Buttermilk Pie Recipe

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A classic Southern dessert, this buttermilk pie recipe creates a creamy, dreamy, and delicious pie that has a perfectly sweet yet rich taste.

Bite of buttermilk chess pie on fork.

Here is a classic Southern recipe for you. This buttermilk pie recipe is simple yet delicious, with our beloved buttermilk as the headlining ingredient. I’ll save a slice for y’all 😉.

Buttermilk pie origins are believed to have come from Europe and were brought over as people settled in the South, specifically in Texas where buttermilk tended to be inexpensive. Made with basic ingredients, it was made popular in times when money was scarce. It was common in the Great Depression, similar to our water pie.

Those basic ingredients mentioned include pantry essentials like flour, sugar, and vanilla extract, plus some eggs, buttermilk, and butter. Fortunately, it’s a relatively easy Southern dessert to bake. You just need to slowly mix the ingredients together, place them in a pie crust, and wait for them to bake.

This old-fashioned buttermilk chess pie recipe has a creamy and light custard-like texture with a slightly smooth tangy flavor that just melts in your mouth. Enjoy a slice of your buttermilk pie with some fresh berries, whipped cream, or even ice cream if you’re feeling indulgent. There’s nothing better than a slice served with a cup of coffee or a glass of sweet tea.

Okay, let’s bake a pie that’s a true Southern tradition. Enjoy this creamy dreamy pie as soon as you can and you will grinnin’ like a possum eatin’ a sweet tater!

Ingredients for buttermilk chess pie recipe.

Recipe Ingredients

  • Sugar
  • Buttermilk
  • Vanilla
  • Eggs
  • All-purpose flour
  • Unsalted butter (softened at room temperature)
  • Lemon juice
  • Cinnamon (not required if you don’t like or don’t have cinnamon)
  • Unbaked pie shell (I am using my mix-in-the-pan pie crust recipe here but you can just buy one if you like).

How To Make Buttermilk Pie

Homemade pie crust in a pie dish.

First, place either your store-bought pie shell or your homemade pie crust in a pie dish/pie pan.

Place butter and sugar in mixing bowl.

Then, it’s time to make this buttermilk pie recipe.

Place your butter or margarine in a large bowl with the sugar.

Beat butter and sugar until fluffy.

Beat until light and fluffy.

Add buttermilk to mixing bowl.

Add in your buttermilk (and lemon juice if you have it).

Add flour to mixing bowl.

Next, add your flour.

Add eggs and vanilla to mixing bowl.

And in go the eggs and vanilla extract.

Mix buttermilk pie ingredients together well.

Mix that up well.

Pour mixture into pie crust.

Pour this buttermilk mixture into your unbaked pie crust (or pie shell).

Sprinkle buttermilk pie with cinnamon.

Sprinkle with cinnamon.

Bake buttermilk pie until golden brown.

Bake for about 40 minutes, or until golden brown.

Remove from the oven and allow the pie to cool completely before transferring it from the pie plate to a wire rack.

Note: This buttermilk pie will be a little jiggly in the middle but as it cools it will set.

Close-up of slice of buttermilk chess pie with berries and icing sugar.

I prefer to serve mine cold.

This has a very simple and light taste, so it’s perfect to serve with berries or fruit.

It’s also pretty if you sprinkle each slice with a little confectioner’s sugar as I did in this photo.

Storage

  • Store leftover buttermilk chess pie in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. I like mine cold, but if you’d prefer you can reheat it in the oven or the air fryer.
  • Southern buttermilk pie also freezes wonderfully. Store in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge before enjoying.

Recipe Notes

  • I’ve never made this pie with Swerve but you can substitute that for the sugar.
  • Substitute the cinnamon for nutmeg or use a pinch of both to add extra flavor to your pie.
  • If you want to increase the lemon flavor, add a tablespoon of lemon zest as well.
  • You can also spike your custard pie with two tablespoons of the whiskey of your choice if you like, such as bourbon or rum. It isn’t traditional but it IS delicious.

Recipe FAQs

What do you serve with buttermilk pie?

Serve a slice of Southern buttermilk pie with a simple dusting of confectioner’s sugar and fresh berries like blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, or raspberries. Alternatively, drizzle with raspberry or blackberry syrup or substitute the berries for chopped nuts like pecans. You can also serve it with a dollop of homemade whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce drizzle. YUM

What is the difference between chess pie vs buttermilk pie?

Here’s the thing… all buttermilk pies are chess pies, but you can’t classify every chess pie as a buttermilk pie. Confused? I got you! Southern chess pie has been around for eons and uses simple ingredients like flour, butter, sugar, and eggs, as well as cornmeal on occasion, which acts as a stabilizer.

So based on this description, this is a Southern buttermilk chess pie recipe. However, the main ingredient that differentiates the two pies is the addition of buttermilk. That acidic touch decreases the pie’s sweetness and changes its consistency. 

What is the difference between chess pie and regular pie?

The main difference between a Southern chess pie and a regular pie is that it has a custard filling made with flour, butter, sugar, and eggs. Regular pie fillings can be made with a variety of ingredients. Take fan favorite, pecan pie for example, which is made with eggs, butter, sugar, corn syrup, and chopped pecans.

