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My Grandma’s classic Canadian prairie flapper pie recipe was the first recipe that came to mind for the latest installment of the Canadian Food Experience Project.
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 even 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!
I called my recipe Flapper Pie- The Lost Prairie Pie when I wrote it up and it since has become one of the most popular posts on my site.
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.
Flapper Pie is a cherished family pie, however it isn’t one that I grew up eating. Now, isn’t that funny to go and pick a recipe that doesn’t have any real special meaning to me for this project? I promise, my choice will make sense in a moment.
The cherished part of the recipe comes from my retrieving the recipe from my Grandma’s archives and creating my Mom’s favorite pie from her childhood, making it all the more special because it was for someone else and not myself that I brought to life this old and treasured recipe.
My parents were just up this weekend, actually and I baked this pie up fresh last night for my Mom and Dad.
Those beautiful peaks of meringue and the cinnamon laced graham crumbs are so very divine on this pie.
No matter how many times I make this pie – and it’s only a few special times a year – the whole family enjoys remembering how much they love this recipe.
There is always inevitably a discussion about my grandma, my mom’s childhood and how much she loved this pie as a child growing up in Manitoba. My husband is always thrilled when I bake this up, it’s a new pie in his repertoire – him being an Easterner and never having this pie as a child, poor thing- and the smile on his face when he hears we are having it for dessert also is a reason why it’s one of my favorites.
The other reason that my flapper pie recipe is one of my most treasured Canadian recipes was the response from all of you readers. My recipe has evoked such emotion, memories and happiness from so many people that it makes my heart so very darn happy reading all the comments from you all!
A few of those treasured comments from you are:
-Thank you for posting this – I’m thrilled to share a little bit of the prairies with my NB family 🙂
-I also grew up on Flapper pie, it is still my favorite.My mother used the recipe that used to be on the back of the graham cracker box, when they took that off the recipe got lost, I am very happy to have found recipe that is just as good as I remember.
-My mom made it all the time and since she passed I haven’t seen it so went searching and found your site. Am going to make it myself as it was a favorite of mine 35 yrs ago Thanks Kevin
-So excited to see this recipe. Had my first and only slice of Flapper Pie when I was 10 and have been longing for a second ever since. Now, 35 years later, I have a recipe and a plan to bake this weekend. THANK YOU
How can comments like these not thrill me? I brought the recipe back to life for my Mom and it obviously was a childhood memory for so many of you, making this truly one of my most cherished recipes.
I am so glad to share this recipe again on my site and re-visit how much this prairie pie seems to mean to everyone! I have changed one thing, I bake the graham crust for 10 minutes before I fill it. While this is not in the original recipe, it helps with creating perfect slices of pie!
Happy Baking everyone!
Love,
I Think I Sill Have a Slice in My Fridge For Lunch Today Magpie
My Cherished Canadian Recipe: Flapper Pie
- Prep Time
- 20 minutes
- Cook Time
- 10 minutes
- Total Time
- 30 minutes
- Course
- Dessert
- Cuisine
- pie
- Servings
- 6
- Calories
- 409
- Author
- Karlynn Johnston
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 of milk
- 1/2 cup of white sugar
- 1/4 cup of cornstarch
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- pinch of salt
Meringue Topping:
- 3 egg whites
- 1/4 cup of sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon of cream of tartar
Instructions
- Mix all the crust ingredients together, save about 2 tbsp to the side and press the rest into a 10 inch pie plate, in the bottom and up the sides.
- Bake at 350 for 10 minutes..
- Combine the filling ingredients together and cook on a medium heat until it boils and thickens, making sure to stir constantly!
- Set aside to cool while you make the meringue.Beat the meringue ingredients together until they form stiff peaks.
- Pour the filling into the crust and top with the meringue, making beautiful little spikes that will brown up all lovely on top! Sprinkle the rest of the crumbs on the top and slide into a 350 degree oven.
- Bake until the meringue browns like below, 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.
Nutrition Information
All calories and info are based on a third party calculator and are only an estimate. Actual nutritional info will vary with brands used, your measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
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Shanleigh Rice says
My sister loves this pie so much that when she was living out side of Seattle WA and was pregnant she made her than husband drive to a bakery outside of Vancouver BC to go get her a pie twice….
Carol Turton says
Love it, My mom and baba made it always but called it Cream Pie, Love it,
Margaret Kufuor-Boakye says
Thanks for sharing. I am a 60 plus lady and I forgot about this delicious pie that was a popular dessert growing up. I will definitely use your recipe and pass it on to my daughter who is the family baker.
Lori says
I’m from medicine hat and this has always been my favorite…my grandma made it, my mom and myself…it is also available in a few eateries here…but it usually sells out quickly
Janet Watson says
Haha. I am nearly 80 and this is a pie my Mom was making when I was a little girl. I am sure that recipe didn’t travel from Canada to the mountains of N.C. .
Margaret Kufuor-Boakye says
Not impossible at all!
The Kitchen Magpie says
Oh, odds are good! Recipes were traded, shared and treasured back in the day. I’ve been told this is “cream pie” in the southern states!
