Easy Old-Fashioned Buttermilk Pie
on Nov 17, 2017, Updated Jul 19, 2024
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Easy Old-Fashioned Buttermilk Pie is a vintage pie recipe that is rich and thick and has a sweet custard-like center. If you’re expecting company soon, this buttermilk pie recipe is the best dessert to greet them with!
Southern buttermilk pie has a smooth and sweet custard filling. The filling takes less than 5 minutes to mix 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.
This pie is one of the easiest you’ll ever make. You simply add a quick custard filling to a prepared pie crust and bake for just under an hour! It doesn’t get simpler or easier than that, and this pie has many variations so that it can be enjoyed in many different ways!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- There are many variations of this pie, including 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 lemon buttermilk pie are in the recipe notes.
- I always make a double flakey pie crust (per the recipe) and another pie that needs a single crust, such as pumpkin pie or this Toll House Cookie pie.
- Buttermilk is the star of the show. It adds flavor, brightness, and great texture. If you have a little leftover buttermilk, I highly recommend making this buttermilk biscuit recipe.
Recipe Ingredients
- Pie crust – Here’s my favorite recipe for Pie Crust!
- Sugar
- Flour
- Eggs
- Butter
- Buttermilk – This is the Buttermilk Recipe I use.
- Vanilla
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to make Buttermilk Pie
Step 1: Roll out your favorite pie crust and place it on a pie plate.
Step 2: Mix up your simple buttermilk pie filling and pour it into the crust.
Step 3: Bake until golden brown.
Step 4: Serve warm, cold, or at room temperature.
Recipe FAQs
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!
No, if it’s runny, it probably hasn’t cooked long enough. It will continue setting and thickening as it cools, so you want to give it a solid 2 hours to cool and properly set before cutting into it.
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.
Expert Tips
- This pie is best cold, but it is also good at room temperature. I don’t like it warm all that much, but you might. There’s lots of flexibility here. You can serve this creamy custard pie with a tangy flavor with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, but it’s not a must.
- 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.
- If you don’t have vinegar, lemon juice and cream of tarter also work as great buttermilk substitutions.
More Dessert Recipes to Consider
Dessert Recipes
Easy Apple Hand Pies
Pies, Crisps & Tarts
Apple Pie Filling
Pies, Crisps & Tarts
Derby Pie
Pies, Crisps & Tarts
Apple Crumble
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Old Fashioned Buttermilk Pie Recipe
Ingredients
- Single pie crust
- 1 1/4 cup granulated 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 can 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 it 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.
- New to working with buttermilk? Here’s a whole post with more information about it!
Made this pie for a family reunion today. It was devoured and enjoyed by many. Taste just like mom used to make one said 😊thanks for sharing!
I love that! So easy right??
excellent recipe, the first pie ive ever made.
Delicious
My husband and my dad both grew up in small town southeast Texas where Buttermilk Pie reigns supreme! I found your recipe and tried one my go of making my husband a birthday pie and IT WAS a HIT! This Thanksgiving I was asked by my mother in law and my dad to bring Buttermilk Pie! I feel like I’ve made it as a daughter in law 🤣🤣 This recipe is SO easy and small town, southeast Texas approved!!!
I LOVE hearing this, it’s so fun to hear how the recipes are used in real life, thank you so much for taking the time to share this with me!
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.
Nope, I wrote about that in the post. You certainly can leave it out!