Old fashioned buttermilk pie is an easy pie recipe that produces a rich, thick, sweet custard-like center when baked. If you’re expecting company soon, this buttermilk pie recipe is the best dessert to greet them with!
It’s one of the simplest pie recipes ever, too, as you just add a quick custard filling to a prepared pie crust and bake for just under an hour!
The Best Custard-Filled Pie Recipe
Easy, easy, easy. That’s the magic of this buttermilk pie. You only have to make a single crust, and then you just mix all the filling ingredients together in a bowl and dump them in. You really won’t believe how simple this recipe is. The filling bakes into a nice soft custard and is delicious.
This old fashioned buttermilk pie is a favorite in our house, and I hope you love it. It’s fun to make because I’ve found a lot of people haven’t tried it before. You can find this recipe plus SEVEN other pie recipes in one post if you are still looking around for something that looks perfect for your Thanksgiving table.
There’s something magical about pulling a pie made from scratch out of the oven. It seems to take you back to a time when life was simpler and homemade pie was standard fare in American kitchens. Today, amidst the hustle and bustle of everyday life, taking time to make pie is almost therapeutic. It’s a slower process than opening a box of brownie mix, but there’s so much satisfaction in it. Butter, flour, and sugar are the building blocks of all things good, and making a homemade pie is a pretty great way to use them. Plan to take an afternoon to bake and you just might love how grounding the whole process is for you. And you’ll have a beautiful pie to enjoy after dinner or to share with friends, and that’s a pretty great reward, too.
What is buttermilk pie made of?
Buttermilk pie has a custard filling that’s smooth and sweet. The filling takes less than 5 minutes to mix up and is made of sugar, flour, eggs, butter, buttermilk, vanilla, and a pinch of salt. Use a deep pie plate for this recipe so that your filling doesn’t bubble over while cooking.
There are lots of variation of this pie that include things like vanilla, lemon, or nutmeg. My version is the traditional vanilla custard. You can add a dash of nutmeg to the top if you like. Directions on how to make this a lemon buttermilk pie are in the notes of the recipe.
Should buttermilk pie be refrigerated?
This pie is best served at room temperature but can be served warm or cold depending on your preferences. I prefer it cold out of the refrigerator! To store, let it cool for 2 hours after baking, cover it tightly with plastic wrap, and keep it in the fridge until ready to serve.
Is buttermilk pie supposed to be runny?
No, if it’s runny it probably hasn’t cooked long enough. It will continue setting and thickening as it cools, which is why you want to give it a solid 2 hours to cool and properly set before cutting into it.
Is chess pie the same as buttermilk pie?
Buttermilk pie originated in England and has become a Southern staple in the United States. It’s similar to a Chess Pie but is made without cornmeal or vinegar.
How to Make a Buttermilk Pie:
- Roll out your favorite pie crust (store bought or homemade)
- Place the pie crust in a deep pie plate.
- Crimp the edges of the crust.
- Mix up your simple buttermilk pie filling.
- Pour filling into crust.
- Bake until golden-brown. Serve warm, cold, or at room temperature.
Old Fashioned Buttermilk Pie Recipe
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 45 mins
- Total Time: 55 mins
- Yield: Serves 8-10 1x
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Old fashioned buttermilk pie is an easy pie recipe that produces a rich, thick, sweet custard-like center when baked. If you’re expecting company soon, this buttermilk pie recipe is the best dessert to greet them with!
Ingredients
- Single pie crust
- 1 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Prepare your pie crust, and place it in the bottom of a deep 9-inch pie plate.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a large bowl, add sugar and flour, and whisk to combine.
- Add the eggs, and whisk to combine.
- Add the butter, buttermilk, vanilla, and pinch of salt, and whisk to combine.
- Pour the buttermilk mixture into the unbaked prepared pie crust, and bake for 45 to 50 minutes.
- The center will be set when the pie is done.
- Remove from the oven, and let cool for at least 2 hours before serving.
- Or let cool, cover, and keep in the fridge until serving (I prefer this pie cold).
Notes
- You make add a lemon flavor to this by pie adding 1 tablespoon of lemon zest and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to the pie filling before baking.
- I like this pie best cold. Let the pie cool for 2 hours, then cover tightly with plastic wrap, and keep in the fridge until ready to serve.
- This can be made 1 to 2 days ahead of time.
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: buttermilk pie recipe, easy buttermilk pie recipe, easy homemade pie recipe, buttermilk pie in the sky, old fashioned buttermilk pie recipe
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If You Love Buttermilk Pie, You Might Also Like These Recipes:
- 4 Recipes for a Perfect Pie Crust (my guide on all things pie crust!)
- Homemade Chocolate Cream Pie
- The Best Pecan Pie Recipe
- Easy Chicken Pumpkin Pot Pie (spoiler alert – it uses pre-made puff pastry instead of a pie crust!)
- The Best Easy Apple Cake
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- America’s Test Kitchen’s Fresh Strawberry Pie
- Soft Gingerbread Cookie Recipe
This post was originally published in 2015, and has been updated and rephotographed in November 2019.
This is such a delicious and simple buttermilk pie recipe to bake for your family and guests, no matter the occasion. Happy pie making from my kitchen to yours!
About Melissa
I have a lot going on, and I’d much rather spend my time enjoying my messes than fretting about what I’m going to make for dinner. Over the past few years, I’ve nailed down a few strategies that helped me keep my kitchen running like a well-oiled machine, so I started Bless This Mess to help other mess-loving parents solve the nightly dinner delimma—no stress, no drama, just really great food your whole family will love. Read more...
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I LOVE this recipe and I’m team LEMON all the way!!! I’ve made it both ways with and without and it’s good both. I actually like the lemon version warm and the without lemon version cold!! So good!
★★★★★
You know what’s funny is my young women (14&15 yr olds) told me they looove butter milk pie. I had never made it ( or heard of it) until it was requested!
This buttermilk pie might be old-fashioned but I’ve never tried making it, so it’s trendy for me! 🙂 Can I use lime juice instead of lemon juice, Melissa?
YES! That sounds so good.
Do you need to put lemon in it?
★★★
Nope, I wrote about that in the post. You certainly can leave it out!