RICHMOND, Va. -- Mary Rapoport, CFCS, consumer affairs director for the Virginia Egg Council, is back with another tasty recipe. This time, she’s sharing a family tradition from Crystal Johnson, Bedford County Fair Finalist. Crystal's recipe was a third place winner for the 2025 Meant to be Broken, Egg-specially During the Holidays Recipe Contest. Crystal's mom served up this buttermilk pie on Christmas morning, and now she’s gifting the recipe to you. Enjoy! Click here to visit the website for the Virginia Egg Council.
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Mom’s Christmas Morning Buttermilk Pie
3rd place Winner
2025 Meant to be Broken, Egg-specially During the Holidays Recipe Contest
Crystal Johnson* – Bedford County Fair Finalist
*“My mom made the best Buttermilk Pie in the world and always served it on Christmas morning – we didn’t have much growing up, but the one thing we always had was love. I am blessed to have been taught how to bake and how to love others from watching her – this pie is dedicated to her memory.”
Ingredients:
1 piecrust for 9” pie (refrigerated, roll-out or Crystal’s homemade**)
½ cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs, room temp
3 ½ T flour
1 cup buttermilk***(we used full fat in testing)
1 ½ teas. fresh lemon zest
1 ½ T freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teas. pure vanilla extract
1/8 teas. fine sea salt
Garnish:
Powdered sugar; rosemary sprigs and cranberries or raspberries; mint, etc.
Serves 8
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Arrange piecrust in 9” pie pan, fluting edges.
- Place melted butter in a large bowl. Blend in sugar with a whisk. Whisk in one egg at a time (don’t overmix), then whisk in the flour.
- Pour in buttermilk; add zest, juice, vanilla and salt. Whisk to combine.
- Place pie crust on a baking sheet and pour the mixture into crust. Bake in oven until the edges are set and the center of pie has a very slight jiggle – 45 – 50 minutes. Check halfway through and tent with foil to prevent overbrowning.
- Cool at least two hours. Refrigerate.
- Garnish as desired (for holiday – cranberries/ for summer - mint or begonia blossoms)
Crystal’s Homemade Pie Crust
Ingredients:
1 ¼ cups flour
½ teas. salt
¼ cup butter, cold/cubed
¼ cup shortening
¾ teas. white vinegar and ¼ cup ice water
Instructions:
Mix flour and salt in a large bowl. Cut in butter and shortening, using two knives, crisscross fashion or do this in a food processor – mixture should resemble coarse sand.
Add ice water/vinegar mixture; mix until dough comes together. Roll into a flat disk. Refrigerate 2 – 3 hrs., then roll lightly on floured surface; place in pie plate; flute edges.
***No buttermilk? Add 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice to a 1 cup measuring cup then add enough whole milk to fill to one cup. Stir together and let sit for a minimum of 15 minutes to curdle.***
