This Peach Chess Pie recipe is the perfect combination of the custardy goodness of chess pie with the sweet and flavorful twist of peach cobbler.
If you love chess pie and peach cobbler, then boy, do I have a treat for you!! This Peach Chess Pie combines the custardy goodness of chess pie with the sweet and flavorful twist of peach cobbler. It’s amazing. And surprisingly easy!
In 20 minutes or less, you can have this decadent and sweet dessert in the oven. While it will take you about an hour to bake, it is well worth the wait. Serve it by itself or with a dollop of ice cream or whipped cream. Yummmm!
What kind of crust is best for this Peach Chess Pie?
You have a few options here… If making your own pie crust is your thing, you can absolutely do that here. I used the refrigerated rolled-up pie dough, but even frozen will work fine. It’s really whatever you have time to do.
You will, however, want to make sure the crust you use is deep dish and about 9 inches across. If it’s not, just be cautious not to overfill your pie. You don’t want to have to scrape all that off the bottom of your oven. I promise.
Why is it called Chess Pie?
To my knowledge, no one is quite sure why we call this custardy beauty a chess pie, but the theories abound. Many folks have their own guesses… from where they were stored (in a chest) to how we Southerners might say, “It’s jes’ pie” instead of “It’s just pie” or “chess” instead of “cheese.”
While it sounds like the Southern accent is most likely the culprit, I just know that I’m a big fan of it and its cousins, the vinegar and buttermilk pies. Let’s be honest… I’m a fan of any pie no matter how odd the name may be!
How should I store a Chess or Buttermilk Pie?
For both chess and buttermilk pies, once they’ve cooled to room temperature after baking, you should refrigerate them. These pies contain dairy and eggs, making them prone to spoilage if left out for too long. Here’s how to keep them in tip-top shape:
- Cover and Refrigerate: Place your cooled pie in the fridge. You can cover it with plastic wrap or foil, or if you have a pie keeper, that works perfectly, too. This will keep the pie fresh and prevent it from absorbing any fridge odors.
- Storage Time: Chess and buttermilk pies can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Any longer, and they may start to lose their texture and flavor.
- Serving: When you’re ready to serve, you can enjoy the pie cold straight from the fridge, or let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes to take off the chill. Some folks even like to warm their slice up a bit—whatever floats your boat!
- Freezing (Optional): If you need to store your pie for a longer period, you can freeze it. Wrap the pie tightly in plastic wrap and then in aluminum foil to protect it from freezer burn. It can be frozen for up to 2 months. When you’re ready to enjoy, thaw it in the refrigerator overnight.
With these simple steps, your chess or buttermilk pie will stay just as delightful as the moment it came out of the oven!
Why do we put cornmeal in Chess Pie?
Cornmeal in a pie might seem unusual at first, but it actually serves a few important purposes, especially in Southern-style pies like chess pie.
- Texture: Cornmeal adds a delightful, slightly gritty texture that sets these pies apart. It gives the filling a bit more body and can make each bite more interesting.
- Thickening Agent: Cornmeal helps to thicken the pie filling. This is particularly useful in pies like chess pie, where the filling can be quite liquidy before baking. The cornmeal absorbs some of that moisture, resulting in a perfectly set pie.
- Flavor: While subtle, cornmeal adds a hint of earthy, slightly sweet flavor that complements the other ingredients. It rounds out the taste, adding depth to the overall flavor profile.
- Tradition: In many traditional Southern recipes, cornmeal is a staple ingredient. It’s a nod to the history and heritage of these beloved pies, giving them that authentic Southern charm.
Other Chess Pie Recipes
Chocolate Chess Pie – Chocolate Chess Pie is an easy-to-make, decadent, rich dessert recipe that’s perfect for any occasion. Made with simple ingredients, this pie is sure to please everyone at your table.
Eggnog Chess Pie – This Eggnog Chess Pie recipe has the texture of a classic chess pie but is filled with creamy eggnog flavor!
Easy Peanut Butter Chess Pie – This Peanut Butter Chess Pie combines the gooey, decadent classic pie recipe with sweet and savory peanut butter for an easy dessert that is sure to be a hit!
