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Home » Recipes » Desserts

By Kaleigh McMordie - December 17, 2018, Updated November 23, 2021

Easy Southern Buttermilk Pie

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slice of buttermilk pie topped with whipped cream next to a black fork on a stack of plates with text overlay.

Southern buttermilk pie is a smooth, rich, and custard pie that's super easy to make, whether for the holidays or for a hot summer day!

overhead view of a sliced buttermilk pie topped with whipped cream in a white pie dish surrounded by a pie server, black forks, and a white linen.

Buttermilk pie is Mr. Table's favorite dessert. I had no idea, when on our first Thanksgiving together, he requested buttermilk pie. I had never heard of such a thing, but I found a recipe and made it just for him. And I must admit, it was delicious! I've since perfected my own recipe for this classic Southern pie.

Why You'll Love This Buttermilk Pie

Filled with a rich, tangy custard that has a tissue-thin layer of crunchy sugar top, buttermilk pie couldn't be any easier to make. Simply whisk up the simple 6 ingredient filling and pour it into an unbaked pie dish. The smooth, creamy pie with hints of vanilla is just divine with a dollop of homemade whipped cream on top.

The Ingredients

overhead view of ingredients needed to make buttermilk pie on a white marble background.
  • Unbaked pie crust - I use my whole wheat pie crust. If your pie dish is larger than 9 inches or very deep, you'll need a little extra so that it doesn't shrink.
  • Butter - I always use salted because I like the contrast in super sweet desserts.
  • Sugar
  • Flour - Just enough to thicken up the filling so it will set right.
  • Eggs
  • Buttermilk - Low fat, full fat. It all works. All buttermilk sold in grocery stores will say 'cultured buttermilk'. That's what you need.
  • Vanilla - If you have it, vanilla bean paste makes the pie extra special and delicious.

How To Make It

six image collage showing steps for making southern buttermilk pie.
  1. Roll an unbaked pie crust out into your pie dish and crimp the edges how you like them.
  2. Melt the butter in the microwave and let it cool slightly. I melt it right in the bowl I'm mixing everything in (just make sure it's microwave safe!).
  3. Whisk the butter, sugar, flour and salt until combined.
  4. Add the eggs, buttermilk and vanilla and whisk well until very smooth.
  5. Pour the filling into the pie shell and bake at 325°F until set, 40-50 minutes.
  6. Let the pie cool completely before cutting.
sliced southern buttermilk pie in a white pie dish with whipped cream on top on a black cooling rack.

Tips For Perfect Pie

  • If the top is starting to look too golden before the center is set, cover it loosely with foil while you continue to cook it.
  • Let the pie cool at room temperature. Quickly cooling it in the refrigerator could cause sinking and cracking.
  • If you're using the measurements for a larger pie dish, make sure you also use more crust so that the crust doesn't shrink. Otherwise, the filling could seep over the crust and go behind it between the crust and the dish.

Can It Be Made In Advance?

Buttermilk pie is great for making in advance because the filling needs to cool completely to set up before you slice it. Make it up to once day in advance and leave on the counter, or store for up to 3 days in advance in the refrigerator, covered tightly.

slice of buttermilk pie topped with whipped cream next to a black fork on a stack of plates.

More Delicious Pie Recipes

  • Homemade Pecan Pie (Without Corn Syrup)
  • Whole Wheat Apple Crumb Pie
  • Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie (Without Corn Syrup)
  • Butternut Squash Tart with Gingersnap Crust and Maple Coconut Whipped Cream

Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating in the comments!

Print

Easy Southern Buttermilk Pie

slice of buttermilk pie topped with whipped cream next to a black fork on a stack of plates.
Print Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

Southern buttermilk pie is a smooth, rich, and custard pie that's super easy to make, whether for the holidays or for a hot summer day!

  • Author: Kaleigh
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 50 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour
  • Yield: 1 standard 9-inch pie 1x
  • Category: dessert
  • Method: baked
  • Cuisine: Southern

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 homemade pie crust
  • 6 tbsp butter
  • 1 ¼ cup sugar
  • 1 ½ tbsp flour
  • ⅛ tsp salt
  • 3 eggs
  • ½ cup buttermilk
  • 1 ½ tsp vanilla

Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 325°F.
  2. Roll out pie crust and press into a pie dish.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together butter, sugar, flour and salt until combined.
  4. Add eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla and whisk very well until smooth.
  5. Pour filling into unbaked pie crust. Bake pie 40-50 minutes, or until center is set. If the top starts to get too brown, cover it lightly with foil.
  6. Remove from oven and cool completely before cutting.

Notes

  • Store leftover pie in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 4 days.
  • If the top is starting to look too golden before the center is set, cover it loosely with foil while you continue to cook it.
  • Let the pie cool at room temperature. Quickly cooling it in the refrigerator could cause sinking and cracking.
  • If you're using the measurements for a larger pie dish, make sure you also use more crust so that the crust doesn't shrink. Otherwise, the filling could seep over the crust and go behind it between the crust and the dish.

For a large (10 inch) pie or a very deep dish, use the following measurements and bake 55-65 minutes, checking for doneness around 50 minutes:

  • 1 stick butter, melted and cooled
  • 1 ¾ cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour (or white whole wheat flour)
  • 4 large eggs
  • ¾ cup buttermilk
  • 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon salt

Keywords: easy buttermilk pie, southern buttermilk pie, the best buttermilk pie

Did you make this recipe?

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This post was originally published December 2018 and has been updated.

« Brown Butter Sage Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Easy Gingerbread Syrup »

About Kaleigh McMordie

Kaleigh McMordie, MCN, RDN, LD, is a Registered Dietitian and Licensed Dietitian in Abilene, Texas, as well as a member of the Baby Led Weaning Dietitians Network. Kaleigh can be found at kaleighmcmordie.com.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Gwen says

    December 15, 2021 at 5:16 pm

    My mom used to make this pie for me every holiday. As she aged I kept asking for the recipe so I could make it for myself, she had forgotten it! So I found your recipe and made now my whole family, and friends are hooked! I have nine of these to make for Christmas and I can’t eat any due to health issues. Thanks for sharing your recipe, I shall eat it again😁

    Reply
  2. Peggy Munkres says

    November 03, 2021 at 9:52 am

    I made a buttermilk pie recently from an old recipe of mine.They had always turned out good until I bought a container of buttermilk\at Walmart that said cultured. Is all buttermilk cultured? This was so strong that it tasted horrible

    Reply
    • Kaleigh says

      November 03, 2021 at 12:54 pm

      Hi Peggy, If it's sold in grocery stores it's cultured buttermilk. We don't find this pie to have a super strong taste. You may make sure it's not expired as old buttermilk doesn't smell that different but tastes awful!

      Reply
  3. Dana says

    December 19, 2020 at 3:32 pm

    OMG! I’ve never tried Buttermilk Pie before but it is my boyfriends favorite pie so I thought I’d make him one! I printed this recipe, mixed, poured and waited patiently for it to cook. Cooked and placed in the refrigerator. It’s ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS!!!! I’m hooked. Needless to say I make it often now. My boyfriend can’t get enough and asks for it regularly!!!!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Kaleigh says

      December 20, 2020 at 6:59 am

      Hi Dana, thanks for your comment! I'm so glad you liked it! 🙂

      Reply

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