Butterscotch Pie

There’s something undeniably cozy about a slice of homemade Butterscotch Pie—it fills the kitchen with warm, buttery sweetness and feels like a hug in dessert form. This vintage dessert balances rich caramel notes with a silky-smooth custard; all tucked into a flaky crust and topped with a cloud of meringue.

Hello dear readers! It’s been way too long since I’ve posted a pie recipe… 7 months to be exact! PS. If you haven’t tried my No Bake Pistachio Pie yet, now’s the perfect time especially since I posted this perfect Graham Cracker Pie Crust recipe just this month (spoiler alert… there are more pie recipes coming).

Disclosure: This Butterscotch Pie recipe is made possible by (you guessed it!) Egg Farmers of Alberta. All opinions and experiences are my own.

Butterscotch Pie

Whether you’re baking for a family gathering or simply craving a nostalgic bite, this easy butterscotch pie is the kind of treat that turns an ordinary day into something special. This holiday season, skip the pecan pie and serve up something different but oh, so familiar!

If you love butterscotch pudding, you will adore it in pie form. What could be better than a brown sugar whipped cream caramel thickened into a luxurious pie filling topped with golden brown meringue?

This vintage pie recipe highlights the versatility of eggs, from the yolk rich custard filling to the light and airy meringue egg white topping. You could pipe heavy whipped cream on top but meringue is the perfect way to use up the egg whites. 

What is Butterscotch?

Butterscotch is more than just a treat from Grandma’s candy dish. A true butterscotch is a caramel made using brown sugar in place of granulated sugar. It has a deeper, richer, more buttery flavour from the molasses in the sugar.

The primary ingredients are brown sugar and butter, though some recipes use other ingredients like corn syrup, heavy cream, vanilla, and salt. The earliest known recipes, in mid-19th century Yorkshire, used treacle (molasses) in place of, or in addition to, sugar.

Butterscotch can be thickened into a pudding or pie filling and when cooked at a higher temperature, it becomes hard and brittle, like a Werther’s Original candy.

Ingredients in Butterscotch Pie

Besides the prebaked 9 inch pie crust, you will need several common baking ingredients.

• Brown Sugar
• Heavy Cream
• Butter
• Milk
• Cornstarch
• Eggs
• Vanilla Extract
• Sugar

Note that this recipe contains both granulated sugar and brown sugar. The brown sugar is in the butterscotch pie filling while the granulated sugar is one of two key ingredients in meringue.

Both egg yolks and cornstarch act as thickeners in the pie filling while the buttery taste and texture are courtesy of… butter! For best flavour results, use large eggs, whole milk, and real vanilla extract (or vanilla paste) in this recipe.

How to Make Butterscotch Pie

Whether you use a store bought pie shell or make your own, this recipe is as easy as… pie! For this pie recipe you will need a 9 inch pie plate, a hand or stand mixer, a medium saucepan, a mixing bowl, a whisk, measuring spoons, measuring cups, and a wooden spoon. 

Make the Butterscotch Pie Filling

Begin by preheating the oven to 350 F. Separate the eggs into yolks and whites.

To make the butterscotch pie filling, stir the brown sugar, heavy cream and butter together in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook until the mixture comes to a boil and starts to thicken and turn brown, about 5-10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat.

Set aside 1 tablespoon of the milk then slowly stir the remaining milk into the sugar mixture. Next, whisk the cornstarch, egg yolks (save the egg whites for the meringue!), vanilla, and the reserved 1 tablespoon of milk together in a mixing bowl.

Place the saucepan back on the stove on medium low and add the cornstarch mixture, stirring constantly until thick, about 5-10 minutes. Pour the filling into a prebaked pie crust.

Make the Meringue

Make the meringue by beating the egg whites with an electric mixer until they reach soft peak stage. Slowly add the granulated sugar and continue beating until the whites are stiff and hold peaks (stiff peak stage).

Spread the meringue on top of the pie, making sure it covers the filling and goes right to the edges of the crust. Bake at 350 F until light brown, about 10-15 minutes. Cool slightly before serving.

Note: You can skip the meringue and just top the pie whipped cream or large flakes of sea salt.

Storage Instructions

Store leftover Butterscotch Pie loosely covered with plastic wrap (a shower cap works great!) for 3-5 days.

Hi! I’m Bernice Hill, the heart and soul behind Dish ‘n’ the Kitchen. It is my pleasure to share easy to follow recipes that are delicious, nutritious, and approachable for the whole family.

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