Although this pie’s roots are in the United Kingdom, it is considered a traditional pie of the South. My first introduction to buttermilk pie was in the home of Grandma Richey, my roommate’s grandmother in Texas. She constantly overindulged us with good Southern meals that always included dessert. This pie, which I included in The Twisted Soul Cookbook, was the perfect ending to Sunday supper. It’s mildly sweet with deep chocolate flavor, smooth, and custardy, with a great tang from the buttermilk.
Recipe information
Yield
Makes one 9" diameter pie
Ingredients
Crust
1
1
1¼
½
½
Filling and assembly
4
1½
1
½
2
⅓
¼
½
Preparation
Crust
Step 1
Whisk sugar, salt, and 1¼ cups (156 g) all-purpose flour in a medium bowl to combine. Using a pastry cutter or a fork, work butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Make a well in the center and pour buttermilk into well. Using a fork, stir mixture into buttermilk a little at a time until an evenly moist dough forms. Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and flatten into a thick disk. Wrap in plastic and chill at least 1 hour and up to 2 days.
Step 2
Let dough sit at room temperature 5 minutes. Unwrap and roll out on a lightly floured surface to a 12"-diameter round. Drape dough over rolling pin and transfer to a 9"-diameter pie dish. Unfurl and press gently into dish. Using kitchen shears or a small, sharp knife, trim dough so you have about ½" overhang. Fold overhang under and crimp edges as desired. Chill 30 minutes.
Filling and assembly
Step 3
Place rack in bottom third of oven; preheat to 375°. Whisk eggs and sugar in a large bowl to combine. Add buttermilk, butter, vanilla, cocoa powder, flour, and salt and whisk until smooth.
Step 4
Pour filling into chilled crust and bake 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350° and continue to bake pie until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool. Slice with a serrated knife to create clean edges. Serve topped with whipped cream.
Do ahead: Pie can be baked 2 days ahead. Cover and chill. Let sit at room temperature 10 minutes before serving.
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Reviews (30)
Back to TopWow, this was really an outstanding recipe. I didn't think it would have a great chocolate flavor using only cocoa powder but it did in spades. I used Guittard which was outstanding. The crust was very easy to roll, moist and perfect for this pie. I found that 170 degrees was the prefect temperature to remove from oven.
Andrew Rodney
Santa Fe
3/21/2021
I made this pie for my husband and his family. They are from Arkansas and do a lot of cooking with buttermilk, although I never have. They loved it! I generally struggle with making pie crusts but this one was very simple. I also found the fact that I didn't need to blind bake the crust to simplify the recipe nicely as well. My husband has already requested that I make this again in the future!
Molly Hurff Price
New York, NY
3/26/2021
Looooved this pie. Beautiful chocolate flavour, not too sweet and the buttermilk adds the perfect tanginess. The crust had a nice level of crispiness and chewiness. Whole family loved it. Will definitely make again.
Stella
Auckland, New Zealand
3/28/2021
Definitely wrap the pie crust with aluminum foil after the 15 minutes at 375!
Katherine
Sacramento, California
4/14/2021
I made this with my mom when she was visiting and while it was a fun process to bake together this pie kind of went awry. I'm not sure if my pan was too small (although it was labeled as 9"), but the filling almost overwhelmed the pie area and then the butter from the crust started to ooze out causing a lovely smoke situation in my kitchen. :) I was really excited to see how the tangy buttermilk would shine against the chocolate, but I couldn't really detect it. The custard in the end turned out weirdly gummy too. All in all though, I think these issues must have been user/baker-related and I'll may try it again another time, definitely with a larger pie dish.
Sarah A.
Arlington, VA
6/7/2021
I used the filling recipe but ditched the pie crust and used a chocolate cookie crust premade from the store, because CHOCOLATE, lol. Plus it was easier. It came out great 🤎
Biscuitboogie
Montgomery, AL
8/3/2021
Great flavor and very easy. The crust was too wet. I had to add more flour to prevent it from sticking.
Anonymous
Seattle
2/8/2022