A favorite Southern dessert, this classic buttermilk pie recipe is easy to make. It’s a sweet and tangy custard pie made with buttermilk, whipped egg whites, and sugar. You don’t need to cook the custard first. It bakes right in the buttery, flaky homemade pie crust!
From pecan pie to buttery chocolate chess pie, it’s hard to rival the South when it comes to homemade pie.
From brownies to banana bread, I love how buttermilk adds depth to so many of my favorite desserts. So, it was no surprise that I devoured my first slice of homemade buttermilk pie and immediately went in for seconds. The flavor of this creamy custard pie is so unique and delicious: Sweet and buttery, with a golden, tangy, buttermilk-rich filling. It’s a wonderful holiday pie recipe, perfect for Easter and Mother’s Day, or as an option next to our pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving dessert.
Buttermilk pie looks similar to a chess pie. Both are classic Southern dessert recipes, but a chess pie is typically thicker and contains cornmeal, with tanginess from vinegar. Meanwhile, this buttermilk pie recipe uses whipped egg whites for a light, smooth texture, with just a hint of tang from buttermilk and lemon juice.
What Makes This a Perfect Buttermilk Pie Recipe
- You don’t need to cook the eggs for the custard, as you’ll bake them right in the pie.
- What does it taste like? Smooth and rich, while buttermilk adds a mild, pleasant tang to the otherwise sweet and creamy vanilla custard filling.
- This pie comes out perfectly with a store-bought or from-scratch flaky pie crust.
- Whipped egg whites lighten up the pie filling. The results are melt-in-your-mouth.
- Even with the extra step to whip the egg whites, this is an easy homemade pie with only 20 minutes of prep.
Ingredients You’ll Need
The ingredients in this sweet and tangy pie are super simple and likely already in the pantry. Here are notes on what you’ll need. Scroll down to the recipe card for a printable list with recipe amounts and details.
- Buttermilk – I use low-fat buttermilk, but any kind will work. Traditionally, buttermilk is the liquid leftover after butter-making. Modern buttermilk is a cultured, fermented dairy product with a thicker consistency and tart flavor.
- Eggs – Separate the egg yolks from the whites, and let them come to room temperature afterward.
- Pie Dough – If time allows, I love making this pie with a homemade flaky pie crust. That being said, it turns out perfectly with store-bought refrigerated pie dough, too.
- Butter – Melted in the microwave. I prefer to bake with salted butter, but you can use unsalted if you’d like.
- Dry Ingredients – All-purpose flour, granulated sugar, and salt. You could substitute light brown sugar for a deeper caramelized flavor.
- Lemon – You’ll need fresh lemon zest and juice. Zest the lemon before you juice it. In a pinch, you could use bottled lemon juice instead.
- Powdered Sugar – For dusting over the finished pie.
How to Make a Homemade Buttermilk Substitute
It happens to the best of us. You plan to make buttermilk pancakes or a buttermilk pie, only to realize you’re short one key ingredient: Buttermilk! When this happens, I make easy homemade buttermilk that works as a 1:1 substitute in recipes.
- Combine a scant cup of whole milk with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice (or white vinegar).
- Let the mixture sit and curdle at room temperature for 10 minutes, then stir. Your buttermilk replacement is ready to use!
How to Make Classic Buttermilk Pie
Ready to assemble and bake this old-fashioned buttermilk pie? Follow the steps below. You’ll find the complete, printable recipe instructions in the recipe card after the post.
Par-Bake the Pie Crust
First, you’ll need to prep and par-bake the crust (also called a “blind-bake”) before making your pie. Blind baking makes a sturdier crust for pies with looser fillings, like this buttermilk pie and banana cream pie.
- Roll out the pie crust. First, roll out your pie dough and press it into the bottom of a 9-inch pie plate. Prick the crust all over with a fork, then line it with parchment paper and add pie weights (you can also use dried beans).
