A Southern traditional, buttermilk pie is an old school dessert with a wealthy, custard-style filling constructed from tangy buttermilk, eggs, and sugar baked inside a flaky pie crust.
From pecan pie to buttery chocolate chess pie, it’s onerous to rival the South in terms of traditional consolation meals desserts. This straightforward buttermilk pie is brimming with candy, tangy taste and is totally irresistible.


I’m fairly satisfied that buttermilk makes all the things higher. From brownies to banana bread, I like the way it provides only a contact of tang and loads of depth to so lots of my favourite desserts! So, it was no shock that I devoured my first slice of this buttermilk pie and instantly went in for seconds. This Southern pie recipe is a traditional, with a golden, custard-like filling constructed from buttermilk and some different straightforward elements.
Why You’ll Love This Buttermilk Pie Recipe
- Candy and tangy. The flavour of this pie is so distinctive and scrumptious. It’s wealthy and simply candy sufficient, with a touch of tangy buttermilk and recent lemon all through.
- Simple to make. The buttermilk pie filling is much like custard, and it’s straightforward to make with sugar, butter, eggs, and buttermilk. There’s no must prepare dinner the eggs first as you’ll bake them proper within the pie.
- Any event. I feel this buttermilk pie would make an ideal Easter dessert or Mom’s Day deal with, and I’m already planning to make it as an choice subsequent to pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving! It’s gentle sufficient for spring baking however comforting and straightforward sufficient to bake year-round.


Buttermilk Pie vs. Chess Pie
Buttermilk pie seems to be much like chess pie. Each are traditional Southern desserts, however a chess pie usually incorporates cornmeal and will get its tanginess from vinegar. In the meantime, buttermilk pie recipes use buttermilk and lemon juice. Chess pie filling additionally tends to be thicker, extra gooey, and darker in colour.


What You’ll Want
A complete dessert primarily based round buttermilk? Sure, please! The remainder of the elements are tremendous easy and sure already within the pantry. Try my notes right here and scroll all the way down to the recipe card for a printable checklist with recipe quantities and particulars.
- Buttermilk – I exploit low-fat buttermilk, however any form will work. No buttermilk within the fridge? Make a selfmade buttermilk substitute; see beneath.
- Eggs – Separate the egg yolks from the whites, and allow them to come to room temperature afterward.
- Pie Dough – This may be your favourite refrigerated pie dough or perhaps a ready-to-use flaky pie crust. In case you have the time, make homemade pie dough.
- Butter – Melted within the microwave. I choose to bake with salted butter, however you should utilize unsalted in the event you’d like.
- Dry Elements – All-purpose flour, granulated sugar, and salt. You can substitute gentle brown sugar for a deeper caramelized taste.
- Lemon – You’ll want recent lemon zest and juice. Zest the lemon earlier than you juice it. In a pinch, you could possibly use bottled lemon juice as a substitute.
- Powdered Sugar – For dusting over the completed pie.
Simple Buttermilk Substitute
It occurs to the very best of us. You propose to make buttermilk pancakes or a buttermilk pie, solely to assemble your elements and notice you’re brief one key ingredient: Buttermilk! Doh. When this occurs, I make a straightforward homemade buttermilk substitute:
- Mix a scant cup of entire milk with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice (or white vinegar).
- Let the combination sit and curdle at room temperature for 10 minutes, then stir. Your buttermilk substitute is able to use!
First, Put together the Pie Crust
If time permits, I like making this pie with a selfmade flaky pie crust. That being stated, it seems completely with store-bought refrigerated pie dough, too! After you have your dough, you’ll must prep and parbake the crust earlier than you make your pie:




- Roll out the pie crust. First, roll out your pie dough and press it into the underside of a 9-inch pie plate. Prick the crust throughout with a fork, then line it with parchment paper and add pie weights (it’s also possible to use dried beans).
- Parbake the crust. Bake the crust at 350ºF for 20 minutes, till it’s golden on the edges. Now, take away the pie weights and parchment paper and return the crust to the oven for an additional 10 minutes. Afterward, the crust might want to cool fully earlier than you fill it.
The right way to Make Buttermilk Pie
When the crust is totally cooled, you’re able to assemble and bake this buttermilk pie. Observe the steps beneath. You’ll discover the entire, printable recipe directions within the recipe card after the publish.




