Velvet-rich and deeply flavored homemade butterscotch pudding, fluffy whipped cream, and a flaky butter pie crust come together to make one incredible butterscotch pie. In this recipe, you’re building layers of flavor starting with caramelized sugar… which is always an excellent way to begin a dessert! It may be helpful to review my tutorial on how to blind bake pie crust before getting started. This pie is a wonderful make-ahead option because it needs time to set up in the refrigerator.
This is a completely from-scratch butterscotch pie recipe. You won’t find any box pudding mixes or artificial flavors hiding inside. Get ready for a blissful butterscotch experience where you can truly taste the homemade difference.
But what does butterscotch taste like? Butterscotch is like caramel, but its base is brown sugar, not regular white sugar. Therefore, butterscotch has a richer, more complex flavor than caramel. But we are taking this a step further and using both caramelized white sugar (similar to salted caramel sauce) and dark brown sugar in this custard for an ultimate caramel-butterscotch flavor that will knock your socks off.
Here’s Why You’ll Love This Butterscotch Pie
- 100% from-scratch dessert recipe, and you can taste the difference
- Creamy and rich butterscotch filling is a retro nostalgic delight
- Extra flaky, all-butter pie crust that’s completely baked through
- Fluffy whipped cream topping
- Wonderful make-ahead dessert
- Option to add a splash of rum
One taste tester said this pie tasted like a soft homemade version of a Werther’s Original candy, and that just about sums it up!
4 Parts to Butterscotch Cream Pie
- Baked Pie Crust Shell: Pie crust shell must be fully baked. When my team & I initially tested this recipe, we were using a pretzel crumb crust. While delicious, it *never* held shape under this creamy filling. Every single one was crumbly and the pie pieces fell apart. I do not recommend a crumb crust here.
- Butterscotch Filling: Similar to my homemade butterscotch pudding, only a bit sturdier so it holds a nice slice, and with an added element of caramelized sugar for extra flavor.
- Whipped Cream: Have you made my homemade whipped cream before? It’s very simple. Today we are sweetening it with brown sugar, for extra flavor.
- Salted Caramel Sauce: This is a simple mixture of sugar, butter, heavy cream, and salt. I use it on many, many desserts. It’s optional as a topping here, but really does take this dessert to the next level. Make it if you have time!
A few recipe tests before we reached perfection:
Let me walk you through each layer, so you’re fully prepared when you’re ready to make it. Here are all of the ingredients you need:
First, Bake Your Pie Crust
It’s helpful to review my how to blind bake pie crust tutorial. Blind baking a pie crust shell = baking it without a filling. Why do we do that? Well, if you have a no-bake pie filling like banana cream pie or today’s butterscotch pie, you need a baked pie crust.
Note: You can do this up to 3 days ahead of time!
Start with homemade pie dough, such as my shortening/butter pie crust, or my all-butter pie crust (what I used in the pictured pie). To bake pie crust without a filling, you need to weigh it down to help prevent it from shrinking. I’m pretty loyal to these ceramic pie weights; they’re inexpensive and get the job done. You can also use dry beans. (Note: You’ll need 2 packs of the pie weights for 1 crust!)
This baked pie crust shell is crisp, flaky, and ready for your butterscotch filling.
How to Make Butterscotch Filling
If you’ve ever made coconut cream pie, mocha chocolate pudding pie, homemade dirt pudding, or pastry cream, this process will seem a bit familiar. You’re cooking the mixture on the stove.
Whisk together dark brown sugar, cornstarch, egg yolks, and whole milk. This mixture adds flavor, richness, and—most importantly—thickens the filling. Set this aside.
- My #1 tip: Use dark brown sugar instead of light brown sugar. In my recipe testing, I found light brown sugar is good, but dark brown sugar is great.
Cook the sugar and water. Here you will be caramelizing the sugar on the stove, and it is the most important step in this entire recipe. Why? Because it develops the caramel/butterscotch flavor. Without it, you’ll be eating brown sugar pudding, not butterscotch pudding.
- Note: This step can be tricky, so please follow the careful instructions in the printable recipe below.
Slowly add the heavy cream to the caramelized sugar mixture. And do this very, very slowly. Whisk the entire time. Do not worry if the caramelized sugar mixture clumps up. Just keep whisking because it will eventually come back together.
