Creamy, golden, and kissed with a gentle tang, this Buttermilk Pie is the kind of classic Southern dessert that disappears fast at any table. The filling bakes up silky-smooth with a rich custard center and a lightly caramelized top that looks as good as it tastes. I first had a slice of this at my aunt's house one Sunday afternoon, and I remember thinking it tasted like something between a vanilla cream and a lemon icebox pie, but warmer somehow, more comforting. The best part? It comes together with just a handful of pantry staples and about 15 minutes of hands-on work.
If you love simple, from-scratch baking, you might also enjoy my Easy Cosmic Brownies Recipe or this showstopping Best Ice Cream Cake Recipe for your next gathering. And if you're building a dessert spread, don't miss these Best Chocolate Orange Sandwich Cookies for a little contrast.
Why You'll Love This Buttermilk Pie
This is the kind of dessert recipe that earns a permanent spot in your rotation. The filling is smooth and creamy with a subtle tang from the buttermilk that keeps it from being too sweet. The top gets a beautiful golden color in the oven. It slices cleanly, it stores well, and it works for everything from a casual weeknight dinner to a holiday spread. There's no water bath, no complicated technique, and no hard-to-find ingredients. It's a Southern buttermilk pie in the most honest, approachable sense of that phrase.
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Buttermilk Pie Ingredients
Here's everything you'll need to make this classic buttermilk sweet potato pie-adjacent Southern classic.
See Recipe Card Below This Post For Ingredient Quantities
- unsalted butter, melted: Adds richness and gives the filling a tender, buttery depth. Melted butter blends more smoothly than softened.
- granulated sugar: Sweetens the custard and helps create that slightly golden, caramelized top as it bakes.
- eggs, room temperature, beaten: The backbone of the custard. Room-temperature eggs incorporate more evenly and help the filling set cleanly.
- vanilla extract: Adds warmth and rounds out the tangy buttermilk flavor beautifully.
- all-purpose flour: Provides a little structure so the filling doesn't get too loose or wobbly.
- cornstarch: Works with the flour to stabilize the custard and give it that smooth, sliceable texture.
- salt: Balances the sweetness and sharpens all the other flavors.
- buttermilk, room temperature: The star of the show. It gives the pie its signature tangy, creamy flavor. Room temperature buttermilk mixes in without curdling.
- homemade pie crust, blind-baked: A pre-baked crust keeps the bottom from getting soggy once the custard filling goes in.
How T oMake Buttermilk Pie
Preheat the oven: Set your oven to 400°F (200°C). This high starting temperature helps the custard set quickly at first before you lower the heat.
Cream the butter and sugar: In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the melted butter and sugar. Beat on medium speed for 5 to 6 minutes until the mixture looks light and fluffy. This step builds the texture of your filling, so don't rush it.
Add the eggs and vanilla: Gradually add the beaten eggs and vanilla extract, mixing until everything is fully incorporated and smooth.
Mix in the dry ingredients: Add the flour, cornstarch, and salt. Mix until well combined. The batter will look thick and smooth at this point.
Add the buttermilk: Pour in the buttermilk and continue mixing until the batter is completely smooth. It will thin out and look like a pourable custard.
Blind-bake the crust: If you haven't pre-baked your crust yet, roll out one disk of dough and press it into your pie plate. Poke holes along the sides and bottom with a fork. Line with parchment paper, fill with pie weights, and bake for 10 minutes at 400°F. Carefully remove the parchment and weights. Optional: brush the crust with an egg wash (1 egg whisked with 1 teaspoon water) for a golden finish.
Fill and bake: Pour the buttermilk filling into your prepared, blind-baked crust. Bake at 400°F for 10 minutes to get the edges setting, then reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and bake for an additional 25 to 35 minutes. The pie is done when it turns a deep golden brown and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. The center may look slightly soft, but it will firm up.
Rest in the oven: Turn off the oven and let the pie sit inside for 30 minutes. This gentle finish helps it set without cracking.
Cool before serving: Remove the pie from the oven and let it cool to room temperature on a wire rack before slicing.
Substitutions Your Buttermilk Pie
Buttermilk: No buttermilk on hand? Stir 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice into 1 cup of whole milk and let it sit for 5 minutes. It's a solid swap for this creamy buttermilk pie filling.
Unsalted butter: Salted butter works fine, just leave out the added salt.
Homemade pie crust: A good-quality store-bought refrigerated crust works beautifully here and saves real time.
All-purpose flour: A 1:1 gluten-free flour blend works if needed, with very similar results.
