Update: I just got a lovely note from Barbara Duke, one of the authors of Panache at Rose Hill. Here’s what she has to say about this lovely pie!
I just woke up from one of those sloppy weekend naps. It was the kind of nap that left my face barely recognizable from marks from the pillow case folds. It was the kind of nap that might very well have taken place in the back seat of my car, at 173 degrees F. I feel like, lying here in my bedroom on this summer afternoon I may have just baked my brain. I can’t blog bout that, that’s not good for you.
I just took the kind of nap that makes me wish I could take it all back. It now feels like a mistake. I might have just felt better if I stood in the road and waited for Mac truck to hit me. I just took the kind of tragic, unforgiving nap that can only be healed with creamy coffee and buttermilk pie with warm blackberry sauce.
Keep reading, I have a story to tell you about this pie.
I met this girl. Ok, maybe ‘met’ is a strong work. She’s in Alabama, I’m in California. We’re blog buddies. Her name is Evan and she might be one of the most darling people of the face of the planet. Evan has a new blog called Buttercakes by Evan. If you love me at all you’ll hop on over there right now and show Evan some love.
Evan was recently kind enough to send me her grandmothers cookbook Panache at Rose Hill. See, Evan’s grandmother and her business partner bought a southern planters home of 25 acres of land. With a few loans, help from husbands, and a lot of elbow grease, they transformed the home into a beautiful restaurant and event site. The cookbook is an account of that journey, a brief history of the land and the house, and an absolutely amazing Southern cookbook.
I’m so honored to have this book. Thank you so much Evan.
I knew I had to try the Buttermilk Pie with Warm Blackberry Sauce. It sounded like the perfect southern treat. The pie bakes up pale and sweet, with just a hint of tang from the buttermilk. I served mine chilled with warm blackberry sauce. It’s gorgeous. Right now, it’s just the thing to cure my nap hangover.
Thank you Evan. Thank you bunches!
Buttermilk Pie with Warm Blackberry Sauce
3 large eggs
1 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 stick melted butter, slightly cooled.
1 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons pur vanilla extrct
1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell
Beat eggs slightly. Mix sugar and flour well and add to the eggs. Mix until creamy. Add melted butter, mixing well. Add buttermilk and vanilla extract. Bake at 325 degrees F for 45 minutes to 1 hour (my pie took about 1 hour and 15 minutes) until the custard sets. Tip: the custard will still jiggle a bit in the oven even when it’s set. Just make sure that the middle does not jiggle a lot more than the sides. That means it needs more time.
Blackberry Sauce
1/2 cup seedless blackberry preserves
1 Tablespoon Chamborde liqueur, also consider orange liqueur or a bit of Triple Sec
Pour the preserves in a saucepan and arm on medium heat, stirring constantly with wire whip until smooth. Remove from heat and add liqueur. Let cool slightly and drizzle over pie.
Pie Dough
2 sticks (8 ounces) cold unsalted butter
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup buttermilk, cold
Cut butter into 1 inch pieces and place in the freezer to chill for 15 minutes.
Sift together the flour and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Sifting eliminates lumps and aerates the mixture, making the dough tender and lighter. Add the partially frozen butter and the salt. Mix on low speed for 2 minutes, or until the butter is reduced to the size of broken walnut meats. Stop the machine and by hand pinch flat any large pieces of butter that remain.
Turn the mixer on low speed and add the buttermilk all at once. Mix until the dough comes together, about 15 seconds. The dough should be tacky, but not sticky, and still rather shaggy.
Remove the dough from the bowl and quickly form into a rough disk. Wrap in plastic. Try not to overowrk the dough. Chill for at least 1 hour before rolling out. At this point the dough will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 weeks. For freezing roll the dough into sheets and wrap them in airtight plastic film first.
100 Responses
Oh Joy The Baker — I made this amazing pie yesterday and it was phenomenal. So good! Thank you for sharing this fantastic recipe! XX
thanks its very helpful.
I made this pie and it was awesome. I used brown butter and put orange juice in the crust. it rocked my world.
