Buttermilk Pie

Buttermilk pie is the South’s simplest and most beloved custard pie — a silky, tangy filling of buttermilk, sugar, eggs, and butter baked in a flaky crust, with a golden top and a custardy center that tastes like a cross between cheesecake and a sugar pie. It has been a Southern table staple for over a century, prized because the ingredients are always in the pantry and the result is always comforting.

Why this recipe works: The buttermilk is the whole trick: its gentle tang cuts the sugar’s sweetness and gives the custard a bright, slightly cheesy flavor that plain milk cannot match. The filling is barely thickened — eggs and a little flour or cornmeal — so it bakes into a silky, wobbling custard under a lightly golden top, like the inside of a perfect cheesecake.

Key ingredients

• Buttermilk: the signature tang — do not substitute regular milk.
• Sugar and eggs: the custard.
• Butter: melted and whisked in.
• A little flour or cornmeal and vanilla: structure and perfume.
• A flaky pie crust: unbaked.

Tips for the perfect buttermilk pie

Whisk the filling until smooth but do not overbeat — too much air makes the top crack. Pour into an unbaked crust and bake at 350°F until the edges are set and golden and the center still has a gentle wobble, 40 to 50 minutes; it finishes setting as it cools. Cool completely on a rack before slicing. Serve at room temperature, plain or with a dusting of nutmeg and a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Variations and storage

Add lemon zest, a pinch of nutmeg, or a spoonful of bourbon to the filling. Buttermilk pie keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge and freezes well for 2 months — thaw in the fridge and serve chilled or at room temperature.

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