Sawdust Pie (A Family Favorite)
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With its rich buttery taste and irresistible nutty filling, it’s no wonder sawdust pie is a family favorite.
If you’ve never had sawdust pie before, I really do feel it could become a fast family favorite. The taste is rich and buttery, and the addition of whipped cream and sliced bananas make it sheer perfection. I just use store-bought pie shells for mine (ain’t no shame in my game!) but you can make homemade pie crust from scratch if you prefer.
This sawdust pie recipe is easy peasy to whip up with only a mixing bowl and a spoon and bakes up in about half an hour. Put it in the oven as you sit down to dinner and then let it bake for about half an hour before serving warm with the bananas and whipped cream. Mmmmm.
This pie is one of my mother’s all-time favorites and a must-have whenever we visit Paducah, Kentucky. There is a restaurant in Paducah called Patti’s that is one of Mama’s favorite places in the world to eat. They have the thickest pork chops you’ve ever seen and serve huge helpings of sawdust pie topped with whipped cream and bananas for dessert. Mama couldn’t wait to start making her own version of sawdust pie and now we all get to be benefitting from that.
Where did sawdust pie get its name?
Sawdust pie was actually first baked at Patti’s sometime after 1975 and became famous after the recipe was published in Bon Appétit in May 1983. When all the ingredients are thrown together it is supposed to look like sawdust but honestly, it has so many wonderful flavors.
Egg whites galore; it’s a sign
What’s even better is that the day you make this pie is the perfect day to make another one of my very favorite things to eat: Grandmama’s Fruit Salad. You see, this sawdust pie recipe calls for seven egg whites whereas Grandmama’s Fruit Salad calls for six egg yolks. Now if that ain’t a sign that they oughta be made at the same time I don’t know what is!
Recipe Ingredients
- Eggs
- Walnuts or pecans
- Coconut
- Sugar
- Graham cracker crumbs
- Pie crust
- Whipped cream (Here is a recipe to make homemade whipped cream).
- Bananas
I separated my eggs and placed just the egg whites in a large bowl; saving the yolks to use in the sauce for my fruit salad.
Add walnuts or pecans. As I said, the recipe called for chopped pecans but cheapie me went for walnuts instead.
Add in coconut.
Mama usually gets her coconut in a can on the baking aisle and I usually get mine in a bag on the same aisle. Either works. Get the sweetened kind, it’s yummy!
Add sugar.
Add in graham cracker crumbs.
Mix all of that up well with a spoon.
Spoon it into an unbaked pie shell. I used deep dish but Mama says she always uses a regular pie crust.
Bake the sawdust pie at 325 for about 30 minutes, or until it looks done all over the top.
It will look kind of like a pecan pie with a thick coating of streusel on it.
Cut slices while warm and add a dollop of whipped cream and some banana slices.
Trust me, this pie is delicious but the bananas and whipped cream just MAKE it!
Storage
Store pie leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. They’ll last for up to 3 days.
Recipe Notes
- I used store-bought whipped topping but if you’d like my recipe and instructions on how to make it from scratch (which is even better), just click here.
- Don’t worry over graham cracker crumbs if you have graham crackers on hand, just put some in a plastic bag and crush them yourself and they’ll be fine. Likewise with the pecans or walnuts. Sometimes pecans can be a wee bit expensive so chopped walnuts are a good substitute if you like.
- If you don’t have whipped cream on hand, I also recommend serving your pie with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce. Yes, please!
- Feel free to add a cup of chocolate chips to your pie ingredients.
You may also like these other decadent pie recipes:
Easy Pumpkin Pie Recipe From Scratch
Ingredients
- 7 egg whites
- 1 1/2 C Sugar
- 1 1/2 C Graham cracker crumbs
- 1 1/2 C Pecans or walnuts - can omit nuts if needed
- 1 1/2 C Sweetened Flaked Coconut
- 9 " unbaked pie shell
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients together and stir by hand. Pour into unbaked pie shell. Bake in preheated 325 degree oven until set, about 25-30 minutes. Do not over bake. Serve warm with sliced bananas and whipped cream.
Video
Nutrition
You may also like these kit recipes that I give away to family and friends during the holidays.
- Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix and Snowman Soup kits
- Pecan Pie Muffin Mix
- Chocolate Gravy Mix
- Sugar-Free Cappucino Mix
- Fruit Crisp Mix
- S’more’s Kits
To keep posted on more links to Christmas candies and baked goods, join our Facebook Family!
Christi, that pie looks incredible and I definitely want to make one, but either I’m overlooking it or you forgot the actual recipe with measurements, etc.
