What Are Desperation Pies, and Why Are These Vintage Treats So Hot?
Updated: Feb. 13, 2024
“Desperation pie” may sound alarming, but these vintage pies are downright delicious—and they’re making a comeback!
You may not have heard the term “desperation pie” before, but odds are you’ve eaten one. If you’ve ever had buttermilk pie, chess pie or shoofly pie…they’re all desperation pies. Otherwise known as “make-do” pies (a more positive spin), these pies were what grandma (and great grandma!) made from common pantry items when she couldn’t get fresh fruit.
Which vintage pie is tops in your state?
Arizona: Lemon PieSpanish settlers brought citrus to Arizona in the 18th century; today, Arizona is one of only four citrus-producing states and is second only to California in lemon production.
Connecticut: Honey PieHistory’s first recorded pie recipe was for a rye-crusted goat cheese and honey pie, published by the Romans. Today, honey pie’s flavor depends on the honey used, and Connecticut produces delicious honey. Use local honey, and your pie will have the flavor of your region—wherever that may be!
Idaho: Huckleberry PieThe fiercest pie fight might be between Idaho and Montana—both claim huckleberry as their own. It makes sense: The delicious berry has never been domesticated, must be harvested by hand, and only grows in northern Idaho and Montana.
Maine: Blueberry PieMaine is justifiably proud of its wild (lowbush) blueberries, which are smaller, brighter and have a more intense flavor than commercial (highbush) kinds. Maine has more than 60,000 acres of the blueberries, which grow on creeping bushes, and blueberry pie was named the official state dessert in 2011.
Maryland: White Potato PieWho says sweet potatoes are the only potatoes for pie? Not the folks in Maryland! Geo. W. Arnold, on West Fayette Street, Baltimore, was advertising Potato Puddings (baked in a crust, so yes, pie) back in 1856. Marylanders have been making this special treat at least that long.
Mississippi: Mississippi Mud PieNamed after the muddy, rich ground along the banks of the Mississippi River, the Mississippi Mud pie comes in various forms—but all of them include chocolate. Lots and lots of chocolate!
New York: Grape PieThe Finger Lakes region of upstate New York is considered the grape capital of the world. An estimated 20,000 grape pies are sold during the annual Grape Festival, which has been held in Naples, New York, since 1961.
North Dakota: Bumbleberry PieNo, you’re not confused. Bumbleberry isn’t a real berry—but it is a real pie! It’s a jumble of some combination of strawberries, blackberries, blueberries or raspberries, plus apples and rhubarb. Canada claims bumbleberry pie as a native invention, but North Dakotans, right across the border, have adopted it.
South Dakota: KuchenWhile not technically pie, kuchen can’t be separated from South Dakota. According to the state’s Legislative Manual (yes, they legislated kuchen), the official state dessert is “a sweet dough crust filled with custard, which is served plain or studded with fruit…” Sounds enough like a pie to us!
Tennessee: Bourbon Pecan PieWhat makes a Tennessee pecan pie different from a regular pecan pie? The answer’s easy—bourbon! A pie like this is where the sweet wood, vanilla and caramel flavors of bourbon (as opposed to the peaty edge of Tennessee whisky, which by law must be charcoal-filtered) scores big.
Vermont: Maple PieNo surprise what represents Vermont: The state leads the country in maple syrup production, tripling over the last decade to 1.8 million gallons per year. But the boom actually pales next to the 9 million gallons produced annually in the 1860s, when maple sugar was cheaper than cane sugar.
Do you know these 10 surprising facts about maple syrup?
West Virginia: Golden Delicious Apple PieNow forget about Washington, the Mountain State is the official home of the Golden Delicious apple—it was first grown by Andrew H. Mullins in Clay County, in 1912. No relation to the Red Delicious, it is the mama apple for Galas, Ambrosias, Pink Ladies, Mutsus and Jonagolds.
Wisconsin: Cranberry PieOriginally called the “crane berry” (because its blossom looks like a sandhill crane), the official state fruit of Wisconsin was first harvested there in 1860; the oldest bed still active was planted 140 years ago. The Badger State now produces nearly 60 percent of the nation’s cranberries.
Wyoming: Rhubarb PieWyoming is another northern, cold-weather state that welcomed the hardy, tangy vegetable (did you think it was a fruit? Many people do!) and made it a staple for desserts. When buying rhubarb for a pie, look for medium to thick stalks; they’re the most tender.
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Why They Were Big
The most popular explanation is that desperation pies were the result of economic hardship during the Great Depression, or of rationing during World War II. But while they did surge in popularity during those eras—for exactly those reasons—desperation pies actually go back much further. Pies in this category were mentioned in writings as early as the 1740s. The “desperation” in question was not economic, but seasonal. In a pre-Industrial, agrarian society that didn’t allow for refrigeration or the high-speed transport of perishable goods, what cooks created in their kitchens was determined by what was in season.
In a four-season climate, this left a hole right around late winter and early spring—after the winter stores were depleted and before the spring fruit began to come in. However, ingredients such as vinegar and molasses were still available. Dried fruit, like raisins and currants, were stocked away. And grains, including cornmeal and oats, were safely silo-ed. So intrepid and inventive cooks rolled up their sleeves and created some delicious new desserts.
One of the most unusual of these creations is Grandma Pruit’s Vinegar Pie. Find out what happened when one home cook attempted it.
Why They’re Back
A few of these pies took root and became regional favorites, but most faded from public consciousness and were revived only during times of hardship. So why are they having a renaissance now? There are a few reasons. In the generation following World War II, these pies were associated with deprivation, so with the end of rationing they were relegated to the back of recipe boxes and were forgotten. Why continue to ration when you don’t have to?
But current generations have none of those negative associations, and instead are intrigued by the creativity of cooks of the past. In the post-war period of the 1950s, the emphasis was on security, stability and comfort. In recent years, adventurous and experimental food has become more popular. Pair that with a growing farm-to-table, locavore movement—an embrace of foods available locally—and a celebration of seasonal shifts is back in fashion. Add in a recent economic scare, and the resurgence of thrifty, pantry-staple desserts isn’t surprising at all.
Of course, the biggest reason these pies are seeing a comeback is simply that they’re delicious, and everyone loves discovering something so tasty! Necessity is the mother of invention, after all, and these pies show culinary invention at its best.
Originally Published: July 06, 2018
