This Cracker Barrel Buttermilk Pie Recipe is perfect for those that love those old fashioned desserts from the south. This is an easy recipe that is full of flavor and heartiness.
Cracker Barrel Old Country Store is a great restaurant that serves homestyle country, southern food. The restaurants are decked out with awesome old-time memorabilia and they sell some cool trinkets.
It just so happens to be one of my favorite restaurants and they make this creamy custard dessert so well.
Jump to:
- What makes this recipe so yummy
- Cracker Barrel's Buttermilk Pie Ingredients
- Recipe walkthrough: Instructions
- Recipe variations and substitute ideas
- Buttermilk Pie vs. Chess Pie: What's the Difference?
- Necessary gear: Equipment
- More pie recipes I think you'll love
- Mel's kitchen notes
- FAQ's
- Cracker Barrel Buttermilk Pie Recipe
- 💬 Comments
What makes this recipe so yummy
- A slice of their Buttermilk Pie is one of my favorite desserts. It has a creamy texture, soft, full of vanilla goodness and can be paired with practically anything.
- This recipe is also sometimes called desperation pies, it is something very similar.
- It's a delicious sweet treat, a copycat version of the most popular item on their menu (in my opinion- that and their corn muffins).
- It's a great Christmas or Thanksgiving Pie.
Cracker Barrel's Buttermilk Pie Ingredients
See recipe card at the bottom of this post for quantities.
Recipe walkthrough: Instructions
This is an overview of the recipe steps. For more detailed instructions visit the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Step 1: Line a 9 inch Pie Dish with the pie crust and flute the edges.
- Step 2: Place in the refrigerator, or even in the freezer, for 10 minutes to get it nice and cold/hard.
- Step 3: In the large bowl of a stand mixer add the sugar and butter and cream until fluffy.
- Step 4: Add the eggs, a pinch of salt and flour and mix again just until incorporated.
- Step 5: Stir in the buttermilk, vanilla and nutmeg.
- Step 6: Pour this buttermilk mixture into the pie shell and place in the preheated oven (set at 425°F) for 10 minutes.
- Step 7: After 10 minutes turn down the heat to 350°F and bake a further 40 minutes.
- Step 8: Remove when the center of the pie doesn't jiggle any more, cool to room temperature on a wire rack then place in the refrigerator.
- Serve with fresh berries or chopped pecans.
Hint: Allowing to set in the refrigerator for further time will help this southern buttermilk pie to firm up and give the ingredients time to marry together for a better taste.
Recipe variations and substitute ideas
- Brown Sugar - sprinkle a little on top and this old-fashioned buttermilk pie almost reminds you of a crème brûlée.
- Fresh Lemon Juice and Lemon Zest - adds a little bit of acidity and tartness.
- Cinnamon - add a sprinkle for some cinnamon flavor.
- Cornmeal - instead of flour.
Buttermilk Pie vs. Chess Pie: What's the Difference?
Buttermilk pie and chess pie get mixed up a lot, and I get it, they're cousins for sure. But they're not quite the same thing.
Buttermilk pie gets its tang and creamy texture from real buttermilk. The filling is smooth and custard-like, almost like a cheesecake in pie form.
Chess pie usually swaps in cornmeal for some (or all) of the flour, which gives it a slightly grainier texture and a sweeter, more caramel-y flavor. Some old family recipes use both buttermilk and cornmeal, which is where the confusion creeps in.
If you love this one, you'll probably love my Old Fashioned Chess Pie too - same cozy, old-fashioned vibe, just a different personality.
Necessary gear: Equipment
The following are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
I like to use my stand mixer whenever I'm mixing ingredients for a pie. You could use a hand mixer though. Or even beat by hand if you have the arm muscle (I do not).
You'll also need a 9" Pie Dish. I have some affiliate links in the recipe card below.
More pie recipes I think you'll love
- Southern Chocolate Chess Pie
- Grandma's Sweet Potato Pie
- Country Apple Pie
- Old Fashioned Cherry Delight Recipe
Also, don't forget to check out this list of Southern Thanksgiving Recipes.
Mel's kitchen notes
If you prefer to make your own flaky pie crust at home I have an excellent Amish Pie Crust Recipe (it's my favorite pie crust recipe) you could use for this recipe. It's super simple and requires no hard work cutting the butter in etc.
FAQ's
I really do recommend sticking with real store-bought buttermilk for this recipe. It's what gives the pie that classic tangy flavor and helps the filling set up right. In a pinch, you can make a quick substitute with a tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice stirred into a cup of milk, left to sit for about 10 minutes - but it won't be quite as rich as the real thing.
Don't panic, this is totally normal. The eggs and buttermilk can make the mixture look a little separated or lumpy once you stir everything together. It smooths right out as it bakes.
Nope. This is a true buttermilk pie, not a chess pie, so there's no cornmeal in the filling. That's part of what gives it that smooth, creamy texture instead of a grainier one.
That's actually what you want - a little jiggle in the very center is normal and it'll firm up as it cools. If the whole pie is still sloshy, give it a few more minutes and check again.
If you've tried this Cracker Barrel Buttermilk Pie Recipe or any other great recipe on my site, let me know in the comment section below, how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers!
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Cracker Barrel Buttermilk Pie Recipe
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 Each 9" Refrigerated Pie Crust
- 2 Cups Granulated Sugar
- ½ Cup Unsalted Butter softened
- 3 Tablespoons All Purpose Flour
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- 3 Each Large Eggs
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1 Cup Buttermilk
- 1 Dash Nutmeg
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Line a 9" Pie Dish with the pie crust, flute the edges then place back in the refrigerator.1 Each 9" Refrigerated Pie Crust
- In the bowl of your stand mixer add the sugar and butter and cream together until fluffy, using the paddle attachment.2 Cups Granulated Sugar, ½ Cup Unsalted Butter
- Add the eggs, flour and salt and mix until incorporated.3 Tablespoons All Purpose Flour, 3 Each Large Eggs, ¼ teaspoon Salt
- Remove and add the buttermilk, vanilla and nutmeg and stir with a spatula.1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract, 1 Cup Buttermilk, 1 Dash Nutmeg
- Pour into the pie crust and place straight into the oven. Bake for 10 minutes.
- Turn down the temperature after 10 minutes to 350° and bake a further 40 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature before serving.
Storage Instructions
Once cooled to room temperature store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days. This recipe does actually freeze well. Wrap with cling wrap (plastic wrap) and aluminum foil and freeze for up to 3 months.Notes
Nutrition
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