My friend Aaron said to me the other day, “have you ever heard of buttermilk pie? I ate one in TX recently and it was heavenly”. I immediately remembered your recipe and we decided to make it. This pie, oh my goodness. So simple, but so good. So good. And the crust – out of this world!! Thank you! :)
I made this today and loved it. LOVED it. When I told my boyfriend I was baking a buttermilk pie he pulled a face and said “ew”, and seeing as I’d never heard of buttermilk pie before, I was worried that after all that time and effort I’d end up with a smug “told ya so” look.
He loved it.
I added a cup of fresh blueberries to the pie filling instead of making the sauce, and it was fan-freakin’-tastic. Nice work, lady!!
Joy~
I’m reporting… The buttermilk pie was a huge hit! I decided to make it with the no-roll pie crust and used raspberry preserves instead. It was AMAZING! My girls have decided that it could totally pass for a breakfast food and ate it the next morning.
Thank you, Joy.
PS…never thought about putting the sauce on it. sounds heavenly, and i bet it cuts the sweeet just a tad.
JOY! I just found you thru pioneer woman. I love buttermilk pie and have used a recipe from an old cookbook my mother in law gave me back in the 70’s. It’s called “She Cooks by Ear”. This is pretty much the same recipe, except mine is for two pies, and total sugar for them is 3 3/4 cups! SWEEET! Thanks so much for the pie dough recipe! I will give it a try for sure. And so glad to have found you!
I had never made a buttermilk pie before, but was thoroughly intrigued. When I googled it, your recipe came up along with a few on other websites. I decided to make yours, but altered it slightly. I separated the eggs, folding the whites in last and I also added lemon zest and juice. The pie was delicious – a definite winner.
I actually wanted to make it when you first posted the recipe, but my husband and friends looked at me like I was crazy to think of making a pie with buttermilk! I guess they thought it was going to be like drinking buttermilk straight or something. Anyway, I finally said forget them and their opinions and made it last night. It was soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo GOOD!!! HA! Take that husband (who had a piece for breakfast) and friends who doubted the deliciousness of this pie. It was absolutely awesome. As always, you are the best :) Thanks for the recipe.
Hey Joy! I’ve had nothing but amazing results from your recipes! The buttermilk pie is baking as I type so I can take it to Thanksgiving dinner in a few hours. I adore your blog, your writing makes me happy! My only problem (that’s totally my own fault for being lazy and buying a storebought crust—shunnnnn the non-crust maker!) is that I bought a traditional pie crust instead of a deepdish. I had enough custard left over to fill two large ramekins, but only had one :-( I will definitely be making this again! It’s amazing!
This is one of my favorite of all time pies. In fact, when I want to make a statement at a dinner party (I know, shame om me!) I take this pie — or one maybe similiar. I’m actually anxious to try your recipe and see how they compare. My recipe is from an old Amish cookbook that I found years and years ago at an old bookstore. YUM!!! It is really worth the time to prepare this one.
Thanks for sharing. I’m doing your version for Christmas!
I am definitely making this for Thanksgiving!
We have a large family and I’m responsible for the pies/desserts this year. How did I get so lucky? So glad I have your guidance and website to help me out. I’m going to try at least 3 of your recipes, I’ll let you know how everything turned out.
Thanks, Joy! You’re a “Baking Angel”!
I made this pie tonight with your no roll pie crust. Scrump-dittley-ish-ous!
Yes! I make up words! I also made my own sauce to go on top since I didn’t have blackberry preserves and I live on the edge….
I put cherry preserves in a sauce pan (medium heat), then added dark chocolate chips and whisked in some heavy cream.
I drizzled it over half the pie, just in case. I loved it both ways, my husband liked it with the chocolate cherry sauce better.
Thank you thank you thank you, Joy for sharing these wonderful recipes with us!
Xo
This looks amazing! If you were going to say … add coconut, how much unsweetened would you think it would without overwhelming the filling’s flavor?
