Sugar cream pie — the official Indiana state pie, baked in Columbia City
Indiana designated sugar cream pie as the state pie in 2009. Birdie's Baking Co. bakes it from scratch with cream, sugar, butter, vanilla, and a cinnamon-caramelized top — 9-inch, serves 8, $25 plain or $35 with hand-cut pie-crust florals — for pickup by customers across Fort Wayne, Columbia City, and Warsaw.
What is sugar cream pie?
Sugar cream pie — also called Hoosier pie or finger pie — is a custard-style pie native to Indiana. The filling is cream, sugar, butter, and vanilla cooked together on the stovetop until just thickened, poured into a pre-baked all-butter crust, dusted with cinnamon, and briefly broiled to caramelize the top. The result is silky and not overly sweet, with a thin, crackling cinnamon layer. There are no eggs in the filling — it sets with a small amount of cornstarch instead.
The "finger pie" nickname comes from the traditional Quaker method of mixing the filling directly in the crust with a finger when no whisk or spoon was available. The pie reflects Hoosier pantry pragmatism — built on cream, sugar, butter, and flour when fruit was out of season.
Why it became Indiana's state pie
In 2009, the Indiana General Assembly officially designated sugar cream pie as the state pie via House Concurrent Resolution 14. The recipe has Quaker roots in central Indiana dating back to the early 1800s and is sometimes traced to Wayne County, where Quaker settlers improvised the filling using only pantry staples. Indiana grandmothers across the state — including across Whitley, Kosciusko, Allen, and adjacent counties — have been making sugar cream pies in the same general technique for generations.
The official designation made formal what Indiana home bakers and small bakeries had already established: sugar cream is the pie of the state, no other contender.
How Birdie's bakes sugar cream pie
- All-butter crust. The crust is wheat flour, real butter (no shortening), salt, and water, mixed and rested overnight. It is blind-baked with pie weights until the bottom is set and golden — this matters because the cream filling will sit on it for several hours without re-baking.
- Cooked cream filling. Heavy cream, whole milk, cane sugar, butter, cornstarch, pure vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt go into a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. The mixture is stirred constantly until it just thickens to a coat-the-back-of-a-spoon consistency.
- Pour and dust. The hot filling is poured into the warm pre-baked crust and the surface is dusted generously with cinnamon.
- Caramelize the top. The pie goes briefly under a hot broiler — 60–90 seconds, watched carefully — until the cinnamon-sugar surface caramelizes into a thin, crackling layer.
- Chill at least 4 hours. The pie chills uncovered until completely cold before slicing. Cutting before it sets gives a soft, weeping slice; chilling fully gives clean, glossy wedges.
Lead time
48 hours standard. Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Mother's Day weeks book up 2–4 weeks ahead. Holiday sugar cream pie is one of our most-requested seasonal orders across the Fort Wayne and Warsaw markets.
Allergen note
Contains wheat and dairy. The filling is egg-free; the crust uses an egg-wash exterior. Made in a kitchen that also handles peanuts and tree nuts. Full disclosure on the product page.
Where to pick up a sugar cream pie in northeast Indiana
Birdie's bakes from a home kitchen in Columbia City — the literal halfway point on US-30 between Fort Wayne and Warsaw. The drive is 25 minutes from downtown Fort Wayne, 28 minutes from downtown Warsaw, and zero minutes from anywhere within Columbia City itself. We are the closest scratch sugar cream pie option to most of northeast Indiana, and the only one in the region with a dedicated content page and online ordering for it.
Add pie-crust florals — $35 finish
Sugar cream pie can be ordered with hand-cut pie-crust florals on top — roses, leaves, blossoms cut from the same all-butter pie dough as the crust itself. A signature Birdie's Baking Co. finish that no other bakery in Fort Wayne, Columbia City, or Warsaw offers. Flat $10 upcharge takes the pie from $25 to $35.
See the full pie-crust florals processFrequently asked questions
What is sugar cream pie?+
Sugar cream pie — sometimes called "Hoosier pie" or "finger pie" — is a custard-style pie made with cream, sugar, butter, and vanilla, thickened on the stovetop and poured into a pre-baked all-butter crust. The top is dusted with cinnamon and broiled briefly to caramelize. The filling is silky and not overly sweet; the cinnamon top adds a thin, crackling layer. No eggs in the filling — it sets with a small amount of cornstarch instead.
