Ain’t nothing like this Buttermilk Pie boos. It comes from my Southern grandmother aka big mama, and it is the best! It’s a Southern classic that’s got the creamiest custard filling made with rich, tangy buttermilk providing so much flavor. Once you add that custardy magic enhanced with all that aromatic vanilla goodness to a flaky buttery crust and bake it up, this buttermilk pie recipe is straight up pie perfection.
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They’re Lovin’ It! Here’s what They’re Sayin’:
“This is the best buttermilk pie I’ve ever tasted. And the bonus… it came from my kitchen!”
—TAVA F.
Y’all buttermilk pie doesn’t get enough shine. Southerners tend to get down with chess pie or egg pie more often but this buttermilk pie deserves its props. It’s got that classic buttermilk tang that adds depth of flavor to the creamiest custard filling. The buttermilk pie recipe itself comes from my grandmother “Big Mama”, the matriarch of my family. Then I go to town on that vanilla flavor adding ample vanilla to the mix so you taste it in each bite. Let’s get into it!
The Lowdown of The Best Southern Buttermilk Pie Recipe
Cuisine Inspiration: Southern Comfort
Primary Cooking Method: Baking
Dietary Info: Can be made Gluten-Free with ingredient swaps
Key Flavor: Tangy smooth, rich, creamy and vanilla-y
Skill Level: Easy y’all (No Sweat Fam!)
Easy Peasy Y’all
We use simple ingredients and straightforward instructions to whip this absolutely perfect pie up y’all. The effort is minimal but the result to is maxed out!
Texture Perfection
The buttermilk creates a rich tangy yet light custard. It’s the perfect contrast to the flaky buttery crust giving you all the textures in each bite.
Unexpected Holiday Perfection
This generational pie is just perfect for any occasion from a Sunday supper to a fancy holiday. It’s Southern nostalgia on a plate.
Ingredients You’ll Need to Make this Buttermilk Pie Recipe
- Unsalted Butter: There’s nothing like butter. It adds ample richness to the filling.
- Granulated Sugar: This sweetens the custard to perfection.
- Eggs: These bind the filling adding richness and creaminess to the texture.
- Vanilla Extract: I love the aromatic warmth this brings to the pie.
- Flour and Cornstarch: These help thicken the custard just right so when you slice it, the shape holds perfectly.
- Salt: Salt enhances all those amazing flavors we have going on while balancing the sweetness.
- Buttermilk: This liquid adds a bomb tangy twist to this Southern pie.
- Pie Crust: This is the buttery, flaky base holds our filling together.
How to Make Buttermilk Pie
How to Serve Easy Buttermilk Pie
- Dust it Up: Add a sprinkle of homemade powdered sugar to the top for a cute garnish.
- Berry it Up: Sprinkle some fresh berries on top or serve each slice with some strawberry sauce or warmed strawberry preserves. Delish boos!
- Dollop It Up: Add a spoonful of this fresh whipped cream recipe to each slice you serve up.
Recipe Substitutions
- Pie Crust: If you don’t feel like making a homemade pie crust, swap in a frozen store-bought to make this pie even easier to make.
- Buttermilk: I suggest using store-bought buttermilk for this. But in an extreme pinch, you can easily make your own buttermilk by adding a tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to a cup of whole milk and letting it sit for about 10 minutes. Easy peasy boos.
- Vanilla Extract: Feel free to really amp up that vanilla flavor by adding vanilla bean paste instead.
- Granulated Sugar: You can really get that sweetening popping by swapping in some brown sugar. None around? Make homemade brown sugar by adding molasses.
Recipe Variations and Additions
- Gluten-Free: Replace the flour with your fave gluten-free 1:1 ratio substitution here.
- Get Chocolatey: Add a little cocoa powder to the custard filling to give it more indulgence.
- Drizzle It Up: Add drizzles of caramel sauce or chocolate ganache over the top of slices and sprinkle with flaky salt. That’s some good eatin!
- Spice It Up: Sprinkle in some nutmeg or cinnamon to give cozy vibes.
- Zest It Up: Add some lemon, lime or orange zest to your filling to brighten the flavors.
- Pie Crust Switch Up: You can switch up the standard pie crust and replace with a graham cracker crust.
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Expert Tips and Tricks
- Quality Wins: Lean on high quality ingredients to make this simple pie pop. Upgrade your butter, eggs, buttermilk and vanilla so you get the best results.
- Temperature is SUPER IMPORTANT: Don’t add your cold eggs or buttermilk to the mix here. If the eggs and buttermilk are chilled, that custard won’t even think about setting up right.
- Blind Bake It Up: To prevent a soggy crust, pre-bake your crust before you add the filling.
- Use a Pie Shield: Baking a pie for about an hour can brown that crust quickly. I throw on a pie shield if I find that crust is browning way too fast. Also you can add foil.
- Wobble, Wobble: The edges should be set while the center will give a slight wobble wobble 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 up as it cools.
