Creamy Homemade Butterscotch Pie Recipe
Butterscotch pie is a classic dessert recipe that is simple to make and turns out delicious every time. The creamy butterscotch pie recipe calls for basic pantry ingredients and is a decadent treat.
A Classic Pie

The homemade classic pie is loved in households all over the country and brings comfort to the table.
We grew up spending our summers in Tennessee on my grandparent’s farm.
My sweet grandmother would get up early, make pie crust from scratch, cook some pies, and have them ready for us to eat before she headed off to work.
My sister loved caramel pie and I was partial to chocolate pie. It really doesn’t get any better than eating homemade pie.

Butterscotch pie is a cream pie and so easy to make. It’s very similar to other cream pies, like caramel and chocolate, and is topped with meringue.
If you love desserts with deep flavor, like this pie, you’ll also love brown sugar pie squares. They are crunchy on top, like meringue, and gooey in the middle.
What Ingredients Do I Need For Butterscotch Pie?
- Milk
- Brown sugar
- Egg yolks (save the whites for meringue)
- Cornstarch
- Salt
- Butter
- Vanilla extract
- Baked pie shell
- Sugar for meringue
Baked pie shell – I used a store-bought frozen pie crust in a 9-inch pie pan because it just makes life easier. But, you can also make a homemade pie crust.
Brown sugar – the brown sugar is going to give the butterscotch pie a deeper flavor and helps bring out the butterscotch taste.
Egg yolks – the egg yolks are going to give the pie its rich flavor and help give it a smooth texture. Just be sure to save the whites for the meringue.
Cornstarch – this ingredient will help thicken the pie. Ever have a runny pie? Cornstarch will help keep it together and you will have a nice thick butterscotch pie.
Butter – butter always gives recipes a rich flavor. And in this case, it helps combine with the brown sugar to help create the butterscotch flavor.
Vanilla extract – vanilla is always going to help bring out all of the other flavors.
Sugar – granulated white sugar is what sweetens the meringue.
Watch How To Make Butterscotch Pie
Step-By-Step Instructions For Homemade Butterscotch Pie

Start by pouring milk into a medium saucepan.
For this recipe, I used two percent milk. You can also use whole milk for a little bit of a richer flavor.

Drop the egg yolks into the pan.
Be sure to save the egg whites in another bowl for the meringue.

Next, add the cornstarch, brown sugar, and salt to the saucepan and mix everything with a whisk.
Turn the stove to medium-high and start cooking. The pudding will take about five minutes to cook. It will be thin and then all of a sudden thicken, so keep your eyes on it and keep stirring so it doesn’t burn.
TIP: Be sure to stir often or you will get specks of burnt butterscotch in your pie.
If that does happen, don’t worry, just continue mixing and try to mix the specks into the pie. It will still taste good (speaking from experience).

Add the butter and stir until melted.

Finally, pour the vanilla extract into the saucepan and mix until the ingredients are combined.

Pour the pie into the cooked pie shell (be careful as it’s a hot mixture) and set it aside while you prepare the meringue.
On a side note, if you want some homemade butterscotch pudding, just leave the pie crust out of the recipe.
How To Make Meringue

Add the egg whites to a large bowl, along with the cream of tartar.
Use your hand mixer to beat the egg whites until you get stiff peaks.

Pour the granulated white sugar into the egg whites and mix again until the sugar is combined and the egg whites become stiff glossy peaks.
For the meringue, you can use a stand mixer or a hand mixer. Either one will work.

Spread the meringue on top of the pie and take your spatula and sort of bop the meringue to get some peaks.
Bake the pie for about 10 minutes at 350-degrees, or until the meringue turns golden brown.
Once you bake the meringue, allow the pie to set up and cool for at least one hour.

Optional Ways To Make The Pie
- Use a graham cracker crust – you can buy the crust pre-made or make one at home with crushed graham crackers and butter. If you make it at home you will need to cook the crust for a few minutes until it is golden brown. A pre-made crust does not need to be baked first.
- Whipped cream topping – you can make some at home or purchase Cool Whip at the store and use instead of meringue.
- Spiced Biscoff cookie crust from Southern Shelle is a great recipe.
How To Store Butterscotch Pie
Store the pie in an airtight container, preferably in a pie carrier. Do not put plastic wrap over the pie as it will tear up the meringue. The pie will need to be refrigerated after it cools.
More Tasty Pie Recipes
- This easy chocolate cream pie is smooth, rich, and totally no-fuss.
- If you’re into festive flavors, this eggnog pie recipe brings that holiday vibe any time of year.
- Creamy and dreamy, this coconut cream pie tastes like a tropical escape.
- There’s something timeless about a homemade chocolate pie that’s this rich and velvety.
- This Southern sweet potato pie always reminds me of cozy Sunday dinners.

Butterscotch Pie Recipe
Be sure to get the recipe below. This is the best butterscotch pie and is made with simple ingredients. It turns out wonderfully delicious every time.
This might become one of your favorite pie recipes. The butterscotch pudding pie inside of a flaky pie crust is always a great dessert. And, it’s an easy recipe, which is what we love.



Look at that beautiful fluffy meringue! This pie looks amazing and that butterscotch filling looks so creamy.
Thanks, Carlee!
Couldn’t find the pec an pie receipe.
Hi Lou Ann, here’s the link to the pecan pie. https://www.backtomysouthernroots.com/dads-pecan-pie/
Hope you love it!
I made this pie and it’s delicious!
That’s great to hear! I love this, too. My grandma made it often. 🙂
Can this be made the day before? If so how to store it?
You can make it the day before. I would store it in the refrigerator in some sort of container that won’t smash your meringue. The only negative is that the meringue won’t be as fluffy the next day. But it will still be delicious.
Heavenly! Used dark brown sugar for deeper flavor and 1/2 and 1/2 for smoother/richer taste! Forget the higher calories!! Lol
Yum! That sounds wonderful!!
I made this tonight exactly as written and it was AMAZING! Brought back memories of my Mom.Thank you so much,I can’t wait to try more of your recipes.
Awww! I am so glad it brought back some memories for you. I made a caramel pie today that will be on the blog soon!
Trying to find the butterscotch pie inge
Hi Jo,
All of the recipe cards are at the bottom of the post. If you have a tough time finding them, you can click on the “Jump To Recipe” at the top and it will take you right to the card. Hope that helps!
I have to say that your recipe for Butterscotch pie tastes just as good and is as creamy as my husband’s grandmother’s recipe with only 2 differences. In her recipe, it calls for flour and the cook time to get it to thicken is 45 minutes.
This recipe is a huge time saver! Thank you for posting!
Great to hear! Thanks so much!
Best pie ever!! Tastes just like my granny’s did
Love to hear that!
This is the best butterscotch pie recipe ever! Tastes just like my granny’s did
I tried this last night. My husband loved it. It’s his favorite pie. Will definitely make this again.
Hi Kathy! That’s great to hear. So glad your husband loves it!
Question- do I still baked the pie if I don’t use a meringue topping?
If you baked the pie crust, you do not need to bake it again if you’re not adding the meringue. And, you’re also cooking the butterscotch pudding, so no need to bake it again without meringue. Hope you love it!