Modern cook makes Depression-era 'water pie' and can't believe how delicious it is

Water pie doesn’t necessarily sound all that appetizing. But then again, many Depression-era concoctions surprise us with how good they actually taste.

Recently, Max Miller of Tasting History decided to give it a go, and it became not only an unexpected culinary delight, but a genuinely fascinating reminder of how much creativity can come from hard times.

Water pie actually predates the Great Depression by several decades, showing up as early as the 1870s-1880s.. And when you look at the ingredient list, that timeline makes perfect sense. With nothing more than water (of course), sugar, butter, flour, spices, and a pie crust—maybe an egg if you were feeling fancy—folks learned early on how to turn pantry staples into something comforting.

By the time the 1930s rolled around and families were looking for ways to stretch every ingredient they had, the water pie found its way back into countless kitchens.

For his version, Miller used a 1908 recipe that calls for butter and lard in the crust, along with flour, salt, and ice-cold water. The filling uses the same basics in different ratios, plus nutmeg and vanilla extract for flavor. No special tricks, no pricey ingredients—just clever chemistry and a lot of faith.

The hardest part, apparently, is knowing when the pie is actually done. It’s famously soupy when it comes out of the oven and only firms up as it cools, which, in Miller’s case, took about half a day. Who can wait that long for pie?!

But the final result was legitimately good. Not beautiful, exactly, but firm, sliceable, and surprisingly delicious. Miller described the texture as similar to the “gloopy” filling of a pecan pie, just without the nuts. With no mix-ins to distract from the flavor, the nutmeg and vanilla shine. It’s basically a blank canvas dessert. Simple, adaptable, and shockingly satisfying.

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As Miller pointed out, the fact that water pie existed long before the Great Depression is a reminder that America has weathered many economic storms. The Long Depression (1873–1899) and the financial crash of 1908 both overlapped with early mentions of water pie, suggesting families were already turning necessity into invention.

Viewers were even inspired to share their own family memories:

“My maternal grandmother called water pie ‘paupers’ pie,’ while my paternal grandmother called it ‘poverty pie.’ A great aunt called it ‘austerity pie.’”

“My grandmother made this pie frequently. She had three children—two always-hungry boys—and she sold water pies during the Depression to bring in extra money.”

Water pie wasn’t the only humble treat people relied on. Pie in general was practically a national obsession. In 1899, New Yorkers alone consumed 80 million factory-made pies—not counting the homemade ones. As Miller joked, “Pie was on the level of steel and railroads,” so much so that monopolies eventually formed around its production.

Some things never change.

What a lovely reminder that even in the most difficult financial eras, people have always found ways to create something comforting, sweet, and nourishing…on a soul level, if nothing else. Now with water pie trending again, we could take it as a bleak sign of financial instability. But we can also take comfort in knowing resilience is quite literally baked into American history.