Old Fashioned Buttermilk Pie Recipe, Whats Cooking America (2024)

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Buttermilk pie is a favorite Thanksgiving dessert staple in Texas. This is a delicious, old-fashioned Buttermilk Pie using basic ingredients from the pantry. Most families consider this pie their favorite holiday pie to serve especially on Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Do not be put off by the buttermilk as this is a sweet and flavorful pie with a delicate custard. It is an elegant holiday pie to serve family and friends. People love the creamy flavor of this pie which has a custard-like quality. You will see many variations of buttermilk pie adding flavors like lemon or chocolate. This version was shared by my husband’s aunt, Lila Scheer, of Vancouver, WA, This Buttermilk Pie recipe has chopped pecans sprinkled on top and it is delicious!

Some people get Chess pie and Buttermilk pie confused with each other, but there is a difference in how they are made. Only buttermilk pie uses buttermilk where chess pie does not. Chess pie also uses corn meal as one of the ingredients where buttermilk pie does not. Either way, they are both wonderful pies to enjoy!

Check out more great Pie Recipes and also History of Pies.

History of Buttermilk Pie:

Buttermilk pie is very popular in the Southern United States and some compare the flavor to creme brulee. It has strong similarities to Chess Pie with its custard texture, but Chess Pie does not contain buttermilk and it uses cornmeal. See also similarities to the Amish Sugar Cream Pies.

Buttermilk Pie is believed to have originated in England. The recipe was brought to the United States by Southern settlers. It was predominately made in Texas where they were very resourceful with buttermilk because it was in large abundance and inexpensive. When fruit was not in season, this pie could be made all year round with ingredients from the pantry (sugar, flour, butter, eggs, buttermilk). The traditional recipe for buttermilk pie calls for 2 cups of sugar which combined with the buttermilk gives the pie a very sweet and tangy flavor. In Texas, serving buttermilk pie for dessert is a Thanksgiving tradition. Many people recommend enjoying a slice of buttermilk pie with good strong coffee to cut the sweetness of the pie.

Comments by Kate Matthews of Shreport, Louisiana, a recipe contributor to Taste of Home Magazine:

“This recipe is older than I am and I was born in 1919! My mother and grandmother made this pie with buttermilk and eggs from our farm and set it on the tables at church meetings and social gatherings.”

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Old Fashioned Buttermilk Pie Recipe:

Course:Dessert

Cuisine:American

Keyword:Old Fashioned Buttermilk Pie Recipe

Servings: 1 pie

Author: What's Cooking America

Ingredients

  • Pastry for 9-inch one crust pie
  • 1 1/2cup granulatedsugar
  • 3tablespoon all-purposeflour
  • 1cupbuttermilk,divided
  • 3eggs,slightly beaten
  • 1/4cupbutter,melted
  • 1teaspoonpure vanilla extract
  • 1/2cuppecans,chopped

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Prepare pie pastry.

  2. In a large bowl, combine sugar, flour, and 1/2 cup buttermilk. Add beaten eggs and the remaining 1/2 cup buttermilk; mix well with a whisk.

  3. Mix in the melted butter and vanilla extract.

  4. Pour into prepared pie crust. Sprinkle chopped pecans over the top.

  5. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 degrees F. and bake approximately 25 to 30 minutes or until theinternal temperatureregisters at least 160 degrees F. on yourcooking thermometerand the top is lightly brown and the center is set.

  6. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack. Refrigerate after cooling.

  7. Makes 1 delicious pie.

I get many readers asking what cooking/meat thermometer that I prefer and use in my cooking and baking. I, personally, use the Thermapen Thermometer.Originally designed for professional use, the Super-Fast Thermapen Thermometer is used by chefs all over the world. I only endorse a few products, on my web site, that I like and use regularly.

You can learn more or buy yours at:Super-Fast Thermapen Thermometer.

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History References:

Published resource for buttermilk recipes, Southern Cooking by Mrs. S. R. Dull.

Homesick Texan, Buttermilk Pie, More interesting comments from readers giving some of their family history and memories with buttermilk pie

The Christian Science Monitor, Stir It Up -Thanksgiving recipe: Sorghum Buttermilk Pie, by Perre Coleman Magness.

KQED – Bay Area Bites – Culinary Rants and Raves, “Thanksgiving Dessert: Yeehaw and Buttermilk Pie with Fresh Cranberry Compote”, by Kim Laidlaw, Nov 26, 2013

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Categories:

Baking Fall Heirloom Recipes Pies Southwest Desserts Thanksgiving

Comments and Reviews

14 Responses to “Old Fashioned Buttermilk Pie Recipe”

  1. Loretta

    Thanks so much for this wonderful recipe. Our mom use to make this for us and we really enjoyed it. Since her passing in 1987 we have been trying to find this recipe . Can hardly believe after thirty years here it is. I will be making this for our Thanksgiving holiday dinner.

    Reply

    • Whats Cooking America

      It’s wonderful to find a recipe that brings warm family memories. Enjoy!

      Reply

  2. Clinton S. L inddsey

    Easy to make and is excellent in taste, everyone loves it !!

    Reply

  3. Wanda

    Very very good pie first time making this recipe but love it and will make from now on..

    Reply

  4. Patty

    Should I use salted or unsalted butter for buttermilk pie?
    Thanks, Patty

    Reply

    • Whats Cooking America

      Most bakers use unsalted butter in baking to reduce the sodium content. If you only have salted butter on hand, it will still be ok to use.

