Buttermilk pie

A Southern American custard pie made with buttermilk, sugar, eggs and butter, with a smooth, tangy filling and a lightly browned top.

Buttermilk pie: A buttermilk pie with a smooth pale custard filling and lightly browned top, one slice removed
  • Cakes, cookies, pastries and baked goods

Buttermilk pie is a close relative of chess pie. Its filling is whisked together from pantry staples, often with a spoonful of flour or cornmeal, lemon zest, vanilla or nutmeg. It bakes in an unbaked pie shell until the edges are set and the center still jiggles slightly.

The buttermilk gives the custard a gentle tang that balances the sugar. Because it needs no fresh fruit, it was a dependable pie in any season and is sometimes grouped with other so-called desperation pies. It is served at room temperature or chilled.

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Sources

Written by VanillaGoods in our own words from these sources. Last reviewed October 15, 2026.

  1. Buttermilk Pie, University of Washington College of Arts & Sciences