun baking (and eating!) it!
Liesa Rice says
nummy!!!
Maria Rattray Fontaine says
Thank you for posting the recipe!! My mom used to make this a lot but hasn’t for several years now. She has talked many times of how she would love Flapper Pie but you can’t ever find it!! Guess I’ll have to make her one and surprise her!!
Joan Omlid Tofteland says
My mom made it for Christmas…love, love, love it!!!
Angela Spilchuk says
Ummm, wasn’t that recipe in ur mennonite cookbook?
Marie Morrison says
We love this pie. I double the recipe and it fits in 11×14 pan. Because 1 pie is never enough!
Liz Klotz says
Have looked for this recipe for years, everyone had something similar but not the illusive “Flapper Pie”!