This Chess Pie recipe is easy to make and incredibly delicious. You will swoon over the buttery smooth texture.
If you have never had a chess pie before, you are going to want to make this delicious recipe. The filling is buttery smooth and sweet. The top is caramelized sugar, somewhat similar to what is on top of a crème brûlée. This is a delicious dessert that will be a huge hit in your house.
Ingredients For Chess Pie
This chess pie recipe comes together with simple ingredients that all provide a delicious flavor and perfect texture. See the recipe card at the bottom of the post for the full recipe, including all measurements.
- Pie crust: While you can use a store-bought pie crust, I highly recommend my fool proof pie crust recipe.
- Flour: Helps the filling set properly and adds structure.
- Corn meal: Acts as a thickener and gives a smooth, silky texture to the custard.
- Eggs: Provide richness, help everything bind together, and create that signature firm yet creamy texture once baked for the filling.
- Butter: Adds a rich flavor to the pie.
- Sugar: Provides sweetness to the pie and helps create the slightly crisp top layer.
- Milk
- Lemon juice: A touch of acidity balances the sweetness.
- Vanilla extract: Adds warmth and enhances the overall sweetness.
- Powdered sugar: A light dusting of powdered sugar on top before serving adds a pretty finishing touch and a hint of extra sweetness.
How to Make Chess Pie
Step 1: Roll out the pie dough
Roll out the dough and line a 9-inch pie plate with it. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Step 2: Bake the Pie Crust
Line the pie dough with parchment paper. Fill with pie weights (or dry beans) and push to the edges. Bake for 15 minutes. Then reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Step 3: Combine Dry Ingredients
In a small bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, and salt.
Step 4: Combine Wet Ingredients
In a large bowl, whisk together the butter, sugar, milk, lemon juice, vanilla, and eggs. Then fold in the dry ingredients.
Step 5: Pour the Batter into the Crust
Pour the batter into the partially baked pie crust.
Step 6: Bake the pie
Add a pie shield to the pie crust. If you don’t have a pie shield, you can use aluminum foil to cover the outer crust while the pie bakes. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes until the pie has set in the middle. Allow it to cool completely, and top with powdered sugar.
Storing Chess Pie
Since it is a custard pie, keep any leftovers of your chess pie covered in the refrigerator for up to three days. Always use your best discretion when storing and eating leftovers.
Other Great Pie Recipes
- Perfect Pumpkin Pie From Scratch
- Chocolate Chess Pie is one of my favorite chess pie variations!
- Key Lime Pie
If you make this chess pie recipe or any of my other recipes, I’d love to hear what you think and how you enjoyed them! Your comments make my day.
Chess Pie
Ingredients
- 1 pie dough homemade or store-bought
- 2 tablespoons cornmeal (17.25 grams)
- 1 tablespoon flour (7.5 grams)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted, slightly cooled (113 grams)
- 2 cups granulated sugar (396 grams)
- 1/4 cup milk room temperature (56.75 grams)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs room temperature, beaten
- powdered sugar
Instructions
- Roll out the pie dough and line a 9-inch pie plate with it. Trim the edges, and then crimp them. Cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.1 pie dough
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Line the pie dough with parchment paper. Fill with pie weights and push to the edges. (I like to use 2 pounds.) Bake for 15 minutes.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, and salt.2 tablespoons cornmeal, 1 tablespoon flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt
- In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, sugar, milk, lemon juice, vanilla, and eggs. Fold in the dry ingredients. Pour the batter into the pre-baked pie crust.1/2 cup unsalted butter, 2 cups granulated sugar, 1/4 cup milk, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, 4 large eggs
- Add a pie shield to the pie crust. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes until the pie has set in the middle.
- Allow it to cool completely, and top with powdered sugar.powdered sugar
L K says
Hi,
You listed corn starch as one of the ingredients in your commentary above. But on the ingredient list corn meal is listed (and shown in the pics), not corn starch. Which ingredient is it – corn starch or corn meal OR is it both? Thanks!
Thank you so much for catching that! It is corn meal.