This old-fashioned butterscotch pie combines a rich brown sugar flavor with a buttery, flaky crust and a light, fluffy meringue topping. The brown sugar custard is cooked on the stove, then poured into a prebaked crust. Then, it’s topped with homemade meringue and baked in the oven for 10 minutes until the meringue is golden.
Southern Butterscotch Pie Recipe
If you’re craving a dessert that feels like it’s been passed down through generations, this butterscotch pie is exactly what you need. It’s an old-fashioned Southern treat that tastes like something your grandma would’ve made. Some people call it a brown sugar pie.
The rich, caramel-like flavor of the brown sugar filling is poured into a flaky pie crust and topped with a light, homemade meringue. However, you can also use whipped cream if meringue isn’t your thing. Meringue will hold up to the heat better than whipped cream but other than that, they are both fantastic on this caramel flavored dessert.
This is a custard pie, so it does require some tempering, but it’s not hard at all and is definitely worth the extra effort. It’s sweetened with brown sugar instead of white sugar, giving it that rich butterscotch flavor. It’s not the flavor of butterscotch chips but more like a rich and smooth caramel flavor.
My girls didn’t think they would like this pie because they think of butterscotch chips which don’t take anything like actual butterscotch.
Serve it warm or at room temperature with the meringue on top for a nostalgic dessert that tastes like home.
This is similar in texture to a creamy vanilla bean pie.
Instead of a traditional pie crust you could also use a pecan nut pie crust, the pecans go great with the custard.
Reasons You’ll Fall for This Pie
- Nostalgic: Butterscotch pie is a classic dessert that’s familiar and utterly satisfying in every way.
- Creamy: Homemade custard is velvety smooth, melting in your mouth with every bite.
- Rich: Brown sugar shines brightly in this pie, giving you a deep caramel flavor that’s nothing short of luxurious.
3 Main Ingredients Make the Perfect Old-Fashioned Pie
Here’s a brief list of the ingredients you’ll need to make this recipe. Make sure to check the recipe card for the full list before making it.
- Prebaked Pie Crust: This is the foundation of your pie. You can make a homemade pie crust, but a store-bought crust works just fine for saving time. Just make sure it’s fully baked before you start filling it up.
- Brown Sugar: Brown sugar is what gives this pie that rich, caramel-like flavor, not to be confused with the taste of butterscotch chips. Light or dark brown sugar will work for this recipe.
- Cream of Tartar: This helps stabilize the meringue and prevents it from weeping or separating.
It’s So Easy to Make Butterscotch Pie
Step One: Bake the Pie Crust
Start by baking your pie crust. Line it with parchment paper and add pie weights or dried beans to keep it in place. Bake it until golden and crisp, then let it cool while you prepare the filling.
Step Two: Make the Custard Filling
Step Three: Temper the Eggs
Step Four: Fill the Pie
Step Five: Make the Meringue
Step Six: Bake and Cool
Make Sure to Follow These Tips
- Whisk constantly while cooking the custard: This helps prevent the mixture from clumping or burning. Make sure to keep the heat on medium and stir constantly for a smooth, creamy texture.
- Temper the eggs slowly: When adding the egg yolks to the hot milk mixture, go slow to avoid scrambling the eggs. Gradually add a little hot mixture to the yolks, then combine everything back together for a smooth custard without any lumps.
- Use room-temperature eggs: Let your eggs come to room temperature before you start. They’ll whip up better for the meringue and it helps the custard come together more smoothly.
Keeping a Brown Sugar Pie Fresh
Once the pie has cooled completely, cover it with plastic wrap or store it in an airtight container. Keep it in the fridge for up to 2 days. The meringue may soften slightly, but the pie will still taste delicious.
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Ingredients
- 1 prebaked pie crust
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ⅓ cup flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups whole milk
- 3 eggs room temp
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 1/2 teaspoon vanilla divided
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ½ cup white sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400º. Line a pie crust with parchment paper and add pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove the pie weights and bake an additional 15 minutes until golden brown. Allow to cool. Turn the oven down to 350º.
- In a medium saucepan, whisk the brown sugar, flour, and salt together. Slowly whisk in the milk. Place over medium heat and cook, whisking constantly until thick and bubbly, about 3-5 minutes. Reduce to low and continue to cook for 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat.
- Separate the eggs, reserving the whites for the meringue. Place the yolks in a measuring cup or glass bowl and beat with a fork. Add about a half of a cup of the hot milk mixture a tablespoon at a time to the egg yolk until it is warm. Then slowly add the egg mixture to the milk mixture in the saucepan, whisking until incorporated, Return to low heat and cook for another 2 minutes until it is creamy and smooth. Remove from the heat and add butter and 2 teaspoons of vanilla. Pour into the cooled pie crust.
Meringue
- Beat the egg whites with an electric mixer on high for 1-2 minutes until soft peaks form. Add cream of tartar and ½ teaspoon vanilla, mix to combine. With the mixer on high, slowly add the sugar and beat until stiff peaks form and it is shiny, about 2 minutes.
- Spoon the meringue over the pie filling pushing it to the edges to seal. Bake until the meringue is browned, 10-12 minutes. Let cool at room temperature for at least 3 hours to set before slicing.
Notes
- Best served at room temperature
- You can use whipped cream instead of meringue.
- You can try a nut or cookie crust instead of a traditional one.
