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The Best Old-Fashioned Butterscotch Pie (with Meringue!)

A perfect slice of homemade Butterscotch Pie with a toasted meringue topping being served for a holiday dessert.

A from-scratch recipe for a classic Butterscotch Pie with a fluffy meringue topping. The dessert features a homemade all-butter pie crust that is fully blind-baked. The rich, cooked custard filling is made by creating a brown sugar and butter caramel, which is then whisked into a hot milk and cream mixture, enriched with egg yolks, and thickened with cornstarch. A splash of Scotch whisky adds depth. After chilling to set, the pie is topped with a sweet, glossy meringue that is baked until lightly browned.

Ingredients

Scale
  • For the Piecrust:
  • 4 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 12 ounces (3 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
  • 1/2 cup ice water
  • 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
  • For the Filling:
  • 2 1/4 cups milk
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 1/4 cup cornstarch
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons Scotch whisky
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • For the Meringue Top:
  • 2 egg whites
  • Pinch of salt
  • 2 tablespoons sugar

Instructions

  1. Make the Piecrust: In a mixer, combine the flour, salt, and sugar. Add the cold butter and mix until crumbly. Drizzle in a mixture of the ice water and vinegar and mix just until a dough forms. Divide the dough in half, shape into disks, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. (This recipe only uses one disk).
  2. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Roll one disk of dough out to fit a 9-inch pie pan. Line the chilled crust with foil and fill with pie weights. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until dry and light ‘blond’ in color. Remove the weights and foil and bake for another 10-15 minutes until medium brown. Let the crust cool.
  3. Make the Filling: In a saucepan, bring the milk and cream to a simmer. In a separate large skillet, melt the butter, stir in the brown sugar, and cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly for 5-7 minutes, until the mixture caramelizes.
  4. Whisking constantly, gradually add the hot milk/cream mixture to the caramel.
  5. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks with about 1/2 cup of the hot milk mixture to temper them. Whisk in the cornstarch and salt until smooth.
  6. Whisk the tempered egg yolk mixture back into the saucepan. Add the scotch and cook, whisking constantly, over medium-high heat until the mixture thickens and boils. Remove from heat and whisk in the vanilla.
  7. Pour the filling into the pre-baked pie shell. Chill, uncovered, for at least 2 hours, or overnight.
  8. Make the Meringue and Finish: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt to soft peaks. Gradually add the sugar and beat until the whites are glossy.
  9. Spread the meringue over the top of the chilled pie. Bake for 5 minutes until the meringue is lightly browned. Chill the finished pie until ready to serve.

Notes

  • The recipe for the pie crust makes enough for two crusts; one can be frozen for later use.
  • It is crucial to fully blind-bake the pie crust before adding the filling to prevent a soggy bottom.
  • Tempering the egg yolks by slowly adding a bit of the hot liquid is an important step to prevent them from scrambling.
  • The pie must be thoroughly chilled for at least 2 hours for the custard filling to set properly before adding the meringue.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://www.eatswithsoul.com/butterscotch-pie/

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