Indiana’s sugar cream pie—sometimes called Hoosier pie—is an unassuming dessert with a storied past. Simple ingredients, humble origins, and devoted fans have turned this custard-style pie into one of the most enduring symbols of Hoosier culinary tradition. In this article we’ll explore its origins, the evolution of recipes, the role of commercial producers, cultural significance, how it’s made today, and the unresolved puzzles that give it mystery.
Origins and Early Mentions
The history of sugar cream pie is tangled in local lore, migration stories, and what historians call “desperation pies” (desserts born from scarcity). The earliest known printed recipe consistent with what we think of as sugar cream pie dates to 1816, the same year Indiana became a state. (Atlas Obscura)
Some sources attribute its roots to Quaker settlers who arrived from North Carolina in the early 1800s and settled in east-central Indiana in towns like New Castle, Richmond, Winchester, and Portland. (Indiana Historical Society) These settlers likely carried recipe ideas from the South or mid-Atlantic regions, and adapted them to local dairy-rich conditions.
Others suggest a Shaker influence: the Shaker community had a presence in southwestern Indiana–notably near Vincennes–between 1810 and 1827. However, since their tenure there was relatively brief and isolated, the link is tenuous. (Wikipedia) The Amish also appear in many accounts: communities of Amish settlers in Indiana during the 19th and early 20th centuries might have preserved and spread versions of the recipe. (Atlas Obscura)
In historical pie lore, sugar cream pie is often grouped with other “desperation pies” — desserts created when fruit or eggs were unavailable or too expensive. The logic is that a farmer with cream, sugar, flour (or cornstarch), and vanilla could still produce a sweet treat using pantry staples. (Taste of Home)
Over time, the pie became more regionally associated with Indiana than elsewhere, even though similar simple custard pies exist in other parts of the U.S., for example, in Pennsylvania Dutch areas. (Indiana Historical Society)
The State Pie Question and Cultural Adoption
Though sugar cream pie is widely called Indiana’s state pie, its status is technically “unofficial.” In 2009 the Indiana Senate adopted a nonbinding resolution declaring sugar cream pie the “official state pie,” but it was never made law. Newspapers and popular sources often take this as de facto recognition.
The dessert is deeply woven into Hoosier identity. The Indiana Foodways Alliance has called it “Indiana’s come-home-to dessert,” and promotes a “Hoosier Pie Trail” highlighting restaurants across the state known for serving it.
One of the biggest cultural drivers has been the commercial success of one company: Wick’s Pies of Winchester, Indiana. Founded by Duane Wickersham in 1944, the business began with a family recipe and grew from 20 pies a day to large scale production; Wickersham patented his version and by the 1960s had a factory. Today Wick’s reportedly bakes around 10,000 pies per eight-hour shift, many of which are sugar cream pies. Its distribution beyond local Indiana boundaries helped cement sugar cream pie as a recognized Midwestern staple.
Because of Wick’s and its local popularity, many Hoosiers grew up expecting sugar cream pie in diners, church suppers, and family gatherings. Even outside Indiana, it sometimes appears where Midwestern expatriates settle.
Variation in Recipes Over Time
Because sugar cream pie is a home-style dish rather than one standardized by a cookbook publisher, there is considerable variation in how it is made. The core elements remain consistent: cream (or half-and-half), sugar, a thickener (flour or cornstarch), vanilla, salt, a bit of butter, and often nutmeg or cinnamon.
Some recipes use eggs, but many do not. The more traditional Hoosier versions often omit eggs, relying on flour or cornstarch to thicken the filling.
Techniques differ:
- Some recipes call for blind baking the crust first, then pouring in a cooked filling and finishing under a broiler to caramelize a cinnamon-sugar topping.
- Others bake the custard and pastry together, which simplifies the process and reduces risk of a soggy bottom crust.
- The topping method also varies: some melt butter over the baked filling and sprinkle cinnamon sugar, while others broil the sugar to create a light crust.
Spice usage is modest — often just a pinch of nutmeg or hint of cinnamon — the intent is to showcase the cream and vanilla rather than overpower them.
A sample reference formulation (from “Western Bound”) is:
3/4 cup flour, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 cup light brown sugar, 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, ½ tsp cinnamon, ¼ tsp nutmeg, pinch of salt, 1 ½ cups heavy cream, 1 ½ cups half-and-half, 2 tsp vanilla extract. (Western Bound)
Because regional and family recipes persisted, even within the same county one might find noticeable differences in sugar level, crust flakiness, or topping crunch.
How It’s Made Today (Modern Recipe Sketch)
Here’s a basic outline of how many Hoosier bakers prepare sugar cream pie today, based on blended sources.
