This old-fashioned chess pie is so simple to whip up with basic ingredients you likely already have in your pantry. The gooey custard filling comes together in just 10 minutes, and there are no complex techniques involved, making it perfect for the busy holiday season. This is a very easy pie recipe to make from scratch!
Cornmeal and vinegar might seem like strange additions to the custard filling, but trust me, they are vital for the perfect chess pie! Cornmeal adds body and a unique top crust to the custard, while vinegar adds a subtle acidic tang that offsets the sweetness. For more classic pie recipes, try my favorite Apple Pie Recipe, Chocolate Pie, or Pumpkin Pie.
What Is Chess Pie?
Chess pie is a popular Southern dessert made with simple ingredients that create a show-stopping treat. It’s composed of a buttery pie crust filled with a rich, sweet custard filling made of eggs, sugar, butter, milk, cornmeal, flour, vinegar, and vanilla extract.
There are so many stories about the possible origins of chess pie. Some believe that it originated in the South and misheard a Southern accent saying “just” or “jes” pie to “chess pie.” Another theory claims that since it was a custard pie that held up fairly well without refrigeration, it was often stored in a pie chest, and “chest” eventually evolved into “chess.” Others say it is a variation of an English cheese pie made with cheese curds.
Chess Pie Ingredients
Pie dough — my buttery, flaky pie crust recipe is perfect for this chess pie, but you can also use a store-bought crust to save a little time.
Eggs — large eggs are the star when it comes to creating a rich, velvety custard filling, so choose high-quality eggs.
Sugar — granulated sugar (or white sugar) is responsible for that delicious sweetness. It also, along with cornmeal, creates an almost brûlée-like sugar crust on top.
Butter — you need melted unsalted butter that has been cooled down slightly to add extra richness to the pie filling.
Milk — whole milk creates a silky custard. I don’t recommend using low-fat or non-fat milk.
Cornmeal — yellow cornmeal adds texture to the custard and also helps to thicken it. Be sure to use fine-ground cornmeal and not corn flour.
Flour — all-purpose flour acts as a thickener and stabilizer to give the custard body and help it set once cooled.
Vinegar — white vinegar or apple cider vinegar adds an acidic element that balances the sweetness of the custard. The pie will not taste like vinegar at all; rather, it will have a complex flavor.
Vanilla — vanilla extract makes the custard filling mouthwateringly fragrant.
How To Make Chess Pie
1. On a lightly floured surface, roll the pie dough into a 13-inch circle.
2. Transfer the pie dough to a standard 9-inch pie pan, tuck the edges under, and crimp as desired. Freeze the unbaked pie crust for 30 minutes.
3. After the 30 minutes is up, place the frozen crust on a rimmed baking sheet. Line the crust with parchment paper and fill with pie weights. Blind bake for 15 minutes at 425°F until the edges are turning golden brown. Then carefully remove the parchment paper and pie weights. Let the pie crust cool while you work on the filling. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F.
4. Add the eggs to a large bowl and beat well. Then add sugar, melted butter, milk, cornmeal, flour, vinegar, and vanilla extract.
5. Whisk the custard ingredients together until well combined.
6. Pour the custard filling into the blind-baked crust and bake for 45 minutes. Rotate the sheet pan halfway through. Bake until the filling has puffed up and is golden brown. It should not wobble when you shake the pan gently. Let the chess pie cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.
Recipe Variations
This recipe makes a classic chess pie, but there are many variations you can try. Here are some ideas:
- Lemon Chess Pie: Leave out the vinegar and use lemon juice and zest of 1 lemon for a bright, citrusy twist on a classic.
- Coconut Chess Pie: Add 1 cup of toasted shredded coconut to the custard filling. For an extra coconut boost, you can also include 1 teaspoon of coconut extract.
- Buttermilk Chess Pie: Simply replace the whole milk with buttermilk for a bit of a tang that balances the custard’s sweetness.
- Chocolate Chess Pie: For chocolate lovers, try my decadent chocolate chess pie recipe!
- Add spices: Ground cinnamon and freshly grated nutmeg add depth to the custard filling. Add ¼ teaspoon of each spice to the beaten eggs along with the rest of the filling ingredients.
How To Blind Bake A Crust
Blind baking a crust sounds a lot more complicated than it is. Essentially, you are par-baking the crust to avoid the dreaded soggy bottom once you add the custard filling. To blind bake a pie crust, you need pie dough, a pie dish, and pie weights or dried beans, lentils, and rice.
- Roll out the pie dough and place it into the pie dish. Tuck the edges under and crimp as desired.