- Note: I tested this recipe 9 times, and 7 times out of 9, the mixture clumped. That is normal. It ALWAYS comes back together, I promise.
Add the brown sugar/egg yolk mixture to the pot. Whisking constantly, pour the brown sugar/egg yolk mixture into the pot. Keep whisking until the mixture thickens and large bubbles begin to burst on the surface. This usually takes about 5 minutes, and taking the temperature is really helpful to measure doneness. The cooked mixture is done when it reaches 195–200°F (91–93°C). Use an instant-read thermometer to check.
Remove from heat and add the remaining ingredients. You need butter, salt, and vanilla extract; plus rum, bourbon, or scotch. Softened butter keeps the pudding creamy and the last 3 ingredients are for essential flavor. You won’t regret the splash of alcohol, but if you want to leave it out, use more vanilla instead.
The custard will be smooth, rich, and silky. Look at the beautiful color it developed through your careful cooking process!
Let the filling cool for 5 minutes, give it a whisk, and then spread into the baked pie shell.
Refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 6 hours and up to 2 days. Per the recipe below, cover it tightly if refrigerating it for longer than 6 hours.
If you’re looking for Thanksgiving pie recipes or hoping to make this pie for a special celebration, you can absolutely get it going ahead of the big day!
Topping Your Butterscotch Pie
Right before, or up to 1 hour before, serving, top the pie with homemade whipped cream. Use dark brown sugar to sweeten it, for extra butterscotch flavor. You can decorate it any which way—a thick layer of whipped cream like this banoffee pie, or pretty and piped like this coconut cream pie.
Drizzle with salted caramel sauce, if desired. Now savor every flaky, creamy, silky, buttery bite as it melts in your mouth, because you deserve it. You made this all from scratch!
This recipe is part of Sally’s Pie Week, an annual tradition where I share a handful of new recipes that fit into the pie/crisp/tart category. Join the community below!
Butterscotch Pie
Prep Time: 3 hours (includes crust)
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 9 hours, 40 minutes (includes chilling)
Yield: 1 9-inch pie
Category: Dessert
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American
Description
Velvet-rich and deeply flavored homemade butterscotch pudding, fluffy whipped cream, and a flaky crust come together to make one incredible butterscotch pie. In this recipe, you’re building layers of flavor starting with caramelized sugar. This recipe is an advanced baking recipe. Read through the entire recipe before beginning because there are several different components. It’s also helpful to review my tutorial on how to blind bake pie crust. This pie is a wonderful make-ahead option because it needs time to set up in the refrigerator.
Crust
Butterscotch Filling
Whipped Cream Topping
Instructions
- At least 2 hours ahead, make the pie dough: Make and chill the pie crust dough through step 5 in either recipe. It needs to chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before rolling out (next step). The recipe makes 2 crusts, and you only need 1 for this pie, so save the other for another pie. (Pie dough freezes well!)
- Roll out the chilled pie dough: On a floured work surface, roll out one of the discs of chilled dough. Turn the dough about a quarter turn after every few rolls until you have a circle 12 inches in diameter. Carefully place the dough into a 9-inch pie dish. Tuck it in with your fingers, making sure it is completely smooth. To make a lovely thick edge, I do not trim excess dough around the edges. Instead, fold the excess dough back over the edge and use your hands to mold the edge into a rim around the pie. Crimp the edges with a fork or use your fingers to flute the edges. (Review this how to crimp and flute pie crust page if you need extra help with this step.) If dough is too warm, fluting/crimping will be difficult, so you can always chill it in the refrigerator for 5–10 minutes first. After fluting/crimping the edges, chill the shaped pie crust in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, and up to 5 days. Cover the pie crust with plastic wrap if chilling for longer than 30 minutes. Chilling the shaped dough helps prevent the crust from shrinking.
- While the crust is chilling, preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Blind bake the crust: Line the chilled pie crust with parchment paper. (It helps to scrunch up the parchment paper first so that you can easily fit it into the crust.) Fill with pie weights or dried beans. (Note that you will need at least 2 standard sets of pie weights for this.) I like to push the weights up against the sides of the pie crust to help ensure the sides don’t shrink down. Bake until the edges of the crust are starting to brown, about 15–16 minutes. Remove pie crust from the oven and carefully lift the parchment paper (with the weights) out of the pie. Prick holes all over the bottom crust with a fork. If desired for a shiny golden crust, brush egg wash on edges. Return pie crust to the oven and bake for 14–15 minutes, or until the bottom has browned. Remove from the oven, and place on a cooling rack to cool before filling. You can blind bake the crust up to 3 days ahead of time. Cover cooled crust tightly and refrigerate until ready to fill. (Review this how to par-bake pie crust page if you need extra help with this blind-baking step.)
