This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
This Mini Chess Pie is a sweet, buttery Southern classic with a smooth, custard-like filling and a soft shortbread crust. Made with simple ingredients and baked in a small dish, it’s the perfect dessert for one or two people.
Featured Comment
“Chess pie was delicious and your recipe was perfect.”
– Ann
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy to Make: No special equipment needed. Just mix, bake, and enjoy.
- Simple Ingredients: Made with pantry staples that create a rich, buttery, custard-like filling.
- Perfect Portion: Sized just right for one or two people.
- Easily Doubles: Double the recipe for a larger serving.
- Great for Any Occasion: Enjoy it on a weeknight or serve it for a celebration.
I get so excited every time I make this mini Chess Pie. The filling is sweet and custardy with a delicate, crackly top, and the soft shortbread crust is rich and buttery, almost like a cookie. It reminds me of the classic Southern pies I grew up with, comforting and familiar, and made with love.
If you’ve never made Chess Pie before, this is a wonderful place to start. It’s small, unfussy, and full of rich flavor. I hope you give it a try and enjoy every single bite.
This Mini Chess Pie is one of my all-time favorites. If you enjoy small easy-to-make pies, try our Mini Buttermilk Pie, Mini Chocolate Pie, Mini Dutch Apple Pie, and Mini French Silk Pie.
Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this mini chess pie recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder.
- Butter: Use salted butter, softened until it yields slightly to pressure but still feels cool. Leave out for 30 minutes or microwave for 10-15 seconds, watching closely to avoid melting.
- Cornmeal: Acts as a thickener and forms a delicate, golden layer on top as it bakes. Try leftover cornmeal in recipes like small batch hush puppies or mini corn casserole.
- Milk: Whole milk is best for a rich filling.
- White Vinegar: Adds balance to the sweetness. Apple cider vinegar or lemon juice are good substitutes.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Recipe Variations
This small chess pie is delicious as-is, but you can easily change the flavor with a few simple swaps:
- Lemon Chess Pie: Use lemon juice instead of vinegar and add 1 teaspoon of lemon zest for a bright, citrus flavor.
- Coconut Chess Pie: Stir 2 tablespoons of shredded coconut into the filling for a touch of tropical sweetness.
- Orange Chess Pie: Replace vinegar with orange juice and mix in 1 teaspoon of orange zest for a warm citrus note.
How To Make Chess Pie
These step-by-step photos and instructions help you visualize how to make a chess pie for one or two. See the recipe card below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.
Make the Crust
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C).
- In a medium bowl, use an electric hand mixer on medium speed to beat the butter and sugar until well blended.
- Add the flour, cornstarch, and salt. Mix until combined.
- Press the dough firmly into a lightly buttered 5×5-inch baking dish using your fingertips or the back of a spoon.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes, until lightly golden. Remove from the oven and let cool.
Make the Filling
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, cornmeal, and flour.
- Add the melted butter, milk, vinegar, vanilla, and lightly beaten eggs. Whisk until smooth.
- Pour the filling over the cooled crust. Place the baking dish on a rimmed baking sheet.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the center is set and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Cool the pie completely on a wire rack or trivet before serving.
Expert Tips
- Read Before Starting: Review the full recipe, including the Ingredient Notes and process photos, before you begin. Everything you need is included in the post.
- Use the Right Baking Dish: This recipe is designed for a 5×5-inch baking dish (25 square inches, 22-ounce capacity). You can also use a 4×6-inch dish. To double the recipe, use a 6.5×6.5-inch or 6×8-inch dish.
- Let the Pie Cool Completely: Allow the pie to cool fully before slicing so the filling sets properly.
- Avoid Overmixing: Gently mix the filling to avoid cracks or a dense texture.
Serving Suggestions
We love topping this mini chess pie with a light dusting of powdered sugar, but here are a few more ways to enjoy it:
- Single Serving Vanilla Ice Cream
- Small Batch Whipped Cream
- Fresh Berries
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Lightly grease a 5×5-inch baking dish, pour in the filling, and bake for 25 to 30 minutes until set.
Yes, it was sometimes called “vinegar pie” in the 19th century. Despite the name, the pie doesn’t taste like vinegar, it was simply a common pantry ingredient used to balance sweetness.
Stone-ground yellow cornmeal is preferred, but white cornmeal works just as well.
Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder or you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
If you’ve tried this mini chess pie recipe or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
Also, if you take a picture please tag us on Instagram (@onedishkitchen) we’d love to see it!
