This Butterscotch Pecan Pie recipe is a fun fall twist on the classic pecan pie! Butterscotch chips are mixed with the brown sugar pecan filling and the result is a sweet and nutty pie that has all the flavors of fall! This Butterscotch Pecan Pie recipe is made without corn syrup too!
If you don’t love pecan pie, let me suggest you at least try this Butterscotch Pecan Pie recipe! Sweet and nutty, this corn-syrup free butterscotch pecan pie is baked in a homemade butter pastry crust and it’s pretty much amazing!
I mentioned here that I truly believe butterscotch is the unsung hero of fall.
A couple years back, I felt maple was the unsung hero. It probably still is, but I definitely see more maple lattes and maple desserts now so I’m moving on to spreading the word about butterscotch.
While butterscotch is definitely a flavor I would eat all year long (unlike pumpkin, which I can’t eat any other time but fall), I love it during the fall and winter season.
It’s warm and spicy and sweet, and I just can’t get enough of it.
Last year, I touted this German Chocolate Pecan Pie as my favorite pie of the season. But this year? Move out, GCPP, this Butterscotch Pecan Pie has my whole heart (and then some).
One of my all time favorite recipes is this Chocolate Chip Butterscotch Cookie Bar recipe. It’s all brown sugar and chocolate chip cookies and butterscotch—it might be the *perfect* dessert, that is if you love chocolate chip cookies with your whole heart (as I do).
While I bet this Butterscotch Pecan Pie would be amazing with a few chocolate chips thrown in (perhaps next year I’ll work on a hybrid recipe of this one and the German Chocolate Pecan Pie one because coconut pie is life), I really wanted butterscotch to be the standout flavor here.
And it is. There is no mistaking the butterscotch flavor in this pie.
Okay so let’s talk about what ingredients are (and are not) in this butterscotch pie.
Butterscotch Pecan Pie Ingredients:
- flour
- granulated sugar and brown sugar
- butter
- eggs
- butterscotch chips
- pecans
- vanilla extract
- salt
Why am I making this Butterscotch Pecan pie without corn syrup?
Namely, because I don’t have corn syrup on hand often. I don’t have a problem with corn syrup, it’s just not an ingredient I have in my pantry all of the time.
For me, I want to make a pie that’s accessible to most people with ingredients most of you probably already have in your pantry—or at least ingredients you would use over and over again for other baking recipes (like sugar, flour, butter, eggs, etc.).
This butterscotch pecan pie is thick and rich and gooey, and the butterscotch and the brown sugar make a slight caramel flavor (notice the caramel-like drip in some of the photos 😍).
Did you make this Butterscotch Pecan Pie with a homemade crust?
The short answer is yes, but you can use store-bought roll out pastry sheets (like Pillsbury).
The long answer is yes, I did make a homemade all butter crust for this recipe. I happen to find making homemade pastry crust therapeutic, but if you’re thinking I’m crazy and there’s nothing soothing or calming about making homemade crust, then feel free to use store bought.
While I do think a homemade crust does taste better than store bought, it’s not a huge difference. I happen to like hat with a homemade pastry crust I can make the crust edges as big as I want to, whereas with store bought, I often feel like the crust isn’t as thick as I would like it.
However, if it’s the crust that’s standing in the way of you trying this pie, then 100% use store bought and make this not just an easy pecan pie recipe, but a super easy butterscotch pecan pie!
Let’s talk Butterscotch Pecan Pie Tips & Tricks:
- I chopped the pecans in this recipe, but you can leave them whole. I find it easier to slice a pecan pie with chopped nuts, but that’s just a personal preference.
- Yes, this recipe does call for the pecans to be toasted in the oven first. Why do you need to toast pecans for pecan pie? Well, again, it’s personal preference, but toasting nuts brings out a richer flavor. It adds to the overall taste of this butterscotch pecan pie.
- You can serve this pie warm, at room temperature or cold. I loved this pie cold! It seemed richer when it was straight out of the fridge.
- I’d serve this with ice cream, whipped cream and/or a caramel or praline sauce. Go big or go home, right?
So if you’re looking for a different pecan pie recipe…this is THE ONE. Like, I’ll take you to have and to hold; in sickness and in health; love you forever and always.
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 4-5 Tbsp ice water
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 4 eggs, large
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 3/4 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup butterscotch chips
- 1 cup chopped pecans, toasted*
- Ice Cream
- Whipped Cream
- Caramel Sauce
- In a large bowl mix flour and salt together. Cut in the butter, using a fork or pastry blender, until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs (you can also do this was a standing mixer on low).
- Add in the ice water, 1-2 Tbsp at a time until the dough just comes together. Once the dough comes together, turn out onto a floured surface and pat into a ball or a disc.
- Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- On a floured surface, roll out your pie dough into a large circle, about 1/8-1/4” thick. Transfer your pie dough to a 9” deep dish pie plate (I transfer the dough by loosely rolling it around my rolling pin and then unrolling it over my pie plate).
- Gently press pie dough into pie plate, and remove any excess edges (leaving about 1/4”-1/2” of overhang).
- Roll or fold the dough overhang underneath itself, so the dough rests on the edge of the pie plate, and crimp the edges.
- In a large bowl, whisk granulated sugar, brown sugar and melted butter together. Add in the eggs, flour, salt and vanilla extract. Whisk until combined.
- Add in the toasted pecans and the butterscotch chips. Mix.
- Pour filling into your prepared pie crust and cover the edges with a pie shield.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until the center only slightly jiggles when the pie dish is gently moved or tapped.
- Allow to cool at least 1 hour before serving (otherwise the filling won’t stay in the crust). This pie can be served warm, at room temperature or cold (I loved it cold!).
- Top with ice cream, whipped cream and/or caramel sauce.
- Enjoy!
*To toast pecans, spread them in an even layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Toast them at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes. They can burn quickly so keep an eye on them. Allow them to cool before chopping.
**If you have extra pie dough, you can re-roll it and use cookie cutters to make decorative shapes. Bake them in a 350 degree oven on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper for 15 minutes or so, or until lightly golden brown.
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