Granulated sugar: Some older versions of this easy pie recipe use a small amount of brown sugar for a deeper caramel note. You can swap ¼ cup of the white sugar for brown.
Equipment For Buttermilk Pie
- Stand mixer
- Pie plate
- Rolling pin
- Pie weights
- Parchment paper
- Fork (for docking the crust)
How to Store Your Buttermilk Pie
Cool it down: Let the pie cool completely to room temperature before storing. Covering it while it's warm causes condensation that makes the crust soggy.
Wrap it up: Cover the pie plate tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil, or transfer slices to an airtight container.
Refrigerate: Store in the fridge for up to 3 to 4 days. This pie actually slices better cold.
Freeze: Wrap the pie tightly in plastic wrap, then in foil, and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
Serving Suggestions
This Southern dessert is wonderful on its own, but here are a few easy ways to dress it up.
A drizzle of salted caramel over each slice adds a little extra richness that pairs really well with the tangy filling.
Serve slices with a generous dollop of freshly whipped cream and a light dusting of nutmeg.
A scoop of good vanilla bean ice cream alongside a cold slice is a perfect contrast of temperatures.
For a holiday table, serve alongside pecan pie or peach cobbler for a classic Southern spread.
Expert Tips
- Chill before slicing. For the cleanest, prettiest slices, refrigerate the fully cooled pie for at least an hour before cutting.
- Don't skip the blind bake. A pre-baked crust is what stands between you and a soggy bottom. It makes a real difference in the final texture.
- Room-temperature ingredients matter. Cold eggs and cold buttermilk can cause the filling to look slightly curdled before baking. Pull them from the fridge about 30 minutes early.
- Watch the color, not just the clock. Oven temperatures vary. The pie is done when the top is a deep golden brown and the center has just a slight wobble, like set gelatin.
- The oven-rest step is not optional. Letting the pie sit in the turned-off oven for 30 minutes is what gives it that clean, smooth, sliceable custard texture. Pulling it out early can result in a too-soft center.
FAQ
What's the difference between a chess pie and a buttermilk pie?
Both are old-fashioned Southern custard pies made with simple pantry ingredients, but they're a little different. Chess pie typically uses cornmeal in the filling along with a larger ratio of sugar and eggs, which gives it a denser, slightly gritty texture. Buttermilk pie skips the cornmeal and uses buttermilk for a lighter, tangier, creamier filling. Think of chess pie as the richer cousin. Both are incredibly good, but the buttermilk version has a little more brightness to it. If you're a fan of egg-based desserts, both are worth making.
What was Bill Clinton's favorite pie?
Bill Clinton is famously associated with peach pie and pecan pie, both Southern staples. There are several old-fashioned pie stories tied to him and Arkansas bakeries, though buttermilk pie is absolutely the kind of classic Southern pie you'd find at any Southern table he grew up around.
Is buttermilk pie a Texas thing?
Buttermilk pie is strongly associated with Texas and the broader American South, and it's considered a staple of Texas home baking. You'll find it at diners, church potlucks, and home kitchens all across the state. That said, it belongs to the whole Southern baking tradition, not just Texas. It's one of those Southern comfort food classics with deep roots across multiple states.
What are the ingredients in a buttermilk pie?
This buttermilk pie recipe uses melted butter, granulated sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, all-purpose flour, cornstarch, salt, buttermilk, and a blind-baked homemade pie crust. That's it. No cream cheese, no condensed milk, just simple pantry ingredients that come together into a smooth, creamy custard pie.
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Pairing
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Buttermilk Pie
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs room temperature, beaten
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup buttermilk room temperature
- 1 homemade pie crust blind-baked in a pie plate
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400°F.
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In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the melted butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5–6 minutes.
- Add the eggs and vanilla extract in increments, mixing well after each addition until fully incorporated.
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Sift in the flour, cornstarch, and salt, then slowly add the buttermilk, mixing until smooth and well-combined.
- Roll out the homemade pie crust into a pie plate. Use a fork to poke holes along the sides and bottom. Line the crust with parchment paper, fill it with pie weights, and bake for 10 minutes.
- Carefully remove the parchment paper and pie weights. If desired, brush the crust with an egg wash (whisk 1 egg with 1 teaspoon water) for a golden finish.
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Pour the buttermilk filling into the pre-baked pie crust. Bake at 400°F for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350°F and bake for an additional 25–35 minutes. The pie should be golden brown and set in the center.
- Turn off the oven and allow the pie to rest in the oven for 30 minutes.
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Let the pie cool to room temperature before serving. You can refrigerate it to chill further if desired.
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