10 Vintage Pie Flavors That No One Eats Anymore
Pie once held a special place at the American table as a way to use seasonal ingredients for a variety of simple and delicious desserts. While classics like apple and pumpkin remain popular, many older flavors have fallen out favor over the years. Today, these bizarre flavors survive mostly in cookbooks and memories.
Here are ten vintage pie flavors rarely seen anymore.
Possum Pie
Possum pie hails from Arkansas, and got its name from the phrase "playing possum," in reference to its hidden layers. The pie contained three layers: cream cheese at the bottom, chocolate pudding in the middle, and whipped cream on top.
Today, this pie is rarely seen outside of Arkansas, instead replaced by other sweet pies and cheesecakes.
Buttermilk Pie
Buttermilk pie was simple and relied on pantry staples. Made with sugar, eggs, and tangy buttermilk, it created a custardy filling that was tart and sweet all at once.
It was popular in the South, especially when fresh fruit wasn't available. Modern tastes lean toward fruit pies and cheesecakes, leaving buttermilk pie in the past.
Marlborough Pie
Marlborough pie, with roots in early New England, was made from apples, eggs, butter, and sherry or brandy. Its custardy filling flavored with fruit and spirits was once a holiday staple.
Over time, pumpkin and apple pies became more common, pushing Marlborough pie aside.
Mock Apple Pie
If there were no fresh apples on hand, mock apple pie came through in a pinch. It used crackers, sugar, and spices to mimic the taste and texture of apple filling.
Mock apple pie became popular during the Depression when fresh fruit was scarce. Though surprisingly convincing, it fell out of use once apples became affordable year-round.
Raisin Pie
Raisin pie was once a regular dessert on farm tables and in church gatherings. The filling was made by cooking raisins with sugar and spices, creating a rich, chewy texture.
Known as funeral pie in some areas, it was often served at community meals. As tastes changed, raisin pie lost ground to fresher fruit pies.
White Potato Pie
You've likely heard of sweet potato pie, but white potato pie is its lesser-known cousin, made with russet potatoes. With origins in Maryland in the 1800s, white potato pie came about as a resourceful way to use an abundant ingredient.
Though less common today, white potato pie is comforting with a satisfying flavor.
Sour Cream Pie
Sour cream pie had a tangy filling that paired with fruit, sugar, and spices. It was creamy yet light, often topped with whipped cream.
Once a practical use for extra dairy, it's now a lot harder to find. This obscure but surprisingly delicious dish is not as popular today, though it's still beloved by many Midwestern bakers.
Vinegar Pie
Vinegar pie was born out of necessity in the Great Depression when fresh fruits were scarce. A custard-like filling flavored with vinegar gave a tang that stood in for lemon.
Once a thrifty solution, it's now nearly forgotten, replaced by citrus pies. Still, it reminds us of a time when resourcefulness turned simple pantry items into something sweet.
Shoofly Pie
Molasses pie, also called shoofly pie in some regions, used molasses or sorghum syrup as its main flavor. It had a rich, earthy sweetness and was common in areas where molasses was cheap and plentiful.
As refined sugar became widely available, molasses pies declined in popularity. Today, they linger mostly in Pennsylvania Dutch tradition.
Water Pie
A pie made with water as its main ingredient might sound unappealing, but water pie was once a popular dish for home cooks in the Great Depression. This pie was typically made from water, flour, and sugar and topped with butter and vanilla extract.
Water pie has largely been replaced with more flavorful pies now that a variety of ingredients are easier to come by.
Changing Tastes
These vintage pie flavors remind us of resourcefulness, tradition, and changing tastes. Many of these flavors were born from necessity, using what was available in the pantry or garden, especially during the Great Depression.
Today, they are rare and often forgotten. Still, these pies represent an important part of food history and remind us of the resourcefulness and creativity of earlier generations.