- Parbake the crust. Bake the crust at 350ºF for 20 minutes, until it’s golden at the edges. Now, remove the pie weights and parchment paper and return the crust to the oven for another 10 minutes.
Make the Buttermilk Pie Filling
After baking, the crust will need to cool completely before you fill it.
- Prepare the filling. Start by whisking the butter and sugar together in the bowl of your mixer. Once smooth, add the egg yolks and beat for another minute. Then, mix in flour, lemon juice, zest, and a little salt. Lastly, add the buttermilk, mixing until everything is evenly incorporated.
- Add the egg whites. Transfer the mixture to a new bowl and clean your mixer’s bowl and whisk attachment. Afterward, whisk the egg whites until they form stiff peaks. Slowly fold the whipped whites into the filling mixture.
- Bake. Finally, pour the filling into your parbaked pie crust and place the pie on a baking sheet. Bake for 45-50 minutes at 350ºF until it’s set at the edges, and the center still jiggles a little, just like you’d look for in a cheesecake.
- Cool and serve. Leave the pie to cool to room temperature, then dust with powdered sugar before slicing and serving.
Tips for the Best Buttermilk Pie
- Use room-temperature ingredients. Let the buttermilk and eggs come to room temperature before you combine them with the other filling ingredients. This way, the custard will be smooth without any clumps.
- Incorporate the ingredients gradually. You’ll notice that the filling recipe brings the ingredients together in stages: first the butter and sugar, then the yolks, then the dry ingredients, and finally the egg whites. This ensures that the filling is fully combined without overmixing once the flour gets added.
- Parbake the pie crust. Blind baking the pie crust is crucial to preventing the crust from becoming soggy underneath the filling. Don’t skip this step!
- If the crust is browning too quickly in the oven, cover the edges with a pie shield or aluminum foil while the pie finishes baking.
Serving Buttermilk Pie
I love serving my pie slices with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of homemade ice cream. You can also drizzle your buttermilk pie with microwave caramel sauce or strawberry sauce or top it with fresh berries.
How to Store
- Refrigerate. Store leftover buttermilk pie covered airtight in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Freeze. Alternatively, you can freeze the baked pie airtight for up to 2 months. Allow it to cool completely before you freeze it. Thaw the pie at room temperature or in the fridge, then dust with sugar and serve.
More Easy Pie Recipes
Buttermilk Pie
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 80 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Pies
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
This classic buttermilk pie is easy to make! It’s a sweet and tangy custard pie recipe made with buttermilk, whipped egg whites, and sugar. You don’t need to cook the custard first; just bake it right in the flaky pie crust.
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups low-fat buttermilk, room temperature
- 2 large eggs, separated at room temperature
- 1 round of premade or homemade pie dough
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- Powdered sugar, for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Bake the crust: Place the pie dough into a 9-inch pie plate and crimp the edges. (You might need to roll out a premade dough slightly). Pierce the pie dough all over with a fork. Line the dough with foil or parchment, then fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until the edges are golden, about 20 minutes. Remove the parchment and weights and continue baking until lightly golden all over, about 10 more minutes. Allow the pie crust to cool completely.
- Make the Filling: In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, mix the butter and sugar on medium-high speed for 1 minute. Add in the 2 egg yolks and beat until pale and thick, 1 minute. Reduce the speed to medium-low and add the flour, lemon juice, lemon zest, and salt, and beat until just incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Increase the speed to medium-high and slowly pour in the buttermilk and mix until incorporated. Transfer this mixture into a large bowl and set aside.
- Clean the bowl of the mixer and whisk attachment. Add in the egg whites and beat on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, about 4 minutes. Slowly fold the egg whites into the yolk mixture until no white streaks remain. Pour the filling into the prepared crust.
- Place the pie plate onto a baking sheet and bake for 45 – 50 minutes, or until golden and set around the edges. The center will still jiggle slightly.
- Allow the pie to cool completely and then dust with powdered sugar just before serving.
Notes
- Store leftover pie airtight in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Freeze airtight for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature or in the refrigerator.
