Buttermilk Chess Pie is a wonderfully creamy custard pie. It’s very much a Southern thing, but even us Northerners enjoy it.
Our Thanksgiving Dishes Series continues today. If you’ve missed any be sure to check them out.
When I lived at the ranch, we had a pie called buttermilk pie. It was one of my favorites. I failed to get that recipe before I left. It was one that didn’t get put in the ranch cookbook. So I searched high and low for a recipe like it and found nothing.
Several years later I picked up a cookbook that went along with a book series I had read. Flipping through the cookbook, I found Buttermilk Chess Pie. It is the same pie! The book series I was reading was the Midford series with Father Tim and the cookbook is Midford Cookbook & Kitchen Reader all by Jan Karon. I highly recommend both the series and the cookbook.
I used farm fresh eggs. They were on the small side. I had just read an article about egg size mattering. This recipe is one that it really matters. It calls for large eggs. Large eggs are approximately 57 grams or 3 1/4 Tbsp.
Since my eggs were small, I weighed them to make sure I was getting about 228 grams of egg. It took 6 eggs. If you buy farm fresh eggs, be sure you are using the right amount of eggs for this recipe. Also this pie is far more yellow than when I make it with store bought eggs. Don’t be surprised if yours isn’t so bright yellow.
Buttermilk Chess Pie

Buttermilk Chess Pie is a wonderfully creamy custard pie. It's very much a Southern thing, but even us Northerners enjoy it.
Ingredients
- 1 pie crust
- 1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 3 Tbsp flour
- 4 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Dash ground nutmeg
- Dash salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400.
- Place pie crust in 9" pie plate. Place on a baking sheet and set aside.
- In mixer, combine flour and sugar. Add eggs, mix well. Add butter and buttermilk. Combine well. Add lemon juice, vanilla, nutmeg and salt.
- Pull oven rack out as far as it will go. Place baking sheet with pie plate on rack. Pour filling into pie crust. Carefully push rack back into oven.
- Bake for 15 minutes at 400. Reduced heat to 350 and bake another 35 to 40 minutes or until light golden brown on top.
- Place on a cooling rack. Cool completely before serving.
- Enjoy
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 381Total Fat: 20gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 125mgSodium: 295mgCarbohydrates: 46gFiber: 1gSugar: 34gProtein: 6g

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Andi G.
Thursday 14th of November 2013
I have never had a buttermilk pie, but this really makes me want to try it! Maybe it will be a new dessert at our Thanksgiving dinner this year. Thanks for sharing this with us at Saturday Night Fever!
Kerry C
Thursday 21st of November 2013
Thanks for popping over to our blog. We love sharing our recipes and going on with everyone.
Joy
Monday 11th of November 2013
Kerry, pie is my favorite food, and yours looks delicious. I've had chess pie, and I've had buttermilk pie, but never a buttermilk chess pie. This one is next on my list!! I'm glad you made the note about using different size eggs- good to know!
Visiting from the Sweet Tea Social,
Love, Joy
Kerry C
Thursday 21st of November 2013
I've never had chess pie. But I imagine it's lot like this one. I may have to make a chess pie sometime to find out the difference. This one was good though. I ate it myself. :)