vinegar pie
Tangy pantry pie that fakes lemon with cider vinegar.
Also called desperation pie, mock lemon pie.
Updated September 24, 2026
vinegar pie pronunciation
/VIN-uh-ger pie/
Meaning
A desperation dessert from farm kitchens when lemons were scarce or costly. Sugar, flour, butter, eggs, and a splash of vinegar bake into a sweet-tart custard that tastes closer to lemon pie than you'd guess. Appalachian cooks, especially in West Virginia, kept it alive as a Thanksgiving and company pie. Folks who wrinkle their nose at the name usually come back for a second slice.
How folks use it
- “Grandma always made vinegar pie when company came and the fruit cellar was bare.”
- “Don't knock vinegar pie till you've had a warm piece with coffee.”
Origin and etymology
Printed recipes show up by the 1850s in Ohio and Pennsylvania, then turn up on Southern farms (an 1890 Arkansas diary calls one "so good"). Mountain bakers used cider vinegar as a stand-in for lemon. Depression-era "desperation pies" helped lock it into Appalachian tradition, though the dish is older than the Depression.
Frequently asked questions
Does vinegar pie taste like salad dressing?
No. The vinegar gives a bright tang, more like lemon than pickle juice, once it's baked with sugar and eggs.