Blackberry-Buttermilk Pie Recipe - Tasting Table (2024)

Recipes

The secret ingredient in the silky filling: moonshine

Blackberry-Buttermilk Pie Recipe - Tasting Table (1)

Photo: Rachel Vanni/Tasting Table

ByTasting Table Staff/

It wouldn't be summer without a berry pie cooling on the windowsill of our Test Kitchen. This year, however, we wanted to shake it up from the traditional strawberry-rhubarb. Turns out what we were looking for was down south, where buttermilk pies reign supreme.

"We like to kid that culture is our culture," Meredith Layton, co-owner of Buttermilk Sky Pie Shop in Knoxville, Tennessee, jokes. "Buttermilk is a staple in Southern cooking; our grandmothers used it in everything from cornbread to bath water. We knew that as a shop that embodies Southern culture and tradition we had to include buttermilk in our namesake pie."

In this exclusive recipe for TT, a custardy buttermilk filling is studded with fresh, ripe blackberries. While her husband and co-owner Scott may fight her on it, Layton uses a shortbread crust in lieu of the traditional flaky crust. Since you are in concept making a cookie crust, the easiest trick that we found to get the dough just right, and Layton agrees, is by rolling it out between sheets of parchment paper.

And the secret ingredient to this creamy pie? Moonshine, of course. "Moonshine is a bragging right to life in Southern Appalachia," Layton explains. "Moonshine wakes up food flavors and enhances their natural tastes as well as textures." This recipe calls for blackberry moonshine, a spirit you can buy or make yourself by infusing moonshine with fresh blackberries. It adds the perfect kick of blackberry flavor and booze to cut through the sweetness of the pie. And if you can't get your hands on moonshine, simply substitute blackberry brandy.

"We encourage people to try their hand at baking pies for their family," Layton explains. "Dig out old treasured recipes from your family. If you aren't from a baking family, ask friends for their family recipes. In the South, recipes are treasured like gold and every good recipe holds memories to pass on to the next generation."

We couldn't agree more, so you heard her: get your oven going to crank out the best pie you've had this summer. Trust us, it's to pie for.

Check out our best pie recipes.

Recipe adapted from Buttermilk Sky Pie Shop, Knoxville, TN

Blackberry-Buttermilk Pie

4.8 from 32 ratings

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Creamy custard mixed with blackberries makes for the Southern pie of your dreams. Get this exclusive blackberry-buttermilk pie recipe at Tasting Table.

Prep Time

20

minutes

Cook Time

1

hour

Servings

9

pie

Blackberry-Buttermilk Pie Recipe - Tasting Table (2)

Total time: 1 hour, 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • For the Crust
  • ? cup granulated sugar
  • 1 stick salted butter, softened
  • 1¼ cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons whole milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting
  • For the Filling
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 stick salted butter, melted
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1 tablespoon blackberry moonshine
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1 cup blackberries
  • For the Blackberry-Moonshine Drizzle
  • ¼ cup blackberries
  • ½ cup blackberry jam
  • 3 tablespoons blackberry moonshine
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt

Directions

  1. Make the crust: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add the flour, milk and vanilla, and mix until a smooth dough comes together. Cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, prepare the filling: In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar and butter until incorporated. Add the flour and eggs, and whisk until smooth. Whisk in the buttermilk, moonshine and nutmeg to incorporate, then set aside.
  3. Make the blackberry-moonshine drizzle: In a small bowl, mash the blackberries with a fork until they fall apart. Stir in the remaining drizzle ingredients and set aside.
  4. Roll the dough out, between 2 sheets of parchment paper dusted with confectioners' sugar, into a 12-inch circle. Transfer to a 9-inch pie dish and trim the excess, then crimp the edges. Transfer the pie dish to the freezer to freeze for 1 hour.
  5. Preheat the oven to 350º. Remove the pie shell from the freezer and layer the blackberries in an even layer on the bottom. Pour in the filling and bake until lightly golden, 30 minutes. Cover with foil and continue to bake until the filling is set, 30 minutes more.
  6. Let the pie cool completely, then slice and serve each slice with a spoon of the blackberry-moonshine drizzle over top.

