America experienced an economic plunge in the 1930s, and this led to lifestyle changes, including dietary adjustments. People had to improvise actively and make something filling out of very few ingredients to survive. Items like eggs, milk, lemons, and butter were scarce and replaced by fitting substitutes.
Mashed potatoes, peanut butter, canned soup, vinegar, and crackers were more common to work with back then, and although it was nearly a century ago, these recipes managed to make a comeback during the pandemic. Here are 11 Great Depression-era desserts you can try at home.
Mock apple pie
Apples were hard to come by, so crackers were used as filling in a pie; it did taste like apple pie when a dash of lemon was added to the mix. The recipe originated from the 1800s but became common practice in the ‘30s when the Ritz published mock apple pie on their cracker boxes.
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Navy bean pie
Beans were a major source of protein for families at the time, so it was infused into dessert as a nutrient source. It has a similar texture to sweet potato pie, which was common among Southern Black homes and Black Muslim communities as a soul food variant.
Prune pudding
Prune pudding was on the menu at the White House, where Eleanor Roosevelt would often serve thrifty meals to combat the hysteria and encourage public feasting. It could be enjoyed as breakfast, too, with lemon zest in warm months and cinnamon or nutmeg when it’s chilly. It was the perfect fiber-dense meal with little to no sweetener required.
Wacky cake
The wacky cake was the real thing with switched ingredients: no eggs, water instead of milk, oil for butter with baking soda, and vinegar for leavening. It did look like real cake and was enjoyed by many families, reminiscent of the actual dessert.
Potato pinwheel candy
This Appalachian candy with a mashed potato base and lots of sugar with peanut butter and potato candies coating was a fudgy, filling, sweet treat that cost way less to make.
Frozen fruit salad
This treat was mostly reserved for special occasions during the winter or among families with a freezer all year round. It consists of a canned fruit cocktail— or canned pineapple and maraschino cherries or cherry pie filling, and sweet whipped cream frozen and cut into sections to share.
Chocolate potato cake
Potatoes seemed to have been a staple in many Great Depression recipes because it was cheap and accessible. The chocolate potato cake was mostly made with leftover mash and resembled true chocolate cake with its rich, dense, and moist texture.
Vinegar pie
Vinegar was used to mimic lemon juice, replicating this meant you could make lemon pie without the fruit if you had white or cider vinegar. It resulted in a tart-sweet pie tasting like chess and hardly any strong taste of vinegar.
Baked apple pudding
Chunks of apples were added to the pudding and served warm. Some used hot water in the batter to great moist goo at the bottom, while others left water out and opted for a thick crumbly texture.
Sugar cream pie
This custard pie, also known as Hoosier pie, is common among Midwesterners, particularly in Indiana. The filling included butter, cream or milk, flour, and sugar without eggs. It is often dusted with nutmeg and flavored with vanilla.
Boiled raisin cake
Boiled Raisin cake is often referred to as “Depression cake,” boiled raisin cake the fruit for flavor and moisture alongside cinnamon and nutmeg—- and molasses for an extra touch in some cases. It was cheap and required no eggs, milk, or butter to create.
Water pie
As plain as it sounds, water pie was a delicious treat made with water, sugar, flour, and butter, with a vanilla extract. It was affordable and accessible as it did not need costly scarce ingredients like milk or eggs.