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Old-Fashioned Creamy Butterscotch Pie

A delicious slice of rich orange butterscotch pie topped high with fluffy whipped cream, sitting on a white plate.
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Make a rich, velvety butterscotch pie from scratch with a silky-smooth custard filling. This recipe focuses on classic flavor and texture for a comforting dessert.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 (9 inch) unbaked pie crust (store-bought or homemade)
  • 1 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup cornstarch
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 cups whole milk
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 4 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream (for topping)
  • 2 tablespoons powdered sugar (for topping)

Instructions

  1. Prepare your 9-inch pie crust and bake it according to package directions or your preferred method until lightly golden. Let the baked crust cool completely on a wire rack.
  2. In a medium saucepan, whisk together the brown sugar, granulated sugar, cornstarch, and salt.
  3. Gradually whisk in the whole milk and heavy cream until the mixture is smooth.
  4. Cook the mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens significantly and begins to bubble. This should take about 8 to 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to low once it starts to bubble.
  5. In a separate small bowl, whisk the 4 egg yolks.
  6. Temper the egg yolks: Slowly pour about 1 cup of the hot sugar mixture into the egg yolks while whisking the yolks continuously. This prevents the eggs from scrambling.
  7. Pour the tempered egg yolk mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining sugar mixture, whisking constantly.
  8. Continue to cook over medium-low heat for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until the filling thickens further and coats the back of a spoon. Do not let it boil vigorously.
  9. Remove the saucepan from the heat. Stir in the butter pieces until they are completely melted and incorporated. Stir in the vanilla extract.
  10. Pour the hot, rich butterscotch custard filling immediately into the cooled, pre-baked pie crust.
  11. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the filling to prevent a skin from forming. Chill the pie in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, or until the filling is completely set.
  12. Before serving, prepare the topping: In a chilled bowl, beat the 1 cup of heavy whipping cream with the 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar until stiff peaks form.
  13. Spread or pipe the whipped cream topping over the chilled pie. Slice and serve immediately.

Notes

  • For a quick, no-bake version, substitute the homemade filling with 1 box (3.4 oz) instant butterscotch pudding mixed with 1 1/2 cups cold milk, then fold in 1 cup of stabilized whipped topping (like Cool Whip) before pouring into a graham cracker or Biscoff cookie crust.
  • To achieve a silky smooth pie filling, whisk the mixture constantly, especially when tempering the eggs, and avoid letting the custard boil rapidly after the eggs are added.
  • If you want a Dolly Parton-inspired flavor profile, consider adding a small splash of bourbon or rum extract to the cooled filling before topping.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://delishsymphony.com/butterscotch-pie-old-fashioned-creamy-recipe/