Nutrition

Calories per Serving544
Total Fat22.4 g
Saturated Fat13.6 g
Trans Fat0.8 g
Cholesterol108.7 mg
Total Carbohydrates77.7 g
Dietary Fiber1.8 g
Total Sugars57.7 g
Sodium346.4 mg
Protein5.4 g

The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Blackberry-Buttermilk Pie Recipe - Tasting Table (2024)

FAQs

Why did my buttermilk pie not set? ›

Remember, this is a custard pie, which means it is not only going to continue cooking once it comes out of the oven, but it also needs time to cool and set. Custard pies need at least 2 hours to properly set before being cut into. If your Buttermilk Pie is runny, it might have been underbaked.

How do you fix a runny pie after baking? ›

To fix a runny pie that's already been baked, simply let it cool to see if it will congeal naturally. If not, you can stick it back in the oven for a bit longer.

How long is peanut butter pie good for in the fridge? ›

Peanut butter pie should always be stored in the refrigerator and it shouldn't sit at room temperature for more than two hours at a time. Stored in an airtight container in the fridge, it will last three to four days.

Why is my buttermilk pie runny in the middle? ›

Why is My Buttermilk Pie Runny? It may not be fully cooked, OR it may be fully cooked but not fully cooled. You want to make sure to fully let the pie cool at room temperature (at least 2 hours) before you slice it to avoid it being runny.

Why didn't my homemade buttermilk thicken? ›

Heating denatures the milk proteins, which allows the milk to coagulate and thicken more. Raw milk has not been heated; therefore, the proteins remain intact and will not coagulate the same way and cannot create a buttermilk that is as thick.

Why is my blackberry pie so runny? ›

Berry pies need starch to help thicken the filling because berries give off a lot of juice when they cook. For a typical nine inch pie, you need two tablespoons of flour, cornstarch, or tapioca starch. Tapioca is best because it sets clear, which let's the filling look bright and glossy.

How do you keep blackberry pie from being runny? ›

I add both all-purpose flour and tapioca or cornstarch to thicken the blackberry filling, so it won't be runny or make your crust soggy.

What is the best thickener for pie filling? ›

Very often flour or cornstarch is used, but in certain instances tapioca, arrowroot and potato starch can also help achieve the desired consistency. Tapioca starch is preferable for products that will be frozen because it will not break down when thawed. We like tapioca in blueberry, cherry or peach pies.

Can I eat 5 day old pie? ›

Cream and chiffon pies must be stored in the refrigerator. These pies can be kept three to four days. Fruit pies such as cherry and apple can be stored at room temperature one to two days or seven days in the refrigerator.

Can you eat pie that has been left out overnight? ›

McDowell says that fruit and custard pies are best eaten within the first 24 hours after baking, but can be stored at room temperature for up to two days—any longer than that, and the crust will start to get soggy.

Can you eat a pie 5 days out of date? ›

If the crust is mushy, it's pretty unpalatable, so, you wouldn't want to eat it, and that happens before it becomes otherwise bad to eat. If food has gone bad, it gives you diarrhea. Usually little more than that. Your pie can't really expire, it doesn't have an expiration date.

Why is my cream pie not setting? ›

It may not have set properly if the custard wasn't cooked long enough or if it wasn't chilled adequately. Ensure you follow the recipe's instructions for both cooking and chilling times, and consider refrigerating the pie for a longer period if needed.

Why did my pie filling is too runny? ›

If you slice the pie too soon , it just won't set. Why did my blueberry pie turn out runny? Without knowing your method or ingredients its hard to say. My best guess is you didn't use enough thickener( flour or cornstarch) in the filling, or you didnt cook long enough, or you cut it before cooling sufficiently.

Why did my pie turn out soupy? ›

In fact, one of the biggest mistakes pie makers make, apart from not cooking their pie long enough, is not cooling their pie. Let fruit pies cool for at least 3 hours before slicing them. In fact, I recommend letting a pie cool overnight if you find it to be slightly runny.

Why is my pie not setting? ›

Here's the thing to remember: If you're filling hasn't set, it means the bottom of the pie crust isn't fully cooked, either. You can prevent the outer crust from further darkening (or even burning) by covering it with aluminum foil or — more attractively — with what's known as a pie ring or shield.

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