- Freeze the pie dough for 30 minutes. Cold pie dough is essential for a crisp, flaky crust.
- Line the frozen pie dough with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans.
- Bake at 425°F until the edges turn golden brown.
- Carefully remove the parchment paper and pie weights/dried beans and allow the crust to cool.
For more detailed instructions, check out my full tutorial on how to blind bake a pie crust.
How To Serve Chess Pie
- Dust the pie with powdered sugar or ground cinnamon.
- Serve with a dollop of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
- For a little zing, serve with lemon curd.
- Slice up your favorite fresh berries and add them to the top of individual servings.
How To Store
Wrap the pie dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate leftovers for up to 4 days. I prefer chess pie eaten cold or at room temperature, so you can serve it straight from the fridge or let it sit out for 30 minutes before serving. If you prefer it warm, heat it up in the oven at 350°F for 10 to 15 minutes.
You can also freeze this pie. Once it is completely cool, wrap it tightly with plastic wrap and aluminum foil and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before serving.
Pro Tips For Making This Recipe
- Use room temperature ingredients: Set the eggs and milk out 30 minutes to an hour before you start baking so they rise to room temperature. This makes them easier to incorporate for a silky smooth custard.
- Let the melted butter cool. Hot melted butter whisked into eggs will result in scrambled eggs, which is not the goal here! Once melted, let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes to cool off slightly.
- Let the pie cool completely before slicing. This gives the custard filling plenty of time to set up properly. If you slice it too soon, the filling will fall apart.
- To prevent the pie crust from burning: If the pie crust edges start to brown too fast, cover them with aluminum foil. It will act as a shield.
Frequently Asked Questions
A standard 9-inch pie dish (about 1½ inches deep) works great for this recipe. You do not need a deep-dish pie pan.
Since it keeps well for a few days in the fridge, you can make it a night in advance and store it in the refrigerator. However, the sugary crust on the filling will soften after refrigerators, so I think it’s the best the day it is baked.
To save time, you can make the pie dough up to 2 days in advance, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate. You can even roll out, crimp, and freeze the crust up to 1 month in advance. The filling comes together very quickly, so if your pie crust is ready, the most time-consuming part is completed.
If the custard filling is runny, the pie was likely not baked long enough, or it was not allowed to cool completely before slicing. When baking, the filling will be puffed and should not jiggle in the center when the pan is gently shaken. Once it’s out of the oven, let the pie cool completely so the custard has plenty of time to set and firm up.
If you love this recipe try these out!
If you’ve tried this chess pie recipe, then don’t forget to rate it and let me know how you got on in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
Chess Pie Recipe
Equipment
- 9 inch pie dish
- pie weights
Ingredients
- 1 pie dough
- 4 large eggs
- 1½ cups granulated sugar (300g)
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted (113g/ 1 stick)
- ¼ cup whole milk (80mL)
- 3 tablespoons yellow cornmeal
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon white or cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- On a lightly floured surface, roll the pie dough into a 13-inch circle. Transfer to a standard 9-inch pie dish, tuck the edges under and crimp as desired.
- Freeze for 30 minutes.
- While freezing the crust, preheat the oven to 425F. Place the frozen crust on a rimmed baking sheet. Line the crust with parchment paper and fill with pie weights.
- Bake for 15 minutes until the edges are turning golden brown. Carefully remove the paper and pie weights. Let cool while making the filling.
- Reduce oven temperature to 350F.
- In a large bowl, add the eggs and beat until well blended. Add the sugar, butter, milk, cornmeal, flour, vinegar, and vanilla. Whisk until combined. Pour into the blind-baked crust.
- Bake for 45 minutes, rotating the sheet pan halfway through, or until the filling is puffed, golden brown, and doesn’t wobble when the pan is gently shaken. Let cool completely on a wire rack before slicing. Dust with powdered sugar if desired. Refrigerate any leftovers for up to 4 days.
Notes
- Use room temperature ingredients: Set the eggs and milk out 30 minutes to an hour before you start baking so they rise to room temperature. This makes them easier to incorporate for a silky smooth custard.
- Let the melted butter cool. Hot melted butter whisked into eggs will result in scrambled eggs, which is not the goal here! Once melted, let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes to cool off slightly.
- Let the pie cool completely before slicing. This gives the custard filling plenty of time to set up properly. If you slice it too soon, the filling will fall apart.
- To prevent the pie crust from burning: If the pie crust edges start to brown too fast, cover them with aluminum foil. It will act as a shield.
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