Sour Cream Raisin Pie

Sour cream raisin pie is an old-fashioned dessert through and through. It’s the pie that your grandma entered into state fair contests, the pie that was invented before berries were readily available in grocery stores (hence the raisins), and the pie that once didn’t have sour cream at all because refrigeration wasn’t even around yet—supposedly!

There are contradicting opinions on who made the first sour cream and raisin pie (was it the Norwegians? the German Mennonites? midwesterners?). But one thing we can all agree on is that this sour cream raisin pie recipe is delicious to its core. From the cinnamon and clove-spiced custard with plump raisins to the toasty meringue and buttery pie crust, each component adds its own flavor and texture to create a dimensional, complex-tasting raisin sour cream pie.

Sour Cream Raisin Pie Ingredients

• Raisins: Not everyone is a fan of them, but raisin desserts are like indulging in nature’s candy. This sour cream and raisin pie recipe is no different, with sweet plump raisins dotted throughout the custard filling.
• Sugar: Along with raisins, we sweeten the custard filling with 2/3 cup granulated sugar.
• Cornstarch: Cornstarch is an essential thickening ingredient in any homemade custard. Without it, the custard will be a runny, soupy mess.
• Spices: Cozy cloves and sweet cinnamon add warmth to the sour cream raisin pie recipe.
• Sour cream: Since sour cream plays such a big role in this recipe, it’s important to use a high-quality one! Buy one of the best sour cream brands to give this pie a top-notch sour cream flavor.
• Milk: A bit of 2% milk thins the custard without reducing its rich flavor.
• Eggs: Separate the egg whites from the yolks carefully so there are no yolk pieces in the egg whites or else your meringue won’t fluff. You’ll need the three egg yolks for the custard and the three egg whites for the meringue. No wasted ingredients here!
• Nuts: The nuts are completely optional in this sour cream and raisin pie recipe, but we love their crunchy, rich and nutty taste. Use any of your favorite nuts, like pecans, almonds or macadamia nuts. Toast the nuts beforehand and allow them to cool at room temp to bring out their flavor.
• Pie shell: You can either use a prebaked pie shell, bake your own pie shell using premade pie crust from the store or make a pie crust from scratch. The choice is yours!
• Meringue: Learning how to make meringue can be a little tricky, but we’ll walk you through it step-by-step using just three ingredients—egg whites, sugar and a bit of salt.

Directions

Step 1: Plump up the raisins

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Preheat your oven to 350°F. Place the raisins in a small saucepan, and pour in just enough water to cover the raisins. Bring the mixture to a boil, then remove the saucepan from the heat and set it aside.

Step 2: Make the custard

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In a large saucepan, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, salt, cloves and cinnamon. Whisk in the sour cream and milk until smooth. Cook and stir the mixture over medium-high heat until it is thickened and bubbly.

Reduce the heat to low, and cook and stir for two minutes longer. Remove the saucepan from the heat.

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Whisk a small amount of the hot filling into the egg yolks. Pour the egg mixture into the large saucepan, whisking constantly. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, and cook and whisk vigorously for two minutes. Remove the large saucepan from the heat.

Step 3: Add the raisins

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Reserve 1/2 cup liquid from the raisin mixture, then drain the rest of the water from the raisins. Gently stir the reserved liquid into the filling. Fold in the raisins, as well as the nuts if desired.

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Pour the custard into the pie crust.

Step 4: Make the meringue

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In a small bowl, beat the egg whites and salt on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in the sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, on high until stiff peaks form.

Editor’s Tip: Make sure your bowl and beaters are completely clean of any debris before whipping up the egg whites or they won’t whip up. Also, check out our visual guide on the difference between soft peaks and stiff peaks if you’re unsure what they should look like.

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Immediately spread the meringue over the hot filling, sealing the meringue all the way to the crust’s edge.

Step 5: Bake and chill

Bake the pie until the meringue is golden brown, about 15 minutes. Cool the pie at room temperature on a wire rack for one hour. Refrigerate the pie for one to two hours before serving.

Jim Wieland For Taste Recipes

Recipe Variations

• Swap in dates: Not a raisin-in-dessert fan? Replace them with dates! Dates are a great replacement for raisins and make desserts caramel-sweet. Pit the dates well and chop them up into raisin-sized pieces to measure 1 cup. Use the dates just as you would the raisins in the recipe.
• Omit the meringue: Not everyone is a fan of an eggy meringue, and that’s OK! Simply leave it off the raisin sour cream pie. You could leave the pie as is with the custard exposed, or you can shake a bit of cinnamon on top for a finished look. You could also roll out any pie scraps, cut them out into fun shapes, bake them and arrange the shapes on top of the custard.

How to Store Sour Cream Raisin Pie

First, let the sour cream and raisin pie recipe cool completely to room temperature. Then, either loosely cover the pie with storage wrap or place slices in an airtight container. You can refrigerate raisin sour cream pie for up to three days.

Can you freeze sour cream raisin pie?

No, unfortunately, it’s not recommended to freeze a pie with custard or meringue. Since a sour cream raisin pie recipe has both, this pie is a big no-no for freezing! If frozen and then thawed, the meringue and the custard will break and become watery.

Sour Cream Raisin Pie Tips

Why is my meringue weeping?

Your meringue may start weeping if you don’t spread the meringue immediately onto the hot filling. It sounds counterintuitive, but you want to do this because the hot filling will start steaming and cooking the meringue right away, so the meringue won’t shrink and weep.

How do I serve sour cream raisin pie?

The best way to serve sour cream and raisin pie is with a hot cup of coffee or with some after-dinner drinks like port, brandy or ice wine.