This house/restaurant at Panache, which Evan’s Mimi bought, was originally owned by my husband’s great-grandmother. We have just discovered your blog and love it! How small a world! I am trying this recipe this weekend!
Help and hello!
I’m a bit confused by the recipe and the picutres . Do I first make the pie dough, freeze it, put it then in a form and then fill it up with the custard and then put it in the oven? So everything bakes together at the same time? I would love to make this cake, but I’m just too confused!
sorry for the confusion. once you make the pie dough you have two options. if you aren’t going to make the pie right away, you can wrap the pie dough in the disk and keep it in the fridge for up to three days. when you’re ready to use it.. just let the dough disk sit on the counter for about 20 minutes, then roll out and fill with custard and bake.
if you’re not going to use the dough for a long time… like weeks… you can wrap the disk in plastic wrap and freeze it. when you’re ready to use it, let the dough thaw in the fridge over night then follow the above directions.
if you’re going to use the dough right away, just it the disk rest in the fridge for an hour, roll it out and fill with custard and bake.
is that more clear? hope so! happy baking!
Thank you so much for replying!
sorry it took me so dang long!
Oh my goodness gracious.
I’ve never even heard of a buttermilk pie before this! I cannot believe I’ve lived 23 years on this great earth and no one has introduced me to buttermilk pie. Its incredible.
Thanks Joy for FINALLY introducing me to the sweet, but not so sweet, perfect wednesday afternoon pick me up.
I love how one of the drops is heart shaped! Now you know when I copy this recipe, I’m gonna have to make sure there’s a little heart drop too.
I make a similar pie, my grandmother’s recipe, and it literally produces friendships.She called it Chess Pie. Here is my version: https://www.thevintagemixer.com/2009/11/chess-pie.html
Plus, if you didn’t see this yet, a similar recipe called, Crack Pie, was featured on Bon Appetit: https://www.bonappetit.com/blogsandforums/blogs/badaily/2010/09/crack-pie.html
UPDATE: I made the pies…. still recovering from surgery, so didn’t get to enter it into the pie contest :( super disappointed, but I made them a little later……… my husband just requested I make another one. I will tell you he does not like pie much. Nor anything with fruit related to a pie. He’s a pumpkin pie guy and that’s reserved for Thanksgiving Day( I know… who could possibly NOT love pie?). So when he says it’s the best dang pie he’s ever had, and he hopes I never stop making it…….. well…… I can’t take any credit.. YOU ARE A GENIUS, and I love that I found a dessert he loves! Thank you!!!!!!!
I am making this pie for our church pie contest. I intend on having NO competition! I don’t think there will be one of these there at all, everyone else will be bringing apple and peach etc. I’ll let you know the outcome of the contest! I’m super competitive, so will be baking about 4 of these and taking the BEST one to the church. I seriously hate losing……… LOL even in church, and especially in a cooking contest!!!!!!!! The other 3 pies are for sharing at the senior center and one for us to enjoy at home. YAY!
Joy,
Your buttermilk pie crust was a hit! Yesterday, I baked a fpeach pie using fresh peaches and everyone loved it! Today, I will make this Buttermilk Pie. Thanks for the great recipes, tips and inspiration!
And…..Happy 4th of July to you!
Patty
I made this pie for my family, and it was a huge hit – now they ask for it whenever we have family get-togethers! (and I have to make at least two, it goes quickly!) I made it with a cold raspberry sauce, using frozen raspberries and orange juice with just a little sugar – delicious! Thanks so much for the recipe :)
I just tried buttermilk pie for the first time. It was so sweet, I couldn’t eat it. But, then I got intriqued because I like custardy desserts and I know the magic of buttermilk.
Surely, I can cut the sugar. This recipe with the blackberry sauce grabbed my attention as I think it might help cut the sweetness. I think I’ll go for this recipe and even further reduce the sugar. I want to do the pie crust too. It sounds so good.
Oh my gosh. I live in the south and I’ve never heard of this pie before. Just made it and it’s soooooooo GOOD!!!
