Your pie season deserves this old fashioned butterscotch pie recipe boos. Rich butterscotch custard is poured into a homemade flaky pie crust then topped with a fluffy citrus hinted meringue. No pudding mix around here y’all! We make our butterscotch filling from scratch bringing out those sweet, nutty, and buttery flavors you won’t ever forget. Get into this butterscotch pie and get your whole life!
Move over caramel! This butterscotch pie has all those notes you love about caramel flavor but with deeper notes of butter and molasses in each bite. It doesn’t play around y’all! Trust me, If butterscotch instant pudding or butterscotch cups are a fave of yours, you’ll love how we elevated those flavors in this homemade pie. Let’s get into it!
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How to make Butterscotch Pie
Step 1: Mix ½ cup of brown sugar with flour. Beat egg and egg yolks together then add to the sugar mixture. Next pour in milk and beat well with a whisk then set aside.
Step 2: Brown remaining brown sugar in a heavy pan over medium heat then add in 1 tbsp of hot water. Whisk a little into the egg mixture to bring it up to temperature then slowly whisk egg-milk mixture into the sugar.
Step 3: Once thickened, remove from heat and add vanilla and butter. Stir it together.
Step 4: Add filling to pre-baked crust then bake in 350 preheated oven for 15-20 minutes then let cool.
Step 5: Make your meringue then pile on top of cooled pie. Spread to the edges then if desired, torch the top.
Butterscotch Pie Recipe
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Equipment
Ingredients
For the Pie Crust
- 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup salted Butter very cold, cubed
- 1/4 cup water very cold, up to 1/3 cup
For the Filling
- 1 cup light brown sugar divided
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 large egg
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1 1/4 cup whole milk
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon salted butter
For the Orange Meringue
- 4 large Egg whites
- 1/2 teaspoon Cream of tartar
- 1 cup Granulated sugar
- large pinch of fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons orange extract
Instructions
For the Crust
- In a medium sized bowl, add flour, sugar and salt and whisk together to combine.
- Next add your butter cubes to flour and using your pastry cutter, cut the butter into the flour mixture until various sized crumbs appear.
- Slowly add the cold water into the flour until a ball of dough forms. Start with 1/4 cup and add more water if you need it. Knead the dough quickly to bring it together. Don't worry if there is any flour left in the bowl.
- Remove the dough from the bowl and round into a ball. Cover the ball tightly with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 45-55 minutes to rest.
For the Filling
- Mix ½ cup of brown sugar with flour. Mix egg and egg yolks and add to the sugar mixture. Add milk and beat well with a whisk then set aside.
- Brown remaining brown sugar in a heavy pan over medium heat. Allow the sugar to melt slowly. When completely dissolved, continue to cook until the syrup is a golden color.
- When sugar is browned, add 1 tbsp of very hot water, whisking constantly. Add a little of the sugar mixture into the egg mixture whisking quickly and consistently. Once eggs are up to temperature, continue whisking then slowly add the egg-milk mixture into the browned sugar. Cook until it thickens.
- Remove from heat and add vanilla and butter.
To Assemble
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
- Remove dough from the fridge and add a bit of flour to a working surface or clean counter and place dough on it. Using a rolling pin, quickly roll dough out to about 1/4-1/3 inch thickness and place in your pie plate.
- Line the dough with parchment paper and add pie weights to your crust then bake for 15-20 minutes.
- Next remove pie crust from the oven and lower the temperature to 350.
- Pour filling into baked pie crust.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes then allow to cool. In the meantime, prepare the meringue.
For the Meringue
- Bring a medium pot filled with about 2 inches of water to a simmer over medium-low heat. Set a medium bowl over the pot, add all the ingredients, and whisk to combine. Then heat, whisking constantly, or beating with a hand mixer, until the mixture reaches 160 F on a thermometer.
- Remove the bowl from the heat and continue to whisk or transfer the heated mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment. Whip the mixture on medium-high speed until it reaches medium peaks, 2 to 3 minutes for the regular meringue, or 4 to 5 minutes for the mile high version.
- Pile the meringue on top of the cooled pie. Spread the meringue out to the edges, but keep it mounded a bit higher in the middle. If desired, toast the meringue with a kitchen torch.
Notes
How to store
Butterscotch Pie is so deliciously creamy when served cold from the fridge y’all. Once it’s cooled completely, you should pop in the fridge. To store in the fridge you’ll want to take care not to let plastic wrap stick to the delicate meringue on top. Use a few toothpicks and poke them into the meringue about halfway. This will allow the plastic wrap to sit above the pie, but still, keep it covered for freshness.How long will butterscotch pie last in the refrigerator?
The pie will last in the fridge for about 3 days due to the meringue topping which will start to weep some.Can I freeze leftovers?
Honestly boos, I don’t recommend freezing this pie. The meringue is made with egg whites and will not freeze well.Nutrition
Recipe Tips
- Separate Cold: Separate your eggs while they’re still cold. You’ll lessen the chance of getting yolk into your whites. And you need pure whites in order to whip that meringue into shape.
- Pre-Bake Your Crust: This extra step will ensure that the crust stays crispy and flaky and not soggy after the filling is added.
- Keep it Clean: Make sure there are no traces of oil or butter on any of the bowls, utensils, or equipment used to make the meringue. This will affect the texture of the fluffy meringue.
- Cool Down: Make sure the filling has cooled completely before you add that meringue on top so it won’t weep.
Ingredient Notes
- Orange Extract: It can also be replaced with orange juice or orange zest.
- Light Brown Sugar: Swap in dark brown sugar or learn how to make brown sugar from scratch if you don’t have any around.
- Milk: You can use half-and-half or a heavy whipping cream as a swap.
- Vanilla Extract: Go with a deeper vanilla flavor using a vanilla bean paste instead.
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Recipe Help
Get those arms working boos. You gotta constantly whisk so it comes together and that egg mixture doesn’t scramble. If you do end up not having it as smooth as you want, just strain any clumps or lumps to get that smooth texture back.
I personally love to make the filling a couple of days ahead of time. You can just add it to a mixing bowl then cover with plastic wrap pressing it right over the filling so a filmy skin doesn’t form on top. Then you can gently heat over low heat when you are ready to pour into the pie crust before baking.
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What do I use the brown sugar and flour for?
The pie filling. Hope you enjoy!
I’m confused– you call for brown (even for DARK brown) sugar in the filling and then you say to “brown” it. How much browner is it supposed to get?
It is basically to toast the brown sugar in this instance.
You had me at rich butterscotch custard and homemade pie crust. I can’t wait to dig into a piece of this.
Butterscotch brings back happy childhood food memories and this pie looks incredible.
I will have to bring this pie for our holiday dinner. If not I’m afraid I would eat it all myself! I love both butterscotch and meringue so I know this recipe is a winner. Thank you!
Great recipe. My family raved about it. Love ur photos too!
This was amazing! Such a great flavor and texture from the butterscotch, And the balance with a sweet but bright orange in the meringue was perfect!