Chess Pie

This Southern classic Chess Pie is made easily with pantry staples and finely ground cornmeal which helps to thicken the creamy custard mixture as well offers an ever so subtle yet complimentary cornmeal flavor.  

slice of Chess Pie on a plate

This modest pie freezes and stores beautifully and can be adapted to make chocolate, lemon, orange or coconut chess pie with just a few simple substitutions!

his Chess Pie is an absolute crowd pleaser that you can serve up with some freshly whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. If you haven’t ever eaten Chess Pie before, then now is the time!

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chess pie with a slice on a plate

Recipe Notes:

  • Apart from freezing, Chess pie can be stored at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerated. In both instances, make sure to wrap your pie in foil and store in an airtight container.
  • The reason this recipe uses white vinegar or citrus juice is to help offset the sweetness of the sugar. 
  • If you don’t have buttermilk, whole milk will work well too.
  • The cornmeal and flour helps to thicken the custard filling. While some chess pie recipes completely omit the cornmeal, it’s definitely a must if you want to make this pie as was traditionally made. 
What’s the difference between Chess Pie and Custard Pie?

Interestingly, it all comes down to one ingredient. Most chess pies (those made in their classic form) contain a small amount of cornmeal added to the custard mixture while other custard pies don’t.

Can I freeze Chess Pie?

Yes! Chess pie freezes well for 1 month which means that you get to either make and freeze a pie for later serving or store your leftovers for longer.

When storing your baked Chess pie, make sure that your pie has completely cooled prior to wrapping with foil and placing in an airtight container in the freezer. I also suggest that you slice your pie into individual servings with pieces of parchment paper between the slices so that they don’t stick together. It’s a helpful trick I make use of so that I don’t have to reheat the entire pie if I just want one or a few slices.

To reheat, simply thaw your pie overnight in the refrigerator and then place in the oven at 300F for 45 minutes to an hour or until you are satisfied that it’s heated throughout.

What is the best cornmeal to use?

The finer variety of cornmeal is best otherwise you may end up with a gritty texture and this could also affect how well your pie sets.

While stone ground yellow cornmeal is traditionally and commonly used, you can also use white cornmeal.

What variations can I make to this Chess Pie?

While this Chess Pie is delicious as is, here are some ways in which you could adapt it:

For a lemon chess pie: substitute the vinegar for lemon juice and add in some lemon zest
For a chocolate chess pie: add ¼ cup of unsweetened cocoa powder to the pie filling
For coconut chess pie: substitute the buttermilk for coconut milk and add 1 cup of toasted coconut flakes to the pie filling
For orange chess pie: substitute the vinegar for orange juice and add in some orange zest

Chess Pie

  1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Melt the butter, stir in the vanilla extract, and set aside to cool.ingredients for Chess Pie
  2. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, cornmeal, flour, and salt.sugar, cornmeal, flour, and salt in a mixing bowl
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, buttermilk, and vinegar/lemon juice. Stir the cooled butter mixture into the other wet ingredients.eggs, buttermilk, and vinegar/lemon juice and butter being added to a bowl
  4. Pour wet ingredients into the mixing bowl with the dry ingredients and stir or whisk to combine well.dry and wet ingredients mixed together
  5. Pour this prepared filling into a 9” unbaked pie crust.mixture poured into pie pan
  6. Place into the 425°F oven and bake for 10 minutes.
  7. Reduce the heat in the oven to 350°F , cover the crust with strips of aluminum foil, and continue baking an additional 30-40 minutes.
  8. Bake until pie is golden brown, covering the top loosely with aluminum foil as needed to protect the top of the pie from over-browning. When the pie is just the tiniest bit jiggly in the center, it is done.
  9. Remove from the oven and allow it to cool to room temperature.cooked cheese pie
  10. Cover loosely and place in the refrigerator to chill for several hours before slicing.Chess Pie dusted with sugar
  11. Dust lightly with powdered sugar just before serving.slice of chess pie
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Chess Pie

This Chess Pie is an absolute crowd pleaser that you can serve up with some freshly whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes

Ingredients
 

  • 6 tablespoons salted butter melted and cooled
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 & 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons cornmeal
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1/4 cup buttermilk
  • 1 tablespoon white vinegar or lemon juice
  • 1 unbaked pie crust
  • Powdered sugar for dusting the top of the pie

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 425°F. Melt the butter, stir in the vanilla extract, and set aside to cool.
  • In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, cornmeal, flour, and salt.
  • In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, buttermilk, and vinegar/lemon juice. Stir the cooled butter mixture
into the other wet ingredients.
  • Pour wet ingredients into the mixing bowl with the dry ingredients and stir or whisk to combine well.
  • Pour this prepared filling into a 9” unbaked pie crust.
  • Place into the 425°F oven and bake for 10 minutes.
  • Reduce the heat in the oven to 350°F , cover the crust with strips of aluminum foil, and continue baking an
additional 30-40 minutes.
  • Bake until pie is golden brown, covering the top loosely with aluminum foil as needed to protect the top of
the pie from over-browning. When the pie is just the tiniest bit jiggly in the center, it is done. Remove from
the oven and allow it to cool to room temperature.
  • Cover loosely and place in the refrigerator to chill for several hours before slicing.
  • Dust lightly with powdered sugar just before serving.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 302kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 93mg | Sodium: 218mg | Potassium: 65mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 30g | Vitamin A: 328IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional Disclaimer: Family Fresh Meals is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.

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