Butterscotch Pie

This retro Southern Butterscotch Pie is a classic dessert that’s sure to become a family favorite. Made with a rich, buttery homemade custard filling, it features a smooth, velvety texture and deep butterscotch flavor. Topped with a light, fluffy meringue, this old-fashioned pie is the perfect sweet ending for holidays, Sunday dinners, or any special occasion.

Easy Butterscotch Pie Recipe

Looking for the best Southern butterscotch pie recipe? You’re in the right place! This classic Southern pie is a little bit retro and a whole lot delicious, with a rich, homemade filling that’s pure comfort in every bite. You can keep it simple with a frozen pie crust or go all-in with homemade, either way, it turns out great.

So what’s the difference between butterscotch and caramel? It mostly comes down to the ingredients. Caramel is typically made with white sugar and cream, while butterscotch uses brown sugar and butter, giving it that deeper, cozy flavor.

You don’t see butterscotch desserts around as much these days, which is unfortunate. If you love caramel like I do, you’ll have no trouble falling for butterscotch. It’s rich, nostalgic, and just feels like my grandmother’s home. Around here, it’s always been a favorite, and this pie is one of the best ways to enjoy it.

Key ingredients to make old fashioned Butterscotch Pie: (Scroll down for full printable recipe card and exact quantities.)

• Pie Crust – You’ll need a pre-baked pie shell (deep dish). To make your own homemade pie crust from scratch checkout my recipe for Flaky Pie Crust here.
• Butter – Salted butter for richness.
• Sugar – Dark brown sugar for sweetness.
• Liquid – Half and half thins the pudding.
• Thicken – Cornstarch for thickening the butterscotch filling.
• Whole Eggs – Large, egg yolks stabilize the filling. Save the egg whites to make the meringue.
• Flavoring – Vanilla extract adds creamy floral notes to the taste.

How to Make Butterscotch Pie Recipe

• Butterscotch Pudding – Melt together butter and brown sugar. Add half and half to the sugar mixture. Cook over medium heat until mixture bubbles along the edge.
• Thicken – Whisk together remaining half and half, cornstarch and eggs.
• Temper the Eggs – Add a small amount of hot liquid to the egg mixture.
• Simmer – Cook over medium heat until mixture begins to thicken, whisking constantly. Lower heat to simmer and allow to gently bubble. Add vanilla extract. Stir well.
• Transfer to Crust – Pour butterscotch pudding into crust. Chill while you make the meringue.
• Make the Meringue – Whip together egg whites and cream of tarter until foamy. Gradually add sugar beating until stiff glossy peaks form.
• Frost the Top of Pie – Remove pie from fridge and frost with meringue taking it to the edge.
• Toast the Meringue – Toast in preheated oven until peaks are lightly golden brown.
• Refrigerate – Chill for 8 hours or overnight before slicing.

Kitchen Equipment to Make Southern Butterscotch Pie Recipe

• 9-inch deep dish pie plate.
• Measuring cups and measuring spoons.
• Small bowl and medium bowl.
• Hand mixer or stand mixer.
• Balloon whisk.
• Medium saucepan.

Recipe Variations, Tips and Substitutions

• Pie Crust – You can use a frozen pie shell, refrigerated crust or homemade pie crust.
• Bake the Crust – To prebake the crust, dock the bottom of the pie pastry with a fork, then cover with parchment paper. Fill with pie weights or beans and bake prior to filling. Depending on the kind of crust used time can vary. Bake at 375 degrees f for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
• Sugar – Using dark brown sugar in the filling gives the pie depth of flavor.
• Butter – Should you use unsalted butter, add a pinch of salt to enhance the flavor of the filling.
• Half and Half – Half and half will make the texture of the butterscotch pie filling creamy and decadent. You could use whole milk or heavy cream, if desired.
• Meringue – This pie is traditionally topped with a fluffy meringue. You could use whipped cream in a pinch, if that’s your preference.
• What Does Cream of Tarter do for Meringue? It will help stabilize the meringue topping. You may opt to skip the meringue and top this pie with Cool Whip or fresh whipped cream instead.
• Temper the Eggs – A very important step in making the filling for this butterscotch pie, is tempering the egg yolks before adding them to the saucepan. Tempering basically means  the gentle warming of the beaten egg yolks with a small amount of the hot liquid. Doing it this way, will prevent the egg from scrambling when adding them to the rest of the warm ingredients in the saucepan.
• Troubleshooting – How do you remove lumps from Butterscotch Pie filling? Should any pesky lumps form in the butterscotch pudding,  press the custard through a fine mesh sieve to smooth.
• Completely Cover the Filling with Meringue – When spreading the meringue on top of the pie, it’s best to take it all the way to the edge of the filling and crust to “seal” the filling. This will protect it from becoming “weepy” when baking the meringue.

Storage and Leftovers

• Make-Ahead Tip – Can you make Butterscotch Pie in advance? The custard is delicate, so it needs ample chill time to set. At least 8 hours or overnight is best.
• Leftovers – Store leftover Butterscotch Pie covered with aluminum foil or plastic wrap chilled in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
• Freezer – I don’t recommend freezing this pie. The meringue will deflate when thawed.

How To Make a Meringue for Butterscotch Pie

At times, I think people are intimidated by a meringue. There’s really no need to be, it’s simply sweetened egg whites that are beaten until fluffy.

• Meringue consists of egg whites that are sweetened with granulated sugar and sometimes vanilla extract or other flavorings and a small amount of cream of tarter to stabilize.
• It’s key to a successful meringue that not one speck of egg yolk be present. Carefully separate the two.
• You will need an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment to whip them thoroughly until they become fluffy and increase in volume. 
• After spreading the meringue onto the pie, use the back of a spoon or an offset icing spatula to create the swirls and tips repeating until you get the look you want.
• Meringues makes such a pretty topping for many different flavors of pie such as my recipe for Mile High Coconut Cream Pie or this Chocolate Meringue Pie from Lovefoodies.

More Pie Recipes to Make

• You’ll never go wrong with my Southern Pecan Pie recipe for dessert.
• Chocolate Chess Pie is rich and decadent.
• Atlantic Beach Pie is filled with citrus in every bite.
• Pineapple Buttermilk Pie is a twist on classic buttermilk pie.
• Mile High Banana Cream Pie is proof no skimpy pies are ever allowed in my kitchen.
• Old fashioned Butterscotch Pie is creamy deliciousness.
• Apple Butter Pie tastes just like fall.

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Helpful Kitchen Items:

• Deep Dish Pie Pan
• Mixer
• Measuring Set
• Mixing Bowls