- Chill Out: Don’t dive in right away. Let the pie set up just right so let it cool to room temp for a few hours then add to the fridge. It will let that custard texture set up like a BOSS.
How to Store Buttermilk Custard Pie
Let your pie cool down to room temp then wrap it snugly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil. It should be stored in the fridge but you can eat your slices at room temp or even warmed if you prefer.
How long will Southern buttermilk pie last in the fridge?
It should last for about 3-4 days in the fridge.
Can I freeze?
For longer storage, make sure your pie is wrapped tightly in plastic wrap then add to a freezer bag. Or wrap slices individually then add to a plastic bag. Add a label with the date. Thaw in the fridge when you’re ready to enjoy a slice. It should last in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
They are essentially cousins y’all. With both being a custard based pie, the only real difference is chess pie contains cornmeal giving it a very distinct flavor difference.
It probably didn’t set up properly boo. This happens when you don’t start with ROOM TEMPERATURE INGREDIENTS! It is key that your typically cold ingredients like your eggs and buttermilk are not right out of the fridge. Your PIE WILL NOT SET UP! You also want to make sure that the pie is cooled completely and then chilled in order to slice it properly.
You can add to the fridge and store for up to 2 days before you serve it up.
More Pie Recipes to Try
Buttermilk Pie Recipe
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs room temperature and beaten
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup buttermilk room temperature
- 1 homemade pie crust in pie plate blind baked
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Add butter and sugar to bowl of your stand mixer and beat together until light on medium speed for about 5-6 minutes.
- Add the eggs and vanilla paste in increments and mix together until incorporated.
- Next add flour, cornstarch and salt then buttermilk and mix until well combined.
- If using my pie crust recipe, roll one of the disks out into the pie plate then use a fork to poke holes along the sides and bottom of the pie crust. Line the pie crust with parchment paper. Fill with pie weights, making sure the weights are evenly distributed around the pie dish. Pre-bake the crust for 10 minutes. Carefully remove the parchment paper/pie weights. If you would like, you can brush some egg wash on the outside of the crust as well (just take 1 egg and whisk together with a teaspoon of water).
- Pour pie filling into pie crust shell and bake at 400F for 10 minutes, reduce heat to 350F and bake for 25-35 additional minutes then turn off the oven and allow to sit in oven for 30 minutes. Pie should turn a nice golden brown and a knife inserted should come out clean. If you find that the crust is browning too quickly, add a pie shield or foil on the outside halfway through the bake.
Notes
- Cool it Down: Let it cool to room temperature post-baking.
- Wrap it Up: Cover your pie snugly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil.
- Fridge Time: Pop it in the refrigerator; it’s best enjoyed within 3-4 days.
- Slice and Store: Already cut? No problem, just wrap the slices or put them in an airtight container before refrigerating.
- Freeze if Needed: For longer storage, freeze your pie well-wrapped. Thaw in the fridge when you’re ready to enjoy.
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Simply the best. Like several others I was so excited this did not have lemon juice. I tried two other recipes before finding this and they were just too tart.
I panicked when I mixed it because it separated and I thought I did something wrong. I poured it out and started over. I had just enough buttermilk left to make another batch. When it looked the same I thought well, my crust was already par-baked, what did I have to lose? So glad I did, this is the best buttermilk pie I’ve ever tasted. And the bonus… it came from my kitchen!
YAY! So glad it turned out well for you!
Love this recipe!! I have a question…can I make the filling ahead of time (day before) and refrigerate it until I am ready to bake? I have back to back events this year and it would definitely be a time saver if I could.
Thanks!
I wouldn’t do this filling the day before – it will likely curdle.
Hi Jocelyn, should the pie shell be unbaked or par baked before filling? Thank you!
Been trying out various buttermilk pie recipes and this one is by far the best! Number 1, it had vanilla! Others had lemon extract and that is just WRONG! Number 2, it is very specific about how to mix it up. Without these instructions you might be tempted to stir this pie up with whisk and that just doesn’t work. My pies would separate and have some runniness. This is the very best buttermilk pie recipe I have found and I highly recommend it!
Thank you for a buttermilk pie recipe that doesn’t have lemon juice in it! I can’t wait to make this
While researching “best” Buttermilk Pies, I found you!
As a Ms girl myself, I loved hearing about your Big Mama because some of us are so blessed to have those grandparents that teach us those traditions we love so much. Mine was actually my grandpa. He was the baker and cook when home from the Merchant Marines.
What part of Ms did your Big Mama live?
I’m near the coast in Lucedale but the Delta would be my next choice. For some reason it grabbed my heart a few years ago and the people there are so resilient and special I can’t even describe it.
I’ll be hunting up your cookbooks and I hope you stay safe and healthy
Much respect,
Kat Hudson
Hi Kat, my Big Mama lived in Winona, MS. Are you familiar with it?