Chess Pie

Y’all my Southern chess pie is legit the best chess pie recipe on the internet (maybe the planet) boos. The creamy, tangy, gooey custard filling melts in your mouth when baked inside a flaky beyond buttery crust. While the taste is beyond bomb, its real charm is in its simplicity. We keep it plain Jane with ingredients you are bound to already have in your pantry. This is pure comfort in a chill mode package boos. Regardless of how effortless it is to throw together, it’s a showstopper nonetheless.

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When it comes to Southern pies, the chess pie recipe is an OG right up there with sweet potato pie and pecan pie. It might not get as much love but it really should boos. It’s super simple, super satisfying, and super delish. I hope you enjoy this slice of heaven as much I do.

What is Chess Pie?

Chess Pies are a Southern specialty that likes to keep it simple. The main staple ingredients consist of eggs, sugar, butter, cornmeal, buttermilk and a bit of flour. Basically, the South realized you ain’t gotta complicate things to make a great pie, and low and behold, the chess pie found its roots. This is a bare bones classic done right but there are several flavor variations out there. The texture is what makes this pie a winner. It’s super creamy, rich and sweet.

Ingredients You’ll Need To Make Homemade Chess Pie

• Unsalted Butter: This gives us that rich and decadent base like only butter can give.
• Granulated Sugar: Sugar sweetens things up and helps create the crisp topping once the pie is baked up. If you find this pie to be too sweet or not sweet enough, try increasing or decreasing by a ¼ cup. 
• Cornmeal and All Purpose Flour: Both work as stabilizers in our custard filling. They make sure the pie sets up creating a fire final texture, especially that cornmeal that gives a unique grit. Don’t skip it.
• Eggs: They are the base of any custard pie y’all. I highly recommend using fresh, high-quality eggs; their yolks will have a brighter orange color.
• Buttermilk: This gives us a nice tangy flavorful filling that stays moist.
• Vanilla: That splash of vanilla really gives us an amazing aromatic essence.
• Lime or Lemon Juice plus Zest: I like to brighten up the flavors a bit. That citrus addition pops everything as well as adds acidity.
• Salt: This also enhances flavor and balances the sweetness. I’d stick to kosher salt here. 
• 9” Pie Crust: I like to go with my homemade here but honestly grab a frozen one and throw this pie together even faster. In fact, I love keeping a frozen crust in my freezer at all times. It is an absolute God-send during the busy holiday season boos.

How to Make Chess Pie

Step 1: Blind Bake Like a Boss

1. Get that cold homemade pie crust dough out. Roll it into your pie plate, stab holes into the bottom and sides of the dough with a fork for ventilation.
2. Line the top of the dough with parchment paper and fill with pie weights (dried beans work too!) for even baking without bulges. Bake for 10 minutes at 350°F and slide to the side.

PRO TIP: If you ain’t got time to play around with a scratch pie dough, frozen store bought is fine. Just blind bake according to the instructions on the package.

Step 2: Mix it Up

1. Grab your butter and sugar and mix together in a stand mixer (or with a hand mixer) on medium speed for 3-4 minutes until light and fluffy – like a cloud boos.
2. Toss in the cornmeal and flour and mix it up.
3. Add those eggs one at a time, and don’t forget to scrape down the sides to get all the good stuff up in there.
4. Now add in the buttermilk, vanilla, lemon juice, zest and salt. Get that filling looking silky and smooth.

PRO TIP: No worries if your filling looks somewhat curdled. It ain’t no thing. Your pie filling will still bake up like a dream.

Step 3: Fill Her Up, Bake it Up and Chill Out

1. Pour the filling into the prepped crust and carefully transfer the pie into the oven.
2. Bake for 50-60 minutes (see my tip below). You’ll know the pie is done when the edges are set but the center has a slight jiggle. Remove from the oven and allow it to set for about an hour before serving. 

PRO TIP: Don’t let this baby brown up too fast. After 15-20 minutes, throw a piece of aluminum foil on top to create a shield that prevents the pie from burning.

