• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Joy the Baker
Joy the Baker
  • New Magazine!
  • Bread
  • Cookies
  • Cakes
  • Pies
  • Recipes
    • All Recipes
    • Biscuits
    • Muffins
    • Cupcakes
    • Drinks
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
    • Fruit
    • Nuts
    • Buttermilk
    • Chocolate
    • Vanilla
    • Holiday
    • Healthy
    • Gluten-Free
    • Vegan
  • Blog
    • Baking 101
    • Tips
    • Beyond the Kitchen
    • Let It Be Sunday!
    • New Orleans

Salty Honey Pie

December 29, 2013 by Joy the Baker 57 Comments

Salty Honey Pie

Happy New Year my friends!  It’s just about time to tie a pretty ribbon on this year.  A wrap.

But… not before we make a Honey Pie.  It’s been a sweet year.  I mean that most literally.  It feels like we should wrap the year up with pie, because I’m pretty sure my heart is part muscle and part pie.  I’m also fairly certain that honey runs through my veins.  And so here we are… with Vanilla Sea Salt in tow.  

Let’s make a pie and call it a year… almost almost.

Salty Honey Pie

Original Photography Shot with the Canon EOS 6D Digital SLR. The perfect multimedia solution.

This Salty Honey Pie recipe comes from the very special The Four and Twenty Blackbird Pie Book.  I’m newly crushing on this book.  So much so, that I got this book for my dad for Christmas.  I had to take the book for a test drive before I wrapped it up and gifted it, naturally… so I chose this beautifully sweet custard pie.

Salty Honey Pie

This pie bakes up like a custard pie.  That means we start with melted butter, sugar, eggs, and milk or cream of some sort.

Salty Honey Pie

A tablespoon of cornmeal is added for a bit of texture, too… whisked together with the melted butter, sugar, and salt.

Salty Honey Pie

Honey is up next!  I used a raw sage honey.  It’s a lovely amber color with a mild/hint of herby flavor. I think any sort of honey would be wonderful, but I might steer away from buckwheat honey.

Salty Honey Pie

Eggs are whisked in one at a time, all proper like.  Heavy cream and a splash of vinegar are last.

Salty Honey Pie

We’ve made pie crust together about 458 time.  It’s a  stellar combination of butter, flour, and buttermilk smashed together and chilled.

You can find more step-by-step pie instructions with this Peach and Blueberry Pie post.

Salty Honey Pie

Rolled and trimmed.

Salty Honey Pie

And filled.

Salty Honey Pie

I consider this pie nouveau comfort food.  The custard pie is honey-sweet and familiar.  The crust is buttery, flakey, and downright perfect.  The addition of sea salt (or in my case, Vanilla Sea Salt) adds the most interesting balance. I love salt in my desserts.  Salt is really what keeps you coming back for more.  This pie’s brazen use of finishing salt feels crazy and luxurious, and new, and weirdly just right.   Make the pie. Buy the book.  Do it all!  (I promise to be less bossy in the new year.)  (Not true.)

Salty Honey Pie

makes 1 9-inch pie

Print this Recipe!

For the Crust:

1/2 cup (4 ounces) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes

1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup cold buttermilk

For the Filling:

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon white cornmeal

scant 1/2 teaspoon salt

1 vanilla bean, split and scraped (or 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract)

3/4 cup honey (I use raw sage honey)

3 large eggs

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

1 to 2 teaspoons flaked sea salt (I used Vanilla Sea Salt)

To make the crust, in a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, and salt.  Add cold, cubed butter and, using your fingers (or a potato masher), work the butter into the flour mixture.  Quickly break the butter down into the flour mixture, some butter pieces will be the size of oat flakes, some will be the size of peas. Create a well in the mixture and pour in the cold buttermilk.  Use a fork to bring to dough together.  Try to moisten all of the flour bits.  Add a bit more buttermilk if necessary, but you want to mixture to be shaggy and not outwardly wet.

