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Grits Pie

A sweet pie made with grits, butter, sugar, eggs, and buttermilk baked in a pie shell.

From the Recipes Wiki (Fandom) · 11 ingredients
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Why it works: Butter and cream are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 8% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 41,516 recipes. Both carry delta-dodecalactone, which smells sweet, creamy. The science ↓

Grits Pie

Oven325°F
Time35 to 40 minutes

Ingredients

Directions

Make the grits

  1. Preheat oven to 325°F.

  2. In a small saucepan, bring the water and salt to a boil.

  3. Add the grits and cook for 4 minutes, stirring constantly.

  4. Add the butter and cook for 1 additional minute.

  5. Set aside and cool slightly.

Make the filling

  1. In a small bowl, stir together the sugar, flour, eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla.

  2. Slowly stir into the cooled grits.

  3. Pour the mixture into the pie shell.

Bake and serve

  1. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until set.

  2. Serve warm or cold with whipped cream and strawberries as garnish, if desired.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

945Calories
29 gProtein
32 gFat
133 gCarbs

Counts 9 of 11 ingredients. The other 2 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 9 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Flour1 cup (125g) all-purpose455
Milk1 cup (244ml) whole149
Butter1 tbsp (14g)102
Egg1 large egg (50g)78
Cream1 tbsp (15ml) heavy51
Sugar1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated49
Strawberry1 cup (152g)49
Vanilla1 tsp extract (4ml)12
Salt1 tsp (6g)0
Waternot in our table0
Pienot in our table0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

  1. Butter + creamtop 8% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together41,516 recipes

    Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).

  2. Flour + buttermilktop 8% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together3,721 recipes

    Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).

  3. Sugar + vanillatop 8% of all pairs
    Smell alikelow
    Cooked together35,032 recipes

    Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).

  4. Sugar + buttermilktop 9% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together2,973 recipes

    Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).

  5. Sugar + creamtop 9% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together43,450 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2,3-butanedione (butter, sweet).

Sugar and vanilla barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 35,032 recipes: they work on texture and structure more than aroma.

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Eggs
Bind the filling and help it set into a sliceable custard when baked.
Quick-cooking grits
Provide the body and texture that make up the filling.
Butter
Adds richness and fat for a tender, flavorful filling.
Sugar
Adds sweetness and helps give the filling a smooth texture.
All-purpose flour
Thickens the filling and helps it hold its shape.
Buttermilk
Adds moisture and a mild tang that balances the sweetness.

The step that matters

Cool the grits before adding the egg mixture. Hot grits can scramble the beaten eggs instead of blending smoothly, leaving a grainy or curdled filling. Letting them cool slightly keeps the eggs smooth so the filling sets evenly in the oven.

Swap the vanilla

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (butter, sugar, flour, egg, buttermilk, cream):

  1. Raisinfits about as well
  2. Vanillathe original
  3. Lemonfits less well
  4. Coconutfits less well

Fit is the average pairing score against butter, sugar, flour, egg, buttermilk, cream. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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