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Easy Butterscotch Pie

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By Pillsbury Kitchens
Updated Jul 10, 2024
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Your autumn menu has a new contender for the number one pie of the season. Step aside, apple pie, and take a seat pumpkin pie: This easy Butterscotch Pie is a rich, sweet and impressive addition to your table. And with just five ingredients, it’s almost unbelievable how easy it all comes together.

We are always hard at work finding you tips and tricks to skip steps and save time, all while still delivering the homemade taste and crowd-pleasing results that put a smile on everybody’s face. This homemade Butterscotch Pie recipe is no different

Your whole family will love the crispy and satisfying crust, the unmistakable taste of home cooking, and the rich, creamy butterscotch pie filling that’s the perfect balance of sweet and buttery flavors you can’t get from anything else.

What truly makes this the best Butterscotch Pie recipe is how accessible it is. Using just five ingredients, you get that bakery-quality butterscotch pie, and a flavor you’ll never forget. Cool Whip, butterscotch pudding mix and Pillsbury™ Pie Crusts do the heavy lifting for you, so bakers of all levels can make this a part of their rotation. All it takes is 20 minutes of effort, and the rest is chill time. Literally!

What Is Butterscotch Pie Made Of?

As with any classic pie, there are dozens of local and regional variations. Traditional butterscotch pie has a texture more like a custard, with a base of brown sugar that has been slow simmered until it creates a thick pie filling. The downside? It takes a really long time and you can’t take your eyes off of it, or it could burn.

So if you’re after that perfect balance of flavor and simplicity, this easy butterscotch pie is what you’ve been waiting for. It uses butterscotch pudding mix with a flavor that’s every bit as sweet and rich, plus a similar smooth texture, but with far fewer steps.

The same pudding mix you can find in your corner grocery store will combine with just a few other ingredients to create an amazingly decadent pie. And the finishing touch is just like all the variations on butterscotch pie—the whipped cream topping. For a fun alternative with a few more ingredients that’s still quite simple, try our Butterscotch-Brown Sugar Baked Pie.

How to Make a Butterscotch Pudding Pie

Get ready to be amazed. This easy Butterscotch Pie has only 5 ingredients, and just 3 simple steps. Simply bake the pie crust, mix in the filling, add a topping and let your refrigerator do the rest. The full instructions can be found below, but let’s talk about some highlights, and things to watch out for.

Pre-baking the Crust

Since the pie filling is set in the fridge, the crust is baked on its own in advance. Follow the instructions on the package so it isn’t underbaked, which could leave you with a soft, doughy pie, and you can probably guess what overbaking can do.

Mix the Filling

Mixing the filling is pretty foolproof, so this is a perfect opportunity to get the whole family involved and give the kids a chance to learn. It’s just pouring the pudding mix and milk together and whisking until thick. Otherwise known as the fun part!

Pour the Filling

Pour the filling into the prebaked, cooled pie crust and smooth the top with a spatula. Careful not to overfill the pie. Leave about 1/8” of crust above the filling.

Toppings

Some of the whipped cream is going into the filling, but the rest is for topping the pie. Let the butterscotch pie filling set for at least 2 hours in the fridge before adding the whipped topping. Too soon, and it’ll sink into the butterscotch that hasn’t had a chance to set. A little patience, and you’ll have an incredible creamy topping that melds together in your mouth, not on the plate!

Storing Butterscotch Pie

Traditional homemade butterscotch pie can last in the fridge for about 2 days, but because this easy variation uses pudding mix, its shelf life is a lot longer, and it will keep up to a week, when loosely covered in your fridge.

You can also freeze this variation for up to 3 months! However, take care as freezing and thawing can alter the texture. For best results, thaw until it’s no longer frozen solid, and enjoy it as you would an ice cream cake!

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is the Difference Between Butterscotch and Caramel?

The difference between a Butterscotch and Caramel just comes down to the kind of sugar each recipe uses. If you start with granulated sugar, you end up with caramel. If you use brown sugar, you get butterscotch!

The brown sugar is what gives butterscotch its dimensional flavor, similar to dulce de leche. That smooth, deep richness is likely why the word ‘butter’ is included in its name.

That said, butterscotch and caramel are more similar than different—each has a smooth, velvety texture, and both are served either as crunch candies, chewy treats or as a gooey drizzled topping, and both taste great in a pie.

Does the Kind of Milk Matter?

Just about anything with the word ‘milk’ in it can be used in this recipe. Whole milk, skim milk, evaporated milk, condensed milk, oat milk. The milk is playing a specific role, and that’s to give the butterscotch pie filling a creamy texture.

The milk you choose will affect your results, however, and your final Butterscotch Pie recipe will take on the traits of the milk you put in it. Low fat milk will give you a lighter pie, and full fat will make your results a lot richer. With plant-based milks, it could go either way—it depends on the richness and the fat content of the milk you’re using.

Experimenting with different kinds of milk is a great way to personalize this recipe, and makes it easy to whip up a dairy-free Butterscotch Pie recipe!

Easy Butterscotch Pie

  • Prep Time 20 min
  • Total 2 hr 50 min
  • Ingredients 5
  • Servings 8
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Ingredients

Instructions

  • Step 
    1
    Heat oven to 450°F. Make pie crust as directed on package for one-crust baked shell using 9-inch pie plate. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
  • Step 
    2
    In large bowl, mix pudding mixes and milk; beat 2 minutes with whisk. Stir in 1 cup of the whipped topping; spoon into pie crust. Cover loosely, and refrigerate at least 2 hours until set.
  • Step 
    3
    To serve, spread remaining 1 cup whipped topping in center of pie, to within 1 inch from edge, and drizzle with butterscotch topping. Cut into slices. Store remaining pie in refrigerator.

Nutrition

280 Calories
11g Total Fat
3g Protein
43g Total Carbohydrate
24g Sugars

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 Serving
Calories
280
Calories from Fat
100
Total Fat
11g
16%
Saturated Fat
6g
31%
Trans Fat
0g
Cholesterol
10mg
3%
Sodium
520mg
22%
Potassium
95mg
3%
Total Carbohydrate
43g
14%
Dietary Fiber
0g
0%
Sugars
24g
Protein
3g
% Daily Value*:
Vitamin A
2%
2%
Vitamin C
0%
0%
Calcium
8%
8%
Iron
0%
0%
Exchanges:
1 Starch; 0 Fruit; 2 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Skim Milk; 0 Low-Fat Milk; 0 Milk; 0 Vegetable; 0 Very Lean Meat; 0 Lean Meat; 0 High-Fat Meat; 2 Fat;
Carbohydrate Choice
3
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

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