Since we love St. Patrick’s Day here in Savannah, we thought we’d share how to make a festive green grits pie that’s sure to add a sweet note to one of Savannah’s favorite holidays! It’s the perfect Southern dessert recipe with a fun Irish-inspired twist.
Grits are incredibly versatile and can be served sweet or savory—today, we’ve opted for a sweet version that will make this Southern pie recipe into the perfect St. Patrick’s Day dessert recipe.
You’ll need the following ingredients to get started:
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup quick cooking grits, not instant
- ½ cup butter
- green food coloring
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
- ¼ cup buttermilk
- 1 cup whipping cream,
- 1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 (9-inch) refrigerated (or frozen and thawed) pie crust, unbaked
- strawberries, for garnish
Got everything gathered? Great! Now, let’s preheat your oven to 325˚F.
Then, in a small saucepan, bring the salt and ¾ cup water to a boil before adding your grits and reducing the heat. Then, be sure to cover your pan and let the grits cook on low for about 5 minutes or until the grits are really thick—you’ll want to stir several times while the grits cook.
Once thick, add butter and a drop of green food coloring, stirring until the butter is melted and the color is mixed in. Then, set aside your green grits to cool slightly.
Then mix together the granulated sugar, flour, eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla before adding the mixture to the cooled grits, ensuring it’s well combined. Now, simply pour your green grits filling into the refrigerated pie crust, and bake it for about 35 to 40 minutes, or until it’s set.
While it bakes, you’ll want to whip the whipping cream and confectioners’ sugar together with a drop of green food coloring until you have a sweet whipped topping for your pie. Top your pie with the whipped topping and garnish with strawberries for a festive Southern St. Patrick’s Day dessert recipe. And don’t worry—you can serve this pie warm or cold!
Will you be trying this unique St. Patrick’s Day dessert recipe? If not, what would you make instead? Let us know in the comments below.
