Vidalia Onion Pie

Similar to a quiche, but with lots of sautéed onions and melted cheese, this Vidalia onion pie is one amazing side dish.

A vidalia onion pie with a slice gone.

 There are so many recipes that I remember my mom cooking when I was a child and over the years, I have tried to learn most of them. Partly to experience those delicious dishes again, but more importantly, I want to pass down these great recipes to my kids as well.

One of my favourite recipes that my mom used to make might sound strange.

Onion pie.

Yup, you heard correctly. It is a pie with onions as the filling. It is actually not that strange of a recipe at all and has been around for many many years. This is a classic side dish that is loved by many.

My mom, like many others out there, use Vidalia onions when making this pie. The sweet onion is ideal for this recipe, so my mom would wait for the Vidalia’s to come in season and then, once available, bake this incredible pie. Sweet onions are available year round anymore, so even though I use Vidalia onions, any sweet onion works great.

A close up of fresh baked onion pie.

Ingredients for the Pie

This Vidalia onion pie is so delicious. It is somewhat similar to a quiche, but since there is more onion in it than egg, the onion has a more pronounced flavour. It is sweet from the vidalia onions, but savoury at the same time. The cheese is gooey and the cracker crust is so buttery!

To make this pie, you will need:

  • Crackers (Ritz or saltines work great)
  • Butter
  • Vidalia or other sweet onions
  • Eggs
  • Milk
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Hot sauce
  • Cheddar cheese
  • Dry parsley (optional)

Pouring melted butter into a bowl with crushed crackers.

How to Make the Pie Crust

To make the crust for this pie, I crumble a bunch of crackers and then mix in some melted butter. It is simple and works great as a crust for this pie.

My mom used to always use saltine crackers and those work very well. In these photos I used Ritz crackers. Both are great and can work interchangeably.

Stirring the crackers and melted butter to combine.

Mix the melted butter in the crushed crackers until all the crumbs are somewhat moist. This allows the crumbs to be pressed into a pie shape.

Cracker crumbs dumped into a pie pan.

Dump the cracker crumbs into a 9 inch pie pan. This is a shallow pie, so you do not need a deep dish pie pan. I use my old Pyrex 9 inch pie plate and it works perfect.

Crackers pressed to form a pie crust.

Gently press the crumbs evenly across the bottom of the pie plate and up the sides as well. Try and ensure that the crust is an even layer. Since the cracker crumbs are not a uniform size and there are some larger chunks, do not worry if the crust looks a little rough. It will come together once it is baked.

A bowl full of sliced onions.

Time to Sauté the Onions!

This pie is best used with sweet onions. I use Vidalia onions because that is what my mom always used, but any sweet onion should work just fine.

Slice the onions fairly thin. The recipe calls for 2 1/2 cups of thin sliced onions. This worked out to be 2 large Vidalia onions.

A frying pan of sliced onions.

Sauté the onions with 2 tablespoons of butter over medium low heat. I like to have the heat low because I am not wanting to brown the onions too much. Instead, I just want to cook them and get them tender.

Caramelized onions in a frying pan.

Cook the onions until they are tender, soft and translucent. This should take about 10 minutes or so. Make sure to stir them often.

Milk, eggs and spices in a bowl.

While the onions are cooking, you can get the egg mixture ready. In a separate bowl, mix together the milk, eggs, salt, pepper and hot sauce. Don’t worry, the hot sauce does not make this pie spicy. It just gives it a little added depth of flavour.

Sautéed onions spread across a pie crust.

Spread the onions in the pie crust. Try to ensure it is an even layer.

Egg mixture poured on the pie crust with the onions.

Pour in the whisked egg/milk mixture. Use a spoon or fork to spread the egg mixture so that it evenly covered the pie and works its way around the fried onions.

Grated cheese and dry parsley sprinkled on top of the pie.

Top with grated cheddar cheese and sprinkle with dry parsley.

Fresh baked onion pie.

How Long to Bake Vidalia Onion Pie

Bake in a 350F preheated oven for 40 minutes. Once finished, take the pie out and let it rest for 5 minutes.

The pie will puff up as the eggs cook, but will settle right back down once it rests.

An onion pie with a sliced removed.

