Dairy-Free Chess Pie

Last Updated on January 17, 2025 by Annie

This dairy-free chess pie is the southern classic remastered with a coconut oil base. Made with simple ingredients, this humble pie is sure to be a holiday favorite.

2025 Update:  This recipe was originally shared in November 2019. This post has been updated to include new photos, detailed directions, and additional dairy-free tips. I hope you enjoy this dairy-free chess pie recipe.

In my family, chess pie signifies Thanksgiving and Christmas because it is the only time of year my paternal grandmother would bake it.

Now, I have not always been a chess pie eater, in fact, a majority of my family did not indulge in this sweet pie. My grandmother made the pie for my grandpa and my aunt. That was until my mom joined the family.

My mom took to chess pie quickly, which meant my aunt had to share. They kept this pie a secret from my sisters and me, telling us we wouldn’t like it, it had eggs and vinegar.

They failed to mention it was entirely sugar-based. It was at least 15 years before any of us tried the pie and I am not sure who was more upset, my mom and aunt who now had to share the pie with 3 other people, or my sisters and me who had been deceived for so many years.

During one of my grandmother’s visits to Connecticut, we got a chance to dig out her chess pie recipe, remove the dairy, and make it together.

So What is Chess Pie?

This question comes up every time I make chess pie. Chess Pie is a simple and sweet custard pie.

Traditionally it is considered a Southern dessert however there are many who believe it originated in England and came to New England before settling in Southern American.

Many people often mistake chess pie for buttermilk pie because their ingredients and appearance are similar.

They both contain egg, sugar, milk, and butter with the difference between the two being cornmeal. Chess pie uses cornmeal as a stabilizing agent while buttermilk pie omits this ingredient.

Why We Love Chess Pie

One of the main reasons we love making this pie is the memory of holiday meals. It just wasn’t Thanksgiving or Christmas in Richardson without a chess pie.

Some of the other reasons this pie is a family favorite include:

• Pantry staple ingredients. Most everything in this pie is something you probably already have on hand in your dairy-free kitchen.
• Great for making in advance. My grandmother was notorious for making a handful of these pies at the start of the holiday season and keeping them on hand in the freezer to pull out as needed.
• Simple, subtle flavor. This isn’t one of those flashy pies that is trying too hard to have it all. With hints of vanilla, coconut, and just the right amount of sugar it’s an unassuming pie that can truly stand alone.

Dairy-Free Changes to Chess Pie

When it comes to making this a deliciously dairy-free pie, there are a few swaps we have made to the original recipe.

• Replace butter with coconut oil.
  • If you want to replace the butter with a plant-based butter you will need to increase the measurement from 1/3 cup melted coconut oil to 1/2 cup melted plant-based butter, then allow the butter to cool before beginning.
• Sub in your favorite non-dairy milk for traditional milk.

How to Make Dairy-Free Chess Pie

Ingredients Needed

• Pie Crust– You can use a store-bought crust or make your own. I have listed the directions for making a crust from scratch below.
• Sugar– Sweetens this custard pie.
• Coconut Oil– Used in place of lard or butter to mix with the sugar in the base.
• Eggs– At room temperature, help binds together the custard base.
• Vinegar– Adds an acidic touch to the custard.
• Vanilla– For flavor.
• Non-dairy Milk-Tenderizes the custard filling.

How to Make the Pie Crust

If you are making your own pie crust from scratch, here are the steps to follow for a delicious and flaky crust using the Crisco Pie Crust recipe.

• Mix dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, stir together flour and salt.
• Cut in shortening: Using a pastry blender, cut the vegetable shortening into the flour mixture until crumbly.
• Stir in water: Next, add 1 Tablespoon of ice cold water at a time to the flour mixture. Stir the mixture until it is almost all combined, about 4 tablespoons of ice water.
• Shape dough: Form the dough into a dish and wrap in plastic wrap. Store in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or up to 3 days.

Make the Chess Pie Filling

• Prepare for baking: Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9-inch pie pan.
• Sugar + corn meal: In a mixing bowl, stir together sugar and corn meal.
• Mix in coconut oil: Whisk in melted coconut oil until smooth.
• Add eggs: Next, add the eggs, one at a time, whisking after each addition.
• Add remaining wet ingredients: Finally, stir in the vinegar, vanilla, and non-dairy milk. Set aside.

• Roll dough: Take the pie crust dough out of the refrigerator and roll flat on a piece of parchment paper. Roll the dough to about 12-inched across.
• Move to pan: Carefully transfer the dough to the pie pan and gently place the crust into the pan.
• Tuck the edges under and decorate the edge as desired.
• Pour the chess pie mixture into the unbaked pie crust.
• Bake for 50 minutes.
• Cool: Remove from the oven and allow to cool before slicing and serving.

Helpful Kitchen Tools

When it comes to making this simple chess pie, here are some of the kitchen tools I find most helpful.

• Pastry blender– Used to cut the shortening into the flour to make the pastry light and flaky.
• Pastry mat– Great for getting an exact size of your rolled out pie dough.
• Mixing bowls– Simple, sturdy bowls that hold up to microwaving, mixing, storing in the fridge and more.

Variations to Dairy-Free Chess Pie

I know there are other allergens that might cause some difficulty when making dairy-free swaps that use nut-based milk or ingredients with soy.

• To replace coconut oil, use 1/2 cup melted plant based butter instead.
• Use oat milk instead of a nut-based option for the non-dairy milk.

Serving Suggestions

Here are a few of my favorite ways to dish out a slice of this dairy-free chess pie.

• Topped with a scoop of non-dairy whipped cream like Truwhip Vegan or you can make your own with a plant-based heavy cream like Country Crock’s Plant Cream.
• Smothered under a healthy drizzle of salted caramel sauce.
• With a big scoop of dairy-free vanilla ice cream.

Storing and Making Ahead

My grandmother has been known to make chess pie well before the intended serving date. Unfortunately, that meant occasionally forgetting about the pie entirely and serving it a year later…

For the freshest chess pie, here’s the best way to store it:

• Storing– Keep covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
• Freezing– I would suggest making the pie no more than 3 months in advance. Allow the pie to cool completely before freezing. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and then a layer of foil.
  • When you are ready to serve simply remove from the freezer a few hours before serving.
• Reheating– If you like to serve your chess pie on the warm side, reheat the whole pie in the oven at 350°F for about 10 minutes. Alternatively you can slice the pie and heat in the microwave on 10-second intervals until the desired temperature.

Delicious Pie Recipes to Make Next

Looking for more decadent pie recipes? Here are a few you might enjoy making next.

• Lemon Chess Pie
• Apple Cherry Pie
• Dairy-Free Chocolate Pecan Pie

If you tried this dairy-free chess pie recipe please let me know in the comments below!

You can also share a picture of it with me on Instagram by tagging @mylifeafterdairy so I can see all of your life after dairy adventures!

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