Yield: 8 servings
Chess Pie
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
50 minutes
Additional Time
3 hours
Total Time
4 hours 5 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 (9-inch) deep dish frozen pie crust (see notes)
- 1 large egg, beaten for egg wash
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 Tablespoons yellow cornmeal
- 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 Tablespoon white distilled vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- Powdered sugar, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Brush the bottom of the pie crust with the beaten egg, and par-bake the crust for 10 minutes (according to package directions). Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk the sugar, cornmeal, flour, and salt together. Pour in the melted butter and whisk until fluffy.
- Add the milk, vinegar, and vanilla extract, and continue mixing until combined.
- Beat the 4 eggs slightly and pour them into the pie-filling mixture. Use the whisk to continue beating the eggs until the pie filling is fully combined and smooth.
- Pour the filling into the pre-baked pie crust, place the pie on a small or medium cookie sheet, and bake the pie for 35 minutes. Loosely place a piece of foil over the pie to prevent it from browning too much, and bake for another 15-20 minutes or until the pie filling no longer jiggles in the middle.
- Place the pie on a cooling rack, and allow it to cool completely for 3 hours before slicing. For a firmer pie filling, place the pie in the fridge after cooling on the rack for another 2 hours. Dust with powdered sugar before serving, if desired.
Notes
- I used a Pillsbury frozen pie crust, but you can use our homemade pie crust recipe instead.
- Brushing the bottom of the pie with egg wash before blind baking will help prevent a “soggy bottom.”
- Storage: This pie should not be stored on the counter or left out for longer than 3 hours. Store in the refrigerator: Cover with foil or plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Freezer: Cover with plastic wrap AND foil and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before serving.
- The pie will puff up while baking and it may deflate while cooling causing some cracks in the top of the pie. Dusting with powdered sugar and serving sliced will distract any judgement.
- I highly recommend using foil around the 35-minute mark to make sure the pie doesn’t get too brown on top, especially for the crust. If you have pie crust shields, those will work as well.
- Chilling the pie, while not required, will make it easier to slice and serve. The warmer the pie, the more unstable it may be.