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This Kentucky sawdust pie is thick and gooey like a pecan pie, only less sweet, with toasted pecans, sweetened coconut, and crushed graham crackers in the filling. There’s no corn syrup, and the graham crackers hold everything together. It stirs together in one bowl with simple pantry ingredients, so it’s an easy pie to make for any holiday dinner or potluck.
The Kentucky Pie Named for Its Toasted Coconut Top
If you love pecan pie but sometimes wish it wasn’t quite so sweet, this is the pie for you. Sawdust pie comes from Kentucky, and it’s named for the top, where the coconut toasts up golden brown and looks just like a pile of sawdust.
The best part is how simple it is. You don’t have to pre-bake the crust or fuss with a water bath, and the filling sets up thick instead of runny. It’s a favorite at the Angus Barn, about an hour from me, where everyone goes to celebrate special occasions, and I think it deserves a spot on your table too.
A Church Cookbook Pie That Held Up at a Summer Reunion
I first had sawdust pie at a family reunion in Kentucky. It was the middle of summer and we were eating outside, and the pie didn’t melt or fall apart, which is exactly what you want from a dessert that sits on a table for a while. The recipe I use comes from an old church cookbook, and I’ve made it several times since. While it’s a great choice for an outdoor gathering, it’s also easy enough to make for a weeknight dessert or as part of your holiday spread. If you love coconut in a pie, you could also try a coconut custard pie with coconut milk.
Why I Crush Whole Graham Crackers
I tried this pie with prepared graham cracker crumbs, and they don’t have as much flavor as whole crackers you crush yourself. The crackers are what hold the filling together, so the flavor they bring matters. Put them in a plastic bag, roll over them with a rolling pin, and you’re done.
Toasted Pecans and Coconut Carry the Flavor
Pecans and coconut are mostly what you taste in this pie, so it’s worth taking a few minutes to toast the pecans first. Toasting brings out more of their flavor and helps them stay crisp in the filling. With the pecans and sweetened coconut doing most of the work, the pie tastes nutty and toasty instead of just sweet. For another gooey pecan dessert, try a pecan pie cobbler with bourbon and a homemade batter.
What I’d Tell You Before You Start
- Spread the chopped pecans on a baking sheet and toast them in the oven until fragrant, then let them cool before mixing them into the filling. Cooling them first keeps the warm nuts from affecting the eggs.
- Don’t be alarmed when the filling looks very thick going into the crust. That’s how it should be. Scoop it into your unbaked flaky butter pie crust with no shortening and smooth the top with a spatula.
- Go by how it looks, not just the clock. The top should have started to brown and the center should be just slightly jiggly. It firms up as it cools on a wire rack.
- Serve it with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. Both compliment the nutty, toasty flavor.
Everything That Goes Into Sawdust Pie
The exact amounts are in the recipe card below.
Use sweetened coconut, not unsweetened. It’s what this recipe was made with, and swapping it will change both the sweetness and the look of the top.
How to Make Kentucky Sawdust Pie
Step One: Prep the Pie Crust
Press an unbaked crust into a pie plate and crimp the edges.
Step Two: Combine the Filling
Step Three: Fill, Bake and Cool
Sawdust pie is a Kentucky classic worth having in your recipe box, and it’s one you’ll be glad to know how to make. If you’re building a dessert table, you’ll find more to add in my pie, cobbler, and crisp recipes.
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 unbaked 9 inch pie crust
- 1 ⅓ cups granulated sugar
- 4 eggs
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 8 whole graham crackers full rectangular sheets
- 1 ½ cups chopped pecans toasted
- 1 ½ cups sweetened coconut
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350º.
- Place the pie crust in a 9 inch pie plate and crimp the edges.
- In a large bowl, combine the sugar and eggs and whisk until smooth. Add the vanilla and salt and continue whisking until well combined.
- Place the graham crackers in a plastic bag and use a rolling pin to crush them into crumbs. Add the graham cracker crumbs, toasted pecans, and coconut to the sugar mixture and use a spatula to combine.
- Scoop the filling into the prepared pie crust and smooth the top.
- Bake for 33 to 35 minutes, until the top has started to brown and the center is just slightly jiggly.
- Cool on a wire rack.
Notes
- Crush whole graham crackers yourself, since prepared crumbs have less flavor.
- Toast the pecans first so they stay crisp in the filling.
- Don’t worry if the filling looks stiff, because it bakes up gooey.
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator, for a week, or freeze the pie for up to 2 months.