Vidalia onion pie is best served warm and is great for breakfast, brunch and even works very well as a side dish for dinner.

Here are some recipe ideas that will go very well with this pie!

Vidalia Onion Pie

An onion pie with a sliced removed.
5 out of 5
19 reviews
Print
This baked sweet onion pie is a classic southern recipe. Made with Vidalia onions, crackers (Ritz or saltines), eggs, cheese, milk and butter. Delicious savoury pie!
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 55 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 8 servings

Ingredients

Pie Crust

  • 2 1/2 cups crumbled crackers , Ritz or saltine crackers
  • 1/3 cup melted butter

Pie Filling

  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 2 1/2 cups thinly sliced vidalia onions
  • 3/4 cup milk
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • dash hot sauce
  • 3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese
  • 1/2 tsp dry parsley , optional

Instructions

  • Preheat oven for 350F.
  • Mix the melted butter into the crumbled crackers until the butter is absorbed all the crackers are wet with the butter. Evenly spread into a 9 inch pie pan and press on the bottom and along the sides to make a pie shell.
  • Heat the 2 tbsp butter in a skillet over medium low heat. Add the sliced onions and saute until they are tender. This should take about 10 minutes.
  • While the onions are sauteeing, whisk together the milk, eggs, salt, pepper and hot sauce in a bowl until well mixed.
  • Once the onions are tender, evenly spread on the cracker pie crust. Pour egg mixture over the onions in the pie crust. Top with grated cheese and parsley.
  • Bake in 350F oven for 40 minutes.
  • Let cool for 5 minutes. Slice and serve.

Nutrition

Per serving:

Calories: 274kcalCarbohydrates: 17gProtein: 7gFat: 20gSaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 82mgSodium: 499mgFiber: 1gSugar: 5g

Nutrition Disclaimer

Categories

A vidalia onion pie with a slice gone.

Did you try this recipe?

Leave a comment and let me know how it turned out. Or, take a picture to share on Instagram and tag me @theblackpeppercorn.

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Recipe Rating




34 comments

  • What can you substitute for the crackers for the crust?

    • Reply
  • 5 stars
    oh. my. goodness.
    i’m 64 yrs old…have heard of this many times, but never had it. it’s awesome and so easy!
    next time: less cracker crumbs and maybe 4 cups of slivered onions.

    • Reply
  • I just recently learned about onion pie and I found your recipe along with many others, some of which use a regular (or deep dish) pie crust rather than the Ritz crust. Have you tried it with a regular pie crust, and if so, what’s your opinion? Thank you!

    • Reply
    • No, I have not tried it with a regular crust so I am not sure what it would be like. I will say, this pie works really well with the cracker crust.

      • Thank you!

        • Reply
  • 5 stars
    This is the same recipe my mother made in the 1970’s, with the added kick of hot sauce, which I love. She and her recipe were even featured in a local paper.

    • Reply
    • Very cool! My mom made this pie when I was a kid as well. So good!

  • I made this pie for Saturday football game.Didn’t have milk so used half and half. It was a hit for everyone!Go Tigers!

    • Reply
  • 5 stars
    I always follow a recipe the first time. This was DELICIOUS as written (I used Ritz crackers), and was a good side dish with leg of lamb. My 16 year old picky eater ate leftovers for breakfast the following morning. My only complaint: I want someone else to slice the onions!

    • Reply
    • Thanks Brenda! I have been known to have a slice at breakfast as well! 🙂

  • 5 stars
    This was excellent! I added a few fresh jalapeños to my onions, yummy! This is definitely a keeper!

    • Reply
    • Thanks Susan. Yep, some jalapeños would be tasty in this pie!

  • 5 stars
    After baking I realized I didn’t use enough butter for the crust 🤦‍♀️. It was still delicious though!!! I’ll learn how to read one day…lol

    • Reply
    • Thanks for your comment Gail! Glad that the pie was still tasty with the less butter! 🙂

  • I have a recipe like this except it calls for Swiss cheese which I find has a creamier taste. I LOVE it. I’m going to make it this week as Vidalias are now in GA stores!

    • Reply
    • This pie would be tasty with Swiss cheese. I might have to just try it!

  • I don’t know if I would make just an onion pie? I would probably brown some veggie Italian sausage and some onions and peppers?