What does buttermilk chess pie taste like?

This chess pie with buttermilk has a kind of light custard filling that’s sweet, creamy, buttery, and delicate.

Does buttermilk chess pie need to be refrigerated?

Yes, store your leftover butter chess pie in the fridge. If you don’t want to eat it cold, you can easily reheat it in the oven or air fryer.

You may also like these buttermilk recipes:

Buttermilk Congealed Salad

Buttermilk Lime Pound Cake

How To Make Buttermilk Biscuits

Buttermilk Peach Pie

Close-up of slice of buttermilk pie with berries and icing sugar.

Buttermilk Pie

A classic Southern dessert, this buttermilk pie recipe creates a creamy, dreamy, and delicious pie that has a perfectly sweet yet rich taste.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: buttermilk, pie
Servings: 4
Calories: 413kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell or make your own with this recipe
  • 1/2 cup butter softened
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar can use Swerve
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • cinnamon for sprinkling over the top if desired

Instructions

  • In a mixing bowl, cream the sugar and butter together until light and fluffy.
    1/2 cup butter, 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • Add in all remaining ingredients and mix your pie batter together until combined.
    3 tablespoons all-purpose flour, 3 eggs, 1 cup buttermilk, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • Pour this custard pie mixture into the unbaked pie crust or pie shell. Sprinkle cinnamon over the top, if desired. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes. Let cool and then store in the refrigerator.
    1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell, cinnamon for sprinkling over the top

Nutrition

Calories: 413kcal
Tried this recipe?Mention @southernplate or tag #southernplate!

 

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168 Comments

      1. This comment from Sabrina could be from my precious dgt in law with same name. The favorite pie for she and our son is Buttermilk Pie. Last year as a surprise for a special occasion I found a recipe and baked 2, 1 for them and 1 for us. This was my first attempt but how could I fail with something so simple. The pie looked perfect and was delivered with pride. I should have remembered that pride cometh before the fall. It was the next day when I cut into my masterpiece and devoured that first bite that I knew what pie failure was all about. My loving d-I-l had served the mess and until this day would not have told me had I not confessed. Christie where were you when I needed you. This recipe is a winner for sure and I tried it before giving one to my Sabrina. Thanks to you I-need never resort to old tattered church cookbooks from my grandmothers library that often have omitted necessary ingredients. You are the pro. Judy
        T
        Vial occasion

        1. You are too kind Judy!! What a precious daughter in law to be so kind. May we all take after her example and love one another without condemnation for our faults and mistakes. I am so glad that this recipe has worked for you, it is one of our favorites!!

  1. Hi Christy, I’ve heard of Buttermilk Pie but I never had the recipe, so thanks for sharing. I am going to make this for a church social on Sunday. I also googled “Hee Haw” and found that you can watch some episodes for free on Youtube. Blessings!

  2. Christy, thanks for this recipe and I’m going to give it a try to see the difference between this and the regular egg custard pie which I make. One question: My crusts always get soggy. I fill the unbaked pie shell. Any suggestions please?

    Also, I’m doing the daily scripture writings and they are having an impact on my life. I’m a Christian and a 24/7 caregiver for my terminally ill daughter…age 55. My patience and level of energy have so-bottomed out before starting the writings. Both have changed for the good almost overnight and I find we are smiling a lot more. Thanks so much for sharing these with us.

    1. Marty, I’ve read to avoid crusts getting soggy, bake the shell for maybe 10 minutes and then pour in the filling to bake. That seems to have solved the same problem I was having with my crusts.

      And, yes, reading/writing Scriptures can help So Very Much in this life we live. It’s easy to not read or pray because we are so busy or just tired of it all, but if we can make ourselves even for a little while, read God’s Word, it truly helps. Hebrews 4:15-16 has helped me so much! May God bless you with more strength for the days ahead:)

  3. Oh my, this brought back memories! I always had my cornbread in sweet milk; my granddaddy always had his in buttermilk. And my parents, sister, and grandparents watched Hee Haw together, too. I still eat cornbread in milk, and always think of my granddaddy when I do. I’ve had buttermilk pie once (after I was grown up); loved it. Will have to make your recipe. 🙂

  4. Hi Christy, I love your Buttermilk Pie recipe, I remember tasting this pie at a church dinner. One of the ladies in our church choir brought it. And I remember eating two pieces.[Sounds greedy huh]? Really it was just that tasty. Can’t wait to make one or two. Thanks Christy!

  5. Hi Christy,
    Wow, pie, pie and more pie lol. I have never had Buttermilk Pie but it sounds so good and by all the previous comments that is the first one I “Have” to make. I can’t wait to try it. What do you think if I sprinkled a little sugar on the top after it is baked, and torch it like a creme brulé? I was just thinking maybe I would make one regular size pie and just for fun a little one in a 3 inch pie pan. Thanks again for the great stories and all the great recipes.
    Here is my quote, can’t remember where I found it but I liked it Hope you do to..
    Life is not measured by the breaths you take,
    But by those that take your breath away….
    ~unknown~

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