Buttermilk pie might be the best dessert you’ve never heard of! Its thought to have originated in England and become popular in the South, along with it’s close relative Chess pie.
This pie is so easy to whip up in one bowl and it’s really lovely. I especially enjoy the creaminess of the custard filling with the crisp crackled top and slight tang of the lemon and buttermilk.
What You’ll Need for This Recipe
Pie Crust: I used my favorite buttery pie crust recipe for this but any pre-made pie crust will work.
Lemon: A little lemon adds a nice zing and balance to the sweetness of the filling. You can add more zest if you are a lemon lover like me.
How to make Buttermilk Pie
1. For this recipe you can use the pie dough of your choice but I of course will highly recommend my homemade butter crust. I’ve included instructions in the recipe card below. Roll out your chilled pastry dough onto your pie dish and gently press in.
2. Finish the edge by folding under and pinching, using a fork to press down, or adding a decorative braid or stamped element.
3. Whisk the eggs in a large bowl then add granulated sugar.
4. Whisk in the sugar until completely combined.
5. Pour in the vanilla extract and buttermilk. You can definitely use a tablespoon of vanilla bean paste for this recipe instead of the extract.
6. Whisk it all together.
7. Pour in the warm melted butter.
8. Give the whole thing one final really good mix.
9. Pour your filling onto the prepared pie dish.
10. This is optional but I always like to brush my crust with with an egg wash for a more golden color. Place pie in the oven and bake at 350F for about 40 minutes or until the center is almost set. I ALWAYS tent the pie crust to prevent burning the edge; to do this just loosely wrap the edge with foil after about 15 minutes in the oven.
Pro Tips for this Recipe
- For a really crisp crust throughout blind bake the shell before adding the filling. All the instructions for that are in my pie crust post.
- You can make this pie a day or three ahead, served chilled and it will be delicious!
- I LOVE this pie drizzled with a chocolate ganache or sprinkled with some toasted coconut on top. Have them both prepared when you serve so guests can play with some options.
- If you don’t have buttermilk handy then you can use a substitute in its place, I have a full post showing three different ways to make a buttermilk substitute.
- This pie can have a golden brown top or you can take it out when it’s pale and just set, it’s really up to you.
- Add and extra teaspoon of lemon juice and double the lemon zest if you like things on the zingier side!
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Buttermilk Pie supposed to be runny?
Buttermilk pie filling is a silky custard which should be set and not run. Runny custard pies are usually under-baked and need just a bit longer in the oven.
How do you make buttermilk from regular milk?
I have a whole blog post showing the different ways to make buttermilk substitutions but for this recipe you would mix two cups of milk with two tablespoons of lemon juice and set aside for about 10 minutes.
What is buttermilk pie made of?
- Buttermilk
- Vanilla
- Lemon zest and juice
- Flour
- nutmeg
- eggs
- sugar
- salt
How long does this pie last?
This pie should last about three days if its left in the refrigerator.
Is buttermilk pie the same as chess pie?
While similar chess pie is made with cornmeal instead of flour. Certain variations are of each pie call for the use of ingredients from the other so the line has become somewhat blurred. In general a buttermilk pie will be more custard-like in texture.
If you love this recipe try these out!
If you’ve tried this buttermilk pie recipe then don’t forget to leave a rating and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Buttermilk Pie
Ingredients
- 1 pie crust unbaked
- 3 eggs large, room temperature
- 1 cup buttermilk 240mL
- 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar 267g
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 2 tsp lemon juice 15mL, fresh
- 3 tbsp all-purpose flour 24g
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt 2g
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 pinch nutmeg freshly grated or ground
- 1/2 cup butter 113g unsalted, melted
- 2 cups homemade whipping cream optional
Instructions
For the Pe Crust:
- With a rolling pin, on a well-floured surface, flatten out into a circle at least 2 inches larger than the pie pan, rolling from the center to the edge, turning and flouring the dough so it doesn't stick to the board. Roll the dough onto your rolling pin.
- Unroll the dough into the pie pan without stretching. Press into pie dish.
- With a small sharp paring knife, cut the dough 1 inch larger around than the pan. Fold the edge under and crimp the edge with either your fingers or the tines of a fork. Place in refrigerator while you make the filling.
For the Filling:
- Set oven to 350F. Add the eggs into a large bowl and whisk together then add the sugar and whisk once more until combined.
- Sprinkle the flour in then add the lemon zest, and grate some nutmeg in, then whisk to combine.
- Pour in the lemon juice, vanilla extract, and buttermilk then mix well.
- Finally add in the melted butter and mix very well. Pour the filling into your prepare pie crust. You can brush the edge with an egg wash for a more golden crust if desired.
- Place in oven set to 350F and bake for about 40 minutes or until the center is set. Loosely wrap the edge with foil after about 20 minutes.
- Allow to cool before serving, top pieces with dollops of whipped cream.
Notes
- For a really crisp crust throughout blind bake the shell before adding the filling. All the instructions for that are in my pie crust post.
- You can make this pie a day or three ahead, served chilled and it will be delicious!
- I LOVE this pie drizzled with a chocolate ganache or sprinkled with some toasted coconut on top. Have them both prepared when you serve so guests can play with some options.
- If you don't have buttermilk handy you can use a substitute in its place, I have a full post showing three different ways to make a buttermilk substitution.
- This pie can have a golden brown top or you can take it out when it's pale and just set, it's really up to you.
- Add and extra teaspoon of lemon juice and double the lemon zest if you like things on the zingier side!