    • Reply
    • Then it would be a quiche, not an onion pie.

      • Reply
  • 5 stars
    Made the dish as written except that I started with 4 cups of thinly sliced Vidalias. They really cook down at the sautéeing stage! Loved the dish. Hubby said it’s a keeper. Oh, and leftovers reheat well, loosely covered at 325 degrees for about 15 to 20 minutes. I initially quartered the pie. We ate two pieces and I halved each remaining piece to help warm through more quickly.

    • Reply
  • This is almost identical to my Dad’s recipe. When I was a kid in the 50/60s. My Dad made this one Thanksgiving. Dad did all the cooking except breakfast. It has become one of those dishes you have to have at Thanksgiving and Christmas. I have made it with a Ritz cracker crust also. We love Onion Pie.

    • Reply
  • 5 stars
    This was delicious. I made this recipe just as written with saltines and the crust was wonderful. Who knew a pie could be so delicious made with crackers and onions! I made this pie as the main course with fresh asparagus as a side. Perfect combination. Thank You for sharing your childhood recipes.

    • Reply
  • 5 stars
    WOW Steve, your Vidalia Onion Pie is incredibly delicious! I was lucky to find Vidalia onions from GA recently, so I searched for an Onion Pie recipe online. I’m happy to have found yours, since it’s easy to make, & the flavor is amazing. This recipe is now in my “Special Recipes” file. My husband can’t stop singing it’s praises, so I suspect he’ll be up during the night, gobbling-up the remainder. I just might have to make another one tomorrow! Thanks Steve 😍

    • Reply
  • 5 stars
    I ran across this recipe on a fluke and had to try it right away! Delicious!! Was surprised that the crust baked firm with a yummy crispy edge. I didn’t have any cheddar cheese so used a combination of grated Guyere and Colby. I also didn’t have Vidalias so used regular sweet onions. Still was so good.

    • Reply
    • As a child, I remember our mom making a onion pie. She didn’t ever write down her recipe… so, craving this I searched for a pie that most matched up with my memories… I came upon yours. I used a regular pie crust as that’s what I remember mom using. Otherwise, followed your recipe and I am so thankful!! Brought me back to my younger years and fond memories of mom’s cooking! Thank you for sharing this recipe! It was just as delicious as I remember! Definitely a keeper…. BTW, I’m 60 now. So been a long time lol

      • Reply
  • I don’t normally provide feedback on recipes because I always have to customize them for our preferences or I’m combining several to get the end result I want. However, I made this one practically as is (I did not have crackers so used a roll-up pie shell). I also increased the quantity by half to fit in a deep dish and added an extra egg since I use 2% milk and I didn’t think the shell would be full.

    My picky husband’s comment : don’t change a thing.

    Now, you have to understand that I’ll make something, find it tasty and then he’ll come in and do a few things and make it even better. So kudos to you for nailing it the first time, even for my cook of a husband!

    • Reply
    • So glad you and your husband enjoyed the pie. It is a family favourite for us.

  • A new favorite! Thank you!

    • Reply
  • 5 stars
    Changes: cauliflower crust: steamed onions and cauliflower and poured off juice. Built the pizza “crust” with2 beaten eggs, 2 Tbs Italian seasoning and 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper . Pressed into oiled pizza pan. Topped with 1/2 c mozzarella abd 1/2 cheddar cheese. Topped with cooked onions (1 cup) thin sliced zucchini, thin sliced fresh tomatoes, and sliced black olives. Baked at 350 for 20 minutes. Even lower calories and fat. Leftover slices reheat well in microwave. (Breakfast omelet) Looks delicious.

    • Reply
    • So, you didn’t make this recipe, but created something totally unrelated. Why comment here?

      • Reply
  • 5 stars
    Excellent dish! There are so many side dishes you can serve with this pie it’s like the perfect dish.

    • Reply
    • Thanks! I am so glad you liked it. It is definitely a household favourite here.

      • Reply
  • 5 stars
    I made this tonight and it was incredible!!! I took some to my dad because he loves Vidalia onions and he couldn’t stop raving about it. I’ll definitely be making this again!

    • Reply
    • So glad you and your dad enjoyed it!!!

      • Reply

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