- Prepare a flaky pie crust in a 9-inch pan. Some recipes blind bake it partially or fully beforehand.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together sugar(s), flour or cornstarch, salt, and optional spices like nutmeg or cinnamon.
- Add cream, half-and-half, vanilla, and melted butter, mix until smooth.
- Pour the mixture into the crust; bake (often ~35 to 45 minutes) until the filling is set but still slightly jiggly in the center.
- After baking, many top with melted butter and sprinkle cinnamon sugar, then briefly broil to caramelize the topping. Watch carefully to avoid burning.
- Chill for several hours (or overnight) until fully set before slicing.
Because the recipe is simple, the quality of ingredients matters: fresh cream, pure vanilla extract, and good crust contribute heavily to the final flavor.
In many modern homes, the pie is made a day ahead and refrigerated. It is served chilled or at room temperature rather than warm.
The Commercial Scale and the Wick’s Phenomenon
Wick’s Pies has arguably done more than any single bakery to elevate sugar cream pie from a local specialty to a regional icon. The company’s founder, Duane Wickersham, began baking pies in 1944 in Randolph County, Indiana. His recipes drew on family heritage and proved popular locally.
By the late 1950s he was producing hundreds of pies per day; in 1962 he formalized operations in a factory and patented his version. According to some accounts, roughly 75 percent of Wick’s production is sugar cream pies.
Wick’s pies are now distributed beyond Indiana, and the brand has become synonymous with sugar cream pie in many parts of the Midwest. Their commercial success reinforced public awareness of sugar cream pie as an Indiana or Midwestern standard.
That said, many home bakers and small bakeries still adhere to personal or vintage family recipes. The commercial version tends to streamline or standardize certain processes (e.g. cooking consistency, packaging, shelf stability) to suit broader distribution.
Why the Mystery Persists
Despite widespread recognition, many aspects of sugar cream pie’s history remain uncertain:
- There is no authoritative “first” recipe that is indisputably the origin. While 1816 is often named as the earliest printed version, that doesn’t guarantee it was the first one baked.
- The relative influence of Quaker, Shaker, and Amish traditions is debated. The Shaker presence in Indiana was limited; Amish migration paths are less well documented.
- Because it is so simple, many regions may have developed similar custard pies independently (convergent culinary evolution).
- Differences in recipes (e.g. use or omission of eggs, type of thickener, spice proportions) make it difficult to pin down what is “authentic.”
- The state pie status remains symbolic rather than legally binding, which sometimes leads to contradictory statements in popular sources.
These uncertainties contribute to the pie’s mystique: part family heirloom, part regional emblem, part humble staple.
Cultural and Symbolic Dimensions
Sugar cream pie is more than dessert in Indiana. It carries associations of home, thrift, and regional identity. For families, a slice often evokes childhood gatherings, church suppers, and community potlucks. Serving sugar cream pie may signal “this is a traditional Hoosier meal.”
In tourism, the pie is used as a draw. Various wheel trails or food trails promote stops in small towns with legendary pie shops. The Indiana Foodways Alliance promotes sugar cream pie as one of the state’s heritage foods.
Some historians compare its role in Indiana to that of Cheerwine in North Carolina or fry pies in Oklahoma: a culinary icon that is modest, regional, and beloved.
The pie’s simplicity is part of its charm. In a food landscape often valorizing novelty or extravagance, sugar cream pie stands firm as evidence that basic ingredients, handled well, are enough.
What to Try (or Where to Taste It)
If you want to experience a “classic” sugar cream pie, here are a few suggestions:
- Visit small diners, bakeries, or cafes in eastern Indiana (especially around Winchester, New Castle, Richmond, Portland).
- Try a slice from Wick’s Pies if available locally or via some distributors.
- Follow a Hoosier Pie Trail or food tourism map — Indiana’s food tourism promotions sometimes highlight towns known for their sugar cream pie.
- Make it at home using a traditional recipe (see outlines above). Because the technique is relatively forgiving, home versions often come close to beloved local renditions.
Why This Pie Still Matters
Sugar cream pie endures because it seems almost impossible to improve upon its core idea: rich cream, sugar, vanilla, and a tender crust. Its simplicity invites care rather than reinvention.
It matters because it anchors regional identity. In an era of globalized food and national chains, the pie is a reminder that cuisine is also rooted in place, history, and kitchen memory.
It matters because it survives. Many “desperation pies” have faded into obscurity. Sugar cream pie remains not just on menus, but in homes. That it resists trends—does not demand novelty, does not rely on flashy ingredients—speaks to its strength.
And the mystery persists. Who first baked it, under what precise circumstances, or by what mutation of recipe—those details may never be fully resolved. But the fact that fans still debate, research, and cherish it is part of its life.