My boyfriend and I just made this pie… it was delicious. no surprise there. However, after we made it, we found a bowl of melted butter in the microwave…. we had forgotten to put it in the pie filling. But it tasted awesome none the less, so I guess if anyone out there wants to cute a stick of butter out of the recipe, it worked for us! haha. I guess that means it will be that much better next time we make it.
Joy, I’m a new reader. I just made this last night. The only change I would make is not starting baking a pie at 11:30p.m. It was delish! Thanks!
Joy, this was a great recipe! I made it for friends last night and it was really wonderful. Just the taste of the South that I’ve been missing this spring. The only change I made was to make a raspberry sauce–just preserves, frozen raspberries, and a little lemon juice. You were right to serve it on dainty china. It seems so dainty that it deserves a pretty plate.
I made this last night and it was fantastic! I grew up in the south eat eating buttermilk pies at every holiday gathering. This was a great recipe ~ thanks for sharing!
the buttermilk pie is baking up in the oven as i type! i was lazy, however, and made an almond crust (used almond meal) instead of the pie dough! i don’t have any blackberry preserves on hand… but i dp have some frozen strawberries that may do the trick! hope it turns out just as yummy… thanks for sharing this, joy – i have been stalking for a while and have made many of your delicious recipes!! ;)
I cant wait to make this. I have been thoroughly enjoying your work here! BTW – That pic of you at 4…yes…how adorable! Thanks for the recipes!
This looks so good. Buttermilk Pie is one of my favorites. So this is on my baking list of what to bake next!
Can i reduce the butter or omit any butter in this pie filling?
Made your apple pie. It was delicious. definitely a keeper. Thanks for this great blog.
I grew up on my grandmother’s southern cream pie which looks very similar. I love the idea of using tangy buttermilk instead. Delicious!
I want to try this; it looks wonderful! My mother (born Searcy County, Arkansas, Sept 2, 1916) baked a wonderful buttermilk pie with fresh blackberries baked in with the buttermilk filling. As a child in the late 1930’s and 40’s that blackberry buttermilk pie was my absolute favorite, followed closely by pie-plant (rhubarb) pie and real, down-home mincemeat pie. Just looking at those pictures broght wonderful memories, mouth watering, and pretty nearly a tear or two. My wife (49 years) doesn’t believe that a decent pie can be made with buttermilk. Wait till I spring this one on her. Thank you so much.
I made this pie this weekend for my parents’ visit. Everyone loved it! Thank you so much for introducing us to this fabulous pie. We will be making this recipe many many more times!
Made it last night…Loved it!! Easy, yummy and a great way to use leftover buttermilk. Thanks for sharing.
Wow, this looks so good. I love pie, never heard of buttermilk pie. I may have to make this for the holidays. Do you think I could use light buttermilk?
I made this Thanksgiving weekend and had enough dough for two pies. Maybe I rolled it too thin? No matter, it was great to have a 2nd pie a few days later. I also didn’t venture into the sauce, but used warmed frozen raspberries. Thanks for the recipe. It was a big hit, even with the picky eater.
PS I saw the cookbook that same weekend. I went to Ft Morgan for Thanksgiving week (Gulf Shores, AL area…a yearly tradition since we are originally from that area) and saw it for sale at Burris’s Farmer’s Market off Hwy 59. I wish I purchased it now.
oooohhhh man, I made this today for a delightful end to dinner (fried pork chops, mashed potatoes and spinach) which was good enough on it’s own, but man… my boyfriend and I couldn’t get enough of this, if we weren’t so full we would have eaten the whole pie and not left anything for his parents. I made a peach raspberry syrup instead of blackberry, we used it for the first piece, then decided the pie was too awesome to cover any of the flavor, and didn’t put anything on the next piece.
Absolutely amazing, thank you soooo much for this recipe!
i just made this pie! I’m vegan, and was out of margarine so I made a few modifications: soymilk with lemon juice, ener-G egg replacer, and shortening (with a little salt). it turned out fantastic! so creamy, sweet and delicious. I made stewed, syrupy, cinnamony apples to serve on top. Yummy! Thanks for sharing this great recipe :)
Wow, this pie looks amazing! I’m going to have to give it a go sometime soon.