On a lightly floured work surface, dump out the dough mixture.  It will be moist and shaggy.  That’s perfect.  Gently knead into a disk.  Wrap the disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.  Allowing the dough to rest in the refrigerator will help rechill the butter and distribute the moisture.

To roll out the pie crust, on a well floured surface, roll the crust 1/8 inch thick and about 12 inches in diameter.  Transfer it to a pie pan.  Trim the edge almost even with the edge of the pan  Fold the edges under and crimp with your fingers or a fork.  Cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for a minimum of 30 minutes and a maximum of 3 hours.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.  Place a rack in the center of the oven.

To make the filling, in a medium bowl whisk together melted butter, sugar, cornmeal, and salt.  Split vanilla bean  and add the vanilla bean scrapings (or extract, if using) into the butter mixture and whisk until thoroughly combined.  Whisk in honey.

Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking to combine.

Whisk in heavy cream and vinegar.

Pour the filling into the prepared pie crust.  Bake pie for 45 to 55 minutes until pie is deep golden brown and puffed around the edges and set in the center.  Open the oven and rotate the pie halfway through baking.  Remove from the oven and allow to rest for at least 4 hours before serving.  Serve warm or at room temperature, and sprinkle with sea salt just before serving.  

canonContent_6D_300x600_joyTheBaker

Previous PostNext Post

Filed Under: Biscuits, Featured Pie, Holiday, Pie, Recipes

Previous Post: « Bonkers Awesome Mushroom and Onion Shells and Cheese
Next Post: Curry Hummus with Currants and Olive Oil »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. brianne

    December 31, 2013 at 9:11 am

    happy new year, Joy! thank you for all the awesome recipes you share with us! here’s to 2014!

    Reply
  2. Miranda

    December 31, 2013 at 8:51 am

    I’ve never heard of Honey Pie before, but this looks amazing! I can’t wait to try the recipe.

    Reply
  3. Whitney

    December 31, 2013 at 4:05 am

    Have the book and love it! I have made the pie a few times over the last few years before the book came out and every time I end up baking the pie for at least twenty minutes longer than directed. I bake it on the middle rack. Joy, did you think your pie was quite jiggly when you took it out? Perhaps I should get an oven thermometer, but this is the only recipe I have to bake for twenty to thirty-five minutes extra to get the “slight jiggle” and deep golden brown top.

    Also, I use less salt than called for to finish it. I got some fancy flake sea salt to finish it with, but if I use the full amount it is way too salty! So my advice readers is to be careful when your sprinkling your salt on top, taste your salt if you need to, just to make sure you don’t overdo it!

    Overall I love this pie and always get lots of compliments from whoever tastes it!

    Reply
  4. Sharan

    December 31, 2013 at 1:19 am

    What is a good substitute for cornmeal? I don’t have it readily available in India, and I don’t want that to stop me from trying out this recipe!!

    Reply
  5. Heidi - Apples Under My Bed

    December 30, 2013 at 10:51 pm

    I love your pie posts so much. What a perfect way to finish the year! This pie is ridiculously good. I had it on my visit to NYC after blog her (yes, in the voice) food this year. I fell hard for the shop, for their pies, & came home to make this very salty honey pie. Amazing. Love your additions too. Love it all. Happy 2014! x

    Reply
  6. Candice @ The Savory and The Beautiful

    December 30, 2013 at 10:03 pm

    I love the combo of sweet and salty. Happy New Year Joy. Thank you for yet another year of whole-hearted posts. Your personality really does jump off the page. I always think, if i knew you, you’d be the type of friend i’d laugh with about booty shaking, old loves, and of course food. Wish you all the best in the new year!