Ingredients
- 2 medium peaches
- ½ cup butter room temperature
- 1 ¼ cups sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon almond flavoring
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon cornmeal
- ⅓ cup buttermilk
- 1 (9-inch) unbaked deep dish pie shell
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Peel and thinly slice the peaches and place them in the pie shell.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter, sugar, and salt together until smooth. Add the almond flavoring and mix well. Mix in the eggs and the cornmeal. Add the buttermilk and mix until smooth. Pour the mixture over the peaches.
- Place the pie on a rimmed baking sheet and place in the oven. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes until just barely set. Allow to cool before slicing.
Nutrition
* If nutritional values are provided, they are an estimate and will vary depending on the brands used. The values do not include optional ingredients or when ingredients are added to taste. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, I recommend grabbing your favorite brands and plugging those ingredients into an online nutritional calculator.
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I have a question. Can you use canned chunk peaches in this recipe and if so, how many of the 15.25 cans would you use? I make just a plain Chess Pie all the time, but I never thought to put peaches in it! Great idea Stacy. Fresh peaches I don’t have right now but canned I do!!!
I think you could, but since I’ve not done that, I can’t say for sure about the amount you’d need. My guess would be one can, very well drained, but I can’t be sure. The only concern I’d have is that since the canned peaches are cooked, cooking them again in the pie will make them very soft, so you’d just want to be sure that you’d be ok with that.
do you have to peel the peaches?
I prefer them peeled as the skin can get a little tough.
While the oven was on Tuesday (pie gone by Thursday) making a roast, the chocolate pie looked delicious. Boy was it ever, hit all the notes of crunchy top, fudge center sitting on a good crust. Followed your recipe exactly. Am making today using bourbon instead of vanilla.
Our daughter is bringing peaches tomorrow and the Buttermilk Peach Pie will be fixed, maybe two. Your sharing of plain good eating is appreciated Stacy, thank you.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the pie, Sharon! The bourbon twist sounds delicious. Thanks for the kind words! I appreciate it!
This is pretty good, had it at room temp because it took a long time to cool, and I will try tomorrow with a chilled piece.
I do have one question, could I reduce the sugar – this was very sweet for me – would it affect the texture negatively if I used maybe 3/4 cup of sugar?
Thank you!
I’m glad you enjoyed it! Reducing the sugar to 3/4 cup should be fine; it might make the texture slightly less moist, but it should still work out well. Chilling it will definitely change the experience too. Let me know how it turns out!
Hello! I really want to make this pie, but have to ask if vanilla extract can be substituted for the almond? I have a nut allergy, so just want to know if the almond is essential to the flavor profile of the pie. Thank you!
You can definitely substitute vanilla extract for almond extract. It won’t match the exact flavor, but it’ll still be delicious! Just keep in mind that almond extract adds a unique nutty flavor, so the pie will taste a bit different, but I think you’ll still love it.
Quick FYI, Disaronno Originale amaretto is completely nut-free and uses apricot kernel. Amaretto is a sweet, almond-flavored Italian liqueur.
Hey Stacey, can I use frozen peaches for this recipe?
Hey, Anthony! Yep! Frozen peaches work just fine here.
My grandmother who was born in 1911 made this recipe. She called this a French custard peach pie. It is my favorite peach pie. It’s best served slightly warm after it’s cooked. It takes a while to cool to this point.
Love hearing that!
Cornmeal? I have made this pie and never heard of putting in cornmeal .
I don’t put cornmeal in mine either, but that’s how the southerner’s make their chess pies. They make them their way because that’s their way and us northerner’s make it our way.
I’m from the south, Louisiana. So I have made this pie for about 50 years.So that’s why I thought it was odd , using cornmeal. I make crust from scratch. Taste better!
l’m from North Louisiana and I’ve never heard of putting cornmeal in a pie.
Like I said before, it’s pretty common. Just google chess pie recipes and you’ll see that most include cornmeal.
