Gingerbread Pie
A fresh take on a true old fashioned favorite flavor, Gingerbread Pie brings warm spice, gentle sweetness, and a little nostalgia to the table. It fits right in with classic holiday traditions, yet still feels new enough to surprise everyone. The sour cream topping adds a smooth, tangy finish that balances the spices beautifully.
The gingerbread filling bakes up silky and custard-like, with the flavors of molasses, cinnamon, ginger, and clove. The sour cream layer adds a cool, creamy contrast that makes the spices shine.
This old fashioned pie works for Thanksgiving or Christmas holidays because it brings that cozy warmly spiced profile, yets its not another pumpkin or pecan pie. The flavor is familiar enough to please everyone and still stands out on the dessert table.
What You Need To Make Gingerbread Pie
When writing your shopping list, double-check your spice cabinet to make sure everything is fresh. Spices that are older than a year lose flavor, which can dull the pie.
- One pie crust, make your own or use a store bought crust
- unsalted butter
- eggs
- sugar
- molasses
- heavy cream
- lemon juice
- flour
- ground cloves
- ground ginger
- ground cinnamon
- ground nutmeg
- kosher salt
- sour cream
- vanilla extract
- gingerbread cookies, either gingerbread men, or gingerbread oreos, to use as decorations
You will also need:
dry beans or pie weights for blind baking your pie crust
- parchment paper for blind baking
- a mixer
- mixing bowl
- measuring cups
How To Blind Bake A Single Pie Crust
Blind baking a single crust helps keep the bottom from turning soggy once the custard goes in. You don’t HAVE to blind bake a single crust pie, it’s just a nice way to ensure you don’t have a soggy bottom.
Place the pie crust in a pie dish, fit it without stretching it out and crimp the edges as you like. Prick it all over with a fork to allow air to escape and keep the crusts flat and even. Line it with parchment and it with pie weights or dried beans. Chill 10-15 minutes if you have time, this helps keep the crust from slumping or melting when you bake it.
Once chilled bake at 375° until the edges are just lightly golden, about 12–14 minutes. Remove the parchment and weights, then bake again for a few minutes to set the bottom. This step helps keep the crust from getting soggy once the filling is added.
How To Store This Pie
Store the pie covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The sour cream layer helps keep the top moist, so it holds well as long as it’s in the refrigerator.
Gingerbread Pie
Equipment
- 9-inch pie plate
- Mixing bowls
- whisk
- Parchment paper
- Pie weights, beans, or rice
Ingredients
Pie Crust:
- 1 single pie crust or half of a recipe of all-butter pie crust
Filling:
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- 4 large eggs
- 1¼ cups sugar
- ¼ cup molasses
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tbsp flour
- 1 tsp ground cloves
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
Sour Cream Layer:
- 1½ cups sour cream
- 4 tbsps sugar
- 2 tbsps pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F
- Line a 9-inch pie plate with rolled-out crust and gently press into corners
- Crimp edges, trim excess, and prick bottom with a fork to prevent bubbling
- Lay parchment paper over the crust and fill with pie weights, dried beans, or rice
- Bake for 12 to 14 minutes until edges start to set
- Remove parchment and weights, then bake for another 4 to 6 minutes until the bottom is dry and lightly golden
- Melt butter in a small bowl and let cool slightly
- In a large bowl beat eggs and sugar until combined
- Beat in melted butter, molasses, heavy cream, and lemon juice until smooth
- In another bowl mix flour, cloves, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt
- Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and beat until fully combined
- Pour batter into the prepared pie crust
- Bake for 45 to 60 minutes or until the center is firm
- Remove from the oven and increase temperature to 425°F
- In a medium bowl whisk together sour cream, sugar, and vanilla until smooth
- Spread the sour cream mixture evenly over the top of the baked pie
- Return to the oven and bake for 10 minutes
- Remove from the oven and cool completely before refrigerating overnight
- Top with whipped cream, cinnamon, or crushed gingerbread cookies before serving
Notes
- For a lighter spice flavor, reduce cloves to ½ teaspoon
- Substitute heavy cream with half-and-half if preferred
- Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days
