What is Flapper Pie?
Flapper Pie is a delicious classic Canadian vanilla custard pie topped with meringue in graham cracker crust, also known as Graham Cracker Pie. The no-bake version of this custard pie is topped with whipped cream, or the meringue is lightly browned with a kitchen torch.
The Canadian flapper pie originated in western Canada and has been a popular dish in prairie Manitoba since the 1920s.
You might wonder why they called it flapper pie. Because it has been popular since the 1920s. The term flapper is derived from the word “flap”. The slang term “flapper” originated in Great Britain and is referring to young women in the 1920s wearing rubber galoshes, an overshoe worn left open to flap when they walked. The name stuck throughout Europe and the United States, it was the name given to liberated young women.
Flapper pie is made of sweet biscuit crust like graham crackers or biscoff, custard and meringue.
Here’s what you’ll need for this recipe.
For the crust:
Ground biscoff or ground graham crackers– Biscoff is sweet and has more sugar content compare to graham crackers so if using this, there is no need to add sugar.
Salted butter or unsalted butter– I use salted butter to balance the sweetness and melted until browned to give that nutty toasty flavour to the crust. If using unsalted butter, add 1/4 tsp salt.
For the custard:
Egg yolks– gives the rich creamy custard taste
Evaporated milk– can be substituted with whole fat milk, 2% milk, or lactose-free milk like coconut milk
Condensed milk– this gives a creamier taste and smooth texture to the custard. The original recipe doesn’t have condensed milk, it can be substituted with sugar.
Cornstarch– Thickens up the custard to set and gives structure.
Pure Vanilla extract- enhances the flavour of custard and gives a sweet aroma.
For the meringue:
Egg whites – need to be at room temperature to whip quickly and ensure volume.
Sugar– gives structure to the meringue, and can be substituted with powdered sugar. Adjust to your preferred sweetness.
Cornstarch– will absorb some moisture from meringue
Cream of tartar– adding this to egg whites, helps to evenly distributed air bubbles so the egg whites will not collapse while whipping.
Pure Vanilla extract- adds a sweet caramel licorice vanilla flavour to the meringue.
How to make Flapper Pie
Step 1- Make the crust- Melt the salted or unsalted butter in a small pan on medium-high heat until browned. Prepare the crust. Ground the biscoff or graham crackers in a food processor or place them in a resealable plastic bag and use a rolling pin to ground. Add the melted butter and mix until well combined. Transfer in a 9″ round pie plate Use a plastic measuring cup and press evenly on the pie plate. Refrigerate and chill or freezer for 15 minutes.
Step 2- Make the Custard- In a medium-sized pot add all the custard ingredients and whisk until well blended. On low heat, whisking constantly until smooth and thickened. Sieve in a medium-sized bowl to remove big lumps and for a smoother consistency. Pour the hot custard mixture on the pie crust.
Step 3- Make the meringue- In a bowl of a stand mixer or use a hand mixer, beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar on high speed. Gradually add sugar, then cornstarch and vanilla. Beat until stiff peaks. Adding cornstarch to the meringue does is to absorb moisture and a whiter meringue. Immediately spread the meringue on hot custard making a spike. Sprinkle the ground crackers on the meringue.
Step 4- Bake the pie- In a preheated oven at 350°F, slide the pie in the middle rack oven and bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until the meringue is lightly browned.
For No-bake Flapper pie or Graham Cracker Pie. Use a kitchen torch to lightly brown the meringue. Toast the ground crackers or biscoff in a pan (optional).
Refrigerate and chill for at least 3 hours before slicing.
Can I make this pie without eggs? Yes, you can make this pie without eggs. However, it will not be as rich and creamy as the original version of this recipe. To substitute the 3 egg yolks in the custard filling, add 3 more tablespoons of cornstarch and topped with vanilla whipped cream instead of meringue.
What does Flapper Pie taste like? The taste of custard filling in the flapper pie is similar to egg pie, custard pie, creme brulee, and flan. They have the same creamy milky taste because they have the same ingredients, milk, eggs, and sugar.
More Pie Recipes
Flapper Pie
Watch How to Make It
Ingredients
For the crust
- 1½ cup biscoff or ground graham crackers ground biscoff or ground graham crackers, save 1 tbsp for topping.
- ⅓ cup salted butter melted until browned
For the custard
- 3 egg yolks large
- 1 can evaporated milk 354 ml
- 1 can condensed milk 300 ml or to taste
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
For the meringue
- 3 large egg whites at room temperature
- ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- ¼ tsp cream of tartar
Instructions
- Melt the butter. Melt the salted butter in a small pan on medium-high heat until browned.
- Prepare the crust. Grind the biscoff or graham crackers in a food processor or place them in a resealable plastic bag and use a rolling pin to ground. Add the melted butter and mix until well combined. Transfer into a 9" round pie baking dish. Use a plastic measuring cup and press evenly in a pie baking dish. Refrigerate and chill for 15 minutes.
- Prepare the custard. In a medium-sized pot, add all the custard ingredients and whisk until well blended. On low heat, whisking constantly until smooth and thickened. Sieve in a bowl to remove big lumps. Pour the hot custard mixture into the pie crust.
- Make the meringue. In a bowl of a stand mixer or use a hand mixer, beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar on high speed. Gradually add sugar, then add cornstarch and vanilla. Beat until stiff peaks. Immediately spread the meringue on the hot custard making a spike. Sprinkle the ground crackers on the meringue.
- No-bake pie. Use a kitchen torch to lightly browned the meringue or topped with vanilla whipped cream.
Notes
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