This buttermilk pie recipe is an old fashioned Southern custard pie made with 1 cup buttermilk, 1½ cups sugar, 3 eggs, ½ cup melted butter and 3 tablespoons flour, poured into one unbaked 9 inch crust. It bakes at 350°F for 45 to 50 minutes, chills for at least 2 hours, and gives you 8 slices. The one thing to get right is the bake: take it out while the middle still jiggles a little.
The first time I made it, I had leftover buttermilk from a pan of buttermilk cornbread, a crust in the fridge and just enough eggs. No fruit to peel. No lattice. You whisk, pour and bake, and the pie comes out with a thin golden top over a smooth, tangy-sweet custard.
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Think of a vanilla custard with a little sourness running through it, like a cheesecake that never got heavy. The sugar is high. The tang keeps each bite from tasting flat.
The top bakes into a thin, slightly crisp skin that puffs in the oven and settles as it cools, and under it the custard is soft but firm enough to stand up on a plate without slumping. Serve it cold from the fridge, or let a slice sit out for 30 minutes if you like it softer.
Buttermilk Pie vs Chess Pie
Close cousins. Both are Southern pies built on sugar, eggs and butter baked in a single crust. Chess pie usually adds a spoonful of cornmeal and often a splash of vinegar, and it bakes up denser and sweeter.
Buttermilk pie uses a full cup of buttermilk as its liquid and a little flour instead of cornmeal. That makes it lighter, softer and more tart. If you like the deeper, fudgy end of the family, try this chocolate chess pie. For a milder milk custard without the tang, there is my egg custard pie.
Eight Pantry Ingredients and What Each One Does
- Granulated sugar, 1½ cups: sweetens and gives the top its thin, crackly skin.
- All-purpose flour, 3 tablespoons: helps the custard set and hold a clean edge, so it does not weep on the plate.
- Eggs, 3 large: the only thing that sets the filling.
- Unsalted butter, ½ cup, melted and slightly cooled: richness and a smooth, almost silky slice.
- Buttermilk, 1 cup, at room temperature: the tang, and a softer set than plain milk.
- Lemon juice, 1 tablespoon: sharpens the buttermilk flavor without tasting like lemon pie.
- Vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon, and salt, ¼ teaspoon: round out the sweetness.
- Crust: one unbaked 9 inch pie crust, homemade or store-bought.
Use real cultured buttermilk if you can. It matters. In a pinch, stir 1 tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar into a measuring cup, top it up to 1 cup with whole milk and let it stand 10 minutes. It works, just milder.
Whisking the Custard Without Flecks or Foam
Whisk the sugar and flour together first. Flour dumped straight into wet eggs makes small lumps that never quite dissolve. Then add the eggs. Whisk until smooth.
Temperature matters here. Cold buttermilk from the fridge hits warm butter and sets it into little yellow flecks. Butter that is still hot can start cooking the eggs. Let the melted butter cool for about 10 minutes, until it feels warm rather than hot, and take the buttermilk out 30 minutes ahead. If a few flecks appear anyway, keep whisking; they melt back in the oven.
Add the butter, buttermilk, lemon juice, vanilla and salt and whisk only until smooth and pale yellow. Hard whisking beats in air, and that air floats up into a spongy layer of foam on top. Let the filling rest for a minute and pop any big bubbles before pouring.
Raw, Par-Baked or Store-Bought Crust?
The recipe card uses an unbaked crust, and that works. I have used both homemade and store-bought, depending on the day. A homemade all butter pie crust made with cold butter gives a flakier edge, especially in a metal pan, which heats faster than glass or ceramic.
For a crisper base, slide a baking sheet onto the lower rack while the oven heats and set the pie plate right on it. The hot sheet bakes the bottom of the crust from below, and it catches any drips. Par-baking the crust for 10 minutes first is optional. If the crimped edge darkens before the center is done, cover it with a ring of foil for the last 15 minutes.
When to Take Buttermilk Pie Out of the Oven
Check at 45 minutes. The top should be light golden and slightly puffed. Give the pan a gentle nudge: the outer ring should be set, and a circle about 2 inches wide in the middle should wobble like gelatin, not ripple like liquid. A thin knife inserted 1 inch from the center should come out mostly clean.
That wobble is fine. The custard keeps cooking from its own heat, then firms up in the fridge. Cool it on a wire rack. About an hour. Then chill it for at least 2 hours. I have tried slicing it warm. Don’t. It runs all over the plate.
Cracked, Weepy or Runny Buttermilk Pie
- Deep cracks or a watery layer under the slice: it baked too long and the eggs squeezed out their liquid. Pull it earlier next time. It still tastes good, and a layer of softly whipped cream on top hides the cracks completely.
- Runny middle after chilling: it came out while the center still sloshed, or it was not chilled the full 2 hours. If you catch a liquid center right out of the oven, put it back for 5 minutes.