By the way, your island is gorgeous! Wish I had room in my kitchen for something like that.
First, girl please. I made your fruit salad. Let me tell you I was in an accident and can’t taste and smell any more. Food has always been a passion of mine (I have the hips to prove it!) and it hit me hard. Finding your site was such a joy. I remembered so many of the recipes, trusted them and wasn’t scared that I was serving something yukky without knowing it. I never cared but for hubby and guests, I would worry.
I think I ate almost half of that batch all myself. While I could not taste it, the texture was perfect. It was all I ate Thanksgiving. Thank you for that.
Your island is beautiful and the display of your bowls is wonderful.
Your blog is just a treasure for me. It was one of the first I ever read and one that inspired me to start my own. Of course I ordered your cookbook immediately in the summer.
Happy Holidays!
oh that island is beautiful!! I wish I had room in this itty bitty place for something like that. My table serves as and island… which leaves me wanting a table. Go figure…
Will have to try the pie!! I so love reading your posts, and since we are all sick it was nice to have a chat without having to talk myself! Thank you ever so much for welcoming us into your home {and family}, it really does mean a lot to us. I love seeing how fast this place is growing and that I can say I’ve been here long enough to remember almost everything getting posted!
as for an example of kindness, mine would be you. Though we haven’t met in person we did exchange several emails when southern plate was fairly young and you had free time… and talking with you about the memories of my grandmother, and you helping me to learn to recreate her biscuits and gravy… well it helped the hole in my heart to begin to mend. your emails, and facebook posts always brighten my day, and I thank you from the very bottom of my heart for that.
Christy, I LOVE your island! Several years ago, my husband inherited his great grandma’s beautiful cranberry glass, and we had no place to display it. We, too, went to our flea market and came across a custom cabinet maker. He made a beautiful hutch, especially to our specifications, for a crazy low price!
I’d so much rather give work to the local craftsman, than to go lay down a lot of cash for some factory made piece of furniture. My hutch is mine, and only mine..and fits that cranberry glass to a “T”.
Thanks for sharing!
Oh my goodness, Misti! What a treasure you have! I agree with you completely! Are you a member of the SP Family on Facebook? I’d just love for you to upload a photo of your cabinet and cranberry glass on the family page if you are!
Thank YOU!
Gratefully,
Christy 🙂
http://www.facebook.com/southernplatefamily
Christy,
Have made alot of your mixes to give as gifts this year. I need the gift tags you had on a while back..They were holly leaves and berries. Can you put them on again so I can print them out?…Making the sawdust pie to send to a friend in Florida this week.
Thanks
Hey Paula!
Thank you so much! I love gift mixes and bet you got some happy receivers on your hands!
I’m not exactly sure which gift tags you are talking about, I included gift tags with every mix I put up last year and they’re all still on the posts with the mixes. Whichever mix you are looking for the tags for should have the link to click on that post and get to the tags to print out. I hope this helps!!
If you can’t find them, let me know what mix it was and I’ll just go up to the little search box at the top right and type it in and be glad to shoot you the link!
🙂 ~HUGS~
Gratefully,
Christy
I swear we must be related WAAAAAAAAAYYYYY back in our family trees cause holy, you and I are a lot alike. My youngest daughter is even called Mady Rose. Anyhoo, I just had to tell you how much I enjoy your blog and look forward to it everyday. You make me smile everyday. I was going through withdrawls all week and kept checking it to see if you had put up a secret post. I have made so many of your recipes that my kids are asking if it is “that internet lady’s” recipe after most meals.
Keep up the good work and I truly wish you all the success that you so deserve!!!
Laura you are so sweet!!! Thank you SOOOOO much!!! Now you know that I just outright adopt anyone who reads Southern Plate, right? So whether we are related in our past or not, we sure are now! lol
I can’t thank you enough for this comment. Honestly, Laura, every day I am so surprised that people come here to read all of my ramblings and tangents. It is kind of scary because I can’t imagine why folks keep coming back so I’m kinda afraid that one day everyone will just up and come to their senses and stop!
Please give your kids and extra hug and kiss on top of their heads from the “internet lady”! ~grins~
My cheeks are hurting from smiling so much now!
Gratefully,
Christy
Oh this looks great! Have you ever made it without nuts? The boys are allergic to them.
Oh and LOVE just LOVE the cabinet!
Hey! I’ve never made it without nuts but it will be perfectly, absolutely fine without them so you go right on ahead! you won’t even miss ’em and y’all will just love this pie!!!
Gratefully,
Christy
P.S. I keep going in there and running my hand over the top of it. I just can’t believe it’s mine!