      Reply

      • Michele

        Are nuts absolutely necessary??

        Reply

        • Whats Cooking America

          No the nuts were used as a garnishment. Buttermilk pie is commonly served with no garnishment on top.

          Reply

  5. Shawn

    Deep dish pie shell or regular?

    Reply

    • Whats Cooking America

      We just bake a regular pie shell.

      Reply

  6. Patti Larson

    OMG!! This pie is FABULOUS!!! It’s my new go to pie when I need some southern comfort!! Thank you!!!

    Reply

    • Nancy

      Everyone loves Old Fashioned Buttermilk pie.

      Reply

  7. Dorothy

    Love this pie. I like the nuts because of the crunch. I often serve it with whipped cream and a little caramel sauce drizzled on top…with more nuts for garnish. Yummy

    Reply

  8. Sylvia

    I have been making this pie for 3 years. I never liked pecan pie filling so this has been my go-to pie for the holidays and any time we want a quick dessert. I use the mini pie crusts, filled with 2.5 tablespoons of the batter. Today, when I made it, I added coconut and pecans on the top. It was amazing so I will probably do this again.

    Reply

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Old Fashioned Buttermilk Pie Recipe, Whats Cooking America (2024)

FAQs

Why is my buttermilk pie watery? ›

Why is My Buttermilk Pie Runny? It may not be fully cooked, OR it may be fully cooked but not fully cooled. You want to make sure to fully let the pie cool at room temperature (at least 2 hours) before you slice it to avoid it being runny.

Why won t my buttermilk pie set? ›

Remember, this is a custard pie, which means it is not only going to continue cooking once it comes out of the oven, but it also needs time to cool and set. Custard pies need at least 2 hours to properly set before being cut into. If your Buttermilk Pie is runny, it might have been underbaked.

What's the difference between a chess pie and a buttermilk pie? ›

Chess pie is thickened with cornmeal (and sometimes a little bit of all-purpose flour!), whereas buttermilk pies uses only all-purpose flour. Many buttermilk recipes will play up the tartness, with added lemon juice and zest, giving it a pleasant citrus flavor.

What is buttermilk pie made of? ›

Buttermilk pie is one of the easiest, most irresistible pie recipes to make for Thanksgiving. Par-bake a perfect pie crust, then whisk together a simple filling of butter, eggs, sugar, flour, and buttermilk (in just one bowl).

How do I keep my pies from being runny? ›

Partially pre-cook the filling to evaporate its excess juice. Experiment with different thickeners beyond flour — we love Instant ClearJel. Vent the pie's top crust so steam from the juice can escape. For even better evaporation, try a lattice crust or crumb crust.

How do you fix a pie that didn't set? ›

Once you've noticed the problem, the only solution is to protect the crust and pop the pie back in the oven.

Why didn't my homemade buttermilk thicken? ›

Heating denatures the milk proteins, which allows the milk to coagulate and thicken more. Raw milk has not been heated; therefore, the proteins remain intact and will not coagulate the same way and cannot create a buttermilk that is as thick.

Can I use buttermilk instead of heavy cream in pie? ›

Yes, you can swap them in a recipe, but it's not as simple as switching buttermilk for heavy cream/heavy cream for buttermilk. For example, if you're replacing buttermilk with heavy cream you'll probably need to switch out your baking soda for baking powder.

What is a patsy pie? ›

The English word "pasty" derives from Medieval French (O.Fr. paste from V. Lat pasta) for a pie, filled with venison, salmon or other meat, vegetables or cheese, baked without a dish. Pasties have been mentioned in cookbooks throughout the ages.

Why is it called Shoo Fly Pie? ›

Both versions are finished with buttery, brown sugar crumbs. Pie lore offers two explanations for its unusual name. The simple one is that flies get stuck in the sticky-sweet molasses, so bakers must shoo them away. The second explanation is that the pie was named after the 19th-century “Shoofly” brand of molasses.

Why is it no longer called crack pie? ›

In the letter addressed both to consumers and employees, Tosi writes that “the old name was getting in the way” of the bakery's core mission “to spread joy and inspire celebration” — essentially making people feel unwelcome. “While change is never easy, we feel this is the right decision,” she writes.

What is funeral pie made of? ›

Vintage Funeral Pie Recipe is an old-fashioned dessert that is made from raisins, spices, and walnuts. It was traditionally made by the Amish, but this sugary pie fits right into a Southern cook's recipe box.

Which butter is good for pie? ›

“The more flavorful the butter, the more flavor your pie crust will have,” Huntsberger added. She likes using KerryGold or other cultured European butters for the richest pie crusts. Another advantage of butter is that it creates a flaky crust.

Where did buttermilk pie come from? ›

Buttermilk pie is one of those old traditional Southern desserts that goes back through generations. Surprisingly though, it's said that buttermilk pie originates from the United Kingdom.

Is buttermilk supposed to be watery? ›

Before you walk out of the store, check the buy by date or the use by date. Buttermilk should be smooth and creamy, about the same consistency as heavy cream, and it should have a tart, but pleasant tang when you taste it. A bit like kefir or very thin yogurt. It should definitely not be lumpy.

Is buttermilk supposed to be liquidy? ›

Buttermilk tends to be a little thicker than milk and it naturally has tiny lumps in it, so it's good to shake it well. Pour some into a cup and look at its consistency. It should be smooth, but if it's really thick and has clumps or chunks, the buttermilk has gone bad. The buttermilk smells strong and sour.

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