By Erin Clarkson on Nov 10, 2020 (updated Sep 26, 2023)
5 from 9 reviews
48 community comments
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Butterscotch Apple Pie is a three-layer pie. A flaky pie crust is filled with a spiced, cooked, apple filling and baked, then topped with a layer of creamy butterscotch pudding. The pie is then finished off with swoops of perfectly whipped cream. This Butterscotch Apple Pie comes from Erin Jeanne Mcdowell's amazing new book, "The Book On Pie".
Table of contents
- Butterscotch Apple Pie
- The Book On Pie by Erin Jeanne McDowell
- Components of Butterscotch Apple Pie
- FAQ for making Butterscotch Apple Pie
- A few wee tips for Butterscotch Apple Pie:
- For more Pie Recipes, Check Out:
Butterscotch Apple Pie
Hi hi! I am popping in to share the recipe from the INCREDIBLE new book one of my best friends Erin wrote! There's a super flaky pie crust, filled with a pre-cooked apple filling. The filling is baked into the crust, then once cool, a layer of butterscotch pudding is added and left to set. The whole thing is then finished with lightly sweetened whipped cream. This multi-layer pie is one to please both the apple pie lovers and the cream pie lovers. it's been my absolute favourite pie recipe of Erin's for a really long time now, so as soon as her book came in, I knew exactly what I wanted
The Book On Pie by Erin Jeanne McDowell
I'm lucky enough to call Erin one of my best friends, and I am just SO PROUD of her and this beautiful book. I watched it turn from a giant spreadsheet and flavour combinations and chapter ideas in a notebook to a two week long photo shoot this time last year. I was able to sneak onto set for a couple of days while they were shooting to lend a hand. It was just so amazing to watch Erin, Mark (the most amazing photographer), and her team turn the ideas into this incredible book.
The Book On Pie is JAMMED with everything you can think of when it comes to Pie. Erin is an incredible teacher (she has taught me so many things that I've shared with you here on the blog). This translates into her easy to follow recipes and detailed tips and tricks. You feel like she's there holding your hand through every step, and there are comprehensive recipes for every pie in the book.
I can't tell you enough just how amazing the book is. You need to pick up a copy for yourself and just trust me on this one. So so many congrats Erin - I am SO BLOODY PROUD of you and how hard you've worked on this. It's everything that I knew it would be and so, so much more. Thank you so much for letting me be a part of it. I love you!
Components of Butterscotch Apple Pie
Erin first made this Butterscotch Apple Pie for me a few years ago when we had a "Pie Sleepover" at her house. I went to stay and we made Nine Thanksgiving pies so that there was one for every type of Pie eater at the Thanksgiving Table.
I took one bite of this pie and was instantly obsessed. The combination of spiced apple filling and smooth custard is the most amazing thing. It's all snuggled into a flaky pie crust. I've made it every year since, and I am so excited to finally be able to pop the recipe here for you. Here's what it's made up of:
- Flaky Pie Crust - The pie starts with a flaky, par-baked pie crust. I wrote loads on par-baking and how to do it in this post if you would like to read more.
- Cooked Apple Filling - The next layer is a pre-cooked apple filling. This comes together quickly in a pot. It is then left to cool (you could do this while you are par-baking the crust). The filling then goes into the cooled crust, and the whole thing goes back into the oven until bubbly.
- Butterscotch Pudding - Once the apple filling is cool, it is topped with a layer of creamy butterscotch pudding, and set in the fridge. The butterscotch pudding is super easy to make, and gets it's butterscotch flavour from the brown sugar and butter. I would happily eat it alone, but it is HEAVEN combined with the apple filling.
- Whipped Cream - The whole pie is finished off with a thick layer of whipped cream, and a little cinnamon.
FAQ for making Butterscotch Apple Pie
Can this be made ahead of time?
