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.

A slice of sawdust pie.

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! 

ingredients for sawdust pie

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

Place egg whites in a large bowl.

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 nuts to mixing bowl.

Add walnuts or pecans. As I said, the recipe called for chopped pecans but cheapie me went for walnuts instead.

Add coconut to mixing bowl.

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 to mixing bowl.

Add sugar.

Add graham crackers crumbs to mixing bowl.

Add in graham cracker crumbs.

Mix sawdust pie ingredients together.

Mix all of that up well with a spoon.

Pour pie mixture into pie shell.

Spoon it into an unbaked pie shell. I used deep dish but Mama says she always uses a regular pie crust.

Baked sawdust pie

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.

slice of sawdust pie

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:

Cherry Cream Cheese Pie

Strawberry Cream Pie

Coca Cola Pie

Easy Pumpkin Pie Recipe From Scratch

Mint Oreo Ice Cream Pie

Triple Chocolate Brownie Pie

bite of sawdust pie

Sawdust Pie

With its rich buttery taste and irresistible nutty filling, it's no wonder sawdust pie is a family favorite.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: pie
Servings: 4
Calories: 544kcal

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

Calories: 544kcal
Tried this recipe?Mention @southernplate or tag #southernplate!

 

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117 Comments

  1. Christy just realized that she got so wrapped up in her story that she forgot to post the recipe. She asked me to tel y’all that she will update the post here in about 20 minutes when she gets back home.

    Thanks!

    Ricky

      1. This lucky guy gets to eat all that good cooking that you do . He is one lucky Dud, and I have a feeling he knows that.
        I am so glad you got the Island that you wanted. It pays to wait until you can get what you really want. I say , there are some good people in Tennessee..I hope you feel super good about getting your book finished. Sending love to you , Ricky and the children. )XOXOX

  2. This pie sounds sooo yummy……but do I use the whole bag of coconut, box of graham cracker crumbs, and how much sugar? Maybe I am not seeing well today but i do not see measurements?? 🙂
    Thanks!

  3. Christy,

    I love your recipes and have tried many of them. My family thinks I’m such a good cook. “Boy, do I have them fooled!” I told them the last time they were my guinea pigs. My brother told me I could experiment on him any time. Thanks for making me so popular with my family and friends. I know I must be dense, but I couldn’t find the exact measurements of the ingredients anywhere in your post. You usually have them at the end of the recipe. Help!!!

    Thanks for all you do and all you share.

  4. oh my gosh! i am totally green with envy over that beautiful island!!! oh, i just cannot wait until we save enough money for the kitchen renovation that our poor old kitchen so desperately needs!!!

    and thank you so much for this site! my husband loves it when i make something from here! he was delighted that i finally made your crockpot dressing again ~ it is a surefire winner!

  5. Hey Christy, your island is BEAUTIFUL and so much better than some soulless over-priced pre-fab from a big box store. Your grandkids’ grandkids will remember the story, and cherish the island.

    I want one; can you tell us the name of the craftsman in Ky for when I build my dream kitchen?

  6. Thanks for giving the Shout-out for Paducah! I live here, and can attest to the fact that there are now MANY great restaurants and shopping opportunities. Patti’s is definitely a local landmark, and people travel many miles to indulge in Pork Chops, Flower-Pot Bread with fresh Strawberry Butter, amazing desserts, on and on. You mention Coconut…next time you are at Patti’s, you must try Miss Patti’s Three Day Old Coconut Cake… it is sublime!

    Don’t wait for April….come visit Paducah anytime ~ 🙂

    1. We really loved a restaurant in Paducah on a trip years ago. I think the name was Rafferty’s. Do you know it? I don’t remember much except they had an amazing house salad with warm bacon dressing. I’d love to know how to make that.
      I know this is a longshot, but Christy has me reminiscing.

      1. Beverly…yes, Rafferty’s is here in Paducah. Their salad dressings are made in-house and are wonderful. If you had a salad, then you surely had one of their buttery croissants with honey drizzled on top? You’re making me hungry already this morning!

  7. I agree with Laura…I felt lost for a whole week! My husband couldn’t pick Paula Deen out of a lineup, but when I make something new he asks “is this Christy’s”!

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