Mini Shoofly Pies are just mini version of traditional Shoofly pie. Mini pies baked in a cupcake pan are much easier to serve and eat. Shoofly pie with molasses, brown sugar, water, baking soda and egg filling, and crumb topping is somewhere between cake, pie, crumble, and gingerbread. It has a little something to please everyone. But in the first place, molasses lovers, these ones are for you.
What is Shoofly Pie
Shoofly pie or molasses crumb cake (molasses crumb pie) was traditionally served not as a dessert pie, but as a breakfast food with hot coffee. And that means only one thing for me. It’s totally legit to eat dessert for breakfast, right?!
The primary ingredients of the filling are molasses, flour, brown sugar, and water. Traditional Shoofly pie began as a crust-less molasses cake. The name “Shoofly pie” is comes from a brand of molasses that was popular in parts of the US during the late 19th century.
The modern form of shoofly pie as a crumb cake served in pie crust became later. Therefore, it is also known as molasses crumb pie. Serving the coffee cake in pie crust made it easier for people to eat it with their hands. Moreover, serving in individual portion in cupcake size make this pie perfect as party food.
Mini Shoofly Pies could be a great surprise at any gathering with friends and family. I recommend serving it with lightly sweetened whipped cream. So if you are bored with traditional pumpkin or pecan pie for Christmas and Thanksgiving, try these Mini Shoofly pies for holidays this year.
Shoofly pie comes in two different versions: wet-bottom and dry-bottom. The dry-bottom version results in a more cake-like consistency. And the wet-bottom version is set like cake at the top where it was mixed in with the crumbs, but the bottom is a stickier, gooier custard-like consistency. However, I preferred it with the wet bottom.
How to make Mini Shoofly Pies
These mini pies couldn’t be easier to make.
It uses simple ingredients: flour, sugar, butter, molasses, baking soda, an egg and wonderful warm spices, cinnamon and nutmeg.
The crust and the topping is just a simple shortbread mixture of cold butter, flour and sugar. You can easily pulse it in a food processor or cut in with the pastry cutter.
For the filling you should stir hot water with molasses, baking soda, sugar and egg. Pour the filling in the crust and sprinkle with crumb topping. When you add the crumb topping, don’t be worried when most of it sinks into the molasses mixture!
Shortbread crumbles that bake into the molasses mixture is what creates the tender, cakey top portion and the gooey sweet bottom part. That contrast of texture is what makes this pie so good.
But, since I baked this in cupcake pan the filling absorbed almost all of the crumb topping, so I added some extra crumb on top when the pies were almost done, and broil the crumb just for a few minutes.
These Mini Shoofly pies can be served warm or cold. I prefer it slightly warm with a lots of whip cream on top.
Enjoy!
Mini Shoofly Pies
Prep Time: 20 minutes- Cook Time: 25-28 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
Yield: 12 1x
Category: Dessert
Method: Bake
Cuisine: American
Print Recipe
Pin Recipe
Description
Mini Shoofly Pies are just mini version of traditional Shoofly pie. It’s much easier to serve and eat. Shoofly pie with molasses, brown sugar, water, baking soda and egg filling and crumb topping is somewhere between cake, pie and crumble. It has a little something to please everyone. But in the first place, molasses lovers, this one’s for you.
Ingredients
Crumb Topping:
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon (or more to taste)
- ¼ cup unsalted butter-cold, cut in small cubes
Crust:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 6 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- pinch of salt
- pinch of nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ cup + 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter-cold, cut in small cubes
- Iced water as needed
Filling:
- 6 Tablespoons hot water
- ½ cup unsulphured molasses
- 1 egg-slightly beaten
- ¼ +1/8 teaspoon baking soda
whipped cream for serving-optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F F. Grease cupcake pan with baking spray and set aside.
- To make the topping in a medium bowl or in the bowl of a food processor, whisk to combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Add butter and process or cut in with a pastry cutter until mixture resembles coarse sand. Remove the mixture from the food processor and place in the fridge until ready to use.
- In a food processor (you don’t have to clean it after making the topping) whisk 2 cups all-purpose flour, 6 Tablespoons granulated sugar, pinch of salt, pinch of nutmeg, and ¼ teaspoon cinnamon. Add ½ cup + 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter-cold and cut in small cubes, and pulse. Add a teaspoon of cold water at the time to form a dough that holds together. Be careful not to over-work dough or add too much water.
- Divide the mixture in 12 equal portions. Roll each portion into a ball. Place each ball in a prepared muffin cup. Press dough evenly against the bottoms and up the sides of cups. Use tart tamper dusted with flour if you have it. Place the pan in the fridge.
- In a large, heat-proof bowl, combine boiling water, molasses, and baking soda. Stir well, then add egg beaten with the fork and stir well to combine. Cool for 5-l 10 minutes.
- Spoon about 1 ½ Tablespoons filing in each crust, then add 3-4 teaspoons topping. The cups should be maximum ¾ full because the filling will rise and it might overflow the cups. Save remaining topping for later.
- Bake 22-25 minutes then remove from the oven. The filling will absorbed most of the crumbs. Now sprinkle remaining crumbs on top. Put the oven rack on the top position, place the pies back into the oven and broil for 2-3 minutes, until the toping is golden brown.
- Cool 10 minutes in the pan before remove them on a rack or serving plate.
- Serve topped with whipped cream if desired.
