This delicious and easy to make Southern Chess Pie is one of my favorite desserts! Made with a few simple ingredients, I just know you will love this sweet and rich pie!

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I don't know about you, but as Thanksgiving gets closer my thoughts turn to pies! I love to serve up my Southern Sweet Potato Pie after dinner alongside this delicious chess pie!

The sweet and creamy pie is, in my opinion, one of the best Southern desserts out there. This pie originated in England and was found in New England and Virginia, but I fell in love with it in North Carolina. My husband grew up calling it egg custard, which it pretty much is, but in a pie crust.

It also has a nice crisp and browned top, which makes it the perfect play on textures. There's also a really cute story behind why it's called Chess Pie.

For more easy desserts, be sure to check out my Homemade Churros and Chocolate Cola Cake!

How to make a chess pie

Gather your ingredients.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and make sure there is a rack on the middle rack.
In a large bowl, beat eggs and sugar together on medium speed until fully combined, about 1 minute.
Add milk, lemon juice, cornmeal, all-purpose flour, vanilla extract, salt, and nutmeg and beat until combined.

Ingredinets for the pie filling mixed together in a large bowl.

Pour into the prepared pie crust. You'll want a crust that has been blind baked or partially baked. You can do this with storebought crust or my homemade pie crust recipe.

The filling poured into the part baked pie crust.

Bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, until the middle is almost set and has a little jiggle. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for at least 1 hour before serving.

How long does it keep?

This is a great make ahead dessert, making it a great choice to make during the holiday season. Once baked, it will keep well for 24 hours at room temperature and in the fridge for up to 3 days.

If refrigerating, let the pie cool completely before covering with plastic wrap or foil.

Can you freeze chess pie?

You can freeze the baked pie. Let it cool completely before wrapping in plastic wrap and placing in a freezer bag. It will keep well for up to 3 months. Thaw the pie either overnight in the fridge or at room temperature for a couple of hours.

If you want to freeze individual slices, wrap them securely in plastic wrap before placing in the freezer bag.

What to serve with this pie

Honestly, a slice of this pie and a fork is really all you need, but if you want to be extra indulgent, feel free to serve it with some vanilla ice cream, whipped cream or even some chocolate or caramel sauce.

The baked chess pie with slices cut out of it.

Recipe Notes and Tips

You can also use a whisk to mix the ingredients if you don’t have an electric beater. Just make sure the ingredients are fully combined.
Place pie dish on baking sheet prior to baking to avoid spillage.
The pie may bubble up while baking. Don’t worry, it will deflate once it’s removed from the oven and cools.
The pie crust used in this recipe should be partially baked.

More Easy Dessert Recipes

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4.67 from 3 votes

Chess Pie

This delicious and easy to make Southern chess pie is one of my favorite desserts to make. Made with a few simple ingredients, I just know you will love this sweet and rich pie!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword easy chess pie recipe, how to make chess pie

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 35

Total Time 45

Servings servings

Calories 225kcal

Author Tanya

Ingredients

9- inch prepared pie crust
4 large eggs
1 cup sugar
¾ cup milk
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 Tablespoon cornmeal
1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon nutmeg

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and make sure there is a rack in the middle.
In a large bowl, beat eggs and sugar together on medium speed until fully combined, about 1 minute.
Add milk, lemon juice, cornmeal, all-purpose flour, vanilla extract, salt, and nutmeg and beat until combined. Pour into the prepared pie crust. Bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, until the middle is almost set and has a little jiggle. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for at least 1 hour before serving.

Notes

You can also use a whisk to mix the ingredients if you don’t have an electric beater. Just make sure the ingredients are fully combined.
Place pie dish on baking sheet prior to baking to avoid spillage.
The pie may bubble up while baking. Don’t worry, it will deflate once it’s removed from the oven and cools.
The pie crust used in this recipe should be partially baked.

Nutrition

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Although myforkinglife.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Under no circumstances will myforkinglife.com be responsible for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information.