    Xo
    Candice

    Reply
  7. Tracy

    December 30, 2013 at 9:49 pm

    This sounds like a chess pie made with honey…..I may have to try this next year for Thanksgiving-since my husbands family LOVES chess pie (it’s a Southern thing I think:)

    Reply
  8. Sophie

    December 30, 2013 at 12:58 pm

    This looks so darn good! I have slowly begun working my way up to enjoying straight honey (clover, mind you, haha), so I think I might have to make this pie! As always, your pictures are breathtaking.

    xoxo

    Sophie

    Reply
  9. Mallory @ Because I Like Chocolate

    December 30, 2013 at 12:43 pm

    I love that you used your vanilla salt in this! Mmm!

    Reply
  10. Katy

    December 30, 2013 at 12:36 pm

    I’ve never had a honey pie but it sure looks delicious! I bet your dad loved the xmas gift and that cookbook looks gorgeous. Nice, clear photos are a must for cookbooks. Happy New Year!

    Reply
  11. Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar

    December 30, 2013 at 12:03 pm

    This is my pie dream, joy!! It looks perfect!

    Reply
  12. Tasneem

    December 30, 2013 at 10:23 am

    I, too, have been crushing on this book. It is so good!

    Reply
  13. jamie levine

    December 30, 2013 at 10:02 am

    This looks wonderful! A sweet year, indeed!

    Reply
  14. Tracy | PeanutButter and Onion

    December 30, 2013 at 9:48 am

    This pie looks so yummy. I love saly and sweet together!

    Reply
  15. Pam

    December 30, 2013 at 9:41 am

    Happy New Year Joy! Pie crusts still scare me. This one calls for buttermilk, the peach & blueberry pie crust used the cider vinegar – is one easier to work with than the other?

    Reply
« Older Comments
Newer Comments »
Comments Page 2 of 4
« Previous 1 2 3 4 Next »

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

RELATED POSTS IN Biscuits

Chili and Cheese Buttery Biscuits

Just an old dog here with some new tricks, a handful of cheese, and a spicy peppers. A few weeks ago I watched Carla Hall make biscuits here in New Orleans and a lovely new place for culinary people called Nochi.  Carla is a biscuit queen – this coming from someone who thinks herself a…

Read More

Overnight Biscuit Cinnamon Rolls

We’re in the home stretch. Literally – I’m currently stretching my way across the country to go home to Los Angeles for a few days. With hope that you’re home and cozy, I bring you a Christmas morning breakfast recipe hybrid: tender buttery biscuits in the style of cinnamon rolls. If you’ve got butter in…

Read More

Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler with Cornmeal Biscuits and Honeyed Cream

I swear… as soon as we wind our clocks forward and tack that extra hour of daylight to our evenings, I’m sure it’s summer.  I’m sure it’s time for a new pair of (now age appropriate) jean shorts, time for pink wine and pink sunsets, time for me to start chasing the sound of summer waves…

Read More

Primary Sidebar

Fresh baked emails, delivered to your inbox

Jump to Recipe

Receive recipes from Joy the Baker and updates on events at The Bakehouse.

HI! I’M JOY!

Jump to Recipe

Welcome! This has been my little corner of the internet since 2008!

I’m a baker, photographer, cookbook author and teacher.  I live laugh love in New Orleans. 

MORE ABOUT JOY AND THE TEAM

BOOKS + Magazines

Jump to Recipe

JOY THE BAKER 2022 SUMMER MAGAZINE

JOY THE BAKER 2021 HOLIDAY MAGAZINE

JOY THE BAKER 2020 HOLIDAY MAGAZINE

HOMEMADE DECADENCE

OVER EASY: SWEET AND SAVORY RECIPES FOR LEISURELY DAYS COOKBOOK

JOY THE BAKER COOKBOOK

Jump to Recipe

Joy the baker with dyed bandana around neck

HOW TO MAKE DYED BANDANAS

as seen in JtB Magazine!

Jump to Recipe
joy the baker on facebook joy the baker on twitter pinterest-social instagram-socialbloglovin-social

JOY @ WILLIAMS SONOMA

Jump to Recipe

SHOP THE CAKE LINE OF CAKE MIXES!