Yep! You can prepare different components of this Apple Butterscotch Pie ahead of time. The dough can be made up to 3 days before (or longer if it's being frozen), then the crust can be par-baked 24 hours before. You can also make the apple filling ahead of time and have that prepared and ready to go.
How long does this need to set?
You can either leave the butterscotch pudding layer to set for at least 2 hours, or you can do it the night before and leave it to set overnight. You want to add the cream the day of serving. I prepped the dough the night before, then the next day I par-baked the crust, made the apple filling, cooked it off, then added the butterscotch layer and left it to set overnight. The day that I shot it I just added some whipped cream and cinnamon sprinkle and was ready to go!
Can I make this with a different pudding?
Absolutely. The amazing thing about this book is that you can mix and match the fillings, crusts and toppings, to make this your own.
A few wee tips for Butterscotch Apple Pie:
- I made this ahead of time - you can make the apple filling ahead and have it ready to go. You can par-bake your crust up to 24 hours ahead of time too.
- The par-baked crust needs to be sealed to protect it from moisture. To do that you just brush it with a quick egg wash and return to the oven for a minute in order to help seal it off. Super easy!
For all my tips and tricks on how to make foolproof pie crust from scratch, check out my post on how to make homemade pie crust!
For more Pie Recipes, Check Out:
- Nine of the Best Thanksgiving Pie Recipes
- Brown Butter Pecan Pie
- Thanksgiving Doughnuts (Pie Inspired)
- "Basic" Apple Pie
❤️ Made this recipe and love it? ❤️
I would LOVE for you to leave me a review and star rating below to let me know how you liked it! Also, please make sure to tag me on Instagram!
Answers to your baking questions
Over the years, many of you have asked me questions about:
- baking in grams
- adjusting oven temperatures
- what kind of salt to use
- and many more!
I've curated and answered them all for your easy reference in this frequently asked questions post!
Butterscotch Apple Pie
5 Stars4 Stars3 Stars2 Stars1 Star5 from 9 reviews
- Author: Erin Clarkson
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: one 9" pie 1x
- Category: Pie
- Cuisine: American
Description
Butterscotch Apple Pie is a three-layer pie. A flaky pie crust is filled with a spiced, cooked, apple filling and baked, then topped with a layer of creamy butterscotch pudding. The pie is then finished off with swoops of perfectly whipped cream. This Butterscotch Apple Pie comes from Erin Jeanne Mcdowell's amazing new book, "The Book On Pie".
Ingredients
Scale
Pie Crust
- 1 homemade pie crust, shaped into a disc and chilled*
- Egg wash - 1 egg whisked with 1 Tbsp water
Apple Filling
- 28g unsalted butter
- 400g peeled and diced apples such as Honeycrisp, Jonagold, or Gala (from about 3 medium apples)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 100g dark brown sugar
- 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- 3 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
Butterscotch Pudding Filling
- 340g whole milk
- 120g heavy cream
- 105g dark brown sugar
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- 28g cornstarch
- 2 large egg yolks
- 15g unsalted butter
- 2 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
Whipped Cream
- 240g heavy cream, cold
- 50g granulated sugar (optional - reduce if you like it less sweet)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
Instructions
PIE CRUST
- I like to make my pie crust the night before or at least 2 hours before to give it time to rest.
- Once the dough has rested, unwrap the disc and place on a lightly floured surface. Roll out to ¼” (6mm) in thickness, turning the dough 45˚ often as you are rolling to keep it even. You want the circle to be slightly larger than your pie tin. Transfer to a 9” pie tin, and arrange to ensure that the dough is well settled.
- Trim the dough using scissors or a sharp knife, leaving about one inch excess around the edges. Gently tuck the dough under and onto itself, to give you a neat folded edge. Chill in the fridge for 15-20 minutes, then remove from the fridge and crimp as desired. Dock all over with the tines of a fork, then chill for a further 30 minutes, or freeze for 20 minutes or until solid.
