Chess Pie

A gooey, sweet Southern classic that's easy to put together.

Overhead view of Chess Pie

Serious Eats / Fred Hardy

Why It Works

  • Pantry-friendly ingredients make this pie easy and quick to put together.
  • A little salt and white vinegar balance the sweetness of the custard filling.
  • A small amount of flour and cornmeal produces its signature thin, crackly, caramelized crust on the surface.

If you have a super, ooey, gooey, sticky sweet tooth, then this classic pie from the South is for you. I learned about it while working with a sous chef from Virginia who had an insatiable taste for sweets, and who begged me to make it for the family meal whenever I had a few spare minutes. I was always happy to indulge her with a sweet taste from home. This pie needs only a few minutes to assemble and no special equipment. Plus it relies on pantry-friendly ingredients that most already have on hand, making it just about the easiest pie to throw together.

The origin of the name "Chess Pie" is unclear; some attribute it to its ancestor, the cheese tart, while others believe it was named for Chester County, or for the pie "chest" in which it was kept prior to serving. It's mysterious origin story makes this southern classic pie enticing, but it's the sugar that keeps folks coming back for more.

Why so sweet? To achieve the best consistency in the filling—one that's loose and creamy, firm enough to slice, but quivery at the same time—you need the perfect ratio of sugar to eggs, which is to say, a high ratio. Those are the two main ingredients, but they are supported by a pinch of salt, a dash of vanilla, a hint of milk and vinegar (which balances the sweetness a bit), plus a couple of tablespoons of cornmeal and flour. The cornmeal and flour are also there to form its wisp of a thin, crackly, caramelized crust over the top, which is my favorite part.

The recipe is adapted from the original featured in Southern Living magazine.

March 2012

This recipe was cross-tested in 2023 and updated with more accurate measurements to guarantee best results.

Recipe Details

Chess Pie

Active 30 mins
Total 4 hrs
Serves 8 to 10 servings

Ingredients

  • One half recipe Easy Pie Dough, shaped in a 9-inch pie plate and chilled for at least 2 hours

  • 4 large eggs (7 ounces; 200g), room temperature

  • 1/2 cup ( 112g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

  • 1/3 cup (79ml) whole milk

  • 1 tablespoon (15ml) vanilla extract

  • 2 cups (14 ounces; 400g) granulated sugar

  • 2 tablespoons finely ground cornmeal (2/3 ounce; 18g)

  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour (1/3 ounce; 8g)

  • 1 tablespoon (15ml) white vinegar

  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt; for table salt use half as much by volume

Directions

  1. Adjust oven rack to the lowest position and preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Lightly prick chilled pie shell all over bottom in 1/2-inch intervals. Line pie shell with a double layer 14-inch square of parchment paper or aluminum foil. Fill with sugar, pie weights, or dried beans. 

    Overhead view of pie crust filled with pie weights

    Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez

  2. Transfer to a parchment or foil-lined rimmed baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F (160°C). Carefully remove liner and pie weights from crust and continue to bake until the crust is cooked through and just starting to turn golden brown, 5 to 8 minutes. Set aside and let cool completely, about 30 minutes.

    Pie crust resting on wire rack

    Serious Eats / Fred Hardy

  3. In a large bowl, whisk eggs, butter, milk, and vanilla together until smooth. Pour sugar into the egg mixture in a slow steady stream, whisking as you go until well combined. Whisk cornmeal, flour, vinegar, and salt into the mixture until smooth.

    Overhead view of adding sugar to pie filling mixture

    Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez

  4. Pour the filling into the parbaked pie shell. Bake until the filling is lightly browned and center of the pie is just set, but still jiggles slightly when shaken, and register 180℉(82℃), 45 to 50 minutes. If necessary, shield edges of crust with aluminum foil to prevent overbrowning. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely, about 4 hours. Slice and serve. 

    Four image collage of chess pie being assembled and after being baked

    Serious Eats / Fred Hardy

Special Equipment

9-inch pie plate

Make-Ahead and Storage

Pie can be refrigerated for up to 4 days. The pie can be served chilled or at room temperature.

Read More

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
461 Calories
22g Fat
63g Carbs
5g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8 to 10
Amount per serving
Calories 461
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 22g 28%
Saturated Fat 10g 51%
Cholesterol 100mg 33%
Sodium 377mg 16%
Total Carbohydrate 63g 23%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Total Sugars 41g
Protein 5g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 29mg 2%
Iron 1mg 6%
Potassium 83mg 2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)