This Is How Kentucky Sawdust Pie Got Its Unappetizing Name

With a name like "sawdust pie," you'd be forgiven for thinking that this particular pastry falls into the broad category of "desperation pies." Many of these recipes have come to the culinary surface again in recent years, things like mock apple pie, vinegar pie, and — perhaps least appetizing of all — water pie, which were originally born of economic hardship. Fortunately, sawdust pie shares little with those recipes except for a similarly depressing name. And, thankfully, it also contains zero sawdust. No, this pie was originally given its moniker by its inventor's children, who apparently said — in the innocently blunt nature of children — that the finished pie looked like baked sawdust.

Patti Tullar is credited with having invented this particular treat in 1977 for the menu at Patti's 1880 Settlement, a business that began in 1975 as a hotel and restaurant that she ran with her husband, Bill, in Grand Rivers, Kentucky. While she might have initially taken umbrage with her children for the unappetizing name they bestowed on her pie, it certainly made the dessert memorable. So memorable, in fact, that in 1983, Bon Appétit magazine reached out to ask her for the recipe. Despite being someone who preferred to sell her pies to customers at the Settlement rather than hand out the recipes, Tullar said yes, and the sawdust pie went from a unique Kentucky food to one known all across the United States.

So, if this pie isn't filled with the detritus from the local sawmill, what exactly will you find in a sawdust pie? Patti Tullar's original recipe for this Kentucky classic contains flaked coconut, chopped pecans, and graham cracker crumbs, as well as lots of egg whites, white sugar, and a thinly sliced banana. When you look at the ingredient list, it isn't hard to see how this pie came to earn its name, but it does sound pretty delicious.

As for how to prepare the pie, it is about as simple as it gets. All you have to do is combine those ingredients — but don't beat them — pour it all into an unbaked pie shell, and pop it in the oven. Thirty-five minutes later, you've got yourself one of the most unique American pies. To follow Tullar's directions to a T, you'll also want to top the pie with whipped cream and sliced bananas.

The coconut, pecans, and graham cracker crumbs rise to the surface as it's baked, giving the pie its signature appearance, but the first slice — and even more so the first bite — will erase any lingering trepidation about the makeup of this confection. The crunchy top gives way to a sweet and gooey center, together creating a perfect melange of deliciously complementary flavors and textures. So, the next time you are looking for a vintage pie flavor to bring to a gathering, skip the desperation pies — however intriguing the history of the water pie may be — and bake up this Kentucky classic instead.