This Classic Southern Pie Was A Staple In Johnny Cash's Home

Everyone loves a tasty, affordable homemade dessert — even some of country music's most legendary stars like the late Johnny Cash. The Arkansas native may have toured the nation and world, but his tastes remained distinctly Southern through and through. Among the Man in Black's favorite sweet treats was a dessert that was a Cash family tradition: pineapple pie. 

As made by Carrie Cash (Johnny's mother), the pie requires just seven ingredients, relying on the convenience and consistency of a premade pie shell. The filling is a straightforward combination of butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, and flour, alongside canned crushed pineapple, the star of the show. After just under an hour of baking inside the pie shell, the filling sets with just a hint of jiggle. The result is a thick, ideally sweetened, unusually tropical dessert that was accessible even to those with Cash's humble background.

Of course, this wasn't a Cash family creation. Similar pies, including those that add extras like cream cheese or nuts, are a popular part of Southern cuisine. There are even no-bake versions that belong among the top tier of old-school no-bake desserts that still hold up today, ideal for hot Southern summer evenings.

It's easy to see how this delicious yet unpretentious dessert fits in with the rest of the old-school Southern meals Johnny Cash loved. Dessert-wise, this included coconut cream pie, which features a similar mix of tropical flavors and down-home cooking style and a perfect way to cap off a meal of Cash favorites like iron pot chili, fried catfish, or hash brown casserole. However, the Man in Black wasn't all about indulgent fare; he was also known to serve "Cash burgers," a unique creation featuring a patty made from brown rice, soy beans, and roasted sunflower seeds.

It's not unusual for celebrities as famous as Johnny Cash to have their favorite dishes become common knowledge. For example, we know quite a bit about what fellow Southerner and music legend Elvis Presley liked to eat, particularly his infamous fried peanut butter and banana sandwiches. 

So, the next time you've got a craving for a delicious but affordable dessert, "don't take your guns to town." Just "walk the line" to your kitchen and whip up a pineapple pie to chow down like the Man in Black.