- While the crust is in the fridge, preheat the oven to 425˚f / 220˚c. Cut a piece of parchment slightly larger than the pie dish. Line with the parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans, filling right to the bottom of the crimps.
- Place the pie tin on a baking sheet, and place in the oven. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the edges are slightly golden brown. Remove from the oven, remove the parchment paper and beans. Brush the inside of the crust with egg wash. Return to the oven and bake for a further 2-3 minutes, until the inside of the crust is set and barely golden. If you need more tips, check out my post on how to blind bake pie crust
APPLE FILLING
- In a medium pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the apples, tossing to coat with the butter. Add the vanilla, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt, stir to combine, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves and the apples start to soften, 3 to 4 minutes.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar and flour to combine. Stir into the apple mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and let the filling cool completely (you can speed up this process by spreading it into an even layer on a baking sheet).
- Preheat the oven to 400°f / 200°c with a rack in the lower third (preferably with a baking steel or stone on it).
- Place the par-baked pie crust (in the pie pan still) on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Pour the cooled apple filling and spread into an even layer. Bake until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbly, 35 to 40 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and cool completely.
BUTTERSCOTCH PUDDING
- In a medium pot, bring the milk and cream to a simmer over medium heat.
- Meanwhile, in a medium heatproof bowl, whisk the brown sugar, salt, and cornstarch together to combine.
- When the milk is simmering, whisk the egg yolks into the sugar mixture and whisk well to combine.
- Pour in about one quarter of the hot milk mixture to temper the egg yolks, whisking constantly. Return this mixture to the pot and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a silicone spatula, until it is very thick and large bubbles break the surface, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and add the butter and vanilla.
- Strain the pudding through a fine-mesh sieve onto the cooled apple filling and spread into an even layer. Cover with plastic wrap placed directly against the surface and refrigerate until set, at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours.
WHIPPED CREAM TOPPING
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the cream on medium-low speed until it begins to thicken, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Increase the speed to medium and add the sugar in a slow, steady stream, then continue to whip to medium peaks. Add the vanilla if using, and mix to combine.
- Spoon, pipe, or spread the whipped cream over the surface of the pie and garnish with cinnamon. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.
Notes
Recipe reprinted with Permission from "The Book On Pie" by Erin Jeanne McDowell
The recipe forhomemade pie crustthat is linked makes two crusts - this recipe uses one of them. If you need more help with par-baking, ready my post onhow to blind bake pie crust
Key Ingredients
- Apple
- Cinnamon
- Egg Yolk
« Brown Butter Pecan Pie
Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls »
Reader Interactions
Jackiecan’t wait to try this! however you’re missing the brown sugar from the butterscotch pudding ingredient list!
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- Erin
Hi! Whoopsies! Thank you so much for pointing that out! I was so excited to get it up that I missed it!
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- Kris
Hi, I’m in the middle of making this pie and I’m having issues with the pudding. Is it for sure 2 egg yolks? I’ve been stirring for 15 minutes and it hasn’t thickened up at all. Am I missing something?
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- Erin
Hi! So sorry I just saw this. Yep it's 2 yolks! Did you remember the corn starch?
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- Kris
Never mind! Just needed some more time to thicken up. This pie was delicious!!! Thanks for the recipe.
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- Erin
Oh yayyyy I am so glad that it worked! 🙂
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- Rebecca
Any chance you have a cheat sheet for gram to cup/oz measurements? I’m at my in-laws did the holidays and don’t have access to my kitchen scale. Thanks!