DRAKE ON CAKE

Jump to Recipe

Passionate from miles away since 2015.

Check it out on Instagram

Drake on cake instagram.

 

FAVORITE FRUIT RECIPES

fresh baked blueberry cobbler on a plate with vanilla ice cream on top.

The Secrets To My Favorite Blueberry Cobbler

Strawberry pie filling inside of unbaked crust with crumble top.

My Best Strawberry Crumble Pie Recipe

A slice of lemon blueberry gooey butter cake held on a cake slicer.

Lemon Blueberry Gooey Butter Cake

POPULAR CAKES

Slice of coconut cake on small white plate with coffee.

My favorite Coconut Cake is actually made with cake mix

A slice of lemon blueberry gooey butter cake held on a cake slicer.

Lemon Blueberry Gooey Butter Cake

Slice of Chocolate Guinness Cake on a small pink plate

Chocolate Guinness Loaf Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Footer

Instagram

joythebaker

My boyfriend Will couldn’t believe that everyone My boyfriend Will couldn’t believe that everyone responded with a resounding YES ABSOLUTELY to their invitation to our barbecue this Saturday.  Of course everyone is coming. There’s a sunny pool and more ribs, potato salad, and coconut cake than I care to admit. ⁣
⁣
Since I can’t invite ALL of you, you’ll have to make this perfect Coconut Sheet Cake (made with cake mix, amen) for your holiday party.  I’ll leave the new recipe linked in the profile. ⁣
⁣
It’s officially the weekend starting now, right? xo
Please accept a collection of moderately unhinged Please accept a collection of moderately unhinged selfies on this, my 41st birthday. ⁣
⁣
Themes include: animals, pickles?, Mardi Gras fried chicken, beach camping, and ‘why am I the way that I am?’.
Is it even cobbler if you don’t smash it all tog Is it even cobbler if you don’t smash it all together with ice cream and eat it for breakfast?⁣ I didn’t think so. 
⁣
Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler with Cornmeal Biscuits linked in the profile. ⁣
⁣
#cobbler #joythebaker #strawberry #bakersofinstagram
I’m calling it, friends. IT’S SUMMER and to ce I’m calling it, friends. IT’S SUMMER and to celebrate you’re going to need the latest issue of Joy the Baker Magazine. ⁣
⁣
This issue is packed with road-trip inspiration, summer’s best burgers, backyard margaritas, no-churn ice cream and cakes that bake without an oven. ⁣
⁣
We get crafty, we get campy, there’s so much ice dye… this one’s more than food - it’s our summer bucket list in magazine form. ⁣
⁣
Pick up your copy wherever magazines are sold across the US and Canada or buy a copy online using the link in my profile. ⁣(🙌 free shipping!) 
⁣
Also, look at this cover shot by @emferretti! The whole magazine is that mouthwatering. 👏☀️🍓
I spent part of this fine weekend cleaning this ve I spent part of this fine weekend cleaning this very hardworking pantry. It’ll never be rainbow organized or picture perfect but I’ll tell ya, a few sets of @rubbermaid containers, @ballcanning jars and brown packing tape with a @sharpie marker make this a high functioning space for recipe testing and life living. 
⁣
Swipe to see my supervisor 🦁 inspecting my work. ⁣
⁣
#organized #pantryorganization #joythebaker #weekendwork
Not gonna lie, peanut butter was my main food grou Not gonna lie, peanut butter was my main food group this week - either smeared on fruit or baked as cookies. ⁣
⁣
If you feel me on this, my top 10 peanut butter recipes will serve you well. 👏 Find the link in the bio, like we do. ⁣
⁣
#peanutbutter #cookies #cobbler #joythebaker
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Copyright © 2022 · Joy the Baker
All rights reserved. Violators will be whupped and sent to bed with no dessert · Privacy Policy

Scroll Up
THIS WEEKEND ONLY!
BUY 2 GET 1 FREE!

Joy The Baker Summer 2022 Magazine

Buy Now