I am here to introduce you to what is probably my favorite non fruit pie – butterscotch pie. For some reason butterscotch pie is a summer thing. It probably really isn’t, but to me it is.
Butterscotch pie goes hand in hand with bbq to me, which goes hand in hand with summer. Maybe it is because it is similar in flavor to the buttery chess pie that the South is famous (and bbq goes with the south to me also).
What is butterscotch?
Butterscotch is basically cooked brown sugar and butter, and then hitting it with cream and vanilla. It has a deeper richer flavor than caramel and is definitely less cloyingly sweet. I usually find that people are either butterscotch or caramel people…I am butterscotch. I just prefer the deeper flavor.
What makes this butterscotch pie better than the rest?
This butterscotch pie is probably a little different that what you will find in a general search for a recipe. Most are cooked custard / pudding pies. This is not that kind of pie. This is a baked custard, and it is deinitely my preference. Think pumpkin pie without the pumpkin. Creamy and smooth but not thick and cold.
If the cold custard is your jam, I think you should try a pudding pie and compare. Here is a stove top cooked custard butterscotch pie I have made a few times before settling on the baked kind as my fave. The texture is definitely different, and I am always interest in what draws people to different things.
And if you are looking for something all together different from a pie, but still butterscotch and quite possibly the greatest dessert ever, look no further than my butterscotch budino, here. You will not be sorry (full disclosure this is one of my first recipes before my photography skills blossomed. The pics are not the best but I promise you this is one of my best recipes).
What really sets my butterscotch pie apart is BROWNING THE BUTTER. This kind of adds a nutty element to the whole pie and cuts the sweetness a bit, cause I mean, this is basically a sugar pie, any other element is welcome.
Butterscotch pie
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter
- 2 cups dark brown sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
- 1 cup 160 ml heavy cream, cold
- 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste or use 1 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 7 eggs
- Your favorite recipe pie crust formed into a pie plate and prebaked
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 375.
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In a heavy saucepan melt the butter. Continue cooking butter until it is bubbly and you begin to see browned bits on the bottom. The bubbling will subside a bit when it is ready. Then make sure the heat is on low. When the butter is browned, add the brown sugar and salt, whisk about two minutes to combine, it will not be a smooth mixture, that is ok. Pull from the heat and immediately and SLOWLY whisk in the heavy cream and continue whisking until fully incorporated.
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Let it sit for about 20 minutes or so off the stovetop and then add your eggs one at a time, whisking like crazy after adding each egg. Add the vanilla last.
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Pour the butterscotch mixture into the prebaked pie crust and bake at 375 for 10 minutes ONLY! Then turn the oven down to 300 (this will ensure a smooth and not dry custard) and continue to bake for 30 more minutes - maybe a touch more. It will be a little jiggly in the center, but only barely.
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Cool this completely before serving. I am not a fridge fan for this pie (nor am I for pumpkin pie), but my family def prefers this cold, so do what you like. Definitley doesn't hurt to serve with unsweetened (that's right, the pie is sweet enough) whipped cream on the top.
Looking for other great recipes with butterscotch? Check out my butterscotch banana bread here.
I cheated and bought pie dough from the store. The dough became soggy when baking the custard filling (despite pre-baking crust @ 400°F for 10 minutes). Some filling spilled over crust so that may have been the culprit. Next time I’d try tart dough or maybe even a graham cracker crust. Heed her advice & mix eggs well or you’ll have white bits like mine! I liked the flavor but the texture was too eggy for my preference. Thanks for the recipe! https://imgur.com/gallery/jIUT2Oc
One tablespoon of what?? There’s not an ingredient next to it.
Vanilla bean paste (or use 1 1/2 teaspoons of extract). Thank you! I have fixed this now!
This pie was a hit at my house! I had to bake it longer than your recipe stated and it seems too jiggly, but when it was all said and done it was delicious! Thanks for sharing your recipe and I’m sure I’ll make it again. I made it in a homemade gluten-free pie crust (my oldest son is celiac) and he LOVED it. I’m sure I’ll make it again. Thanks for your help on the missing measurement. Isn’t it funny how something like that slips past us?
This looks amazing and perfect for the fall weather! Can’t wait to have a go at this recipe. Thanks xx
Tiffany
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King regards,
Abildgaard Griffin