How To Make Canadian Flapper Pie

Some foods are so regionally specific that people outside of a certain geographic area have never even heard of them, let alone tasted the dishes. Such is the case with flapper pie.

What Is Flapper Pie?

The creamy custard pie is a traditional dish from the prairies of western Canada. The name seems to stem from the fact that the pie originated in the 1920s, the era of the flapper girl. The recipe has been handed down through generations, though not many families seem to be as familiar with flapper pie as they once were.

Flapper pie is a decadent combination of three components: a cinnamony, graham cracker crust, a vanilla custard filling and a sky-high meringue topping.

How To Make Canadian Flapper Pie

Once you make your first flapper pie, there’s a good chance it will become part of your dessert repertoire. You likely have most, if not all of the ingredients on hand, and the process is relatively simple (once you know a few tips and tricks).

The main reason you’ll fall in love with flapper pie, though, is because it tastes amazing.

The pie has a simple graham cracker crust. However, some fans of flapper pie, such as Karlynn Johnston at The Kitchen Magpie say a pinch of cinnamon in the crust makes it special. You can also reserve a bit of the crumb mixture to sprinkle over the finished pie.

The filling is a simple vanilla custard. Although some bakers add a splash of brandy or lemon juice, others say anything besides pure vanilla is not a true flapper pie. This recipe from Dinner with Julie celebrates the satisfying simplicity of classic vanilla pudding.

The silky, sweet treat is finally topped with thick meringue. Sarah Schultz shares her flapper pie at Nurse Loves Farmer, and she suggests making the meringue before the filling. She says pouring the meringue onto the hot filling prevents “weeping.” Don’t make it too far in advance, though, or the meringue might start to slip off the custard.

Making it too far in advance also means somebody might eat it all. Seriously, this is some good pie!