Quick Recipe Version (TL;DR)

Yield: 8 servings (one 9-inch pie)
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes (including cooling)

Quick Ingredients

1 9-inch pie crust (homemade or store-bought), chilled
1 1/2 cups (180 g) all-purpose flour, plus a little for dusting
3/4 cup (150 g) packed dark brown sugar
6 tbsp (85 g) unsalted butter, melted
1 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/4 tsp ground ginger, pinch ground nutmeg
1 cup (320 g / 240 ml) robust unsulfured molasses
3/4 cup (180 ml) very hot water
1 tsp baking soda
1 large egg, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp fine sea salt
Vanilla ice cream, for serving

Do This

1. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Fit crust into a 9-inch pie plate, crimp edges, and chill 15–20 minutes.
2. Line crust with parchment, fill with pie weights, and blind-bake 10–12 minutes until just starting to set. Reduce oven to 350°F (175°C); remove weights.
3. For crumbs: mix flour, brown sugar, spices, and salt. Stir in melted butter until clumpy. Reserve 1 cup of crumbs for topping.
4. For filling: whisk molasses and hot water. Stir in baking soda (it will foam), then whisk in egg and vanilla.
5. Sprinkle remaining crumbs evenly in warm crust. Slowly pour molasses mixture over crumbs, then scatter reserved crumbs on top.
6. Bake at 350°F for 35–40 minutes, until edges are puffed and center is just set but still slightly wobbly.
7. Cool 60–90 minutes until warm but sliceable. Serve warm slices with generous scoops of vanilla ice cream.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Deep, old-fashioned molasses flavor with a luscious, sticky “wet-bottom” filling.
Buttery, crunchy crumb streusel on top that contrasts beautifully with the tender center.
Simple pantry ingredients and straightforward steps, perfect for home bakers.
Absolutely dreamy served warm with melting vanilla ice cream.

Grocery List

Produce: None required (optional: fresh berries or mint for garnish).
Dairy: Unsalted butter, 1 large egg, vanilla ice cream for serving.
Pantry: All-purpose flour, granulated sugar, dark brown sugar, robust unsulfured molasses, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground nutmeg, fine sea salt, vanilla extract, baking soda, pie crust ingredients (or 1 refrigerated/frozen 9-inch pie shell).

Full Ingredients

Pie Crust

1 single 9-inch pie crust, chilled
- You can use a store-bought refrigerated or frozen deep-dish crust, or make the simple crust below.

If Making a Homemade All-Butter Crust

1 1/4 cups (150 g) all-purpose flour
1 tsp granulated sugar
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
8 tbsp (113 g) unsalted butter, very cold, cut into small cubes
3–5 tbsp ice water, as needed

Buttery Crumb Streusel

1 1/2 cups (180 g) all-purpose flour
3/4 cup (150 g) packed dark brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
Pinch ground nutmeg (about 1/8 tsp)
1/4 tsp fine sea salt
6 tbsp (85 g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled

Molasses Filling

1 cup (320 g / 240 ml) robust unsulfured molasses (not blackstrap)
3/4 cup (180 ml) very hot water (just off the boil)
1 tsp baking soda
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract

To Serve

Vanilla ice cream (about 1–2 scoops per serving)

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Prepare the pie crust

If using a store-bought crust, fit the chilled dough into a 9-inch pie plate, pressing gently into the bottom and sides. Trim any excess dough, leaving about 1/2 inch overhang. Fold the overhang under itself and crimp or flute the edge. Place the pie shell in the refrigerator to chill while the oven heats.

If making a homemade crust: In a bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, and salt. Cut in the cold butter with a pastry cutter or your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized bits. Sprinkle in ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing gently, until the dough just holds together when pinched. Form into a disk, wrap, and chill 30–45 minutes, then roll out to fit a 9-inch pie plate and crimp the edge. Chill again while preheating.

Step 2: Blind-bake the crust

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Place the chilled pie shell on a baking sheet. Line the crust with parchment paper or foil, then fill with pie weights, dry beans, or sugar, making sure the weights reach up the sides.

Bake for 10–12 minutes, until the edges are just starting to look dry and set but not browned. Carefully lift out the parchment and weights. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (175°C). Leave the crust on its baking sheet to catch any drips later.

Step 3: Make the buttery crumb streusel

While the crust is blind-baking, prepare the crumbs. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, dark brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt, breaking up any sugar lumps with your fingers. Pour in the melted butter and stir with a fork until the mixture forms moist, clumpy crumbs; you want a mix of fine crumbs and larger pea-sized pieces.