- A greasy or separated layer: the butter went in too hot, or the filling sat for a long time before baking. Pour and bake soon after mixing.
- Pale, soft bottom crust: bake on the preheated baking sheet on the lower rack, and use a metal pie pan if you have one.
- Spongy foam on top: too much whisking. It is harmless, but a gentler hand gives the thin crackly top.
Buttermilk Pie Variations Worth Trying
I have tested versions with lemon zest and with a splash of bourbon, and both stay true to the pie. Add the finely grated zest of 1 lemon for a brighter, citrus edge, or swap 1 tablespoon of the buttermilk for bourbon for a warm, caramel note. A pinch of freshly grated nutmeg on top before baking is the old Southern way.
For serving, go plain, add a spoon of sweetened whipped cream or crème fraîche, or scatter toasted pecans over each slice the way you might with a sweet potato pie. Fresh strawberries or blueberries cut the sweetness nicely in summer.
Keeping and Freezing This Custard Pie
Because it is an egg custard, buttermilk pie belongs in the fridge once it has cooled. Cover it loosely and it keeps 3 to 4 days. The flavor gets a little deeper by day two, and an overnight chill gives the cleanest slices: use a sharp knife and wipe it between cuts.
You can freeze it whole or in slices, wrapped tightly, for up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in the fridge. The custard comes back a little softer but still good. It is a handy make-ahead pie for Thanksgiving, next to a pecan pie that also likes a day in advance.
Quick Answers About Buttermilk Pie
Does buttermilk pie need to be refrigerated?
Yes, always. It is an egg and dairy custard, so keep it in the fridge once it has cooled and do not leave it out more than about 2 hours.
Can I use a graham cracker crust for buttermilk pie?
Yes. Pre-bake the crumb crust for about 8 minutes so it holds together, then fill and bake as usual. Crumb crusts brown faster, so cover the edge with foil if it darkens early.
Why is my buttermilk pie gritty?
The sugar did not dissolve. Whisk the sugar into the eggs until smooth before adding the liquids, and use room temperature buttermilk so nothing seizes.
If you are planning a whole pie table, my cherry pie and lemon pie sit well next to this one. Leave a comment if you bake it, and tell me which twist you tried.
Buttermilk Pie Recipe
This buttermilk pie recipe is an old fashioned Southern custard pie made with buttermilk, sugar, eggs, melted butter, a little flour, lemon juice and vanilla in one unbaked 9 inch crust. It takes about 15 minutes to mix, bakes at 350°F for 45 to 50 minutes, chills for at least 2 hours and cuts into 8 slices with a thin golden top and a smooth, tangy-sweet custard. Pull the pie while the center still jiggles slightly; it finishes setting as it cools, which keeps the filling from cracking or weeping. Serve this Southern buttermilk pie plain, with whipped cream, toasted pecans or fresh berries, for Thanksgiving, potlucks or Sunday dinner. It keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge.
Ingredients
- FOR THE FILLING
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3 large eggs
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- FOR THE CRUST
- 1 9-inch unbaked pie crust (store-bought or homemade)
Instructions
- PREHEAT AND PREP: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Place the unbaked pie crust in a 9-inch pie plate and crimp the edges if desired. Set aside while preparing the filling.
- MIX THE DRY INGREDIENTS: In a large bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar and all-purpose flour until evenly combined. This helps prevent lumps in the filling.
- ADD THE WET INGREDIENTS: Add the eggs and whisk until smooth. Pour in the melted butter, room temperature buttermilk, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and salt. Whisk until the mixture is smooth and pale yellow.
- ASSEMBLE THE PIE: Pour the filling into the prepared pie crust. To prevent spills, place the pie plate on a baking sheet.
- BAKE: Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until the top is lightly golden and the center is just set with a slight jiggle. A knife inserted near the center should come out mostly clean.
- COOL AND CHILL: Let the pie cool completely on a wire rack. Once cooled, refrigerate for at least 2 hours to allow the filling to set fully before slicing.
Notes
Use room temperature buttermilk and let the melted butter cool until warm, not hot: cold buttermilk sets warm butter into flecks and hot butter can start cooking the eggs. Whisk only until smooth, because extra air rises into a foamy top layer. Bake on a baking sheet preheated on the lower rack for a crisper bottom crust, and cover the edge with foil if it browns before the center is set. The pie is done when a 2 inch circle in the middle still wobbles; overbaking causes cracks and a watery layer. Chill at least 2 hours, or overnight for the cleanest slices. Store covered in the fridge for 3 to 4 days or freeze, well wrapped, for up to 1 month.
Nutrition Information
Yield
8Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 426Total Fat 21gSaturated Fat 11gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 9gCholesterol 101mgSodium 270mgCarbohydrates 56gFiber 1gSugar 39gProtein 5g