- Put together the filling. Begin by whisking the butter and sugar collectively within the bowl of your mixer. As soon as clean, add the egg yolks and beat for an additional minute. Then, combine in flour, lemon juice, zest, and slightly salt. Lastly, add the buttermilk, mixing till all the things is evenly included.




- Add the egg whites. Switch the combination to a brand new bowl and clear your mixer’s bowl and whisk attachment. Afterward, whisk the egg whites till they type stiff peaks. Slowly fold the whipped whites into the filling combination.




- Bake. Lastly, pour the filling into your parbaked pie crust and place the pie on a baking sheet. Bake for 45-50 minutes at 350ºF till it’s set on the edges and the middle nonetheless jiggles slightly, similar to you’d search for in a cheesecake.
- Cool and serve. Depart the pie to chill to room temperature, then mud with powdered sugar earlier than slicing and serving.


Ideas for Success
- Use room-temperature elements. Let the buttermilk and eggs come to room temperature earlier than you mix them with the opposite filling elements. This manner, the custard might be clean with none clumps.
- Incorporate the elements steadily. You’ll discover that the filling recipe brings the elements collectively in levels: first the butter and sugar, then the yolks, then the dry elements, and at last the egg whites. This ensures that the filling is totally mixed with out overmixing as soon as the flour will get added.
- Parbake the pie crust. Prebaking or “blind baking” the pie crust is essential. It prevents the crust from changing into soggy beneath the filling. Don’t skip this step!
- If the crust is browning too shortly within the oven, cowl the perimeters with a pie protect or aluminum foil whereas the pie finishes baking.




The right way to Retailer
- Refrigerate. Retailer leftover buttermilk pie coated hermetic within the fridge for as much as 4 days.
- Freeze. Alternatively, you may freeze the baked pie hermetic for as much as 2 months. Permit it to chill fully earlier than you freeze it. Thaw the pie at room temperature or within the fridge, then mud with sugar and serve.
Description
Buttermilk pie is a traditional dessert with a wealthy, custard-style filling constructed from tangy buttermilk, eggs, lemon zest, and sugar baked inside a flaky pie crust.
- 1 1/4 cups low-fat buttermilk, room temperature
- 2 massive eggs, separated at room temperature
- 1 spherical of premade or selfmade pie dough
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon recent lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- Powdered sugar, for dusting
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Bake the crust: Place the pie dough right into a 9-inch pie plate and crimp the perimeters. (You would possibly must roll out a premade dough barely). Pierce the pie dough throughout with a fork. Line the dough with foil or parchment, then fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake till the perimeters are golden, about 20 minutes. Take away the parchment and weights and proceed baking till flippantly golden throughout, about 10 extra minutes. Permit the pie crust to chill fully.
- Make the Filling: Within the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the butter and sugar collectively on medium-high velocity for 1 minute. Add within the 2 egg yolks and beat till pale and thick, 1 minute. Cut back the velocity to medium low and add the flour, lemon juice, lemon zest, and salt and beat till simply included, scraping down the edges of the bowl as wanted.
- Enhance the velocity to medium excessive and slowly pour within the buttermilk and blend till included. Switch this combination into a big bowl and put aside.
- Clear the bowl of the mixer and whisk attachment. Add within the egg whites and beat on medium-high velocity till stiff peaks type, about 4 minutes. Slowly fold the egg whites into the yolk combination till no white streaks stay. Pour the filling into the ready crust.
- Place the pie plate onto a baking sheet and bake for 45 – 50 minutes, or till golden and set across the edges. The middle will nonetheless jiggle barely.
- Permit the pie to chill fully after which mud with powdered sugar simply earlier than serving.
Notes
- Retailer leftover pie hermetic within the fridge for as much as 4 days.
- Freeze hermetic for as much as 2 months. Thaw at room temperature or within the fridge.