French Canadian Sugar Pie (Tarte au Sucre)
Creamy, deeply sweet, and exceptionally delicious, this French Canadian Sugar Pie is a Canadian classic! Otherwise known as Tart au Sucre, this pie features a buttery, ultra flaky crust thanks to a secret ingredient in the dough. The filling requires minimal work – just throw it all together and mix, and is decadently sweet and creamy! This delicious French Canadian Sugar Pie can be enjoyed several different ways, including with ice cream, whipped cream, flaky salt, or simply just by itself!
What is French Canadian Sugar Pie?
French Canadian Sugar Pie, otherwise known as tart au sucre, is a pie that originates from France that was presumably brought over to Quebec, and subsequently the rest of Canada, during colonization. Sugar Pie varieties can also be found in other western European countries, as well as throughout the mid-west in the US. The filling for pie is typically made up of eggs, cream, sugar, butter, flour, and vanilla – all the great basics that make anything and everything delicious! The flavor and texture is reminiscent of a caramelly crème brule, in my opinion. My version of the sugar pie uses brown sugar and evaporated milk for added flavor dimension and richness.
The Sugar Pie Filling Ingredients
Flour & Corn Starch: These two classic staples help the sugar pie set and act as stabilizers to ensure the sugar pie holds its shape
Brown Sugar: The sweetener and main flavor profile of the French Canadian Sugar Pie! Other sweeteners could be used such as maple syrup, white sugar, etc.
Egg: The whole egg acts as a binder for the filling and also is the main ingredient that sets the sugar pie!
Butter: Another tenderizer. As well, fats act as a sort of ‘flavor transporter’, meaning that the butter helps us taste the other flavors of the pie better!
Evaporated Milk: This is the main liquid in the sugar pie filling and makes up the bulk of the filling. Evaporated milk is basically milk that has had all the water evaporated out of it! Heavy cream can be substituted as well!
HOW TO MAKE THE PERFECT PIE DOUGH
A perfect sugar pie, needs a perfect pie crust! A ‘perfect’ pie dough should produce a crust that is flaky, tender, buttery, and delicately sweet. In order to achieve this, a few ingredients are needed, as well as proper technique.
THE INGREDIENTS
To create the pie dough, cold butter and cold water are absolute musts. Similar to making scones or biscuits, the reason the butter needs to be cold is so that once it hits the hot oven, the water within the butter quickly evaporates, leaving behind little air pockets. These little air pockets are what creates that flaky texture! The reason for the cold liquid is so that it doesn’t warm up the other ingredients, like the butter.
Another ingredient that I use in my pie doughs is vodka. Yes you heard me right – vodka! By using vodka, instead of water, it helps to inhibit gluten formation, and as we know, too much gluten = a tough final product! The reason for this is because water activates gluten, so by replacing the water with vodka it reduces the water content by 40% (vodka is 60% water, 40% ethanol). However, you need to be careful not to add too much vodka, as it may effect the flavor. Therefore, I like to use a 50% water and 50% vodka mix!
THE TECHNIQUE
The key to perfect pie dough is to handle it as little as possible. Handling the dough too much can result in the butter melting, which will create a dense dough. As well, overhandling the dough by kneading it too much will result in excess gluten formation, and a subsequent tough dough. It is important to only knead the dough until it forms a shaggy dough. After a shaggy dough comes together, press it into a disk shape as best as you can and place it into plastic wrap, and then into the fridge for an hour.
After an hour, remove the dough, let it warm up slightly on the counter for 3-4 minutes, then begin rolling it out! Try to aim for a perfect circle, making sure that you turn the dough every so often to ensure it isn’t sticking. When rolled out, place into the pie plate (the easiest way to do this is by rolling the dough back up onto your rolling pin and then unrolling it overtop of the pie plate), trim the edges and crimp them if you want! Finally, place the prepared pie plate back into the freezer for 30 minutes!
Get the Recipe: French Canadian Sugar Pie (Tart au Sucre)
Ingredients
Pie Crust
- 1 ½ cups (180g) All Purpose Flour,,
measured correctly†
- 3 tbsp White Sugar
- Pinch of Salt
- 3/4 cup Cold Unsalted Butter,, cubed
- 3 tbsp Cold Water,, plus more if needed
- 3 tbsp Cold Vodka
Sugar Pie Filling
- 3 Large Eggs
- 2 tbsp Corn Starch
- 2 tbsp All Purpose Flour
- 2 tbsp Unsalted Butter,, softened
- 2 cups Brown Sugar
- 1 can (12 fl oz or 354mL) Evaporated Milk
- Pinch of Salt
Instructions
Pie Crust
- Mix together vodka and water into a small measuring cup, then set aside. In a large mixing bowl, add flour, sugar, and salt. Whisk to combine. Add in cold butter cubes, and work the butter into flour with your hands or a pastry cutter. Work the butter until it is crumbly and about the size of peas.
- Slowly drizzle in vodka-water while simultaneously tossing with a fork to combine. After all the vodka-water has been added, knead the dough a few times inside the bowl until a shaggy dough forms. If the dough doesn’t come together, slowly add more water until a shaggy dough forms.
- Form dough, as best as you can, into a disk shape, then place into a freezer bag, then into the fridge for an hour to chill.
- Remove dough from fridge and place onto counter for 5 minute to warm-up a bit. Remove the dough from the freezer bag and place onto a well-floured work surface.
- Roll dough out to be about 1/4” thick, and about 10-11” in diameter.
- Place rolled out dough into a 9” pie plate, then trim the edges (and crimp them if you’d like). Place the prepared pie plate back into the freezer for 30 minutes.
Filling & Baking the Sugar Pie
- Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, flour, and corn starch. Once smooth, add the softened butter and whisk together until the butter is well-dispersed (a few butter chunks here and there is fine). Add the brown sugar, evaporated milk, and salt to the bowl and whisk until well-combined.
- Remove the prepared pie plate from the freezer and pour the filling into the prepared pie plate.
- Place the pie on top of a baking sheet and then place into the oven for 35-45 minutes. When done, the filling should still be a little jiggly (it’ll set after you pull it out). Allow the pie to cool at room temperature for an hour and then place into the fridge for at least 4 hours to cool.
- Serve cold with whipped cream, ice cream, or a sprinkling of flaky salt.
Any substitute for Evaporated Milk
Half and half cream should work!
Should I use light brown or dark brown sugar?
I used dark brown sugar!
Can I make this ahead of time? Or just the crust? Leave in the fridge or freezer overnight or will that mess it up?
I wouldn’t recommend freezing the pie as it make curdle or separate in the freezer. You can definitely keep the finished pie in the fridge though! It anole be good in the fridge for a day or two without compromising any texture! Just make sure it is covered or wrapped in plastic!
I remember eating this scrumptious pie as a kid. I’m now 65 years old. My Dad’s first wife (not my Mother) was from Quebec. I remember the pie I had a very thin crusty brown glaze on the top. Will this recipe produce that thin crusty glaze, or should I sprinkle some sugar (brown? white?) on the top while the pie is baking?
Hi! This doesn’t have a crusty glaze on top – I would say the texture is more similar to something like pumpkin pie. I suspect that the crusty glaze you had before could have come from whipping the eggs and sugar together until airy and pale (similar to when making brownies). I can’t be for certain though, but that would be my best guess.