Don’t Judge A Pie By It’s Name

Oatmeal pie?  That was the question in my head the first time I was offered a piece of oatmeal pie.   The only oatmeal pie I knew about came in a cellophane wrapper inside a Little Debbie’s box.  Who makes an actual pie out of oatmeal?

I had my first taste of this yummy dessert many years ago.  We were just finishing up a delicious meal at my husband’s family home, and his mother was standing at the end of the table, slicing into a dark crusty pie.  If there had been another choice available as well, I might never have eaten oatmeal pie.  But rather than go without dessert (who does that?), I graciously accepted this odd concoction of oats and coconut.

I had grown up on “traditional” desserts, like boxed chocolate cake.  And boxed brownies.  Or Red jello with a strained can of fruit cocktail dumped in — always floating to the top.  On some occasions, my mother switched it up, and added sliced bananas to the red jello.  And if it was a special day, both fruit cocktail and bananas were floating in the red wiggly bowl.

Any homemade pie was worth trying in my book.

The pie resembles a pecan pie with toasty coconut adorning the top rather than pecan halves.   I personally have always thought we could get a lot more people to try oatmeal pie if we just renamed it, Toasted Coconut Pie.  Because, truly, that is what it is.

And it is yumm-my.  The common first reaction after one’s first bite is, “mmm mmm”.

Now years later (never you-mind how many), this oatmeal pie is on every holiday table in my home.  It is often made in tandem with a cherry pie because there is always crust left over after assembling the cherry pie. With that extra dough, I am able to make a one-crust pie, and oatmeal pie has been the most requested pie by my husband and children.

This pie is so simple to make, and it uses common ingredients that most of us keep in
our pantry all the time, like eggs, milk, oatmeal, and coconut.   The recipe does include corn syrup. If you dislike that ingredient, you could possibly try a substitution, like additional sugar, honey or molasses.  I have not tried any substitutions, so if you do, please let me know how your pie turns out.  I’d love to hear about it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After you whip of these few staples, the pie bakes for about 50 minutes.  During baking, the yooey-gooey ingredients all go to the bottom, and the coconut and oats rise to the top and turn into a divine toasted topping.    The trick is to wait for the toasty part, but take the pie out before it gets overdone.  The pie is ready when it is brown and bubbly yet still a bit jiggly in the center.   It will continue to bake and set while it cools out of the oven.

I am delighted to add this recipe to my legacy collection.   A recipe card with Oatmeal Pie written across the top could easily be tossed and forgotten.

Who makes a pie out of oatmeal?  

However, I don’t think that will happen with this pie.  Not only do my kids have the memory of eating it at our house as well as Gramma’s, but one look at this messy card, and they will know it’s a keeper.

 

 

 

 

Jon’s Mom’s Oatmeal Pie

3/4 cup Quick Oats

3/4 cup Corn syrup

3/4 cup Milk

1/3 cup Sugar

1/3 cup Brown Sugar

1/2 cup Butter, melted

1 cup Coconut Flakes

3 Eggs, beaten

1 teaspoon Vanilla

1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon

1 unbaked pie shell

Simply mix all ingredients together, and pour into an unbaked pie shell.  

Bam!  You’re done.  

Bake at 350 degrees for about 50 minutes.  Everyone’s oven temp is different; adjust accordingly.  Pie is done when brown and toasty yet still has just a bit of a slight jiggle in center.