Buttermilk Pie

I love making this classic Southern buttermilk pie because it’s so easy to make. You don’t need any special equipment and you might even have all the ingredients already! You simply whisk together a simple custard filling, pour it into a homemade or store-bought pie crust, and bake for an hour! It doesn’t get easier than this. It’s the perfect pie for beginners. If you want another easy pie recipe, then try my chocolate chess pie recipe, cherry pie recipe, or apple cranberry pie recipe.

What You Need to Make This Recipe

Eggs — the three eggs help create the custard-like texture of the pie filling. Flour — a bit of all-purpose flour whisked into the filling helps the custard firm up. Lemon juice — for the best flavor, I highly recommend using fresh lemon juice over bottled juice. Nutmeg — a pinch of nutmeg adds a lovely warm spice to the filling. Buttermilk — buttermilk pie is very similar to a classic custard pie. The difference is using buttermilk, which gives the pie its signature tangy flavor. Don’t have any on hand? You can make buttermilk at home with milk and some lemon juice or vinegar. Vanilla — use real vanilla extract over artificial extract for the best flavor. You can also give my recipe for homemade vanilla extract a try. Butter — whisking in melted butter adds a wonderful rich flavor. Pie crust — I use my recipe for homemade pie crust as I always have some in my freezer. It’s buttery, flakey, and comes together quickly. Alternatively, you can use store-bought pie crust.

How to Make Buttermilk Pie

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar and eggs.
2. Whisk until well combined. Sprinkle in the flour, then add the lemon zest, salt, and nutmeg, and whisk to combine.
3. Pour in the buttermilk, lemon juice, and vanilla extract
4. Whisk well to combine.
5. Whisk in the melted butter.
6. Whisk to combine.
7. Pour the filling into the prepared pie crust in a pie pan.
8. Brush the edge with an egg wash for a more golden crust if desired. Bake for about 40 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the center barely wobbles when gently shaken. Loosely wrap the edge of the pie crust with foil after about 20 minutes of baking it is browning too quickly. Allow to cool completely before slicing. Top each serving with a dollop of whipped cream.

Pro Tips for Making This Recipe

Allow the pie to cool. You have to allow the pie to cool completely before slicing. The buttermilk pie will firm up as it cools. The filling will be runny if you don’t allow the pie to cool. Blind bake if using homemade dough. If using homemade pie dough, I recommend blind baking the crust for a crisp and flaky shell. To blind bake, roll a disk of homemade dough into a 14-inch circle, line a 9-inch deep-dish pie pan, crimp the edges, and freeze the crust for 20 minutes. Line with parchment paper and fill with weights. Bake for 20 minutes at 425°F. Remove parchment and weights and let cool before proceeding with the filling. Store-bought crusts like preshaped frozen pie shells or Pillsbury pie crust sheets do not need to be blind-baked. Bring cold ingredients to room temperature. It’s best to bring the eggs to room temperature before making the filling so they incorporate into the filling easily. Don’t overmix! When making the pie filling, be careful not to overmix, or the filling may come out rubbery.

If you’ve tried this Buttermilk Pie recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!