Flapper Pie: the ultimate recipe for a classic Canadian dessert (2024)

Canadian flapper pie, aka Prairie pie, is a must-bake for anyone who loves rich custardy desserts. Featuring a delicious graham cracker crumb crust filled with decadent custard and topped with a beautiful light meringue, flapper pie is a wonderful take on the old school custard pie. With a heavenly vanilla custard flavor, creamy texture, and lightly cinnamon-spiced crust, it's a phenomenal-tasting dessert that is excellent when you're in the mood for something that's creamy but not too heavy.

What is Flapper Pie?

The origins of flapper pie date to the 19th century, but it gained popularity in the earlier part of the 20th century. It's a classic dessert found in Canada's prairie regions and is similar to other great-tasting custard pies.

How to Make Flapper Pie

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Combine graham cracker crumbs, cinnamon, sugar, and salt.

Pour in melted butter, mix well. Set 2 to 3 tablespoons of the crust mixture to the side.

Press the crust into the bottom and up the sides of a standard pie dish.

Bake the crust for 10 minutes until it turns light brown. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.

Combine sugar and cornstarch in a saucepan over low heat. Pour in milk and egg yolks, and gradually bring to a boil, making sure to stir continuously. Once thickened, remove the saucepan from the heat. Add vanilla extract and salt and stir to combine. Allow the custard to cool.

Using a handheld mixer, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar until they form soft peaks. Gradually add the sugar, beating until the whites form stiff peaks.

Pour the custard into the crust, making sure it's evenly distributed.

Add dollops of the meringue over the custard.

Bake for 10 minutes or until the meringue turns a light golden brown.

Remove the pie from the oven and allow it to cool before serving.

Notes

– When you're combining the butter and the graham cracker crumb mixture, the result should have the texture of damp sand.

– Make sure the bowl and handheld mixer attachment you use for beating the egg whites is 100 percent clean. Any grease spots will prevent the peaks from forming in your meringue.

– Cooking the custard over low heat is a great way to ensure you don't cook the egg yolks too quickly – if you do, you'll wind up with bits of egg in your custard, and no one wants that!