Buttermilk Pie

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Quick Bite

A custard-style pie made with simple pantry ingredients: buttermilk, sugar, eggs, butter, flour, and vanilla, all baked in a pie crust until the filling sets into a smooth, creamy texture with a lightly caramelized top. The flavor is rich, slightly tangy from the buttermilk, and similar in texture to chess pie or crème brûlée.

History

Buttermilk pie is a traditional Southern custard-style dessert that dates back to the 19th century in the United States, with especially strong roots in the rural South, including Georgia.

It originated as a pantry pie, created by home cooks who relied on simple, inexpensive ingredients that were readily available on farms, including eggs, sugar, butter, flour, and buttermilk.

Before refrigeration became common, buttermilk was a practical byproduct of churning butter, and resourceful cooks used it in baking rather than letting it go to waste.

The pie became especially popular during the Great Depression, when families needed affordable desserts that could stretch basic staples into something filling and comforting. Its smooth custard filling and lightly tangy flavor made it both economical and satisfying.

Buttermilk pie is often grouped with other classic Southern custard pies like chess pie, but it stands out for its signature tang from buttermilk. Today, it remains a nostalgic dessert served at church potlucks, Sunday dinners, and holiday tables throughout the South.

Fun Facts

• Buttermilk pie is sometimes confused with chess pie.
• Chess pie often uses cornmeal or vinegar, while buttermilk pie relies on cultured buttermilk for its signature tang.
• Many Southern families still serve it at holidays, church gatherings, and Sunday dinners.
• It began as a humble pantry pie made from affordable staples.
• Today, it appears in Southern bakeries and upscale restaurants as a nostalgic heritage dessert.

Where to Try

The Yesterday Cafe Greensboro, Georgia

Buttermilk Sky Pie Shop Sandy Springs, Georgia

Southern Baked Pie Company Gainesville, Georgia

Recipe

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Buttermilk Pie Servings: 8 Prep: 15 minutes Bake: 45–55 minutes Difficulty: Easy Style: Southern Custard Pie

Ingredients

For the pie

• 1 unbaked 9-inch pie crust, store-bought or homemade
• 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• ½ cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• Optional: pinch of nutmeg or lemon zest for extra flavor

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven: Preheat to 350°F.
2. Place pie crust in a 9-inch pie dish and set aside.
3. Mix the filling: In a large bowl, whisk together sugar and flour.
4. Add eggs and whisk until smooth.
5. Add wet ingredients: Stir in melted butter, buttermilk, vanilla extract, and salt.
6. Mix until fully combined and creamy.
7. Fill the crust: Pour the mixture into the unbaked pie crust.
8. If desired, sprinkle a light dusting of nutmeg on top or add lemon zest.
9. Bake: Bake for 45–55 minutes.
10. The center should be set but still slightly jiggly, and the top should be golden brown.
11. Cool completely: Let the pie cool at room temperature for at least 2 hours.
12. It will continue to set as it cools.

Serving note: Do not overbake. A slight jiggle in the center is ideal, because the custard will firm up as it cools. Serve plain, chilled, or with a small dollop of whipped cream.

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