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    Home » Desserts

    Published: Apr 16, 2022 · Modified: Apr 15, 2022 by Angela · This post may contain affiliate links · 2 Comments

    Indiana Sugar Cream Pie (Hoosier Pie)

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    If you love vanilla custard or creme brulee, this recipe for Indiana Sugar Cream Pie will be your new favorite dessert. A flaky pie crust filled with sweet decadent vanilla custard is heavenly. There is nothing like a fresh-baked pie and this sugar cream recipe is at the top of the list of amazing desserts. This is a classic Mid-West pie tradition that everyone will love.

    This is an eggless custard pie that is thick, creamy, and rich. The intense vanilla flavor with the buttery custard filling is irresistible. This comforting pie is simple yet luscious. No wonder the Hoosier State, Indiana, made it their official state pie. This pie is a tasty dessert that has a creme brulee-like filling with a snickerdoodle flavor, is seriously amazing. When I bit into it I wondered, where has this pie been all my life?

    A slice on a plate with a fork and full pie faded in the background.

    History of the Sugar Cream Pie

    Sugar cream pie is also known as desperation pie. This is because when it was invented, during the depression, it consisted of staples that most people had on hand. It didn't require other pie ingredients such as apples, berries, or nuts that not all households were able to grow or afford.

    If you are ever visiting Indiana there is a lot of great food there. That includes versions of this old-fashioned sugar cream pie in many bakeries throughout the state. For other tasty specialties check out What to Eat in the Hoosier State. We made this pie because Landon was doing his state report for school. And whenever there is a way to get cooking and learn something, we sure enjoy it. He is so proud of this pie!

    Landon holding the final product his homemade Hoosier Sugar Cream Pie.
    Jump to:
    • History of the Sugar Cream Pie
    • Ingredients for Sugar Cream Pie
    • Instructions for Baking a Homemade Hoosier Pie
    • Substitutions
    • How to Store & Freeze Sugar Cream Pie
    • Equipment
    • Indiana Sugar Cream Pie (Hoosier Pie)

    Ingredients for Sugar Cream Pie

    Most of the ingredients for this homemade pie recipe are likely already in your pantry or refrigerator. The store-bought pie crust that is ready-made may be the only thing you do not have at home. However, you can make your own pie crust & those ingredients are staples as well.

    For the custard-like pie filling in sugar cream pie, the ingredients are basic. Since this recipe doesn't call for eggs, it is truly a simple recipe with only 5 ingredients needed to make the pie filling. I recommend using half & half for this recipe for a rich, thick, & velvety sugar cream pie.

    Indiana Sugar Cream Pie (Hoosier Pie) Ingredients on the counter.
    • Store-Bought pie crust - 9"
    • Granulated sugar
    • Cornstarch
    • Half & half  (substitute if needed: heavy cream & whole milk)
    • Salted butter
    • Vanilla extract
    • Ground cinnamon

    See the recipe card for quantities.

    Instructions for Baking a Homemade Hoosier Pie

    So begin making sugar cream pie, start with the pie crust. Plan ahead for this. If using a store-bought pie crust, make sure it comes to room temperature. After about 15-20 minutes it should be soft enough to unroll easily. Or make your own - here is a good pie crust recipe that I have used before. (yes it has vodka!)

    Prepare the Pie Crust

    Preheat the oven to 425°. Roll out the premade pie crust (many refrigerated brands require a 15-minute thawing on the counter). Transfer the dough to a 9-inch pie pan. Fold the crust edges under and flute to design. 

    Do not prick the crust, you do not want this custard to leak through the crust. Line the uncooked crust with foil. Fill with pie weights. If you do not have pie weights you can use dried beans or uncooked rice.

    Pie crust prebaked on the counter.

    Bake until the edges are light golden brown, 8 minutes. Remove foil and weights; bake so the bottom now is also golden brown, 5 minutes longer. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

    Reduce oven setting to 375°. While the pie crust cools, it is time to make the sugar cream custard filling. This only takes about 10 minutes.

    Prepare the Custard Filling

    In a medium-sized saucepan, pour in the granulated white sugar & cornstarch. Whisk in the half & half (or 1 cup heavy cream & 1 cup whole milk) until smooth. Over medium-high heat, bring to a boil while whisking occasionally to ensure it doesn't burn or clump. This should take about 6-8 minutes.

