Butterscotch Pumpkin Pie
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This Butterscotch Pumpkin Pie is a delicious twist on classic pumpkin pie. It’s smooth, creamy and baked in a homemade graham cracker crust!
One Reader, Kate, commented: “I made this pie for Thanksgiving and it was delicious. I’d never made a pie before and this recipe was easy and straightforward. ★★★★★”
This Butterscotch Pumpkin Pie is the ultimate upgrade to classic pumpkin pie. It’s super smooth, full of pumpkin spice and baked in a thick graham cracker crust. The filling is so easy to make and comes together in just one pot! It starts by making a simple butterscotch sauce that gets combined with the rest of your usual pumpkin pie ingredients. It’s perfect for Thanksgiving and the rest of the holiday season!
Looking for more pumpkin recipes? Try my Pumpkin Cookies with Maple Icing, Jumbo Pumpkin Muffins or Pumpkin Pie Thumbprint Cookies!
Ingredient Breakdown
Pumpkin puree – make sure to use pumpkin puree and NOT pumpkin pie filling. Pumpkin puree has 100% pumpkin while pumpkin pie filling already has spices and sugar added to it.
Brown sugar – sweetens the pie. I prefer using dark brown sugar for extra molasses flavor but light brown sugar also works fine!
Eggs – helps bind the ingredients and gives the pumpkin pie structure.
Heavy cream – makes the pumpkin pie so smooth and creamy!
Cinnamon, nutmeg & ginger – needed to help give the pie its pumpkin spice flavor. You can replace the cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger with 2 1/2 teaspoons of pre-made (or homemade) pumpkin pie spice mix.
Salt – enhances flavor.
How To Make Butterscotch Pumpkin Pie
1. Make the Graham Cracker Crust: combine the graham cracker crumbs and granulated sugar. Add the melted butter then mix until well combined.
2. Firmly press graham cracker mixture into a 9-inch pie pan then bake at 350°F for 8 minutes. Set aside.
3. Make the Butterscotch Pumpkin Pie Filling: combine half of the brown sugar, the butter and salt in a medium pot. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat then allow to simmer until deep brown, about 5 minutes.
4. Remove from heat then slowly whisk in half of the heavy cream until well combined.
5. Whisk in the pumpkin puree and the remaining half of brown sugar. Mix in the eggs until combined.
6. Whisk in the remaining half of the heavy cream, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger.
7. Pour the pumpkin filling into the pre-baked graham cracker crust. Bake the pumpkin pie at 350°F for 55-60 minutes. The center of the pie will be a little wobbly. After 25 minutes of baking, cover the edges of the crust with aluminum foil or a pie crust shield to prevent the graham cracker crust from burning.
8. Cool the Pumpkin Pie on a wire rack for at least 2 hours or until completely cooled then cover and transfer to the fridge. Store Butterscotch Pumpkin Pie covered in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Pro Tips For Butterscotch Pumpkin Pie
- Weigh your ingredients using a kitchen scale! Measuring ingredients by volume is not accurate; baking is a science after all!
- You can replace the cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger with 2 1/2 teaspoons of pre-made (or homemade) pumpkin pie spice mix.
- After pouring the pumpkin filling into the crust, use a toothpick or a fork to pop any air bubbles on the surface of your pie before baking.
- After 25 minutes of baking, cover the edges of the crust with aluminum foil or a pie crust shield to prevent the graham cracker crust from burning.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Can You Tell If Pumpkin Pie Is Done?
You’ll know the Pumpkin Pie is done baking when the edges are set but the center of the pie is a little wobbly. Don’t worry, the filling will firm up as it cools!
Does Pumpkin Pie Need To Be Refrigerated?
Yes, Pumpkin Pie needs to be refrigerated because it is a custard pie (which just means it’s a liquid thickened with eggs). You should refrigerate your pie as soon as it cools down to room temperature. You can serve it cold or at room temperature (just be sure to not leave it out for longer than 2 hours).
Can Pumpkin Pie Be Made The Day Before?
Yes, I actually encourage you to make this Pumpkin Pie a day ahead of time since it takes an hour to bake another 2 hours (at least) to cool down before you can eat it! If you’re making it for Thanksgiving then it gives you one less thing to worry about on the big day!
Do You Have To Pre-bake Graham Cracker Crust?
Yes! Pre-baking the graham cracker crust ensures that it will hold together and won’t get soggy from the pumpkin pie filling.
Can I Use Pre-made Pumpkin Pie Spice?
If you prefer to use a pre-made pumpkin spice mix simply replace the cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger with 2 1/2 teaspoons of pre-made (or homemade) pumpkin pie spice mix.
If you try this recipe then please leave a rating/comment below to let me know how you liked it and feel free to ask any recipe questions you may have! 🙂
Butterscotch Pumpkin Pie
Equipment
- 9 inch pie pan
- Food processor or blender
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
- 180 g (1 1/2 cups) graham cracker crumbs (11-12 graham cracker sheets)
- 85 g (6 tbsp) unsalted butter, melted
- 50 g (1/4 cup) granulated sugar
Butterscotch Pumpkin Pie Filling
- 200 g (1 cup) brown sugar, divided
- 56 g (4 tbsp) unsalted butter, cubed
- ½ tsp salt
- 240 g (1 cup) heavy cream, divided
- 1 15 oz can pumpkin puree
- 3 eggs
- 1 ½ tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- ½ tsp ginger
Instructions
Graham Cracker Crust
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Combine the graham cracker crumbs and granulated sugar. Add the melted butter then mix until well combined.
- Firmly press graham cracker mixture into a 9-inch pie pan then bake for 8 minutes. Set aside.
Butterscotch Pumpkin Pie Filling
- Combine half of the brown sugar, the butter and salt in a medium pot. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat then allow to simmer until deep brown, about 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat then slowly whisk in half of the heavy cream until well combined.
- Whisk in the pumpkin puree and the remaining half of brown sugar. Mix in the eggs until combined.
- Whisk in the remaining half of the heavy cream, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger.
- Pour the pumpkin filling into the pre-baked graham cracker crust. Bake for 55-60 minutes. The center of the pie will be a little wobbly. After 25 minutes of baking, cover the edges of the crust with aluminum foil or a pie crust shield to prevent the graham cracker crust from burning.
- Cool the Pumpkin Pie on a wire rack for at least 2 hours or until completely cooled then cover and transfer to the fridge.
Notes
- Weigh your ingredients using a kitchen scale! Measuring ingredients by volume is not accurate.
- Store Butterscotch Pumpkin Pie covered in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Nutrition: the provided nutritional information is an estimate for the entire pie. Please read my Nutrition Disclaimer for more information.
I made this pie for Thanksgiving and it was delicious. I’d never made a pie before and this recipe was easy and straightforward.
Thank you so much Kate! I’m glad you enjoyed this recipe. 🙂