- Make the butterscotch filling: In a medium bowl (preferably with a pour spout), whisk together dark brown sugar and cornstarch. Add in whole milk and egg yolks, and whisk until combined; try to rid any large brown sugar clumps. Don’t worry if the egg yolks separate a bit. It will all come together on the stove. Set mixture aside.
- Place granulated sugar and water in a medium or large stainless steel saucepan (do not use nonstick) and cook over medium heat. Whisk or stir until the sugar and water are combined, and then stop stirring. Use a water-moistened pastry brush to brush down any sugar on the sides of the pan, to prevent it from crystallizing. Cook, picking up and swirling the pan occasionally, until the sugar mixture turns amber-brown, about 5 to 7 minutes. Reduce the heat down to low. Pouring very slowly, whisk in a little of the heavy cream. The mixture will rapidly bubble and steam, so use caution. Continue slowly pouring in the remaining heavy cream a little at a time, whisking constantly. The cooked sugar syrup may clump up or stick to the bottom of the pot. That is completely normal, just keep cooking and whisking. Don’t give up! I promise it will come together.
- Once all of the heavy cream has been added and there are no more cooked sugar clumps, increase the heat back up to medium and whisk and cook the mixture for 2 minutes.
- In a slow and steady stream, pour the brown sugar-egg yolk mixture into the saucepan, whisking the entire time. Keep whisking until the mixture thickens and large bubbles begin to burst on the surface, about 5 minutes, give or take. All stoves are different, so use an instant-read thermometer to check for doneness. The cooked mixture is done when it reaches 195–200°F (91–93°C).
- Remove from heat and whisk in the butter, salt, vanilla, and alcohol (or more vanilla). Let the filling cool for 5 minutes, give it another whisk, and then spread it evenly into the baked pie shell. I use an offset spatula for this, but the back of a spoon works, too. (It’s not a super thick layer of filling, because it’s so intensely flavorful.) The baked pie shell can either be completely cooled, or it can still be a bit warm. Just make sure it’s not piping hot.
- Refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 6 hours and up to 2 days. After 6 hours, cover it with plastic wrap with the plastic wrap touching the surface of the pie to help prevent condensation.
- When ready to serve, or up to 1 hour before serving, make the whipped cream: Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream, brown sugar, and vanilla extract on medium-high speed until medium peaks form, about 3 minutes. Medium peaks are between soft/loose peaks and stiff peaks and are the perfect consistency for topping and piping on desserts. Pipe or spread the whipped cream on top of the pie. If desired, top with a few drizzles of salted caramel sauce.
- Slice and serve. Cover leftovers and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: The pie dough can be prepared ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. There are plenty of ways to make this recipe ahead of time. See end of step 2 and step 10. You can freeze the pie after step 10. Make sure the filling is completely cool inside the pie shell prior to freezing. Cover with an extra layer of plastic wrap before freezing. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator or on the counter prior to topping with whipped cream.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Rolling Pin | Pie Dish | Pie Weights | Pastry Brush | Cooling Rack | Egg Separator | Whisk | Silicone Spatula | Medium Heavy Duty Saucepan | Glass Mixing Bowls | Instant-Read Thermometer | Offset Spatula | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand)
- Pie Crust: Both linked pie crust recipes make 2 crusts. You only need 1 crust for this pie, so freeze the 2nd half for another use or another one-crust pie like pumpkin pie, pecan pie, or apple cranberry crumble pie.
- Do I need to blind bake the pie crust if using store-bought crust? Yes. Follow the same instructions for blind baking.
- Whole Milk & Heavy Cream: These are imperative for the custard to set properly. I do not recommend any substitutions.
- Can I use a crumb crust instead? When my team & I initially tested this recipe, we were using a pretzel crust. While delicious, it *never* held shape under this creamy filling. Every single one was crumbly and the pie pieces fell apart. The same will happen with a graham cracker crust and therefore, I do not recommend a crumb crust here.
Adapted from All Recipes with several changes to intensify the flavor