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- Erin Clarkson
I don't sorry! King arthur has one but I haven't tested my stuff in cups so I don't know how accurate their measures are in comparison to my recipes. I would whip out and grab one then 'gift' it to them so it's always there haha
- Amanda
This looks amazing and thank you for sharing! Just curious, do you know why the apple filling should be completely cooled even though it’ll be put back into the oven? 🙂
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- Erin
I think so that it doesn't start to make your pie crust soggy! If you have a hot filling and cold crust, you can get soggy pretty easily 🙂 If you spread it out it doesn't take long to cool at all! Makes it super easy to make ahead too 🙂 I love this pie SO MUCH - I hope you give it a try x
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- Liz
This sounds so delicious. Butterscotch is one of my favorites. You are missing instructions for when to add the sugar/flour combo to the hot milk/egg yolk though.
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- Liz
Sorry, brown sugar/cornstarch combo. Not flour. For the butterscotch pudding
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- Erin
Hi! Oh man, thank you so much for letting me know! I had HUGE issues with my internet crashing last night and so it was saving old versions. I thought I had caught all my mistakes, but clearly not! I am so sorry about that, it's fixed now!
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- Helen
Looks decadently delicious!
When it’s time to bake the cooked apples in the par -baked crust, do you take the crust out of the pie tin and place that on the parchment lined sheet, or do you leave the crust in the pie tin and then place the tin on the baking sheet?
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- Erin
Hi hi! Leave it in there 🙂
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- Michael
Just made this -- it's delicious, but I had a hard time getting the pudding to set -- it was still a runny when I cut into it. I thought I'd thickened it enough on the stovetop, but was it just a matter of thickening it even more? Or could I have done anything else?
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- Erin
Hi! It sounds like maybe it wasn't cooked out enough! You have to take it a bit thicker than you think in order for it to set up nicely! sorry that it didn't work for you!
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- Elle
Eek I had the same problem even after reading this comment and cooked it out for extra time. Thought it seemed pretty thick but alas, a bit loose and soupy when I cut into it 🙁 absolutely delicious though!
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- Erin
Hi! Ahh I'm sorry! It has to be cooked a bit longer than you think!
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- Elle
Actually, a few more hours in the fridge and she was more sliceable!! Yay 🥰
- Erin
Oh yayyyy! So glad to hear! Enjoy! x
- Julie
Hi Erin! Can this pie be served warm?
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- Erin
Hi! Not this one sorry as it has the pudding on the top which needs to be kept cold!
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- stacy
This is definitely happening this weekend!
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- Alanna
Hi! I’m making this pie today because you used the word ‘HECTIC’ to describe it in your Instagram stories and that piqued my interest (also, it looks amazing). I haven’t finished yet, but wanted to ask a question. I chickened out and did not use the Apple Cider Vinegar in the crust. I replaced it with water because I tasted the 60g of ACV in the water and thought it would definitely be noticeable in the finished crust. I just didn’t want to risk not liking it so I did what I’m familiar with. Can you tell me why that much ACV is in the crust and whether it comes across in the finished pie? Thanks so much.
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- Erin
Hi! It's there to prohibit the formation of gluten so it helps to keep the crust tender. It's watered down with a cup of water and a bunch of ice. ACV is pretty chill anyway so you can't taste it in the final. It will be fine without too!
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- Lucy
hi! I made this pie for thanksgiving (loved it!) and now I am going to use the second pie crust for a chocolate cream pie. how long should I bake the crust for?
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- Erin
Hi! You want to blind bake it, so I would look for instructions on a blind baked pie crust. My Nutella French silk pie has directions
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- Julie
Way overdue comment but I made this for Thanksgiving and it was such a hit! We’ve never finished an entire dessert at Thanksgiving before and this was devoured! Everyone kept going back for more. The only thing I would change, per my husband’s opinion, is adding more of the apple filling. I think I’ll try that next time and use a pan with higher sides like a springform pan in order to have more of that apple filling. This pie might be a new tradition for every Thanksgiving!
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- Megan Gardiner
I made this today and really struggled with my pudding. I noticed that it was hard to completely whisk my yolks in the brown sugar/cornstarch. Did anyone else experience this? When I tempered my eggs they curdled every time (three separate times), and I didn’t have the milk too hot, I added it slowly while whisking. I was so confused.
