Change things up this holiday season with a unique twist on the state pie of Texas! Creamy, rich, tangy, crunchy, sweet - it checks all the boxes.
Table of Contents
🗝️ Key takeaways
- This buttermilk pecan pie recipe is a creamy, delicious pie that blends two staple family recipes into one mouthwatering masterpiece.
- Wonderful pies like this family favorite make the perfect holiday dessert at Thanksgiving, Christmas, or anywhere in between.
- It might sound obvious, but always use real buttermilk in buttermilk pecan pie to get the best flavor and texture. No substituting!
Old-fashioned buttermilk pie is crème brulee’s culinary cousin, while traditional pecan pie is sweet and nutty. Combine the two classic Southern desserts, and you’ll have the makings of a new holiday tradition.
🧾 Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the green recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
📖 Variations
- Make your own homemade pie crust or use a store-bought crust from the grocery store.
- You can even experiment with a graham cracker crust if you're in the mood for one.
- Use packed light brown sugar instead of white sugar for a hint of caramelized flavor in your pie filling.
- Swap the vanilla extract with vanilla bean paste, bourbon, or rum to jazz up the flavor a little more!
- Serve each slice of buttermilk pecan pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a dollop of fresh whipped cream on top!
🔪 Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. Full instructions are in the green recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Add the sugar, softened butter, and flour to the eggs in a large bowl and beat until smooth.
- Add the buttermilk, lemon juice, and vanilla extract to the egg mixture and beat until smooth.
- Pour the buttermilk mixture into the prepared pie crust.
- Sprinkle pecans on top of the pie filling in a single layer and bake.
🥫 How to store leftovers
If you have leftover buttermilk pecan pie, cover the pie plate in plastic wrap and store it in the fridge for up to four days. Buttermilk pecan pie must be refrigerated because of all the dairy in it!
Feel free to freeze your leftovers to make 'em last longer. Transfer the cooled pie to an airtight container and freeze for up to two months.
Be sure to thaw frozen pie in the fridge overnight before reheating. Then, reheat it in an oven-safe dish or pan covered with aluminum foil. Bake leftover pecan pie in a 300-degree F oven for 15-20 minutes.
💭 Things to know
Expert Tip: Use the real stuff in buttermilk pie recipes. Store-bought buttermilk is thicker, tangier, and more acidic than homemade buttermilk that you make with vinegar. Adding vinegar or lemon juice to milk will NOT work in this recipe!!!!
- Make sure the butter and eggs come to room temperature. This helps you cream the butter into the egg mixture more smoothly.
- We combine the flour, sugar, and eggs first before adding any buttermilk or lemon juice so the acidity doesn’t curdle the eggs.
- Make a beautiful, wavy pie crust edge by pinching the crust between your pointer finger/thumb and a knuckle on your other hand.
- You'll know your delicious pie is done when an instant thermometer reads 180 degrees F in the center or when a sharp knife inserted into the center of the pie comes out clean.
- This buttermilk pecan pie recipe uses a deep dish pie plate, which holds about two more cups than a regular one. Deep dish pie plates usually measure 9” wide by 2 to 2 ¼” deep.
- Toss the pecans while toasting them because they burn quickly!
- Pie tip 101: let it cool completely to set before digging in.
- Don't let anything go to waste! Use up your leftover buttermilk in one of these awesome recipes.
👩🍳 FAQs
For faster prep time, don’t chop the pecan halves. However, they take up more space than chopped pecans, so you’ll need to add an extra ¼ cup of pecan halves to equal the amount called for chopped.
Nope! This pie has quite a long bake time, so if you follow the recipe as it's written, you'll have a perfectly smooth pie filling and a flaky, crisp crust on the bottom. Yum!
Nope. Some recipes give the option of creating homemade buttermilk with cream or milk and lemon juice or vinegar, but it’s not the same as true buttermilk. The real stuff is thicker, tangier, and more acidic than homemade buttermilk. Learn more about buttermilk here.
📚 Related recipes
- Craving a traditional pie? Southern Pecan Pie is a classic holiday dessert loaded with crunchy nuts and the gooey filling everyone loves!
- Pecan Pie Cheesecake is a deliciously dense eggnog cheesecake that sits on top of a sweet, traditional pecan pie. It's a showstopper, for sure.
- Talk about decadent—Chocolate Chess Pie is another iconic Southern dessert recipe that’s like eating fudgy brownie batter in a flaky, buttery crust.
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A deep dish pie plate is a must. I've got this one on order for me!
📞 The last word
Creamy, tangy, and decadent! This is a unique pecan pie that checks all the boxes any time of the year!
No time to bake pie? Try this 10-minute pecan pie cobbler recipe!
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need.
If you love this recipe please comment below and give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📖 Recipe
Buttermilk Pecan Pie
Print Pin Recipe SaveIngredients
- 3 eggs
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- ½ cup butter room temperature
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup pecans, toasted and chopped
- 1 10-inch pie crust, or 9-inch deep dish pie crust
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Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉.
- Beat eggs until frothy.
- Add sugar, butter, and flour and beat until smooth.
- Stir in buttermilk, lemon juice and vanilla. Pour into pie shell.
- Top with toasted pecans.
- Bake until the center is firm, 40 to 60 minutes. It will read 180℉ on an instant read thermometer when inserted just off-center.
- Remove from the oven and cool. Refrigerate overnight before serving.
To Toast Pecans
- Place pecans on a baking sheet in a 350℉ oven.
- Toast, stirring often, for about 5 minutes.
- Let cool before using.
Notes
- Make sure the butter and eggs come to room temperature.
- We combine the flour, sugar, and eggs first before adding any buttermilk or lemon juice so the acidity doesn’t curdle the eggs.
- You'll know your delicious pie is done when an instant thermometer reads 180 degrees F in the center or when a sharp knife inserted into the center of the pie comes out clean.
- This buttermilk pecan pie recipe uses a deep dish pie plate, which holds about two more cups than a regular one. Deep dish pie plates usually measure 9” wide by 2 to 2 ¼” deep.
- Toss the pecans while toasting them and watch carefully because they burn quickly!
- Pie tip 101: let it cool completely to set - overnight is best - before digging in.
- Don't let anything go to waste! Use up your leftover buttermilk in one of these awesome recipes.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Paula
I enjoy trying all these easy recipes!
Cindy
I'm giving a 4 star rating without even tasting only because it never seemed to become solid in the center.
Marye
Did you bake it to 180F internal temperature as suggested in the instructions and check it with a instant-read thermometer?