Old Fashioned Southern Style Chess Pie

Old Fashioned Southern Style Chess Pie is simple, creamy, and nostalgic. You’ll want to make it for gatherings, potlucks, or as a sweet treat for any occasion. 

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This recipe was my grandmother’s. She loved making desserts and had a box overflowing with her recipes and clippings from magazines and newspapers. My cornbread recipe is a modification of the way she would make hers.

One of my favorite desserts she would make was pie. Every year she’d make mini pecan pies for the holidays. They didn’t last long once we all started on them. Another holiday staple was her old fashioned southern style chess pie. It is thickened with cornmeal and has a custard consistency that is the perfect sweet ending to a meal…or with your morning coffee if you’re like me

When Brent and I married, She would make a chess pie specifically for him. He’s not a chocolate lover like the rest of us, so this pie was always what he requested. 

Why you’ll love old fashioned southern style chess pie

It’s delicious! The consistency of the pie is more like a custard, while it has more of a vanilla flavor. It’s not overly sweet so it’s perfect to serve with heavier meals during the holidays. 

It’s simple. You’ll have most of these ingredients in your pantry already. This is an easy pie to whip up in a pinch. 

It’s nostalgic. An old-fashioned chess pie isn’t something you see very often anymore. For me, it reminds me of childhood church homecomings and holidays with my grandparents. 

It’s inexpensive. The chess pie ingredients are very basic and inexpensive. With grocery prices being so high, it’s a great option that does break the bank.

How to make an old-fashioned Southern-style chess pie

To make this pie you’ll need: 

• Glass pie plate – Go ahead and get some pretty ones for serving. I love a beautiful dish and can be cooked and served in.
• Stand Mixer 
• Various glass bowls 

Chess Pie Ingredients

• 2 tsp cornmeal 
• ¼ tsp salt 
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 4 eggs
• 4 tbsp evaporated milk or cream ( my grandmother’s recipe called for canned cream) 
• ¼ cup melted butter 
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• Prepared pie crust- I make a sourdough crust using Farmhouse on Boone’s recipe.

Directions 

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F
2. Whisk the sugar, cornmeal, and salt together. 
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, evaporated milk, and melted butter. Make sure the butter is cool enough to not scramble the eggs. 
4. Combine the dry and wet ingredients in a mixing bowl. Mix on medium speed until everything is combined. 
5. Add the vanilla extract to the mixture and stir until it is just combined. 
6. Pour the batter into the pie crust. Make sure it spreads evenly.
7. Bake the pie at 350° F for around 45 minutes or until the center is set. Start checking the pie at 30 minutes. 

Helpful tips 

Cover the pie with tin foil and bake for the first 35 minutes. Uncover for the last 10-15 minutes of baking. This will ensure your crust doesn’t get too brown. 

Allow the pie to cool completely before serving it. The center of the pie should be set. It will be soft and have a little movement, but it shouldn’t be liquid or runny. 

If you are using a pre-made pie crust in an aluminum tin, you may need to adjust the cooking time to 35 minutes. Again, watch the pie closely. 

FAQs 

How do I make a chess pie without cornmeal? 

You can leave the cornmeal out of this recipe. However, It will change the consistency of the pie. It could also take a little longer to set. 

Adding 1 tbsp of flour will also help to thicken the pie in place of cornmeal 

What is the difference between a buttermilk pie and a chess pie? 

A chess pie is generally made with cornmeal, eggs, and sugar, whereas a buttermilk pie is made from buttermilk, eggs, and sugar. It’s more of a dairy-based pie. Both are delicious! 

Is chess pie a Southern thing? 

Chess pie is usually known as a southern dessert. It’s made from simple ingredients that used to be found in most kitchens and was inexpensive to make. There are even rumors that it got its name from a pie chest but was called “chess” pie due to heavy Southern accents. 

I hope you liked this simple southern classic. It’s definitely a recipe I’ll keep passing down.

If you enjoyed this recipe, please share it! Thank you for visiting my little farm.  

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