Cornmeal is actually VERY common in chess pie in the South. It add texture, helps to thicken the pie, and adds a subtle flavor. https://www.tastingtable.com/1433783/importance-using-cornmeal-chess-pie/
Hi Stacey! I’m with you, I’ve never heard of NOT adding cornmeal~seems like that would make it some other pie! Lol I’m really excited to try this recipe-I’ve never made a peach one before!
Hope you’ll enjoy it!
I made this pie tonight and made a mess because I overfilled the crust. Should have purchased the deep dish pie. Anyway, that was my fault and had nothing to do with the recipe. The pie is absolutely amazing and will definitely bake it again but pay attention next time not to overfill. It was not portrait ready nor picture perfect like Stacey’s but sure tasted great regardless of how it looked! Thank you so much for sharing this scrumptious recipe, I am a fan! I am learing so much from you.
Thank you, Maria! I sure appreciate those kind words!
I have a question… can the 3 whole eggs in this recipe be substituted with, say, 4 egg yolks? I made a chocolate chess pie for Thanksgiving that used only yolks, so I made meringues with the whites. Now I have the opposite problem, I need to make a bunch of meringues and can’t bear to waste the yolks, but I would rather try the peach chess this time! Do you think this would do anything undesirable to the taste or the texture?
I’m honestly not sure. I’ve not tested it that way, so I’m afraid to guess.
Could you make it with frozen peaches?
Thaw them first and they should work just fine.
I have 2 questions…1. Can I sub milk and a bit of vinegar for the buttermilk, which I never buy?
2. Will I ruin this recipe if I don’t have cornmeal?
I’ve honestly never tried it using the buttermilk substitute, so I can’t say for sure on that part, Sandy. It *should* work though. You can replace the cornmeal with about 1 tablespoon of flour.
Do it make this in a baked or unbaked pie shell?
I normally bake this in an unbaked pie shell, but you can blind bake it if you wish. You’ll just need to watch the crust if you do blind bake it to ensure the edges don’t get too dark.
Hi Stacey,
I love peaches but I have no luck picking out juicy fruit. The ones I select tend to be mealy. Any peach-picking tips?
Thank you.
Kind regards,
Dorothy
Hi Dorothy! I always look for peaches that have a strong peach smell, are brightly colored, and are firm but give when gently squeezed.
My aunt always said to look for peaches with some stem on them. When the stem will detach with very little effort it’s ready for pie and eating. Has always worked for me. I have 8 on my counter right now and soon as those stems loosen this is the pie I’m making. Looks wonderful.
Thanks for the great tip, Margi!
Amazingly good. Chess Pie must be a southern recipe. When you ask others, they have never heard of Chess Pies.
When I was little back in the dark ages, once a year the church would deliver dinner. No idea what the other stuff was, but I loved that pie.
Thanks so much, Annie!!
Love this adaptation with the peaches! My northern husband loves chess pie! This is great! Thanks Stacey!
Thank you!!
Yummo! Mine didn’t look as dazzling as yours, but it sure was tasty!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Ruth!!!
Hi Stacey, since we are in the midst of winter and there are no fresh peaches available, could I use well drained and sliced canned peaches? This recipe sounds delicious and I hate to think I have to wait until mid summer to try it out.
Many thanks from British Columbia, Canada
Yes, canned peaches will certainly work. But if you have access to them, frozen peaches will work even better.
Thank you, I hadn’t thought to try this recipe with frozen peaches…..sounds wonderful!
Of course! Hope it turns out great for you!
ANYTHING WITH PEACHES IN IT IS A SCRUMPTOUS DESSERT. BUT, TO ALSO GET A GOOD RECIPE FOR A CHOCOLATE PIE THAT MAKES YOU DROOL,,,,, YOU ROCK MY FRIEND !!!!!
Ha! Thanks so much, Martha!!
I received a bunch of fresh picked peaches so decided to make a peach pie and found this recipe. Do you want to know how good it is? Well, I’m now baking my 2nd one this week. It is OFF THE CHARTS amazing!! My husband is not usually a fan of chess pie (“too sweet”) but this is wonderful. I made a slight change as I always use unsalted butter so I added 1.5tsp of Pink Celtic Salt. This added an amazing flavor and a little crunch in some bites. Truly magnificent. Thank you ???????? ???????? ♟
That’s awesome, Sandra! I’m so glad that y’all enjoyed it so much!!