    Landon pouring half and half into the pot.

    As soon as it starts to boil, reduce heat to low; cook and stir for 2 minutes. It should be at a low simmer.

    Whisking the half and half into the cornstarch and sugar in a saucepan.

    You will know it is ready when it is thick enough to coat the whisk and look like the thick sugar cream custard in the image below. Once it looks like this turn off the heat.

    Whisk dipped into pot of cooked cream sugar custard showing thickness and a wide drip from whisk to pot contents.

    Remove from heat.  Finally, add in the cubed butter and vanilla. Stir to melt and combine.

    Adding butter and vanilla into the sugar cream custard.

    Gently pour the filling into the prepared crust; sprinkle with cinnamon.

    Indiana Sugar Cream Pie (Hoosier Pie) Landon sprinkling on the cinnamon.

    Bake for 15 minutes. If the crust edges start to darken too fast, add a skinny foil layer around the perimeter to cover the crust. Once the sugar cream custard filling is set with a bit of a giggle, it is ready. Remove from the oven.

    Cool on a wire rack until the pie pan has cooled at it is safe to touch. Once it has cooled it needs to chill to set. Transfer the pie to the refrigerator. 

    Indiana Sugar Cream Pie (Hoosier Pie) Cooling on a rack.

    This is a chilled pie and is not eaten warm.  It tastes better the longer the custard sets so be patient (I know it's hard!)  It needs at least 4 hours to refrigerate. 

    Slice into 8 pieces and enjoy a taste of Indiana, the Hoosier State. 

    Hint: I suggest cooking this early in the morning or even the day before you wish to serve it for the best results. The more chilled it is, the better it tastes in my opinion.

    A slice of pie on a plate ready to eat.

    Substitutions

    You can make alterations to this pie easily for a few special diet considerations. Sugar cream pie is a simple and delicious dessert that

    • Pie Crust - use a gluten-free crust to make this gluten-free
    • Cinnamon - you can omit this if you are not a fan of cinnamon or do a combination of sugar, cinnamon, & nutmeg for a Christmas holiday taste.

    How to Store & Freeze Sugar Cream Pie

    This pie is baked and then chilled before serving. Therefore, it makes for the perfect pie to store in the refrigerator. Sugar cream pie can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.

    You can also freeze sugar cream pie. Once it is baked, it freezes well. Simply wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Next, place it in an air-tight container or large freezer bag for storage. Sugar cream pie can be frozen for up to 2 months. When you are ready to eat it, defrost it for 2 days in the refrigerator.

    You can also freeze an unbaked pie. Simply par-bake the crust and add the filling. Instead of baking the whole pie, set it in the freezer to flash freeze for 2 hours. Next, wrap in plastic wrap and place in an air-tight container or large freezer bag. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator for 2 days and then bake as directed.

    Overhead image of a whole Sugar Cream Pie (depression pie) ready to cut.

    Equipment

    This quick & easy pie recipe does not require a lot of fancy kitchen equipment. Other than a pie pan, all the rest of the items needed to prepare this recipe you likely already have. Here are my recommendations for anything you may need if you do not have one or want to upgrade to a new model.

    The Short Order Cook is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program.  As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.  If you click on a link and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission on the sale at no additional cost to you. This helps with the costs of running the blog. Thank you! 

    Overhead image of a slice of pie on a plate and the sugar cream pie with a slice out of it.

    Other Great Pie Recipes

    If you love pie, check out these other recipes. When you feel like baking something for a great dessert, try one of these recipes. There is even pie for breakfast! But if you want something cool and no-bake, try the Reese's Peanut Butter Pie, it is to die for!

    • Frozen Peanut Butter Cup Pie
    • Brown Sugar Caramel Apple Pie
    • Caramelized Apple Fried Hand Pies (McDonald's Copycat)
    • Cinnamon Roll Pie (Cracker Barrel copycat)
    A slice of sugar cream pie (Hoosier pie) on a plate.

