Last Updated on February 7, 2023 by Ellen Christian
You are going to love this Gluten Free Chess Pie recipe! Try this dessert that is similar to gluten free buttermilk pie today.
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Chess Pie is an old-fashioned, extremely rich, and sweet pie that is made with eggs, butter, and sugar.
Gluten Free Chess Pie
Chess Pie is a recipe that was brought over from England originally. It is an egg-based pie that is similar to a buttermilk pie or vinegar pie.
Vinegar pie typically has the addition of vinegar and Chess pie has the addition of cornmeal. Buttermilk pie uses buttermilk for a more dairy-based pie recipe.
If you have never had this type of pie before, imagine a Pecan pie but without the corn syrup or the pecans. A popular southern variation is a Lemon Chess pie which is basically a Chess pie with the addition of lemon juice.
Chess pie is a sweet pie that is often served with a cup of tea or a glass of milk to cut the sweetness.
You can make this a gluten-free chess pie by simply using a gluten-free pie crust. There is no gluten in the filling.
Frequently asked questions
What is the chess in chess pie?
So, I have heard several different explanations for why this is called chess pie. The first is that the word “chess” sounds like the southern pronunciation for “just”.
The story goes that when a woman was asked what she made for dessert, she responded “just” pie and it was interpreted as chess pie.
I have also heard that since lemon chess pie is very similar to lemon curd pie, it was interpreted as lemon cheese pie as in cheese curds. You choose the one you like best. No one seems to know.
Does a chess pie need to be refrigerated?
No, do not refrigerate this pie. You need to make sure you have enough time for it to cool completely. But, it should be served at room temperature.
Leftovers will need to be refrigerated but you don’t need to refrigerate it before you serve it. It will stay good in the refrigerator for three days.
How can you tell when chess pie is done?
Chess pie should jiggle just slightly when it is done. If it jiggles quite a bit, it is not done yet.
Gluten free chocolate chess pie
If you want a gluten free chess pie with chocolate, you can easily do that by adding three to four tablespoons of cocoa powder. Whisk it well to combine the ingredients.
What do I need to make gluten free chess pie?
You will need two 9″ pie plates, a saucepan, and a whisk. This is a very simple pie recipe. Finally, you can also pick up a copy of the Gooseberry Cookbook where I found this recipe (reprinted with permission).
How to serve gluten free chess pie
I just love the way chess pie tastes with a scoop of homemade whipped cream. It doesn’t get any better than that. But, if you prefer, you can add fresh fruit to the top. Strawberries or cherries would be quite good.
More pie recipes
So, if you enjoyed this gluten free chess pie recipe, you might want to try a few of these.
Gluten Free Chess Pie Recipe
You are going to love this Gluten Free Chess Pie recipe! Chess Pie is an old fashioned, extremely rich, and sweet pie that is made with eggs, butter, and sugar.
Ingredients
- 4 eggs, beaten
- 2 c sugar
- 2 t vanilla extract
- 3/4 c butter
- 2 T cornmeal
- 2 9-inch pie crusts, baked
Instructions
- In a large saucepan, over medium heat, combine all ingredients except crusts.
- Cook over medium heat until thickened, stirring constantly.
- Pour evenly into pie crusts.
- Bake 350F for about 10 minutes or until golden.
- Cool completely. Makes 2 pies.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
24Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 196Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 46mgSodium: 118mgCarbohydrates: 25gFiber: 0gSugar: 17gProtein: 2g
Ellen is a busy mom of a 24-year-old son and 29-year-old daughter. She owns six blogs and is addicted to social media. She believes that it doesn’t have to be difficult to lead a healthy life. She shares simple healthy living tips to show busy women how to lead fulfilling lives. If you’d like to work together, email info@confessionsofanover-workedmom.com to chat.
My husband LOVES Chess Pie!! We always buy it pre-made because I don’t know how to make it. It would be such a surprise to make this for him!! ;D Thank you!
i’ve never heard of this before but ut sounds delicious. a great option for the holiday guests too!
I have never had a chess pie. I have seen them in my cookbooks but have not had one. I love Gooseberry Patch cookbooks. I could sit and read them for hours.
I have never made a chess pie myself. It looks wonderful. I’ll have to give this recipe a try.
Ive never heard of ‘Chess pie’… I think it sounds interesting!
I don’t think Ive ever made a pie with vinegar…???
Love recipes with a story behind them and this looks yummy too!
I’ve heard of Chess Pie, but I honestly didn’t know what it actually was. Sounds like something I’ll have to try!
THAT’S WHAT CHESS PIE IS!?!? i had no idea!
I have never heard of this pie before, but I like pie and it sounds delicious! 🙂
Well that’s as easy as pie (lol) to make it gluten-free and it sure looks tasty, Ellen!
Sounds yummy, my son would like this.
Oh wow, this is really neat. I have never heard of it, but sure looks tasty!
3 Things:
A) Gooseberry Recipe Books ARE THE BEST. I receive them as gifts from my grandmother and I cherish them.
B) Can I come over for dinner? lol
C) This looks delicious!
I am not sure that I have ever heard of Chess Pie. It looks good, though.
Yum, this looks really good!
This pie looks delicious. I am trying to eat gluten free but am very new to it. I haven’t seen any pie recipes like this yum!!
Chess Pie is one of our favorites. I hadn’t thought about using gluten free pie crusts, talk about a why didn’t I think of that moment.
I love this pie, especially that it is good AND gluten-free!
Interesting history on the pie. I can’t imagine a pecan pie without the corn syrup though. LOL That’s what makes it so good, right? I have heard of a chess pie, but never seen one before. I was imagining a checkerboard.
Your crust looks awesome!
I have never heard of this type of pie before but looks tasty!
I love historical cooking as well. Their recipes seem so simple to us yet packed with flavor. I can’t imagine making some of the recipes they did without all the modern technology.