How to Serve Old Fashioned Chess Pie

• Whipped Cream: Just add a sprinkle of cinnamon on top of a slice along with a dollop of whipped cream and get your life!
• Ice Cream: Go classic with a scoop of vanilla ice cream to let the buttermilk chess pie shine or go all out with scoops of raspberry ice cream, cookie butter ice cream or coffee ice cream.
• Drizzles: Get your whole life by serving this with a drizzle of caramel sauce or chocolate ganache or a scoop of hard sauce right on top boos.
• Go Fruity: This chess pie recipe can really take things up a notch with a bit of strawberry sauce or lemon curd right on the side.
• Sunday Supper: Serve this up with a hearty beef stew, scalloped potatoes and a slice of this.
• Southern Dinner: Plate up some smothered pork chops, Southern green beans, sweet potato cornbread and some easy chess pie.
• Thanksgiving: Get your fried turkey, cornbread dressing, collard greens, candied yams and Southern cornbread on your plate and end the meal with this.
• Pie Parade: Set up a pie buffet for Thanksgiving or just because you feel like it. Add pecan pie, egg pie, key lime pie, shoofly pie and pumpkin pie.

Recipe Substitutions for Buttermilk Chess Pie

• Butter: No unsalted butter? Grab salted and omit the salt in the filling.
• Sugar: You can use brown sugar instead of granulated for a deeper more caramel vibe.
• Buttermilk: No buttermilk around? Make your own! Add 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice to milk and let sit for about 5 minutes until it curdles and use here.
• Vanilla: Really amp up the vanilla with a vanilla paste or use almond extract for an entirely different flavor profile.
• Citrus: You can ditch the citrus and use white vinegar or apple cider vinegar to get that acidity.
• Pie Crust: You can switch up the base by using a graham cracker crust.

Recipe Variations and Additions

• Gluten-Free: Grab your fave 1:1 ratio gluten-free flour blend and use a gluten-free crust instead.
• Go Chocolate: Add cocoa and make this a chocolate chess pie.
• Bring On the Spice: Warm spices can really give this Southern chess pie all the cozy feels. Just toss in some nutmeg, ginger or cinnamon.
• Coconut Flavor: Substitute some of the buttermilk with coconut milk then add some shredded coconut. Both will add all the coconut energy and give it some additional texture.
• Brûlée It!: Once the pie has cooled, sprinkle a thin layer of granulated sugar over the top of the pie and use your kitchen torch to go over the top until that bomb golden caramelized crisp crust develops.
• Bananas Fosters It Up: Replace half of the granulated sugar with brown sugar, add a little rum to the pie filling, bake it up and top with this bananas fosters filling.
• Creamsicle Baby!: Replace the lemon and lime with orange zest and juice. Even swirl a bit of orange marmalade through the filling before baking off and serve with a layer of whipped cream.

Expert Tips and Tricks for this Easy Chess Pie

• Go Quality: When you make a simple pie like a chess pie, you gotta lean on better high quality ingredients to make a difference in the overall flavor. So upgrade your butter, eggs and vanilla y’all to make sure that flavor is poppin.
• Don’t Skip the Cornmeal: To create the classic texture of a chess pie, you gotta have that cornmeal. That’s why I didn’t include this ingredient in the recipe substitution notes above. I believe it has no replacement in this recipe. It gives that signature gritty crunch that makes this pie’s flavor and texture unique
• Temperature is Crucial: Don’t even think of using cold butter or eggs in this recipe boos. If the butter is too firm or cold, it will not properly cream with the sugar.  If the eggs are too cold, that custard won’t even think about setting up.
• Blind Bake the Crust: If you want that bottom crust to be super flaky, definitely bake before you add the filling. If you don’t, the bottom will be soggy due to that custard filling soaking into it.
• Just a Pie Shield: Baking a pie for about an hour in a hot oven can brown that crust super fast. I like to throw on a pie shield if I find that crust is browning way too fast. We don’t want it to burn. Keep it cute. Also if you notice the filling is browning fast, add some foil to the top.
• Check Doneness: The edges should be set while the center will give a slight wiggle jiggle but not be complete liquid. You might be tempted to keep on baking if you see it jiggling somewhat but don’t or you will overbake it. It will continue to set as it cools.
• Chill Out: You gotta let that pie set up just right so let it cool to room temperature for a few hours. It also makes a world of difference in the texture.

How to Store Southern Chess Pie

• Room Temp: Chess pie can keep well at room temp for up to 3 days. Just keep it covered in a cool area.
• Fridge: You can keep this pie covered in the pie plate or in an airtight container in the fridge for about 4-5 days just wait until it has cooled completely before storing it. Bring it back to room temp when you want to serve so that custard melts in your mouth.
• Freezer: Wrap this baby tightly with plastic wrap then add a layer of foil to protect against freezer burn. Label it with the date. It will freeze for up to 3 months.
• Reheating: If reheating individual slices, a quick minute or two in the microwave will do the trick. For larger portions, reheat in the oven (or a toaster oven) at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes. 

Frequently Asked Questions

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