The Old-School Apple Pie Everyone Was Cooking During WWII

World War II changed nearly every aspect of American society, from the workplace to the kitchen. When it came to the latter, home cooks were faced with wartime rationing rules that often dramatically restricted the availability of ingredients needed for the war effort. Among the culinary creations born from this difficult yet creative period was a WWII sugar ration pie. The simple modification to the traditional apple pie recipe introduced new flavor complexities to this familiar favorite, which is why WWII sugar ration pie made our list of old-school Thanksgiving desserts you should bring back to your table.

Sugar was among the everyday staple items rationed during the period, turning what was once an ingredient many took for granted into a carefully monitored luxury. Beginning in April 1942, Americans were allowed to purchase just a half-pound of sugar per person, per week, about half of what the typical person consumed at the time. Humans have been sweetening their foods for thousands of years before the development of modern sugar refinement, and that resourcefulness returned when rations took effect. 

Enterprising experts like Louisville Times food editor Marguerite T. Finnegan used these ancient principles to remake apple pie in a ration-friendly way. Her 1945 honey apple pie recipe required just a tablespoon of sugar, with the additional sweetness provided by ½ cup of honey. It otherwise resembles a classic pie, with the addition of the subtle honey flavor boost. Other versions used different ratios of honey to sugar, demonstrating the versatility of the modification.

Baking honey into apple pie was one of many ways people dialed back their use of sugar during wartime. Other experts recommended replacing a cup of sugar with a cup of molasses (mixed with a half-teaspoon of baking soda when used in baking). The same trick could be used with a cup of corn syrup or 1¼ cups of maple syrup. Although corn sugar offers a more generic sweetness, both molasses and honey provide a mellow flavor as well, which may or may not be desirable depending on the dish. Honey is roughly one and a half times as sweet as granulated sugar, making it a better value for budget-conscious bakers.

At the same time, this altered apple pie might have seemed positively high-class to those who'd recently struggled through the Great Depression. It was a period where staples were so scarce that hungry Americans even developed a mock apple pie that tasted like apples, based on a Ritz cracker filling enhanced by lemon juice, cinnamon, and cream of tartar.

These days, there's no federal rationing program to contend with, and there are plenty of other substitutes for sugar, like stevia and agave, that have been popularized in the decades since. Still, the classic WWII apple pie is a reminder that getting inventive with ingredients is always a welcome experiment in the kitchen.