Looks like a lovely cheesecake.
I’ve always wanted to try buttermilk pie, and it looks like now would be a good time.
What a lovely pie! It looks and sounds totally awesome as well as terribly scrumptious! thanks for the recipe!
cheers,
Rosa
this pie looks perfectly comforting. i tried to make a buttermilk pie once, but it was kind of a disaster. bravo!
I love the look of that pie. I was browsing, looking around for a something special for dessert for our fith wedding anniversay dinner on Friday, well I think I have found it. I know my hubby would love this, but then whats not to like. Thanks Joy, will let you know how it turns out.
As for that kind of nap, I hate them. I have been struggling with fatigue for a few years now and if I take a nap during the day, (I hate doing it) I feel like that too. That Mack Truck must run through my home town too.
A buttermilk pie sounds good and it looks great!
i have never had buttermilk pie, but have been tempted to make one many times, as i’m always looking for ways to use up containers of buttermilk. it looks so good, i just may have to try next time!
Oops – meant that for the other post! But this sounds great too; a nice way to use that leftover buttermilk. It usually ends up going bad in my fridge.
I’ve never intentionally made anything vegan – this sounds delicious.
I want a slice of that pie sooooo badly. Oh my goodness. Everything about it is perfect. I will absolutely be trying this.
As far as old-fashioned pies go, have you ever had Sugar Pie or Milk Pie? They are strange and lovely.
This looks curiously good, I’m such buttermilk fan, but I’ve never had a buttermilk pie!
Homemade buttermilk:
For 1 cup, put 1 Tbs white vinegar into a measuring cup and fill the rest of the way with milk to make 1 cup. Stir and let rest for 5 minutes before using.
For Blackberry Sauce:
I have made it without anything but seedless blackberry preserves and it works just fine. I didn’t use lemon juice or liquer. I just made sure to whisk it really well while warming it slowly on the stove (don’t tell my grandmother about that).
Hint: the sauce is amazing on pound cake!
Love, Ev
It’s comforting, in a way, to hear that I’m not the only one that has those types of naps. I hate when I feel that way. No real word for it, but looks like there is a pie for it.
I want to make this for sure, but will the triple sec work just as good? I know Chambord is expensive, but good.
Thank you, Joy, for the beautiful pictures and the lovely appraisal of our Panache at Rose Hill signature dessert, Buttermilk Pie with Blackberry Sauce. To answer some of the questions presented, you certainly may omit the liquor in this sauce. A little lemon juice could be used instead. Buttermilk may also be made from regular milk by adding vinegar. I do not know the proportions, maybe you do. Joy is truly an exceptional name. My Montgomery friend Joy Blondheim, a breast cancer survivor, as I am, is the founder of the Joy To Life foundation which helps underserved women under the age of 40 receive mammograms. You both are very special women! Bon appetit, ya’ll
YUM! That looks delicious. I’d totally be willing to take that nap if this was the reward after!
P.S. I would also like to say a big “THANK YOU!!” for posting your recipes in a way that makes it easy to copy and paste them into a word document. (When I see a new recipe I want to try, I usually try to print it out so I don’t have to worry about my laptop being in the kitchen.) That is SO appreciated!!
I am so excited that you made a buttermilk pie–I had seen recipes for buttermilk pies but wasn’t sure if it would be worth the effort, since hubby thinks it sounds gross so I’d have to eat it all by my lonesome. But after seeing a picture and your description, I’m thinking I could polish two pies off by myself no problem so I will have to try making me a buttermilk pie! What a great summer treat. Thanks for sharing!
This sounds and looks like the perfect comforting baked good!
Boy do I know that headache, but if this buttermilk pie is the remedy, I’d almost welcome the nap! This looks so good, I want some right now.
wow this looks so good. the texture reminds me somewhat of a cheesecake. and god knows i love my cheesecake!
