Buttermilk gives easy chocolate pie a taste of the south

Easy Chocolate-Buttermilk Pie is a good choice for holiday entertaining.

Is it ever too early to start planning our dessert menu for the holidays? 

This super-easy Chocolate Buttermilk Pie doesn’t even require a mixer. So it is ideal for that last-minute dessert to finish the table. The only “special” ingredient is buttermilk, and if you have Southern roots, that’s probably not unusual at all. But never fear, there’s a perfectly fine substitute for buttermilk: 1 cup whole milk plus 1 teaspoon white vinegar.

Chocolate Buttermilk Pie sounds divine to me, but for the picky eaters in my circle who may turn their noses up at the idea of buttermilk in their pie, I call it “Just Chocolate Pie.” But no matter the name, you’re going to love the ease and delicious creamy texture of this amazing pie.

Chocolate Buttermilk Pie

Start to finish: 15 minute prep, 45 minutes bake and 15 minutes cooling time

Yield: 8 servings

9-inch prepared refrigerated pie crust or frozen prepared pie crust

1½ sticks butter (12 tablespoons)

1/​3 cup cocoa powder

1½ cups sugar

4 large whole eggs

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup buttermilk (see Cook’s Note)

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon salt

Vanilla ice cream for serving, if desired

Prepare crust according to package directions for a baked pie.

Melt butter over low heat. Add cocoa powder and sugar and stir constantly until well blended, about 2 minutes. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until light and frothy. Add the flour and buttermilk and stir until well combined. Slowly add the chocolate mixture while continuing to stir. Add vanilla and salt.

Pour filling into prepared crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Edges of pie will be slightly crusty and center will still jiggle a little.

Serve warm with vanilla ice cream, if desired. Pie can also be refrigerated for up to one day before serving. Serve chilled or warm in a 200-degree oven just until heated through, then serve.

Cook’s Note: You may use 1 cup whole milk plus 1 teaspoon white vinegar as a buttermilk substitute.

Approximate values per serving (1/​8 pie slice, without ice cream): 329 calories, 21.4 g fat (12.5 g saturated), 141 mg cholesterol, 5 g protein, 31 g carbohydrates, 1 g dietary fiber, 212 mg sodium.

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