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Scrumptious buttermilk pie has a flaky pastry crust and creamy, custard-like filling that comes together in 5 minutes!

There is nothing more homey than a fresh-baked pie. For more old-fashioned pies, try Banana Cream Pie, Cherry Pie, and Sugar Cream Pie.

Buttermilk Pie slice served on white plate.
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Buttermilk Pie Vs Chess Pie

This Southern Buttermilk Pie recipe is so easy to make! Aside from the buttermilk, it calls for ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry.

It has a flaky pie crust with a creamy custard filling that is both sweet and tangy. It’s one of the most deliciously classic southern desserts.

So, what’s the difference between buttermilk and chess pie? They look very similar, but buttermilk pie typically has zest and vanilla in the filling, while chess pie typically does not include those and has cornmeal in the filling.

It can be served room temperature, cold or even warmed up. It basically tastes yummy no matter how you serve it!

How to make Buttermilk Pie

This recipe takes a few steps, but it’s simple nonetheless.

FILLING. Beat butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl till creamy. Add the flour, salt, and eggs and beat well. Add buttermilk, lemon juice, and vanilla; blend well.

CRUST. Pour filling into a 9″ pastry crust (or homemade pie crust). Place the pie pan on a cookie sheet. The filling puffs up quite a bit, so the pan will catch any drips. A deep dish pie pan will help prevent any overflow, so that’s what I like to use.

BAKE. Bake at 350° for about 55 minutes or till all but the very center of the pie is set and the top is golden brown. We actually like ours browned a little more than this, so the second time I made it I moved my oven rack up. That’s a matter of personal preference though.

COOL. When it’s done to your liking, remove from oven and place on a cooling rack, for about 30 minutes, then cover and place the refrigerator. Chill for 2-3 hours, it will continue to set up as it cools.

SERVE. You can serve it cold at or at room temperature. I like it best served at room temperature or slightly warm.

Easiest way to serve pie

A 9 inch pie can be cut into 6 generous slices or 8 smaller slices. 

  • Score. Use a large serrated knife, one that is bigger than the pie plate, and score the top of the pie.
    • To score a pie: place the serrated knife so that it is running across the center of the pie, as if you are going to cut it in half. Press down. The pie plate will keep the knife from going all the way through but you will cut the outer crust as well as make a “scoring mark” over the cream filling. Turn the pie and repeat to make 6 or 8 scoring slices
  • Slice. Now you slice through the pie. Use a paring knife to cut all the way through the pie following the scoring marks. Wipe the blade clean after each cut. 
  • Serve. Use a pie server, one that has a bend, to easily lift each slice out of the pie plate.
Buttermilk pie process image in pie pan.

Recipe tips

Fresh lemon juice v bottled. I’ve made this pie with both fresh lemon juice and refrigerated lemon juice in a bottle. I love lemons, so I love the fresh lemon flavor from the lemons. But of course it is still tasty with bottled lemon juice.

Pastry Crust. We used an unbaked pie crust for this recipe. Of course, you can use your favorite pie crust recipe or try out this Homemade Pie Crust. If for some reason the edges of the pie crust are browning too quickly, you can lightly wrap a piece of aluminum foil around the circumference of the pie. Cover only the crust and not the filling. 

Buttermilk is a key ingredient for this recipe and I suggest buying a carton of the real thing to really capture the tangy flavor that it produces. If you’re in a pinch you can make a Buttermilk Substitute

Topping. As with most pies, a dollop of whipped cream makes a delicious topping for this dessert. You can also add fresh berries, sprinkle on nutmeg or drizzle with caramel or chocolate sauce.

Buttermilk pie baked in pie dish.

Storing info

STORE any leftover pie covered tightly in the refrigerator. It’s best served the same day, but it will last for two or three days in the fridge if covered and stored properly. Reheat. If wanting a warm slice of pie, just reheat in the microwave at 30 second intervals. Or just enjoy cold.

FREEZE in a freezer-safe Ziploc bag and place in the freezer for up to 2 months. When ready to serve, let it thaw in the fridge overnight and serve as is.

Nothing beats a slice of old-fashioned Buttermilk Pie! We hope you love this sweet treat.

Old-Fashioned Buttermilk pie slice on a white plate.

Recipe FAQ

Can buttermilk pie sit out, or does it need to be refrigerated?

I like to play it safe and only let pie sit at room temperature for a couple hours. After that, I keep it in the refrigerator. See the “Storing Info” section above for more details.

Can I use homemade pie crust?

We used an unbaked 9″ pie crust, but you can absolutely use a Homemade Pie Crust.

What if my crust is starting to brown but the pie isn’t done baking?

If you notice the edges of your crust browning too much, you can cover the crust either with foil (only the circumference of the pie, not the center), or use a pie ring. This will keep it from burning while the filling finished cooking.