Janet Watson says
It is wonderful even if it came over on the Mayflower! LOL
Pamela says
Just to let you know this recipe is indeed a maritime recipe as my grandmother made it, my mother made it, my sister still makes it and now seeing your recipe posted I am going to dig out the recipe and make it for my husband as he was from Alberta and never had it. This recipe does bring back lots of memories, good times!
Pamela says
Just to let you know this recipe is indeed a maritime recipe as my grandmother made it, my mother made it, my sister still makes it and now seeing your recipe posted I am going to dig out the recipe and make it for my husband as he was from Alberta and never had it. This recipe does bring back lots of memories, good times!
Gwhissell says
Can you double this recipe??
Chris says
My husband grew up with his Mother’s Flapper Pie……..her family was from Czechoslovakia and lived on Vancouver Island.
Phillipe says
My grandmother also used to make this pie also on holidays. Their family was from a large farm in southern Saskatchewan where I believe this recipe of hers originated.
My mouth is watering looking at your picture. That is exactly the flapper pie I remember. Yum!
thekitchenmagpie says
@Phillipe It’s such a prairie pie, isn’t it! Ingrained in our culture.
Kathy Christiansen says
Just heard about this pie. Will give it a try.
mel250 says
My mom made this all the time, just the words “Flapper Pie” make me happy. But she always made it without the meringue layer. To each her own!
acolleenjones says
Thank you sooooo much for posting this! I grew up in Winnipeg, and my grandma used to make this for us. Loved it! I had tried making it once but didn’t quite get it right. Now I’m in Ireland where we don’t have graham wafer crumbs, but I have a recipe for making graham wafer cookies, so I can probably cobble together a pie. Cheers! Colleen 🙂
TammyBarker says
This is my favorite pie….my Grandma used to make it for me….brings back so many memories : )
ACanadianFoodie says
My dad has always loved this pie – I know mom was making it before I was born – but I would bet it came out on the back of a graham cracker box post war… or something like that. I cannot find any origin information, yet… and looking. Two of you chose this for your most cherished recipe for Challenge Four of The Canadian Food Experience Project, yet I have NEVER made it. We will have to change that right away! I am comparing both of your recipes with my mom’s and we’ll see what I come up with – when dad is out of the hospital. He is really improving. FINALLY! Haven’t heard a BOO from you in days. You must have your head in your computer, instant kraft dinner beside the key board and a doughnut or something crumbing up the keys… Wrote a message to you while in Drumheller and am dying to hear how it went.
🙂
V
Colleen at The Food Blog says
I just tried my first slice of Flapper pie, ever, a few weeks ago. It was delicious. This recipe looks like it would be even better!
Shelley Taylor Alexy says
haven’t made in years might have to make 2 lol
Shelley Taylor Alexy says
I have family in Pine River, Swan River & Winnipeg
thekitchenmagpie says
@Shelley Taylor Alexy My Grandma grew up around Pine River as well.
The Kitchen Magpie says
Aw thanks Cheryl!
Karen Drabyk says
interesting, I grew up with this but we just knew it as graham wafer pie. Didn’t have the recipe though, thanks!
Cheryl Clyne says
I was born in Boissevain. Small town. Love your posts! I feel like you’re a kindred spirit!
The Kitchen Magpie says
Cheryl I was born in Winterpeg but spend a ton of time in Dauphin with my grandparents.
Barb Overton says
Hi Karlynn,.
Thank you for the background information about Flapper Pie.
This pie is still served proudly in the Salisbury House restaurants in Winnipeg, where it is known as Wafer Pie. Here’s a link to the dessert page in their menu:
https://www.urbanspoon.com/cities/332/restaurants/1416454/menu_photos/41829
Heather Cushing says
I’ve never heard of this pie… will have to try it!
thekitchenmagpie says
@Heather Cushing Oh, do! It’s so darn good!
Cheryl Clyne says
Cant wait to try it. Where in Manitoba is your family from? I’m a Manitoba transplant too!
The Kitchen Magpie says
It’s perfect when company comes! We had one slice left last night. Hmmm. Wonder where that piece went…..
Alison Arsenault says
Love it but don’t make it frequently, ate the whole thing myself the last time I made it. Good thing I have a good metabolism 🙂
karacooks says
I would say that the NAME was unique to the prairies, maybe, but not the pie itself. :D
My grandmothers both made cream pies with almost identical recipes – often topped with whipped cream instead of meringue, but sometimes “fancied up” with meringue for special occasions.
It’s also the base of the recipe that I’ve always used for banana cream pie. One of my favorites!
The Kitchen Magpie says
Shelley Taylor Alexy Oh yes! What a great change of pace for Thanksgiving dinner! Or make both pumpkin and flapper pie! Everyone is always SO excited when I make this pie, more than any other I find. It’s so unique and rarely made that it’s a big treat!
Shelley Taylor Alexy says
Absolutely love flapper pie…..made lots back in the days. Might have to break out my recipe for thanksgiving
Rambling Tart says
I have never had a flapper pie before, but I LOVE the looks of it. 🙂 I’m so enjoying this series of Canadian recipes. 🙂
thekitchenmagpie says
@Rambling Tart Oh, you need to bake it! It’s so easy, and simple, and yummy!