Here’s a classic Buttermilk Chess Pie—creamy, tangy, sweet, and silky with that perfect lightly crackled top. This is an old-fashioned Southern favorite and incredibly easy to make.
🥧 Buttermilk Chess Pie
Ingredients
For the Filling
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp salt
- Optional: ½ tsp nutmeg or ½ tsp lemon zest
For the Crust
- 1 unbaked 9-inch pie crust (homemade or store-bought)
Instructions
1. Prep
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Place pie crust in a pie dish and crimp edges.
- Set aside.
2. Make the Filling
- In a bowl, whisk sugar and flour together.
- Add melted butter and mix until smooth.
- Whisk in eggs one at a time.
- Add buttermilk, lemon juice, vanilla, and salt.
- Stir until silky and well combined.
(Batter will be thin—that’s normal!)
3. Bake
- Pour filling into the unbaked crust.
- Bake 45–55 minutes until the center is mostly set but still slightly wiggly.
- The top will form a light golden “chess pie” crust—perfect!
If the crust browns too quickly, cover edges with foil.
4. Cool
- Let cool completely (at least 2 hours) for a clean slice.
- Serve at room temp or chilled.
⭐ Serve With
- Fresh berries
- A dusting of powdered sugar
- A dollop of whipped cream
- A drizzle of lemon or berry sauce
✨ Variations
- Brown Butter Buttermilk Chess Pie: Brown the butter before mixing—adds depth.
- Coconut Chess Pie: Add ½ cup sweetened shredded coconut.
- Lemon Chess Pie: Increase lemon juice to 3 tbsp + add zest.
- Chocolate Chess Pie: Add ¼ cup cocoa powder to the sugar mixture.
If you’d like, I can give you:
- A crustless version
- A mini-pie version
- A buttermilk chess pie with cornmeal (traditional old style)
Just tell me!