    Indiana Sugar Cream Pie (Hoosier Pie)

    Angela
    This creamy custard Indiana sugar cream pie is the official pie of the Hoosier state. This depression-era dessert is easy to make with just a few simple ingredients. The rich velvety pie filling is a cross between a creme brulee and a snickerdoodle for a fantastic recipe. This pie whips up in no time and then is chilled for a cool creamy dessert no one will pass on.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 35 mins
    Chilling Time 4 hrs
    Total Time 4 hrs 45 mins
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Servings 8

    Equipment

    • pie pan

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 9" pie crust store-bought or homemade
    • 1 cup granulated white sugar
    • ¼ cup cornstarch
    • 2 cups half & half substitute- 1 cup each heavy cream & whole milk
    • ½ cup salted butter (1 stick) cubed
    • 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
    • ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon

    Instructions
     

    Pre-Bake the Pie Crust

    • Preheat the oven to 425°. Roll out the premade pie crust (many refrigerated brands require a 10-15 minute thawing on the counter).
      Transfer the dough to a 9-inch pie pan. Fold the crust edges under and flute to design. 
    • Do not prick the crust, you do not want this custard to leak through the crust. Line the uncooked crust with foil. Fill with pie weights. If you do not have pie weights you can use dried beans or uncooked rice.
    • Bake until the edges are light golden brown, 8 minutes. Remove foil and weights; bake so the bottom now is also golden brown, 5 minutes longer. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
    • Reduce oven setting to 375°. While the pie crust cools, make the sugar cream custard filling. 

    Make Sugar Cream Custard Filling

    • In a medium-sized saucepan, add sugar & cornstarch. Whisk in the half & half (or 1 cup heavy cream & 1 cup whole milk) until smooth.
      Over medium-high heat, bring to a boil while whisking occasionally, to ensure it doesn't burn or clump. This should take about 6-8 minutes.
    • As soon as it starts to boil, reduce heat to low; cook and stir for 2 minutes. It should now have thickened and has a low simmer.
    • Remove from heat.  Finally, add in the cubed butter and vanilla. Stir to melt and combine. Gently pour the filling into the prepared crust; sprinkle with cinnamon.
    • Bake for 15 minutes. If the edges start to darken too fast, add a skinny foil layer around the perimeter to cover the crust. Once the sugar cream custard filling is set with a bit of a giggle, it is ready. Remove from the oven.
    • Cool on a wire rack until the pie pan has cooled at it is safe to touch. Once it has cooled it needs to chill to set.
    • Transfer the pie to the refrigerator.  It needs at least 4 hours to refrigerate. 
    • Slice into 8 pieces and enjoy a taste of Indiana, the Hoosier State. 
    • Store leftover pie in the refrigerator covered with plastic wrap. See above for how long to store and how to freeze sugar cream pie.

    Notes

    This nutritional information is based on the above ingredients including using a Pillsbury Pie Crust.  Your recipe may vary based on the pie crust used to make this. 
     
    Nutrition Facts
    Servings: 8
    Amount per serving  
    Calories 308
    % Daily Value*
    Total Fat 19.3g 25%
    Saturated Fat 12g 60%
    Cholesterol 54mg 18%
    Sodium 125mg 5%
    Total Carbohydrate 33.1g 12%
    Dietary Fiber 0g 0%
    Total Sugars 25.3g  
    Protein 2.1g  
    Vitamin D 8mcg 40%
    Calcium 67mg 5%
    Iron 0mg 0%
    Potassium 85mg 2%
    *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calorie a day is used for general nutrition advice.
     
    Keyword baked, creamy, easy, Indiana, Mid-West,, oven, sweet, vanilla
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. James says

      April 25, 2022 at 12:57 pm

      5 stars
      Made it exactly as listed and it turned out perfect. I admit I didn't wait for it to fully chill. It is better the next day when really cold and solid. So do wait for it even if it is hard to do.

      Reply
    2. Helen at the Lazy Gastronome says

      May 22, 2022 at 10:10 am

      This sounds like such a treat!! Thanks for sharing at last week's what's for dinner party. Sorry I'm late. Hope to see you at this weeks party too - have a fabulous week.

      Reply

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    Hi, I'm Angela I’m Angela, a petite mom that loves to cook, eat and explore all things food. I have been cooking since I could pull up a stool to finally reach the counter. I still rely on my trusty stool every day. I am a former personal chef turned blogger that enjoys cooking with and for my family, traveling to try new cuisine, and constantly learning about food, drink, & how it touches all our lives.

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