IM MAKING 2 OF THESE PEACH PIES FOR SUNDAY COMPANY. I MADE ONE YESTERDAY IT WAS SO GOOD. I SERVE MINE WITH BLUEBELL HOMEMADE VANILLA ICECREAM. I LOVE THE RECIPES YOU SEND. MOST OF THEM ARE SO GOOD. IM A RETIRED CHEFF OF 25 YRS. JUST LOVE NEW RECIPES TO TRY.
THANKS
GWEN SANDEFUR
Thanks so much, Gwen!
Dang dude, where do you come up with all these great recipes? I love all your recipes and made most and love them all. Keep them coming!!!!!!!!!!!
P.S. How’s that little boy of yours? Growing up too fast just like mine already has. My son is in his last year of college. I am happy and sad at the same time. My best to you and yours always. Faithful reader.
Jennifer Moreland
Ha! Thanks, Jennifer! Inspiration comes for all kinds of places. Jack is growing like a weed! He’ll be 11 in just a few months!
Stacy, once more drooling here, and it looks wonderful. I have a 1915 copy of The Five Roses Flour Cookbook (Lake of the Woods Millimg) and the suggestion for baking custatd pies is to heat to 450F put in your pie and after 10 minutes turn down to 350F and bake a further 50 minutes. I have always done this, and find the crusts are less likely to be soggy with this technique. I have followed directions and baked at 350 but really find the crust is definetly soggier when not started hot.
This is a great tip! I never saw either my grandmother or mom baking things at two different temps, but I do know of others who do with chess pies like this one.
Oh no, I’ve done this and my pie way way more brown than I expected after the first 10 minutes at 450. Next time, I’ll stick with 350.
Is this room Temperature butter or melted butter?
Room temp should be just fine.
Scary No flour in this pie. Okay I’ll make like you say.
Why is that scary for you, Peggy?
I received a bunch of fresh picked peaches so decided to make a peach pie and found this recipe. Do you want to know how good it is? Well, I’m now baking my 2nd one this week. It is OFF THE CHARTS amazing!! My husband is not usually a fan of chess pie (“too sweet”) but this is wonderful. I made a slight change as I always use unsalted butter so I added 1.5tsp of Pink Celtic Salt. This added an amazing flavor and a little crunch in some bites. Truly magnificent. Thank you ???????? ???????? ♟
Sounds like a delicious pie. You really capture the beauty of the peaches!
Thanks, Joanne!
Oh, I’m a big fan of chess pie! I love this adaption – it’s glorious! What a great way to say goodbye to summer.
I agree! Love this pie!
Made this pie for a family pot luck. Everyone wants the recipe! Delicious
Love hearing that! So glad everyone enjoyed it!
Help. Made this pie but the peaches didn’t rise to the top. Just looks like a Chess Pie. What did I do wrong?
Probably nothing. They won’t always show through to the top. It depends on the size and depth of your dish.
Thanks. Tastes great, just didn’t look as good as yours.
Thank you Thank you Thank you for sharing. Picked up some fresh peaches yesterday and made this pie last night for the office. They are in LOVE with it. It was the hit of our Rainy Thursday!
Wonderful! So glad everyone enjoyed it!!
Love this so delicious looking pie!!!! Definitely going to make it. Thanks for sharing:)
Hope you’ll enjoy!!
You’ve really done it this time, Stacey. It looks positively addictive! I do try to stay away from anything premade or processed and I’m not really a piecrust maker. Do you think I could try some sort of press-in crust? Also, I’ve got some frozen peaches left (our good ones are quite a ways off this year) that I think I could slice a bit thinner while they’re still frozen. But maybe that would mess with the chess part of this pie? Thanks!
Absolutely! I think a press in curst and the frozen peaches will both work just fine. Enjoy!!
Yay! Thanks, Stacey!
I will definitely try this pie! It looks delicious!
Thanks!!
what a great combination – will try it for sure!
Hope you’ll enjoy!!
I just bake this pie, waiting for it to cool off
Hope it tasted delicious!!