Sawdust Pie (A Family Favorite)
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!
Hi Christy,
Love your island. I was blessed with a wonderful husband who could create the most wonderful things. He was like the man in Paris and always wanted to treat people right. He has passed on, but I still have lots of wonderful pieces that he made and am still living in the house he built for us. By the way, I live around 20 miles from Paris near the Tennessee River. Since you’re from Mississippi, we’re almost neighbors. Keep up the good work.
The sawdust pie recipe sounds great. A must try! Also, I live about 20 minutes away from Paris, Tennessee and am proud to hear the wonderful story about your island. Isn’t it wonderul to meet and know some really great people in this world?! God is so good! I too would like to have his name/phone number. I have a little girl that needs a really great toy box for Christmas. 🙂
This pie looks so good…can’t wait to try it. Can I please ask the name of the person who did your island. I just love it and am wondering if he has a website with some of his other work on it. I’m looking for someone to make some bookshelves for me with glass doors. Please let me know how to contact him if possible.
Thanks.
I lived in between Paducah and Paris, TN! And yes, Patti’s is an awesome restaurant! That is an awesome island!!!!! Very jealous, looking for some kind of furniture to show off my great grandma’s tea cup collection.
Also, Christy, forgot to mention that my family has been to Paris, TN visiting some friends we met through the Bassmasters message board. The Fishtale Lodge hosted our family for a weekend so my 6 yr old son (9 now) who is a St Jude patient and wanted to go fishing could enjoy a weekend free from the hospital. Everyone we met in that town was absolutely wonderful, so I’m sure the “kitchen island man” ranks right up there with the rest of them. If I could move there, I would!
Christy, While you are correct about Paducah hosting the Quilt show every April, Patti’s is in Grand Rivers ,KY about a 30 -40 minute drive from Paducah. They do have awesome Pork Chops .Next time try Bill’s Boatsinker Pie ( fudge pie w/coffee ice cream ,whipped cream, chocolate sauce and a cherry) . To die for. Patti’s 1880’s is a great place for the whole family .They have plenty of gift shops,mini golf,remote control boats,several animals and they also host weddings.They also have a fantastic Christmas light display.
If you knew how bad I was with directions, I promise you’d give me five gold stars for being close ~grins~! Its where we go whenever we go to Paducah, so that is where my mind is.
Thanks for the menu suggestions! I haven’t gotten to go to Paducah in a while and hope to slide through there soon!
I had the delight of eating at Pattis when my family was there for a Bass tourney with my hubby….YUMMY sums it up! I had the Kentucky Hot Brown and it was pure deliciousness on a plate. What a great place and great atmosphere, would recommend to anyone!
I bet this would be good with Chocolate chips in it also… I will make it soon! sounds wonderful.