sophisticated.kitchencomfort food recipes

Custard pieSouthern dessert

Buttermilk · lemon · vanilla · butter crust

Homemade Buttermilk Pie

A classic Southern buttermilk pie with a flaky butter crust, lemon-bright custard filling, and a creamy set that slices cleanly after cooling.

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A golden buttermilk pie cooling in a metal pie plate.
Buttermilk pie bakes into a glossy, lemon-bright custard with a tender top and clean slices once fully cooled. Image resized in-browser from the original.Photo by Ralph H. Daily · CC BY 2.0
5reader rating
Prep
30 min
Bake
55 min
Total
1 hr 25 min
Makes
8 servings

Buttermilk pie is pantry baking with a Southern accent: a butter crust, a custard filling, and a little lemon to make the sweetness ring clearly. The recipe is simple, but the finish depends on restraint: cold butter in the crust, gentle mixing in the filling, and enough cooling time for the custard to settle into clean slices.

“Buttermilk pie is a classic Southern dessert made with simple ingredients, like buttermilk, eggs, sugar, and butter to create a custard pie.”

Chill the dough

A 30- to 60-minute rest keeps the butter firm and makes the crust easier to roll into the pie plate.

Mix the custard gently

Once the buttermilk, lemon, and vanilla go in, stir only until smooth so the filling stays silky.

Watch the wobble

Pull the pie when the edges are set and the center still moves slightly; it will continue to firm as it cools.

Ingredient editTangy set

The custard depends on balance

The filling has only a handful of ingredients, so each one has a specific job: tang, sweetness, structure, or aroma.

01

Buttermilk

The defining ingredient brings a gentle tang that keeps the sweet custard from tasting flat.

Use real buttermilk when you can; regular milk makes a softer, less distinctive pie.
02

Lemon juice

A tablespoon of fresh lemon reinforces the bright edge already present in cultured buttermilk.

Freshly squeezed lemon juice tastes cleaner in a short ingredient list like this.
03

Flour

A small amount of flour in the filling helps the custard bake into a sliceable, tender set.

Fold it in before the buttermilk so the filling can smooth out without heavy mixing.

Visual notesCreamy slices

A burnished top, a tender crust, and custard that cuts neatly once it has fully cooled.

A slice of buttermilk chess pie on a plate beside the remaining pie.
Cool the pie completely before slicing; the custard firms as it rests. Image resized in-browser from the original.Photo by Kimberly Vardeman · CC BY 2.0
Custard cue

The pie should not slosh in the middle, but it should still have a soft wobble when it leaves the oven.

A golden buttermilk pie cooling in a metal pie plate.
Buttermilk pie bakes into a glossy, lemon-bright custard with a tender top and clean slices once fully cooled. Image resized in-browser from the original.Photo by Ralph H. Daily · CC BY 2.0

Bake rhythmPie timing

From chilled crust to set custard

The hands-on work is short; the most important steps are the crust rest, the gentle fill, and the complete cool.

  1. 0:00

    Pulse the crust

    Combine flour and salt, then pulse in cold butter until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs.

  2. 0:10

    Chill the disc

    Press the dough together with ice water, shape it into a disc, and refrigerate it for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

  3. 0:40

    Beat the filling

    Cream butter and sugar, add the eggs one at a time, then fold in flour, salt, buttermilk, lemon, and vanilla.

  4. 0:55

    Roll and fill

    Fit the crust into a 9-inch pie plate, shape the rim, and pour in the prepared custard.

  5. 1:50

    Cool completely

    After a 50- to 55-minute bake, cool the pie on a rack until the custard is firm enough to slice.

Make-aheadServing

Plan for clean slices

This pie rewards a little patience before and after baking: a rested crust before the oven and a fully cooled custard before the knife.

Crust

Make and chill the crust dough earlier in the day so rolling feels relaxed instead of rushed.

Bake day

Let the filling butter and eggs come to room temperature before beating for a smoother custard.

Serving

Cool fully, slice with a thin knife, and finish with whipped cream just before serving.

Leftovers

Cover and refrigerate leftover pie; bring slices toward room temperature if you prefer a softer custard texture.

RecipePrint ready

Homemade buttermilk pie

An 8-serving custard pie baked in a butter crust and finished with whipped cream.

Buttermilk PiePieCustard PieSouthern DessertBakingAmerican

Ingredients

Butter pie crust

  • 1 1/4 cups flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup unsalted cold butter, chopped
  • 3 to 4 tablespoons ice-cold water

Buttermilk filling

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 3 large eggs, room temperature
  • 3 tablespoons flour
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

To serve

  • Whipped cream

Directions

  1. Make the pie crust: add the flour and salt to the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times.
  2. Add the chopped cold butter and process until coarse crumbs form. Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl and sprinkle the ice-cold water over the dough.
  3. Use a rubber spatula to press the dough together. Shape the dough into a disc, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
  4. Make the filling: beat the room-temperature butter and sugar in a large bowl until fluffy.
  5. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
  6. Fold in the flour and pinch of salt, stirring until smooth.
  7. Add the buttermilk, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Stir just until combined; do not overmix. Set the filling aside and preheat the oven to 350°F.
  8. Roll the chilled pie crust on a lightly floured surface until it is about 1 inch larger than a 9-inch pie plate.
  9. Drape the dough over a rolling pin and gently transfer it into the pie plate.
  10. Press the crust into the bottom and sides of the plate, trim the excess dough, and shape or pinch the rim.
  11. Pour the buttermilk filling into the prepared crust.
  12. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, until the edges are set and the center still has a gentle custard wobble.
  13. Cool the pie completely on a wire rack before slicing.
  14. Serve slices with whipped cream.

Image credits

Photography is used under open licenses with attribution: Ralph H. Daily and Kimberly Vardeman.