Buttermilk Pie Recipe

July 31, 2005 10:45 PM

Has anyone out there tried the Southern summer delicacy Buttermilk Pie? Is it good? Do you have a particular favorite recipe? I tried to make it once using this recipe, and failed, spectacularly.
posted by jonson to food & drink (10 comments total)

As a consequence, I've never really had professionally prepared Buttermilk Pie, so I've still got no idea if it's something I would like. Being a native of Los Angeles, I don't believe there are any places in town I could go to try it out, either. So, homemade it's gonna have to be. Hopefully the best recipes won't call for any measure of talent in the kitchen, as I am apparently culinarily retarded.
posted by jonson at 10:47 PM on July 31, 2005

My first reaction upon looking at the recipe you used: gee, that baking time doesn't seem long enough. A quick googling shows that similar recipes -- containing 3 or 4 eggs, a cup of buttermilk, and a stick of butter -- call for a significantly longer baking time.

But really, I should be asking in what way(s) your pie was defective. Too eggy-tasting? Not enough flavor? Puddles of water in the pie plate? Or...?
posted by wryly at 11:44 PM on July 31, 2005

WAY undercooked. Although now that I read your comment, I feel like Emeril is to blame!! Faux Cajun bastard! BAM!!
posted by jonson at 11:55 PM on July 31, 2005

I have a friend who is an expert in buttermilk pie. No, really. I've e-mailed her already for her recipe, which I'll post here as soon as I get it.
posted by bedhead at 1:43 AM on August 1, 2005

I try to check a number of different recipes when I'm using a recipe from the internet, because I often find mistakes. If you check five recipes, and four of them call for two eggs, for example, while the first one calls for none, chances are it's probably wrong.
posted by taz at 2:52 AM on August 1, 2005

@taz

Not necessarily - it may have been initially written for/by someone with an egg intolerance, or a vegan... and the recipe then got passed on because it was so nice.

I do, however, agree that it's worth checking multiple sources for a recipe - but only to get a sort of consensus of what things can actually be varied in a recipe; I'm dreadful for not sticking exactly to a recipe.
posted by Chunder at 3:04 AM on August 1, 2005

I've had buttermilk pie sent mail order from Royers Round Top Cafe in Texas. It was excellent. I notice they have a recipe on their site.
posted by SteveInMaine at 6:18 AM on August 1, 2005

Sometimes you may see Lemon Chess pie in diners or cafeteria type restaurants. It is very, very similar to Buttermilk pie.
posted by SoulOnIce at 10:23 AM on August 1, 2005

This is an excellent recipe! Not too sweet, not too tart, with a light hint of lemon.

Miss Daisy's Tea Room (in Nashville, TN) Buttermilk Pie
(Copycat Recipe)


1/3 cup butter (no substitutes)
1 cup sugar
3 egg yolks, beaten
3 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon grated fresh lemon rind
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
3 egg whites, stiffly beaten
1 unbaked *deep dish* 9 inch pie shell



1. Cream butter and sugar together.
2. Add egg yolks and beat well.
3. Add flour, salt, lemon juice and rind; mix thoroughly.
4. Add buttermilk and mix well.
5. Fold in beaten egg whites.
6. Pour filling into crust and bake for 10 minutes at 450 degrees.
7. Lower heat to 350 degrees and continue baking 40 minutes.
8. May need to cover crust edges with foil if it starts to get too brown.

*Tastes best if you refrigerate it overnight before eating*
*To 'fancy' it up for guests, add 1/4 cup of toasted coconut to the top*
posted by LadyBonita at 10:52 AM on August 1, 2005 [1 favorite]

I tried baking the recipe SteveInMaine linked to. It stated 300 degrees for one hour...ended up uncooked in the middle. Baked it an additional 30 minutes at 350 degrees and it came out nicely. 2 cups of sugar in it though (that's 1/4 cup per 1/8 piece!) it is unbelievably (perhaps cloyingly) sweet. I've nicknamed it "insulin pie".

Overall it was nice, but oversweet. Even if I made it with less sugar, I found that the taste/texture is similar enough to (but not as enjoyable to me as) pecan pie that I wouldn't bother trying it again. I'll just stick to the pecan pies and be thankful that I don't have nut allergies.
posted by filmgoerjuan at 1:55 PM on August 30, 2005