Depression-Era Water Pie

water pie, slice on plate and full pie in background.

Despite its name, Water Pie is a surprisingly flavorful treat, where simple ingredients like water, sugar, flour & butter bake into a creamy, custard-like pie.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword pie

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 1

Cooling Time 1

Total Time 2 5

Servings

Calories 302kcal

Author Sara Garska

Cost $4

Equipment

Pie Pan
Baking sheet with parchment paper

Ingredients

1 Pre-made pie crust uncooked
1.5 cups water 12 ounces
8 TB all-purpose flour
5 TB butter
1 cup sugar
2 TB vanilla extract

Instructions

To Prep: Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.
Place pie crust onto the prepared baking sheet before adding any ingredients.
Pour water into the crust and sprinkle in the rest of the ingredients (except butter).
Cut the butter into squares and place on top of the pie. No need to stir or mix.
Bake at 400°F for 30 minutes.
Lower temperature to 375°F and cook for 30 additional minutes.
Remove from oven and allow to cool for about an hour.

Notes

Nutrition information is provided as an estimate only.

The most important thing to remember is to place the pie crust on a baking pan before adding the other ingredients. Because of the one and a half cups of water, the pie will have a tendency to splash and spill a bit when you move it from the counter to the oven. By placing the pie on a baking sheet first, you’ll contain the inevitable splashes a bit.

Also, this pie will need about an hour to cool and set up

Nutrition