My Grandma Olga Mae's Soda Cracker Pie Is a Southern Delicacy

For a taste of the South, make this easy soda cracker pie. The recipe comes directly from my grandma Olga Mae, and the crispy, chewy, and nutty dessert is best topped with whipped cream and berries.

May 24, 2024 - 18:00

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My Grandma Olga Mae's Soda Cracker Pie Is a Southern Delicacy

soda cracker pie slice (topped with whipped cream and fresh strawberries) on a small plate with a fork — Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

As a child, I visited my grandma Olga Mae at her home in Noxubee County, Mississippi every summer. One of my favorite things about being there was Sunday supper. The food was always amazing—cornbread or biscuits, fried chicken, greens, butterbeans—all my favorite things. The desserts were the best! If we were lucky, we would get soda cracker pie topped with Cool Whip.

When grandma gave my brother a sleeve of saltines and told me to go out in the yard for pecans, I knew I was getting soda cracker pie that day. Because the best pecans came in September and October and this was high summer, grandma would make sure to tell me to only get the ones that I found on the ground. The ones still on the tree "were like to make you sick."

My brother would get to crack the shells with the nutcracker and I got to use pointy metal tools to extract the pecans. I had the better job if you ask me—for every piece I put in the bowl, a tiny piece went into my mouth.

What Is Soda Cracker Pie?

Soda cracker pie is a Southern delicacy. I think of it as the best combination of a pecan pie and marshmallows. Grandma would whip the heck out of a bunch of egg whites and sugar until they were stiff peaks. My brother would crush a sleeve of saltines, and grandma would chop up my hard-won pecans, and then everything would get folded together.

Baked in a pie plate and served with Cool Whip or homemade whipped cream, this was an easy dessert shared between Olga Mae and her grandkids.

soda cracker pie topped with whipped cream and fresh strawberries in a baking pan (with some slices cut out) and in the background, a slice on a small plate — Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

Quick and Easy Swaps

If you don’t have saltines, sometimes grandma would be fancy and use Ritz Crackers or Club Crackers. Grandma used a full sleeve of any cracker, but you can use as few as 20 and still get a good result.

We always used pecans, but if you don’t have them, use walnuts instead.

How To Serve and Store

If serving immediately, top with whipped topping and fruit, slice, and serve. If you’re not serving the whole pie, wait to add whipped topping to individual slices. Cover the soda cracker pie lightly with plastic wrap and keep on the counter for up to 2 days. Do not wrap too tightly or the meringue filling will become too sticky. Plop on some whipped cream and enjoy!

More Southern Sweets

Soda cracker pie in a pie dish topped with whipped cream and sliced raspberries — Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Grease the inside of an 8 or 9-inch pie plate with nonstick spray or vegetable oil.

Toast the nuts:

After the oven comes to temperature, place the pecans on a small sheet pan and toast for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and transfer to a cutting board to cool.

Once cool, chop them more so they are very fine, small bits.

pecans toasted in a baking pan for soda cracker pie recipe — Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

pecans cut into smaller pieces on a cutting board for soda cracker pie recipe — Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

Crush the saltines:

Place a sleeve of saltines in a zip-top bag and crush with a rolling pin until you have a combination of very small bits and bigger pieces of crushed crackers.

saltine crackers crushed in a ziploc bag for soda cracker pie recipe — Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

Whip the egg whites:

Whisk together the sugar and baking powder in a small bowl.

In a large bowl, use a hand mixer to beat the egg whites until they are thick enough to form soft peaks just firm enough to hold briefly as you lift the beaters or whisk, then fall back into the bowl.

Continue whisking while you slowly add in your sugar mixture, a few tablespoons at a time. Continue whisking until you have firm peaks—when the mixture stands straight up once the beaters or whisk are lifted and the tips don't curl. You’ve just made a meringue.

egg whites whipped to soft peaks in a bowl for soda cracker pie recipe — Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

sugar slowly incorporated into the eggs whites while whisked to stiff peaks for soda cracker pie recipe — Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

egg whites whisked to stiff peaks for soda cracker pie recipe — Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

Fold in the crackers and nuts:

Add your crushed crackers and chopped nuts and gently fold them into the meringue, being careful not to deflate the airy texture you created.

To fold, start at the back of the bowl and use your spatula to cut down the middle of the mixture. Move across the bottom of the bowl towards you and up the nearest side, flipping the bottom ingredients over the top. Continue gently folding this way while rotating the bowl a quarter turn each time.

whipped egg whites, pecans, and crushed saltine crackers folded together in a bowl for soda cracker pie recipe — Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

soda cracker pie mixture in a bowl for soda cracker pie recipe — Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

Bake:

Spoon the mixture into your prepared pie plate and smooth the top. Bake until the top is lightly browned and the meringue is puffy, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool completely. The pie will deflate a bit as it cools.

Serve topped with whipped cream and fresh fruit.

Cover any leftover soda cracker pie lightly with plastic wrap and keep on the counter for up to 2 days.

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