Buttermilk Chess Pie
This Chess Pie is a rich, creamy Southern classic elevated with browned butter, tangy buttermilk, and warm spices for absolute perfection. With its foolproof method, perfectly set custard, and melt-in-your-mouth texture, this is the only Chess Pie recipe you’ll ever need! See the post for step-by-step photos, tips, tricks, and variations.
Servings 10 servings
Ingredients
- 1 Recipe Pie Crust
- 1/2 cup (8TBS) unsalted butter, cubed
- 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons fine yellow cornmeal
- 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp EACH ground nutmeg, ground ginger, salt
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1/3 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Make Crust Dough: Prepare the crust through step 5 under "Roll the Dough." See here for the recipe. I find it’s easiest to make the dough the night before, then roll out/add it to the pie pan the next day.
- Brown Butter: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Have a large heat-proof bowl ready to transfer the butter to (large enough to mix all the custard ingredients). Melt the butter in a medium, light-colored skillet. Cook, stirring constantly, watching for golden specks forming on the bottom and a nutty aroma. Remove from heat immediately when the specks turn deep amber. Immediately pour the mixture into the large bowl because it can change from browned to burnt very quickly. Set aside to cool to room temperature. Meanwhile:
- Blind Bake: Line the pie shell with crinkled parchment paper and fill it with pie weights or dried beans (this helps prevent the crust from shrinking). Bake at 350°F for 12 minutes, then carefully remove the parchment paper and weights. Prick the bottom crust 8-10 times with a fork. Continue to bake (without the paper/weights) for 5 minutes. Set aside. You can pre-bake the crust up to 3 days in advance, cover, and refrigerate.
- Make Custard: Whisk together the ingredients, except for the eggs, with the room-temperature browned butter. In a separate medium mixing bowl, very lightly beat the eggs just until blended; don’t overmix. Add the eggs and mix until combined. Pour the custard into the prepared crust.
- Bake at 350°F for 35-45 minutes (some slow-cooking ovens can take as long as 55 minutes). Check after 20 minutes and place a piece of foil over the top if it's browning too quickly (I don't do this). Check the internal temperature for 100% accuracy. Chess pie is done baking when the internal temperature reaches 175–180°F (79–82°C) in the center. At this point, the custard should be set but still slightly jiggly in the middle—it will continue to firm up as it cools. Avoid overbaking, as this can cause the filling to crack or dry out.
- Cool: Cool on a cooling rack for 3 hours, then cover and store at room temperature for up to 2 days. For longer storage, refrigerate for up to 5 days.