Mini Chess Pie
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 2 ½ tablespoons butter -softened to room temperature
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
For the Filling
- ¾ cup sugar
- ½ tablespoon cornmeal
- ½ tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons butter -melted
- 2 tablespoons whole milk
- ½ tablespoon white vinegar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
Instructions
Make the Crust
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). In a medium bowl, use an electric hand mixer on medium speed to beat the butter and sugar until well blended.
- Add the flour, cornstarch, and salt. Mix until combined.
- Press the dough firmly into a lightly buttered 5×5-inch baking dish using your fingertips or the back of a spoon.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes, until lightly golden. Remove from the oven and let cool.
Make the Filling
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, cornmeal, and flour.
- Add the melted butter, milk, vinegar, vanilla, and lightly beaten eggs. Whisk until smooth.
- Pour the filling over the cooled crust. Place the baking dish on a rimmed baking sheet.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the center is set and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Cool the pie completely on a wire rack or trivet before serving.
Notes
- Read Before Starting: Review the full recipe, including the Ingredient Notes and process photos, before you begin. Everything you need is included in the post.
- Use the Right Baking Dish: This recipe is designed for a 5×5-inch baking dish (25 square inches, 22-ounce capacity). You can also use a 4×6-inch dish. To double the recipe, use a 6.5×6.5-inch or 6×8-inch dish.
- Let the Pie Cool Completely: Allow the pie to cool fully before slicing so the filling sets properly.
- Avoid Overmixing: Gently mix the filling to avoid cracks or a dense texture.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
I am so grateful for ODK small batch recipes. They give me endless opportunities to make recipes that I often hesitate to make for fear of having way too many leftovers or not knowing if I’ll actually like the dish. Turns out, I’m not a huge fan of traditional chess pie. But I get the appeal.
Coming from a large southern family myself, I am well aware that a lot more sugar than probably necessary goes into creating some of the tastiest creations. In this case, it turns out 3/4 cup of sugar was way beyond my tolerance level in this chess pie. WOW that was sweet sweet! Hubby and I couldn’t handle more than a few bites before we gave up.
I recall that you told one reader that cutting the sugar could potentially impact the results. But, if I ever made the recipe again, I would have to cut the sugar by at least 1/4 cup. Although I love the shortbread crust as is, I would probably cut the sugar in the crust by 1/2 to 1 tablespoon as well just for this recipe. That said, I wonder if replacing the sugar with a little more cornmeal would stabilize the custard and amp up the flavor. I was first drawn to this recipe because I thought there would be some corn flavor. I didn’t get that.
Honestly, I contemplated just throwing the leftovers in the garbage. Win some, lose some. Not one to waste food, I remembered you suggested serving it with berries. Fortunately, I had some frozen raspberries and strawberries on hand. I added about a cup directly into the dish, allowing the berries to thaw while the pie came to room temperature. As the berries thawed, they released their juices which blended nicely with the custard. Since the berries had zero sweetness, they balanced the sweetness of the pie very well. The taste was reminiscent of berries and sabayon. Very nice.
All in all, I continue to be enamored with ODK and can’t wait to try the next dish. In fact, I’ve got a brand new ODK 5×7″ baking dish and I’m itching to get something yummy going in it!
Thanks for sharing your experience! I totally get that chess pie can be quite sweet. I’m glad the berries helped save the day! Your creativity in the kitchen is inspiring. Enjoy your new baking dish—can’t wait to hear about your next delicious creation!
Absolutely delicious! The filling is silky smooth and not cloyingly sweet, and the shortbread crust is nice and “short”. I had made the crust for another recipe and was disappointed in the texture, so added 1 tbsp of rice flour this time and it gave me the crisp, tender texture I like for shortbread. I also added a pinch of salt, nutmeg, orange zest and fiori di sicilia to the filling. My pie took about 40 minutes to bake. When I took it out of the oven the top was a rich golden brown and puffed, and the filling had just a hint of a wobble in the centre, but firmed up as the pie cooled.
I’m so happy you enjoyed the chess pie, Sadie. Thank you so much for your feedback.
Chess pie was delicious and your recipe was perfect. Thank you so much
I’m so happy you enjoyed the pie, Ann!
Notes say 1 1/2 teaspoons cornmeal. Recipe says 1/2 teaspoon. Which is correct.
Thank you.
Hi Jan, the recipe calls for using 1/2 tablespoon (it does not say teaspoon), which is the same as 1 1/2 teaspoons.
Hi Joanie,
How can I turn this into a chocolate chess pie? Love your recipes!!
Thank you, Teresa! Although I haven’t tested a chocolate chess pie recipe, I would use 1/4 cup of cocoa powder instead of flour in the filling. If you try it, please let me know how it turns out for you.
Good recipe.