Name: Chess Pie
Cook time: 10 minutes
Total time: 1 hour plus cooling
Yield: Makes one 9” pie
Ingredients: 1 disk Our Favorite Pie Crust, chilled; 4 large eggs, room temperature; 1½ cups (300 g) sugar; 1 Tbsp. white or yellow cornmeal; 1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour; ¼ tsp. fine sea salt; ½ cup (1 stick ) unsalted butter, melted, cooled; ½ cup buttermilk, room temperature; Finely grated zest of 1 lemon; Juice of ½ lemon (about 1½ Tbsp.); 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract; Special equipment: 9" pie dish; pie weights or dried beans

Active Time
10 minutes
Total Time
1 hour plus cooling

A Southern chess pie is rich, custardy proof that simplicity can be thrilling. The filling consists of ingredients you’re likely to have on hand—eggs, granulated sugar, vanilla, and buttermilk (or a dairy-based buttermilk substitute)—which can be combined in a single mixing bowl for easy cleanup. The flaky, buttery pie crust can be made up to 2 days in advance and refrigerated or frozen for up to 3 months. (In a hurry? A store-bought pie shell works too.) Either way, you’ll need to blind-bake the pie crust, which promotes a fully browned crispy shell when the filling needs a shorter cook time or lower temperature. Store-bought crusts tend to bake faster than homemade; if you go that route, check it 5–10 minutes sooner.

While classic chess pie recipes have much in common with buttermilk pie, chess pies rely on cornmeal to thicken the custard filling. Some cooks amplify the tang of their pie filling with white vinegar, but this one balances the flavor with fresh lemon juice and zest instead. There are all sorts of ways to riff on this recipe. Dress it up with a dollop of sweetened whipped cream, or experiment with chocolate chess pie, lemon chess pie, cranberry chess pie, or coconut chess pie.

This recipe has been slightly adapted for style from ‘Bon Appétit, Y’all’ by Virginia Willis. Buy the full book on Amazon.

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What you’ll need

Pie Pan
$23 At Williams Sonoma
Parchment Paper
$30 $16 At Amazon
Pie Weights
$13 At Amazon
Balloon Whisk
$11 At Amazon

Ingredients

Makes one 9” pie

1 disk Our Favorite Pie Crust, chilled

4 large eggs, room temperature

1½ cups (300 g) sugar

1 Tbsp. white or yellow cornmeal

1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

¼ tsp. fine sea salt

½ cup (1 stick ) unsalted butter, melted, cooled

½ cup buttermilk, room temperature

Finely grated zest of 1 lemon

Juice of ½ lemon (about 1½ Tbsp.)

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Special equipment: 9" pie dish; pie weights or dried beans

Step 1
Place rack in middle of oven and preheat oven to 425°. Roll out 1 disk Our Favorite Pie Crust, chilled, on a lightly floured surface and transfer to 9" pie dish. Trim and crimp edges as desired and prick the bottom of unbaked pie crust several times with the tines of a fork to prevent puffing. Place pie shell in the freezer for 15 minutes.
Step 2
Cut a square of parchment paper slightly larger than your pie pan. Crumple the paper, then smooth it out and fit it into the chilled pie shell. Fill the lined shell with pie weights or dried beans (they should fill the dish). Set on a rimmed baking sheet lined with foil (this keeps any drips from smoking up your oven and makes things easier to maneuver). Bake until edges are a light golden brown and bottom is opaque (carefully lift parchment to check), 20–25 minutes. (If you notice the crust sticking to the parchment, set it back down and return the crust to the oven for another 5 minutes; when set, the parchment should pull away with ease.) Remove from oven and carefully lift out pie weights. Reduce oven temperature to 350°.
Step 3
Meanwhile, whisk 4 large eggs, room temperature, in a large bowl until smooth. Add 1½ cups (300 g) sugar, 1 Tbsp. white or yellow cornmeal, 1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour, and ¼ tsp. fine sea salt and whisk to combine. Add ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted, cooled, ½ cup buttermilk, room temperature, finely grated zest of 1 lemon, juice of ½ lemon (about 1½ Tbsp.), and 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract. Whisk well to combine. Pour into warm pie shell.
Step 4
Bake until golden brown and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean, 35–40 minutes. (The pie may puff and crackle during baking, which is fine; it will settle as it cools.) Remove to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing and serving.

Editor’s note: This pie first appeared on Epicurious in December 2011. Head this way for our favorite Classic Pecan Pie and more Thanksgiving desserts →

Cover of Bon Appetit, Yall by Virginia Willis featuring a serving of corn souffle.

From Bon Appétit, Y’all: Recipes and Stories From Three Generations of Southern Cooking, © 2008 by Virginia Willis. Reprinted by permission of Ten Speed Press. Buy the full book from Amazon or Abe Books.