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- Erin
Hi! Hmmmm you have to really whisk the yolks in well. I wonder what it was that curdled them - if the milk isn't too hot it shouldn't have been an issue but you really do have to whisk really really well to quickly incorporate. So sorry that it didn't work - I haven't had this issue before!
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- Sara J
I have not made this yet but question can the butterscotch pudding be the Jello pudding mix?
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- Erin
I haven't ever had that before sorry so I don't know! This sets up a bit firmer than a traditional pudding. It is fun to make and so, so good, so I encourage you to give it a try!
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- Sandra
I’m planning on making this pie for thanksgiving but I’m unsure what pan size to use. The pan you use has higher sides than my pie dish. Do you think using a deep pie dish is better? I’m just worried that the fillings won’t fully fit.
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- Sandra
I’m planning on making this pie but I’m unsure what pan size to use. The pan you use has higher sides than my standard 9 in. pie dish. Do you think using a deep pie dish is better? I’m just worried that the fillings won’t fully fit since my pan sides are a bit lower.
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- Erin Clarkson
Hi! the pan I used is pretty shallow here! You could use deep dish if you wanted but it's just a regular pan! So sorry for the delay in reply x
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- Sandra
No worries! And thanks for replying I’m planning on making this for Thanksgiving. Can’t wait to try it!
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- Sierra
Hi! I’m a novice pie maker, so I’m wondering after shaping the dough into the disk and rewrapping, I let it rest overnight in the fridge, correct? Not on the counter?
So so so excited to try this!Reply
- Erin Clarkson
Hi! in the fridge 🙂
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- Angela Hook
I’m just making this but I don’t understand why double the amount of water & vinegar is mixed with the ice. Are you able to tell me why? I inclined to only mix half the quantity as that’s all that will be needed. Thank you
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- Erin Clarkson
Hi! Just to make sure people have enough - you are welcome to mix less if you want but I like to make sure people have more than enough on hand 🙂
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- Shannon
Hi! I’m excited to give this a try this year for thanksgiving! Just a quick question - I know it says to make the whipped cream right before serving, but we will be traveling and bringing the pies with us. Is it okay to make the whipped cream and add it to the pie before we leave the house in the morning, and then refrigerate when we get to our destination? (About 50 mins away)
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- Erin Clarkson
Hi! I would just whip it just before serving if you can! You can store the pie with plastic wrap directly against it for transport then cream when you get there! That's what I would do anyway!
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- Mari
Made this for Thanksgiving yesterday, absolutely a treat. The ratio of filling to pudding to whipped cream = BOMB. Only thing I would do is temper the sugar down but that’s just personal preference. I did use Granny Smith for the apple filling but their tartness wasn’t enough for me.
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- Francesca
This was my first attempt with a CK recipe, and I was so pleased! I did not make my crust, so I can’t review that, but I made the filling, pudding and whipped cream. The filling was very easy to make, and I actually made it the night before I made the pie. It saved me a lot of time the following day and tasted amazing. The pudding can be intimidating if you’ve never tempered eggs before, but just take your time and trust the process! The blend of these flavors is perfect, and it tasted even better the day after! Great recipe and looking forward to trying more recipes soon!
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- Linds
Hi Erin! I’m so excited to make this recipe! I have frozen pie dough and I’m wondering if I can use that instead? I have a party tonight that i plan to make the pie for so I won’t have time to make crust early enough. Would I just bake the crust half the time it calls for and brush it with egg white? And then bake it the other half after I put the filling in? It only takes 15 minutes to bake this crust total…
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- Erin Clarkson
Hi! Sorry I only just saw this! I haven't worked with frozen pie dough before sorry!
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- Taylor Spencer
So happy to not have to choose between cream and fruit pie (though personally I believe cream pie is superior). This pie was suuuuuper easy, well balanced, and incredibly satisfying. Everyone loved it.
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