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!
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
- 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
- Roll an unbaked pie crust out into your pie dish and crimp the edges how you like them.
- 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!).
- Whisk the butter, sugar, flour and salt until combined.
- Add the eggs, buttermilk and vanilla and whisk well until very smooth.
- Pour the filling into the pie shell and bake at 325°F until set, 40-50 minutes.
- Let the pie cool completely before cutting.
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.
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!
PrintEasy Southern Buttermilk Pie
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!
- 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
- 1 homemade pie crust
- 6 tablespoon butter
- 1 ¼ cup sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoon flour
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 3 eggs
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Heat oven to 325°F.
- Roll out pie crust and press into a pie dish.
- In a large bowl, whisk together butter, sugar, flour and salt until combined.
- Add eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla and whisk very well until smooth.
- 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.
- 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
This post was originally published December 2018 and has been updated.
Peggy Munkres says
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
Kaleigh says
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!
Dana says
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!!!!
★★★★★
Kaleigh says
Hi Dana, thanks for your comment! I'm so glad you liked it! 🙂