This classic Butterscotch Pie Recipe features sweet butterscotch filling piled high with fluffy whipped cream! This no-bake pie recipe is ideal for holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any other special occasion when you need something timeless and delicious.
What’s in this Butterscotch Pie Recipe
If you do any baking, you might just have everything you need to make this classic holiday pie in your kitchen right now!
- Pie Crust: It can be store-bought or homemade. Just make sure it’s baked and cooled completely before adding the butterscotch filling.
- Dark Brown Sugar: You can always make your own by combining 1 cup of granulated white sugar with 1 TBSP (or more) of molasses. Make more or less as needed.
- Unsalted Butter: This is needed to achieve the signature smooth, buttery consistency and flavor.
- Kosher Salt: Just a pinch is needed to help enhance the other flavors.
- All-Purpose Flour: This is used to help stabilize the egg yolks.
- Cornstarch: You’ll need this to thicken the pie filling.
- Whipping Cream: This is used both in the pie filling and for the whipped topping. Don’t substitute it with anything else!
- Egg Yolks: Make sure it’s just the yolks! You don’t need the whites.
- Vanilla Extract: You can use homemade or store-bought vanilla extract.
- Powdered Sugar: You’ll need this to make the sweetest, fluffiest whipped cream.
PRO TIP: We topped our butterscotch pie with toasted pecans, and it added just the right amount of crunch and balanced the sweetness of the butterscotch.
How should I top butterscotch pie?
Homemade whipped cream made with just heavy cream, powdered sugar and vanilla extract makes the best topping! I also like to toss on some toasted pecans, but those are optional.
You want the filling of this pie to be pretty firm, like a thick custard pudding. It should hold its form when cut.
Butterscotch tastes a lot like toffee. That’s because toffee is actually butterscotch, but cooked longer. It also tastes a lot like caramel. The main difference between caramel and butterscotch is that butterscotch has a brown sugar base, while caramel has a white sugar base.
I started with a store bought pie crust for this recipe, but you can use pre-made or make it yourself. I have this easy pie crust recipe that I like to use for any pie (when I’m feeling like an overachiever).
How to Store
In an airtight container in the fridge, butterscotch pie will stay fresh for about 3-5 days.
Serving Suggestions
This is a great dessert recipe to serve on holidays like Christmas and Thanksgiving!
5-Star Review
“This is my favorite butterscotch pie recipe. The consistency and flavor are spot on. I will make this pie often.” – George B.
More Easy Pie Recipes We Love
Butterscotch Pie Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pie crust store bought or homemade; baked and cooled
For the pie filling:
- 1¼ cups dark brown sugar packed, divided
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 2 cups whipping cream
- 3 egg yolks
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter cut up
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
For the Whipped Cream Topping:
- 2 cups whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- !Garnish:
- 1 cup chopped honey roasted pecans optional
Instructions
For the pie filling:
- In a medium saucepan, combine ½ cup brown sugar and ¼ cup butter. Cook over low heat until butter melts and mixture is smooth. Stir continuously. Remove from heat.
- Combine the remaining ¾ cup brown sugar, flour and cornstarch in a small bowl and mix well.
- Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture – stir until incorporated. Whisk while adding 2 cups whipping cream. Return saucepan to medium heat and stir or whisk until thickened and bubbly.
- Reduce heat to low, and cook 2 minutes more while stirring. Remove mixture from heat.
- In a small bowl, lightly beat the egg yolks. Very slowly, and while quickly whisking, incorporate 1 cup of the hot filling into the egg yolks. Add the yolk mixture to the brown sugar/butter mixture in the saucepan.
- Turn heat to medium, stir constantly and bring the mixture to a gentle boil. Once the mixture comes to a boil, reduce heat to low and cook for 2 more minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 3 tablespoons butter and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Cool to touch then pour the butterscotch filling into the baked, cooled pie shell. Cover the pie with plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight before serving.
For the Whipped Cream Topping:
- In a large mixing bowl, beat 2 cups whipping cream, 2 tablespoons powdered sugar and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, with an electric mixer, until soft peaks form.
To Serve:
- Remove plastic wrap from pie and top with the whipped cream topping.
- Sprinkle pecans on top. Serve immediately.
- Enjoy!
Last step! Don’t forget to show me a pic of what you made! Upload an image or tag me @thecookierookie on Instagram!
Nutrition Information
Hi Becky,
I haven’t made this recipe yet, but it looks exactly like how my grandma used to make it. Once upon a time, when hers didn’t set up, she made a Graham Cracker crust and poured the pudding in, added her meringue on top, baked it a few minutes and it was so incredible that’s how she did it from then on.
Graham Cracker Pudding was our families holiday favorite…just an idea for pudding that doesn’t set up when cool.
Happy Baking, Joellen
What a lovely family tradition, Joellen! Hope this recipe brings back those nostalgic memories!
I wanted to love this but it never really firmed up. Also, mine is darker and more like a soft fudge. I followed the recipe to the letter.
We’re sorry this recipe didn’t work out for you, Joy! This recipe is intended to be soft, not hard set!
So my mixture was great until the last step adding butter and vanilla! What can I do will it settle in a couple hours?
It should thicken as it cools!
This is my favorite butterscotch pie recipe. The consistency and flavor are spot on. I will make this pie often.
Thanks, George! I’m glad you love it so much!
I just finished making the filling – the consistency seemed perfect when I removed it from heat after boiling. Once I added the butter and vanilla, the consistency changed to a lumpy oily mixture. Is that supposed to happen?
I’m so sorry that happened! No it shouldn’t separate…it should still be smooth. This article might help to potentially save it: https://www.thespruce.com/why-did-my-butter-separate-when-making-toffee-or-caramel-520448
Ugh I hope this didn’t ruin your Thanksgiving! Hope its a happy holiday regardless. So sorry I can’t be of more help.
wITH the meringue on top of the pie can’t you bake it in the oven?
Hey Abigail, we just used whipped cream on top when serving. Some people do meringue but we preferred just whipped cream. Hope that helps!