Set aside 1 firmly packed cup of this crumb mixture in a separate bowl to use as the topping. The remaining crumbs will be mixed with the filling in the crust.

Step 4: Mix the molasses filling

In another bowl or a large liquid measuring cup, whisk together the molasses and very hot water until smooth. Sprinkle in the baking soda and whisk again; the mixture will foam and lighten in color slightly. This reaction helps give the filling its tender, almost cake-like texture along the edges while keeping the center sticky.

In a small bowl, lightly beat the egg with the vanilla. Whisk the beaten egg mixture into the warm molasses mixture until fully combined. Set aside; it will be fairly thin.

Step 5: Assemble the pie

With the par-baked crust still warm and on its baking sheet, sprinkle all of the non-reserved crumbs evenly over the bottom of the crust. Gently pour the molasses mixture over the crumbs; the crumbs will float and bob a bit, which is exactly what you want for that classic shoofly texture.

Evenly scatter the reserved 1 cup of crumb streusel over the top. Some crumbs will sink slightly, and some will stay on the surface, creating a lovely, nubbly top once baked.

Step 6: Bake until puffed and just set

Carefully transfer the baking sheet with the pie to the 350°F (175°C) oven. Bake for 35–40 minutes. The pie will rise and puff, especially around the outer ring, and the crumb topping will turn a rich golden brown.

The pie is done when the edges are set and slightly domed, but the very center still has a gentle wobble when you nudge the pan. If the crumbs are browning too quickly before the center is nearly set, loosely tent the pie with foil for the last 10 minutes.

Step 7: Cool until warm and serve

Remove the pie from the oven and place the baking sheet on a cooling rack. Let the pie cool at least 60–90 minutes. This rest allows the sticky molasses layer to thicken up so you can slice it cleanly while it is still warm and almost molten in the center.

To serve, cut the pie into wedges with a sharp knife, wiping the blade between cuts for neat slices. Plate each slice while still warm and top immediately with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream so it begins to melt into the warm, molassesy filling.

Pro Tips

Choose robust, not blackstrap, molasses. Look for “robust” or “full flavor” unsulfured molasses. Blackstrap is usually too bitter for this pie.
Do not skip the par-bake. Blind-baking the crust helps prevent a soggy bottom under that very wet filling.
Watch the center, not the clock. Pull the pie when the edges are set but the middle still has a soft wobble; it will finish setting as it cools, staying moist and sticky.
Keep your crumbs clumpy. When mixing the streusel, stop as soon as everything is moistened and clumpy. Overmixing makes a paste instead of a crumbly topping.
Serve warm, not hot. If the pie is piping hot, the filling will run. Slightly warm is perfect for clean slices and that molten, gooey texture.

Variations

Extra-spiced “gingerbread” shoofly pie: Increase ginger to 1/2 tsp and nutmeg to 1/4 tsp, and add 1/4 tsp ground cloves to the crumb mixture for a bolder, gingerbread-like flavor.
Coffee-molasses shoofly pie: Replace half of the hot water (6 tbsp / 90 ml) with very strong brewed coffee or espresso to deepen the flavor and add a subtle coffee note.
Mini shoofly tartlets: Press pie dough into a 12-cup muffin tin to make small shells, divide crumbs and filling among them, and bake 18–22 minutes. Great for parties.

Storage & Make-Ahead

Once completely cooled, cover the pie loosely with foil or plastic wrap. It can be kept at room temperature for up to 1 day or refrigerated for up to 3 days. For the best texture, warm individual slices in a 300°F (150°C) oven for 8–10 minutes or microwave very briefly (about 15–20 seconds) before serving with ice cream.

You can make the pie crust up to 2 days ahead and keep it chilled, or freeze the unbaked crust (well wrapped) for up to 2 months. The fully baked pie also freezes well: chill completely, wrap tightly, and freeze up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then warm gently in a 300°F (150°C) oven until heated through.

Nutrition (per serving)

Approximate values for one of 8 servings, not including ice cream: about 430 calories; 16 g fat; 8 g saturated fat; 67 g carbohydrates; 1 g fiber; 43 g sugars; 5 g protein; 260 mg sodium. A scoop of vanilla ice cream will add roughly 140–180 calories and 7–10 g fat, depending on the brand.

Old-Fashioned Molasses Shoofly Pie With Buttery Crumb Streusel