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.
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.
Homemade pie crust recipe with shortening and butter.
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
How Do I Make The Butterscotch Pie Recipe?
- Bake the pie shell according to the directions (you will need a pre-baked pie shell before pouring the butterscotch filling in).
- Add the milk, egg yolks, brown sugar, cornstarch, and salt to a saucepan and mix well.
- Cook on medium-high until the mixture is thick like pudding. It will take about five minutes.
- Finally, add the butter and vanilla extract and mix until the butter is melted.
- Pour the butterscotch mixture into the baked pie shell.
- Make the meringue and place it on top of the pie, creating peaks with your spatula.
- Bake the pie for 10 minutes, or until the meringue is golden brown, at 350-degrees.
- Allow the delicious pie to cool and set up for at least one hour.
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.
Other Desserts You Will Love:
- Chocolate chip cake, with brown sugar on top, is a delicious cake that is easy to make.
- German chocolate cake is always a hit for birthdays or holidays. This recipe is easy to make and completely homemade.
- Lemon bars are tart, sweet, and very easy to make. They have a shortbread crust that is perfect for this recipe.
- Brown sugar pound cake with butter pecan glaze is a decadent dessert that is hard to put down.
- Pumpkin pie is a classic dessert that is perfect for any occasion, but especially around the holidays.
- Julia’s Simply Southern amazing coconut pecan chess pie.

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.

Butterscotch Pie
Butterscotch pie is a classic dessert recipe that is simple and turns out delicious every time. The homemade classic pie brings comfort to the table.
Ingredients
Pie
- 2 cups milk
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 3 egg yolks (save the whites in another bowl for meringue)
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 Tablespoons butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 9-inch baked pie crust (buy frozen or make homemade)
Meringue
- 3 egg whites
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/4 cup sugar
Instructions
Pie
- In a medium-sized saucepan, add the milk, brown sugar, egg yolks, cornstarch, and salt and mix well with a whisk.
- Turn the burner to medium-high heat.
- Cook until the pudding is thick, stirring constantly. The pudding will thicken in about five minutes.
- Add the vanilla extract and butter and mix until the butter is melted.
- Pour the butterscotch pudding into the baked pie shell and set aside.
Meringue
- Add the egg whites to a large bowl, along with the cream of tartar.
- Beat with a hand mixer until the meringue is stiff.
- Add the sugar and beat until the meringue is shiny.
- Cover the pie with meringue and bake for 10 minutes at 350-degrees or until the top is golden brown.
- Allow the pie to cool and set up for at least one hour.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 322Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 85mgSodium: 448mgCarbohydrates: 47gFiber: 1gSugar: 32gProtein: 6g
Nutrition is approximate.
Cassandra Thurman
Friday 15th of September 2023
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!
Julie Pollitt
Sunday 17th of September 2023
Great to hear! Thanks so much!
Jo LOGSDON
Thursday 3rd of August 2023
Trying to find the butterscotch pie inge
Julie Pollitt
Friday 4th of August 2023
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!
Kris
Saturday 22nd of April 2023
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.
Julie Pollitt
Sunday 23rd of April 2023
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!
Rex
Friday 27th of January 2023
Heavenly! Used dark brown sugar for deeper flavor and 1/2 and 1/2 for smoother/richer taste! Forget the higher calories!! Lol
Julie Pollitt
Saturday 28th of January 2023
Yum! That sounds wonderful!!
Nicole Kwiatkowski
Wednesday 23rd of November 2022
Can this be made the day before? If so how to store it?
Julie Pollitt
Wednesday 23rd of November 2022
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.