Hey Friends! No buttermilk!? Try this recipe for a Chess Pie instead. It’s another Southern recipe and it’s oh-so-close to the buttermilk pie! https://www.dianaskitchen.com/page/cake/chess.htm
You could even add a bit of lemon zest to this Chess Pie recipe. Super delicious!
This looks like a great recipe to try. As for those naps, how I hate those ‘wish I’d never taken them’ naps – big time bummer and supreme ruiner of a nice weekend day. Your writing (and your baking) are wonderful. Now, how about another podcast?
For those who don’t have buttermilk: I’ve used this method to substitute successfully in many recipes: For each 1 cup of regular milk, add 1 tablespoon lemon juice, stir, and let sit in the refrigerator for 30-60 mintues before using. It’s not quite the real thing, but it works pretty well.
Did someone say NAP? I don’t know which my body needs more: sleep or this pie. I think the pie, though. All of it.
Wow, that pie sounds good! I’ve never had a pie like that (the custardy filling rather than my usual fruit fillings) and I’m always up for something new.
I know what you mean about the nap. So many times I’ve talked myself out of a nap by rationing that I will feel way worst afterwards. What a way to wake-up though! This pie looks ridiculously good!
dammit! I used the last of my buttermilk to make pancakes yesterday morning… I wish I were more psychic, coz this looks fanfriggintastic.
If that doesn’t scream <<>> I don’t know what would. I’m bookmarking this recipe!
Same as snooky, we don’t have buttermilk down here (I live in Argentina).
Milk with a dash of lemon juice would do?
Great photos, great story!
um.. any chance you are willing to share the make/pattern name of the gorgeous bowl in the first shot? love. love. love.
thanks.
i will be making this pie immediately after work today. thank you!!
Hi Joy. I have wonderful memories of buttermilk pie. I grew up in a small, country town in Texas and my mom would pick up buttermilk pies on Sunday evenings from a restaurant in town. So good. Is there anything other than a liquer that I can mix with the preserves? My tee-totaling family would not approve…since I can’t really claim that the alcohol is cooked out.
Howdy!
I’ve just bestowed upon you the Arte y Pico award. Please visit
https://alteredplates.blogspot.com/2008/08/altered-plates-receives-arte-y-pico.html
to see why.
Your fan,
Deb
That pie looks divine. Especially with the blackberry sauce. I have some blackberries I need to do something with…hmmm…
Joy, that’s one tasty-looking pie! Although I admit, I had my doubts in the beginning – I could’ve sworn it was cheesecake. This one’s going in my recipe box… and that cookbook may be added to my collection sometime in the future.
Kate
that looks yummt. Can i use something else instead of buttermilk in the pie. Since its not available were i live :-)
love your blog.
oooh that looks soo good!!
As a Southern boy I LOVE this sort of thing. Love love love. Fruit pies are fine but the truly great ones are few and far between sometimes. Stuff like this seems to always satisfy me, even the most mediocre custard and chess pies and stuff like that. Not that this looks mediocre! This one looks incredible! Must try this, it looks too easy to pass up.
i’m due for a nap like that. mine often result in a puddle of drool so large it disgusts even me…
sorry, was that an overshare?
anyway, this pie sounds awesome–good work! :)
That is a gorgeous looking pie that will cure hangovers anykind I’m sure. I wish I had that nap (and that pie)!
Oh and darn you…I went and bought that cookbook…that’s two you have caused me to buy now!!!
I love those kind of naps. Sadly those are the ones I take and someone comes to the door and I greet them with the pillow marks and a little dried drool on the side of my mouth. Sexy. :)
Speaking of sexy though, that is one hot looking pie. :)
That’s awesome. Great post! Love reading about real stories!
Joe
I love that first picture. The sauce made a heart. I am a sucker for hearts. Pie looks sooooo yummy! I seriously need to move closer to you. You could always use another taste tester right? LOL
Clara @ iheartcuppycakes!
No, thank YOU Joy for your wonderful and kind words! You have no idea how pleased my grandmother will be. Thank you, thank you. And you are quite amazing yourself! Keep up the awesomeness, homegirl!
Ev