Maple Buttermilk Pie is one you’re going to want to try. Sorry, I’ll stick to cooking and stay away from rhyming. This is hands down my favorite pie EVER. EVER. It’s creamy and tart and just sweet enough to settle a sweet tooth. It’s the kind of pie that is perfect for any meal, from brunch to dessert. While some seem a little skeptical, one bite and and they’re going to want a second slice. I have data to back that up! If I’m making this maple buttermilk pie recipe you can bet I’m making more than one!
This is the second HIH recipe where I feature maple sugar. I’m obsessed with maple sugar. It’s my favorite sugar, hands down. I go into lots of detail on why maple sugar is a great substitute for refined white sugar in the HIH Sweet Potato Blueberry Muffin post. Give that post a read if you’re interested in learning more about this sweet ingredient. If you can’t find maple sugar in your grocery store, I’ve been able to order from both Amazon and Walmart. If you still can’t get your hands on any, there’s a note in the recipe on how to substitute light brown sugar and maple extract.
Recipe Evolution – Maple Buttermilk Pie
This pie made it to the table for almost every group of hunters who stayed with us last hunting season. I think I made at least 12 maple buttermilk pies over the 3 months we hosted hunters. It was a hit every time! That doesn’t mean I didn’t have plenty of trial and error to get to the perfect recipe to share with you.
Crust
After a making lot of pies, I finally settled on a premade graham cracker pie crust. First, because it’s EASY. Second, because custard pies can be tricky. I liked being able to focus all my attention on the perfect filling. Going with a premade crust just made sense after a couple of semi-fails at homemade. I tried both traditional pie crust and graham cracker pie crusts. Graham cracker was the clear winner.
If you or your guests prefer a gluten free diet, there are lots of gluten free crusts in the baking aisle! The filling is free of gluten containing ingredients, so subbing a gluten free pie crust will give you the perfect gluten free dessert!
Maple Buttermilk Pie Filling
The technique for making a custard pie filling is pretty standard. So when the flavor combination came to me, I pretty much knew where to start. When I first made this pie, I was using light brown sugar and maple extract. Was it good? You bet, but I wanted it to be more maple forward. Enter, maple sugar. I’ve already raved about maple sugar earlier in this post, but this was a GAME CHANGER for this pie. Using the maple sugar takes the sweetness down just a notch and cranks up that maple flavor. The flavor is absolute perfection!
Keys to Success
- Don’t overcook the pie! Over baked custard pies end up with a texture like an egg casserole. NOT the creamy dreamy pie filling you want. It may take some practice to be able to see the perfect doneness. I’ve also included a temperature range, so if you’re not not sure what the perfect doneness looks like, you can’t just insert the meat thermometer you have in your kitchen and check for the perfect temp. Just don’t open the oven too often.
- Straining is key. You don’t want to skip this step! If your’e going to spent the time watching your pie for the perfect doneness, you want the filling to be perfectly smooth and creamy. Straining will make sure your entire custard is free from any imperfections.
- Add the buttermilk at the end of prepping the custard. Buttermilk can be a tricky ingredient. Since it’s so acidic, it can cause curdling when added at the wrong time (I know from experience). Adding at the end will make sure no curdles will ruin your day.
- Don’t add whipped cream to a warm pie. You will want to wait until your pie has cooled completely to add the whipped cream. If you don’t, you’ll have a soupy mess slipping and sliding all over the top of your pie. Nobody wants that!
Maple Buttermilk Pie with Maple Whipped Cream
Equipment
- 1 large sauce pan
- 1 medium mixing bowl
- 1 Rubber spatula
- 1 Whisk
- Measuring cups and spoons
- 1 hand or stand mixer
- 1 fine mesh strainer
Ingredients
- 1 10" graham cracker pie crust
- ⅓ cup maple sugar can substitute 1/3 cup light brown sugar + 1 teaspoon maple extract
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 4 large eggs
- 2 egg yolks
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1½ cups buttermilk
Maple Whipped Cream
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch salt
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl add the maple sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Whisk together to combine.
- In a room temperature large sauce pan whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, heavy cream, vanilla, and maple syrup until smooth.
- Strain the egg mixture through a fine mesh strainer into the medium mixing bowl with the dry ingredients.
- Whisk the dry and wet ingredients together until smooth. Strain the mixture back into the large sauce pan and stir in the buttermilk.
- Preheat the oven to 350℉
- Heat the large sauce pan over medium low heat to pre-cook the pie filling. DO NOT BOIL. Stirring constantly with a rubber spatula scraping the bottom of the sauce pan cook the custard for 5-10 minutes until it starts to thicken. If you're extra precise, cook to a temperature of approximately 160℉.
- Carefully pour the thickened pie filling into the prepared graham cracker pie crust.
- Bake the pie on the center rack for 30-40 minutes. The edges of the pie should look puffed and set, but the center of the pie should jiggle. If you're extra precise, the temperature of your pie should be between 170-175℉.
- Allow to cool on the counter.
- While the pie is cooling on the counter, make the maple whipped cream by combining all ingredients and whipping to soft/medium peaks.
- Once the pie has come to room temperature, top with the maple whipped cream. Chill for at least 3 hours before slicing and serving.
- Optional: finish the top of the pie with a dusting of maple sugar immediately before serving.
Nutrition
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