One of the most well-loved and well-known desserts to come from the South, Buttermilk Pie is considered one of the best desserts ever by many of those who try it, especially since it’s something of a childhood favorite for many people who were born and raised in the South.
It’s known for its incredible taste and texture, and it’s also one of those picturesque desserts that look simply amazing when you take them out of the oven for the first time, with that gorgeous golden brown color, as well as the incredible smell that follows close behind.
Alongside this amazing shade of golden brown, the top of the pie is just ever so slightly caramelized, whilst the center is super creamy and delicious, which is why so many people often draw comparisons to creme brulee.
If you’ve never had the opportunity to try buttermilk pie before, then you’re most definitely missing out on one of the best desserts out there.
Don’t worry though, because we’ll fill you in on all of the details you need to know about this delicious creamy dessert including what it tastes like, and how you can make your own buttermilk pie at home!
What Is Buttermilk Pie?
If you’ve never heard of buttermilk pie before, then it’s easy for you to think it’s one of these new fancy desserts that has suddenly begun to trend online, and has become a craze for everyone to make.
Well in this instance, that’s certainly not the case, as this is a good old-fashioned dessert that has recipes that have been passed down from generation to generation down south, and can often be seen on the tables after dessert!
This traditional pie is characterized by its delicious custard filling, which is complimented perfectly by the delicate crust on the outside of the pie.
The history of this pie is just as impressive as its taste too, as it stems from “desperation pies” which were popular during the periods of depression and war, with ingredients being expensive and rationed, which made making some of the more complicated recipes at the time extremely difficult or even impossible.
In fact, this pie used to take a very different form and taste, as during the great depression era, women of the south would add a number of different ingredients into the pie which we wouldn’t too, including vinegar and green tomatoes, which would make the pie taste sour and bitter, as opposed to the super sweet taste we know and love today.
It’s safe to say that the taste of this pie has changed quite a bit since then, and today, buttermilk pie is made with some of the typical ingredients we see in a dessert, including eggs, butter, and sugar, which helps to create that delicious taste that makes it so popular down south.
Many people compare the process of making a buttermilk pie to that of making a custard pie, although the main difference is that there is much less hassle involved with making a buttermilk pie, as you only need to place the mixture into the oven, whereas a custard pie would require you to heat the milk and temper egg yolks amongst other tasks that are usually involved.
So, now that you know more about this iconic dessert, let’s see how it tastes!
What Does Buttermilk Pie Taste Like?
If you’ve never had the chance to savor the incredible taste of buttermilk pie before, then allow us to fill you in on what you’ve been missing out on all this time.
Buttermilk pie is a delicious dessert that consists of an especially buttery crust, and is complimented with a creamy filling, with the filling being made from butter, sugar, eggs, and a few other ingredients.
Although the pie is known to be served both cold and warm, it’s more popular served cold.
Many people also tend to compare the taste of buttermilk pie to crème brûlée, especially because of the creamy and light taste and texture of the pie, as well as the slight caramelization that occurs on the top of the pie after it’s been in the oven.
The custard which makes up the filling of the pie is known to be smooth, silky, and especially sweet, so it’s no surprise that this dessert is so widely adored across the South, and why it’s become such a phenomenon everywhere else.
The best thing about this pie is that as the oven begins to bake, the sugar on top slowly caramelizes, adding that distinctive crunchiness found at the top of the pie.
The sweetness of the pie isn’t super overpowering though, and is balanced out perfectly by the buttermilk, which helps to form the richness and depth of flavor alongside the butter used.
One of the most important ingredients is the flour though, which is what helps to form the amazing crust found on the outside of the pie, but it doesn’t get too overpowering either, so it’s pretty much the perfect dessert!
How Do You Make And Serve Buttermilk Pie?
As you can imagine with such an age-old recipe, there are a number of different variations of buttermilk pie out there, some of which include whipped cream, fruit syrups, and one even includes pecans being drizzled on the top of the pie too.
Despite attempts to revolutionize the buttermilk pie, it’s the classic flavor that stands out still to this day.
In order to make this delicious classic, you’ll need a handful of ingredients, including: sugar, butter, flour, eggs, buttermilk, lemon juice, nutmeg, salt, and vanilla extract.
Then, take your crust and place it on a plate, chilling it once you’ve crimped the edges all the way around.
Then, whisk together the sugar, butter, and eggs, before mixing in the rest of the ingredients and whisking them until combined.
With this done, add them to your chilled crust and bake the pie for 50 to 55 minutes, and the top of the pie should be a perfect golden brown color, with the center remaining jiggly, like a crème brûlée!
Once your pie matches this description, all you need to do is leave it to cool down at room temperature, and then you can place it in the refrigerator, although this is completely optional, but it’s definitely best served this way.
You can then serve up your delicious homemade buttermilk pie whenever you’d like, and it’s best served straight from the refrigerator alongside a hot tea or coffee for the best results!
Conclusion
So whilst buttermilk pie is compared to a range of other desserts, the reality is that it stands alone in terms of its flavor, and is essentially a crème brûlée in the form of a pie, except it tastes much better.
It has a balanced taste, with a wonderfully flaky and soft texture, and is a dessert that you can enjoy no matter what the time of the day is, and with the recipe we gave you, it’s sure to be a success!
How Good Does Buttermilk Pie Taste? Does Buttermilk Pie Taste Nice?
Recipe by AubreyCourse: Taste Like
Servings
4
servings
Prep time
30
minutes
Cooking time
40
minutes
Calories
300
kcal
Ingredients
Buttermilk
Ingredients from your favorite recipes
Directions
As you can imagine with such an age-old recipe, there are a number of different variations of buttermilk pie out there, some of which include whipped cream, fruit syrups, and one even includes pecans being drizzled on the top of the pie too.
Despite attempts to revolutionize the buttermilk pie, it’s the classic flavor that stands out still to this day.
In order to make this delicious classic, you’ll need a handful of ingredients, including: sugar, butter, flour, eggs, buttermilk, lemon juice, nutmeg, salt, and vanilla extract.
Then, take your crust and place it on a plate, chilling it once you’ve crimped the edges all the way around.
Then, whisk together the sugar, butter, and eggs, before mixing in the rest of the ingredients and whisking them until combined.
With this done, add them to your chilled crust and bake the pie for 50 to 55 minutes, and the top of the pie should be a perfect golden brown color, with the center remaining jiggly, like a crème brûlée!
Once your pie matches this description, all you need to do is leave it to cool down at room temperature, and then you can place it in the refrigerator, although this is completely optional, but it’s definitely best served this way.
You can then serve up your delicious homemade buttermilk pie whenever you’d like, and it’s best served straight from the refrigerator alongside a hot tea or coffee for the best results!
Hi, I’m Aubrey, and I have been a chef for close to 8 years. Cooking has always been a passion of mine, as long as I can remember. I loved my play kitchen when I was a kid, and would offer my parents my own (albeit gross) cookie recipes to taste!
Here at ButterandSaltGatherings, I want to offer a wide range of ingredients, flavors, meals and recipes so that you can start living each day to the fullest, and enjoy only the best food.
