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Why You’ll Love My Recipe
If you’ve never heard of Flapper Pie, you’re in for a treat! With its cinnamon-laced graham crumb crust, creamy custard filling, and fluffy meringue topping, it’s a dessert that brings back memories with every bite. If you didn’t grow up on the prairies, you may not have had it, but once you try a bite, you’ll understand why it’s so loved.
Even though my Flapper Pie only comes out a few times a year, it never fails to bring back memories and make my family smile. For more Canadian dessert classics, try Grandma Marion’s Butter Tarts or Nanaimo Bars next!
Reader Review
Thank you so much for this recipe! My father-in-law requested this for Thanksgiving dessert this year. I am so happy I found your recipe here. He absolutely loved it, and it was the highlight of his Thanksgiving. It’s a keeper, and made our holiday so special 🙂
Karlynn’s Recipe Notes
- Skill Level: This Flapper Pie is easy enough for beginners but delicious enough to wow your family!
- Total Time: From start to finish, your pie takes about 30 minutes, plus chilling time for the meringue’s peaks to hold their shape.
- Variations: Try swapping in a lemon, chocolate, or Pumpkin Custard for a fun twist, or try a Graham Cracker Crust with nuts for a little crunch!
- Tools For This Recipe: You’ll need mixing bowls, a pot for cooking the filling, a 10-inch pie plate, and a hand mixer or whisk to beat the meringue to fluffy perfection.
What You’ll Need for Ingredients
Graham Crackers: Graham crackers form the base of this pie crust! You can crush them finely for a smooth texture or leave them slightly chunky for a little extra bite. Karlynn’s Tip: Toasting the crumbs lightly in the oven or on the stovetop brings out a deeper, nutty flavor.
Sugar: You’ll find sugar in the pie’s crust, the filling, and the meringue. Beyond adding the perfect touch of sweetness, it helps everything set properly and gives each layer its signature texture.
Eggs: Your eggs do double duty in this recipe. The yolks enrich the custard filling, and the whites are whipped into a light, airy meringue topping. Karlynn’s Tip: Room-temperature eggs mix more evenly and whip into fluffier meringue.
Cream of Tartar: Cream of tartar stabilizes the meringue and helps it form those beautiful peaks. Karlynn’s Tip: If you don’t have cream of tartar, a few drops of lemon juice will work in a pinch!
How To Make Flapper Pie
This is a quick overview of the recipe. The full list of ingredients & complete step-by-step instructions are in the recipe card below.
- Mix all the crust ingredients together, and set aside 2 tablespoons of the crumbs for topping. Press the rest into a 10-inch pie plate, covering the bottom and sides.
- Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes, then set aside.
- Combine all filling ingredients in a pot. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture boils and thickens. Set aside to cool.
- Beat the egg whites, sugar, and cream of tartar until stiff peaks form.
- Pour your filling into the baked crust and spread the meringue on top, creating little peaks.
- Sprinkle the reserved graham crumbs over the meringue and bake at 350°F for 10 minutes, or until the meringue is golden.
- Cool your pie in the fridge and enjoy it the same day!
Karlynn’s Tips and Tricks for the Perfect Flapper Pie
- Experiment With New Flavors: Try adding a touch of citrus zest or a pinch of nutmeg to the custard to give the pie a new twist. You can also experiment with a chocolate or coffee-flavored custard for something a little different!
- Chill For Stability: Let your custard cool completely before adding the meringue on top. This helps prevent it from weeping or collapsing.
- Watch Your Oven: All ovens are different, so be sure to keep an eye on your pie as it bakes. The meringue should be lightly golden on the peaks when it’s done!
Storage Instructions
Flapper pie is one of those desserts that tastes best the day it’s made! After a few hours, meringue-topped pies can get soft and watery between the layers. For the best texture, prepare the pie shortly before serving and enjoy it the same day!
Refrigerator: If you need to store leftovers, keep the pie covered in the fridge for up to 1 day.
Freezer: I do not recommend freezing your pie. Keeping meringue in the freezer can cause it to collapse, and USDA food-safety guidelines advise against freezing this type of dessert.
More Delicious Dessert Recipes
If you’re a pie lover or you’re looking for your next baking project, here are a few more tasty Dessert Recipes to try next:
- Warm apples and buttery caramel sauce come together for this sweet, cozy Caramel Apple Pie.
- Banoffee Pie brings toffee, bananas, and whipped cream together for a deliciously unique treat!
- Mixed Berry Pie bakes into a juicy, colourful dessert that’s perfect year-round.
There you have it, folks! A true Prairie classic that feels like a hug every time I make it. Flapper pie is one of those treats that’s always eaten fast and leaves everyone asking when you’re making it again.
Give it a try and let me know how yours turns out in the comments. Your baking stories always make my day!
Happy Baking!
Karlynn
My Cherished Canadian Recipe: Flapper Pie
Ingredients
Crust:
- 1 ¼ cups graham crackers
- ¼ cup butter, melted
- ½ cup sugar
- dash of cinnamon
Filling:
- 2 ½ cups milk
- ½ cup white sugar
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- pinch salt
Meringue Topping:
- 3 egg whites
- ¼ cup sugar
- ¼ teaspoon 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°F 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°F 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
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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!