Indulge in this easy southern recipe, old fashioned Chess Pie. We love this simple recipe you can have homemade in no time at all. The best pie for holidays and family get togethers.
Southern Living always features a version of this old fashioned custard pie during the holiday season like Thanksgiving and Christmas. We make it every year for one or both holidays and everyone always loves it. It's packed with flavor and kids and adults love this easy pie.
Check out our simple Water Pie for a more basic version of this pie. Or try our fan favorite cream pies like classic Banana Cream pie, Sweet Potato Pie, Cinnamon Pie, Pecan Pie, Buttermilk Pie, or Chocolate Pie.
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Ingredients
Below is a list of ingredients needed for this recipe. Follow our tips on each ingredient for best results.
- Pie crust- You can use a store bought pie crust or homemade pie crust.
- Sugar- regular granulated sugar
- Unsalted butter- if you use salted, you'll need to decrease the salt a little.
- Eggs- use room temperature eggs
- Whole milk- For best results use whole milk. You may have varied results if you use other milk. We tested this pie with a variety of milks. It didn't turn out at all with skim or 1%. 2% milk was okay but not as good and the results weren't as consistent.
- Lemon juice- Fresh or bottled lemon juice can be used for this recipe.
- Vanilla- Use pure vanilla extract, or imitation vanilla to bring all of the flavors together.
- Cornmeal- Cornmeal gives the signature texture you are looking for.
- All purpose flour- To help thicken and create that custard all purpose flour is needed.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Chess Pie
Use these process shots to help get the results you are wanting. The pictures can help with presentation and texture.
- Whisk the melted butter and sugar together until smooth.
2. Add one egg at a time to the butter mixture until a smooth mixture forms.
3. Whisk in the flour and remaining ingredients.
4. Pour the batter into a prepared pie crust.
5. Bake for 45 minutes at 350* F. It will brown and puff up but will settle when cooling.
Hint: It's best to use room temperature eggs. They rise easier than eggs straight from the refrigerator.
Substitutions and Variations
We love switching things up when we're in the kitchen. Try any of these variations for something a little different.
- Without Evaporated Milk- This is a recipe that doesn't use evaporated milk. If you want to use evaporated milk use ¼ cup and 1 teaspoon of white vinegar.
- Lemon- For a lemon chess pie, add ⅓ cup lemon juice. It is tart and lemony delicious.
- Buttermilk- substitute the milk for buttermilk at a 1:1 ratio.
- With Berries- Serve topped with berries and whipped topping.
Learn From Us
One time when making this pie, I made it in my "pretty" bowl, which goes out wide instead of tall. It splattered everywhere and made a huge mess! The batter is really liquid-y, so we recommend using a deeper bowl to avoid a huge mess.
How to Serve Chess Pie
Serve at any holiday function like Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Easter. It's a great traditional southern pie with a great custard texture. Your guest will love trying this pie alongside a Black Bottom pie; it will become a new favorite.
Storage
Store in the refrigerator. It won't go bad for at least 5 days, but we recommend eating within 2 days for the best texture.
This pie does not freeze well.
Top tip
This pie is really yummy and has a fabulous texture, but we felt like we could take it up another level. We topped it with fresh whipped cream and fresh raspberries and it took it from yummy to mouth-watering fabulous.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Chess Pie:
Recipe
Chess Pie
Equipment
- Pie Pan 9 inch
Ingredients
- 1 pie crust homemade or store bought
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted
- 4 eggs at room temperature
- ¼ cup whole milk
- 1 ½ Tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
- 2 Tablespoons cornmeal
- 1 Tablespoon all purpose flour
- 1 pinch salt (⅛ teaspoon)
- fresh raspberries optional. to serve with, see note below
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F.
- Whisk the melted butter and sugar together on medium speed until well combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add milk, lemon juice and vanilla then whisk until combined. Stir in the cornmeal, flour and salt just until combined. See photos above for a visual reference.
- Line a 9" pie plate with a pie crust then poke holes in the bottom with a fork. Pour in the filling and bake for 45-50 minutes. The edges should be set and the middle will be a little wobbly still. Remove from oven and allow to cool to room temperature before serving. Dust with powdered sugar, if desired.
Notes
- We eat ours with whipped cream and fresh raspberries and it is DIVINE! It really elevates the pie and we highly recommend it.
- Our favorite whipped cream recipe is to combine 1 cup whipping cream with 1 Tablespoon powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Whip on high until stiff peaks form.
- The batter becomes very liquid-y. Make sure you are using a bowl with high sides to prevent splattering.
- Store in the refrigerator. It won't go bad for at least 5 days, but we recommend eating within 2 days for the best texture.
- We have not tried freezing this pie, so can't recommend it.
Nutrition
FAQ
Chess pie is a yummy, smooth custard filling with a slight hint of tanginess with caramelized sugar on top, all on top of a flaky pie crust.
Chess pie is a yummy, flavorful custard. The cornmeal in it gives it a great texture and the lemon juice gives is a little pop of tartness, all combined with the caramelized sugar on top.
Chess pie is made using basic ingredients such as sugar, butter, eggs, vinegar or lemon juice. These come together to create a delicious, smooth, slightly tangy custard with a layer of caramelized sugar on top.
Chess pie and buttermilk pie are both old fashioned Southern custard style pies. While both feature a custard-like filling, chess pie traditionally incorporates sugar, eggs, butter, and a tangy component like vinegar or lemon juice, resulting in a rich, sweet-tart profile. Buttermilk pie is less tangy and a little creamier.
Virginia is known for Chess Pie. It is also traditionally associated with all of the American South. It is a delicious custard style pie with caramelized sugar on top and slight tang from the smallest hint of lemon.
Andrea says
Yum I've always wanted to a make an easy Chess Pie ever since I saw it in a Southern Living magazine. This did not disappoint, it's so good!