The Forgotten WWII-Era No-Bake Pie Your Grandma Could Make Without Sugar

If you think about some of your family's most cherished recipes, chances are you might be reminded of something your grandma made: simple, delicious, and effortless. For home cooks looking to harken back to a bygone era, the Orange Marmalade Chiffon Pie is a tasty slice of the good old days.

A recipe for the pie appeared in Better Homes and Gardens in June 1945, and quickly joined the ranks among many other vintage recipes to use gelatin. Marketed to readers as the "pie without sugar", the no-bake recipe called for five ingredients (plus water) and was said to be "so delicious, you'll serve it often!" It's a recipe that can easily be replicated in modern kitchens, combining what's essentially a Jell-O-marmalade mix with a meringue to create a light, fluffy, mousse-like custard pie.

That a sweet, bright dessert could be created during WWII is an impressive feat in itself. Due to supply lines being disrupted by Germany and Japan, sugar was the first and last food rationed in the United States during the war. Each person received a ration book and was allowed 26 pounds per year — about a half pound per week. As such, low-sugar or sugar-free recipes were used, and Americans used unrationed foods such as corn syrup or maple syrup as substitutes to add sweetness.

The Orange Marmalade Chiffon Pie as described in Better Homes and Gardens uses a packet of gelatin, hot water, cold water, salt, orange marmalade, light cream, and egg whites. The sugar in the recipe comes from the marmalade, which acts as a preservative and is also used to balance out the sometimes bitter orange flavor.

Not only is this recipe easy to recreate, but it's also one that can be done without ever turning on the oven. The original recipe calls for the completed gelatin/marmalade/eggs/cream mixture to be poured into a previously baked pie shell and chilled. But the mixture, the recipe notes, can also be turned into sherbet glasses or put into a mold lined with sponge cake or lady fingers. This icebox pie, as it were, can easily be livened up with some whipped cream and orange zest on top to bring out the orange flavor a little more.

Though not quite as simple as some of the other foods people ate during WWII (like these 2-ingredient ration sandwiches), Orange Marmalade Chiffon Pie remains a tasty example of a different time. While the preparation of those meals or even some of the ingredients may have changed over the years, it's clear that a combination of a few simple ingredients can create a delicious dessert.