Last Updated on March 18, 2024 by Share My Kitchen
Sugar cream pie, also known as Indiana or Hoosier Sugar Cream Pie, is a simple dessert that uses a few ingredients. There are many types of sugar cream pie. Most are made without eggs. Although it looks like a custard-like dessert, there are no eggs in this recipe.
How to make Sugar Cream Pie?
Blind Baking a Single Crust Pastry
We use our homemade pie dough all the time and keep the extra pastry in the freezer. You can also use frozen or refrigerated store-bought crusts for this recipe. Bake the crust blind-bake it and let it cool before you begin to prepare the filling.
For the filling you will need:
- cornstarch
- granulated sugar
- salt
- heavy cream
- unsalted butter
- vanilla
For the broiled topping you’ll need:
- unsalted butter, melted
- cinnamon
- nutmeg
Pour the butter over the top of your pie to finish it off. Mix the cinnamon and nutmeg together, then sprinkle it on top. Bake the pie in the oven for about 20 minutes or until it is golden brown.
Let the pie cool down to room temperature and then let it chill in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve. The pie is easy to make and takes only 15 minutes. The filling is firm but still creamy and velvety. You can make the filling looser by reducing the cornstarch by 1/2 teaspoon.
Hoosier Sugar Cream Pie Recipe Card
| Prep Time | 15 minutes |
| Cook Time | 4 hours 15 minutes |
| Total Time | 4 hours 30 minutes |
| Yield | 8 slices |
Ingredients
- 1 single, pre-baked pie crust
For the pie filling:
- 4 ½ tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 cup granulated sugar (222g)
- 1 pinch of salt
- 3 cups heavy cream (24oz)
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into cubes (75g)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
For the topping:
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Instructions
- Pre-baked deep-dish pie crust pastry. All kinds of crusts are fine, whether they’re homemade, frozen, or refrigerated. Allow cooling. If you are making your own, please refer to the notes for directions and a recipe.
- To prevent the crust from burning, cover it with aluminum foil. Set the crust aside on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
To prepare the filling:
- Mix the cornstarch, sugar, and salt in a large saucepan. Add the cream and butter. Mix the cream and butter over medium heat. Continue to whisk constantly to avoid scorching. Cook for 1 more minute, then turn off the heat.
- Mix the vanilla with the butter and heat. The filling should be poured into the prepared pie crust. To evenly distribute the filling in the pie plate, gently jiggle the pan.
- As the pie is resting, raise the oven rack to 6-inches above the heating element. Broil oven with the door open.
- Pour 2 tablespoons butter on top of the pie after the filling has set for about 15-30 minutes. To evenly distribute the butter, tilt the pie. Mix the cinnamon, and nutmeg, and sprinkle over the pie filling. Bake the pie in the oven for about 20 minutes or until the butter is melted and the crust turns golden brown. Don’t worry, it won’t take too long!
- Allow the pie to cool completely before placing it in a refrigerator for at least four hours, overnight, or until it is set. Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you freeze Hoosier Sugar Cream Pie?
Although we haven’t frozen an entire pie, we have had great success freezing individual slices. You can simply thaw in the fridge overnight and then serve. A pre-made, unfilled, blind-baked pie crust can be frozen. It’s something I do all the time. You can do it if you have freezer space
How far ahead can you make this Hoosier Sugar Cream Pie recipe?
The pie will keep for several days if it is kept in an airtight container. We recommend that you make this pie a day in advance if you are making it for an event. This will allow it to be set properly overnight.
What does Hoosier Sugar Cream Pie Taste Like?
This pie has a rich, vanilla flavor and is delicious when paired with fresh fruit. Because the vanilla flavor is so prominent, I recommend using vanilla bean paste. This is a great dessert! It is so wonderful to be able to see the vanilla seeds in the filling. You could also use half of a vanilla bean by scraping the seeds out and adding them to your mixture as it cooks. Simple, delicious, and memorable: it’s time to make pie!
