The History of Water Pie

While there is some evidence that water pie was around before the 1930s, the dish became especially popular during the Great Depression. There’s no single inventor of water pie, rather, many Americans learned to make it out of necessity. Due to a lack of funds and ingredient scarcity, home cooks had to get creative with all of their meals, and that included dessert. Water pie at its most basic was typically made with water, butter, sugar, flour, and vanilla extract. Some recipes would also include additional spices or lard when available. When baked, the ingredients formed a custard-like consistency that provided a facsimile of the creamy, custardy pies that were out of reach for many impoverished Americans. These desserts largely disappeared after the lean years of the Great Depression and World War II rationing, but recipes began popping up again on social media in 2020 as Americans struggled to find ingredients during the pandemic and turned to at-home baking as a way to pass the time. Today, interest in water pie continues as many people are now seeking to explore history through food or are simply searching for inexpensive recipes due to tough economic times.