Why is sugar cream pie Indiana's state pie?+
In 2009, Indiana officially designated sugar cream pie as the state pie via House Concurrent Resolution 14 from the Indiana General Assembly. The pie has Quaker roots in central Indiana dating back to the early 1800s — the recipe is sometimes traced to Wayne County, Indiana, where Quaker settlers improvised a pie using only pantry staples (cream, sugar, butter, flour) when fresh fruit was unavailable. Indiana grandmothers across Whitley, Kosciusko, Allen, and adjacent counties have been making it for generations.
Where can I order a sugar cream pie near Fort Wayne, Columbia City, or Warsaw?+
Birdie's Baking Co. bakes sugar cream pie from scratch in Columbia City, IN for pickup by customers across the Fort Wayne metro (25 minutes east on US-30), the Warsaw / Winona Lake / Lake Wawasee area (28 minutes west on US-30), and the broader Allen, Whitley, and Kosciusko county region. 9-inch, serves 8, $25 plain or $35 with hand-cut pie-crust florals on top. Standard 48-hour lead time. Pickup Friday–Sunday between 10:00 AM and 6:00 PM. Order at /menu/sugar-cream-pie.
How is your sugar cream pie made?+
The crust is all-butter pastry — wheat flour, butter, salt, and water — blind-baked until golden so the bottom stays crisp under the cream filling. The filling is heavy cream, whole milk, cane sugar, butter, cornstarch, pure vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt, cooked together on the stove until just thickened, then poured into the crust. The top is dusted with cinnamon and broiled briefly to caramelize. The pie chills for at least 4 hours before slicing so the filling sets clean.
Does sugar cream pie contain eggs?+
No. Birdie's sugar cream pie filling is egg-free — the filling is thickened with cornstarch instead of egg yolks. The all-butter crust does contain wheat and dairy and uses an egg wash on the exterior. The full allergen disclosure for sugar cream pie is on the product page at /menu/sugar-cream-pie.
How does sugar cream pie differ from custard pie or cream pie?+
Traditional custard pies are thickened with egg yolks and baked inside the crust at low temperature until the filling sets — pumpkin pie and chess pie are examples. Cream pies have a cooked filling poured into a pre-baked crust and chilled until set, then often topped with whipped cream — coconut cream pie and banana cream pie are examples. Sugar cream pie is closer to the cream pie family (cooked filling, pre-baked crust, no whipped topping) but the cooked filling is uniquely cream-and-sugar-only with a cinnamon-broiled top. The whole pie reads as a single, unified custard slice rather than two distinct layers.
Can sugar cream pie be ordered with pie-crust florals?+
Yes — sugar cream pie is one of the standard 9-inch pies eligible for our hand-cut pie-crust florals upgrade. $25 plain, $35 with florals. The florals are arranged on the cinnamon-dusted top before the broiling step so they bake to the same golden color as the rest of the pie. See the full pie-crust-florals page at /pie-crust-florals for the technique and the list of every eligible flavor.
How long does sugar cream pie keep?+
Sugar cream pie is best within 3 days of pickup. Refrigerate within 2 hours of getting it home; the cream filling needs cold storage. Serve cold or at room temperature — there is no need to reheat. The pie does not freeze especially well; the cream filling separates on thaw.
How far in advance should I order a sugar cream pie?+
Standard 48 hours notice. Thanksgiving and Christmas week we book up early; for holiday sugar cream pie orders, place your order 2–4 weeks ahead. Memorial Day and Mother's Day weekends also book early in the Fort Wayne and Warsaw markets — order 1–2 weeks ahead for those windows.
Do you deliver sugar cream pies?+
We are pickup-only from Columbia City, IN. The drive is 25 minutes from downtown Fort Wayne (US-30 west), 28 minutes from downtown Warsaw (US-30 east), 20 minutes from Huntertown (US-33 south), and 35–40 minutes from the Lake Wawasee / Syracuse area. We provide a sturdy carry box; the pie travels cleanly upright on the floor of a car, kept cold for up to 90 minutes.
Order Indiana's state pie
9-inch sugar cream pie, $25 plain or $35 with hand-cut florals. 48-hour lead time. Pickup Friday–Sunday in Columbia City — 25 minutes from Fort Wayne, 28 minutes from Warsaw.