For more pie recipes, check out:

4.99 from 588 votes

Buttermilk Pie Recipe

By: Lil’ Luna
Scrumptious buttermilk pie has a flaky pastry crust and creamy, custard like filling that comes together in 5 minutes!
Servings: 8 servings
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 55 minutes
Total: 1 hour

Ingredients 

Instructions 

  • Beat butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl till creamy.
  • Add flour, salt, and eggs. Beat till smooth. Add buttermilk, lemon juice, and vanilla and blend well. (Mixture may appear curdled.)
  • Pour filling into a 9″ pie crust. I like to use a deep dish.
  • Place pie pan on a cookie sheet and place in an oven that has been preheated to 350°. Bake for 50-55 minutes or till lightly browned on top and mostly set.
  • Place pie on a cooling rack to cool. Serve at room temperature, and refrigerate any leftovers.

Video

Notes

STORE any leftover pie covered tightly in the refrigerator. It’s best served the same day, but it will last for two or three days in the fridge if covered and stored properly.
REHEAT. If wanting a warm slice of pie, just reheat in the microwave at 30 second intervals. Or just enjoy cold.
FREEZE in a freezer-safe Ziploc bag and place in the freezer for up to 2 months. When ready to serve, let it thaw in the fridge overnight and serve as is.

Nutrition

Calories: 284kcal, Carbohydrates: 35g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 14g, Saturated Fat: 8g, Cholesterol: 112mg, Sodium: 236mg, Potassium: 69mg, Sugar: 32g, Vitamin A: 520IU, Vitamin C: 0.7mg, Calcium: 50mg, Iron: 0.5mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

About Kara

Hi! I'm Kara from Creations by Kara, and I'm addicted to creating pretty and yummy things. I love sharing home decor ideas, DIY projects, tasty recipes, and simple tips! I hope that I am inspiring women everywhere to use their creativity to build a better life.

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4.99 from 588 votes (519 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




145 Comments

  1. Melissa Crumrine says:

    5 stars
    Perfect recipe. Thank you.

    1. Janet says:

      This was the worst recipe ever the pie never set. I have tried many recipes and only found one that work for me. And this definitely wasn’t it

      1. Lil'Luna Team says:

        Sorry to hear you didn’t enjoy it. Thanks for giving the recipe a try!

  2. Rosiehunt says:

    5 stars
    Make everything so simple with this recipe.Thank you.

  3. trish says:

    Can you use the powder buttermilk? Or is fresh best? Thank you

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      We use fresh for the recipe, so I’d recommend that. I haven’t tried powder buttermilk in this one. But you could certainly give it a try and let us know how it turns out.

  4. Disne says:

    I add pecans taste is so close to pecan pie thanks

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      You’re welcome! That sounds like a delicious addition. Glad you enjoyed the pie!

  5. K G says:

    5 stars
    Easy and fast to put together

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      Yes! We are all about easy and delicious! 🙂

  6. elizabeth shoebridge says:

    5 stars
    Absolutely amazing pie. It’s like a Portuguese tart only so so much better. I made it deep too and just used my fave quiche pastry leaving out the salt and putting in a tablespoon of icing sugar – blind bake for 10 min. I did the vinegar version of the substitute and i halved the quantities which is enough for 4 serves- use the half egg in the pastry. I will be making this again for sure. thanks so much for sharing this, I heard it mentioned on a podcast I was listening to and just had to investigate. so glad I did.

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      So glad you liked the pie and it sounds like your adjustments turned out great as well. Thanks for sharing!

  7. Kathy says:

    I tried this recipe for the second time today. First time was with home made pie crust, today i tried frozen pie crust. I followed the directions to the T but both pies came out wet and soggy. Please tell me what I’m doing wrong to cause this. No one else seems to be having this issue.

    1. LilLunaTeam says:

      I’m sorry the crusts didn’t turn out the way you had hoped. There are a couple things you could try. Creating a thicker crust might help prevent sogginess. You also may want to try partially prebaking your crust for 4-5 minutes and then adding the filling. Hope this helps!

    2. Diane Carpenter says:

      5 stars
      Absolutely delicious 😋 and easy to make.
      Thank you

    3. Elizabeth B says:

      I wonder if there’s some instruction missing about the timing of cooling it to serve. The overall time is one hour, but the narrative above makes it sound like I need to refrigerate it for a few hours before serving.

  8. Desiree Martin says:

    Can I use froze pie crust? If so do I thaw it first?

    1. LilLunaTeam says:

      Yes you can! Just make sure it is thawed first and you should be good to go!

  9. Raymond Johnson says:

    5 stars
    I just tried a slice today, from my Coworker, and it was delicious. Going to bake maybe 2 for my family real soon

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      Glad you tried it! I hope your family likes it! Thank you!

  10. Julie says:

    I have a lot of buttermilk to use up and I was thinking of making 2 pies. Would I have to bake them longer on account of 2? Also can the 2nd one be frozen? Thanks ~

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      They may need a little more time, but not sure how much longer. Yes, you can freeze in a freezer-safe Ziploc bag and place in the freezer for up to 2 months. When ready to serve, let it thaw in the fridge overnight and serve as is.

    2. Margi Leininger says:

      5 stars
      I don’t know how anyone could NOT love this pie. I add an extra tablespoon of flour to mine, maybe because I’m at higher elevation. And it takes 55-60 minutes. Lost my recipe and I think this is what I had or pretty close!