Irish Whiskey Butterscotch Pie Recipe

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Hi Bold Bakers!

WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE: Our Irish Whiskey Butterscotch Pie delivers a flawless union of vibrant flavors and complementary textures in an elegant-looking pie that’s completely indulgent! The mellowly sweet spiked custard is nestled in a flaky pie shell and topped with a cloud of whipped cream. All this with a prep time of only 40 minutes!

• Bold, sweet flavor: Rich butter and molasses-y brown sugar meld to make the magical flavor of butterscotch. O’Driscolls Irish Whiskey adds a boozy zing that elevates the butterscotch taste.
• Velvety texture: A silky butterscotch mixture is whisked into lush egg-rich custard that sets into a cool, creamy filling and pairs perfectly with our flaky pie crust.

I’m proud to share that I have a family connection to the wonderful O’Driscolls Irish Whiskey used in this recipe. My cousin, Michael J. Stafford, is the managing director of Stafford Bonded, which is in Wexford, Ireland (my hometown). Michael continued the family business created by our grandfather (James Stafford) and also our fathers (George Stafford Snr and Michael Stafford Snr). Michael has beautifully documented the history of the Stafford family on the Stafford Bonded website. Diarmuid O’Driscoll, Michael’s other grandfather, was the inspiration behind O’Driscolls Irish Whiskey. This man is a true legend and a great storyteller who recently passed away at 104. You will understand why he is such a legend when you hear Diarmuid talk of the O’Driscoll family.

Table of Contents

• What is Irish Whiskey Butterscotch Pie Recipe?
• Tools You Need
• Key Ingredients and Why
• How to Make Irish Whiskey Butterscotch Pie
• Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips
• Make Ahead and Storage Instructions
• FAQs
• More Custard Pie Recipes

What is Irish Whiskey Butterscotch Pie Recipe?

• Irish Whiskey Butterscotch Pie is a custard pie made in a blind-baked crust. The custard is flavored with butterscotch made from butter and brown sugar, and Irish whiskey.
• Irish whiskey adds a boozy zip, and its caramel, smokey, and vanilla notes add warmth and complexity of flavor to desserts.
• It’s believed a confectioner in Scotland invented butterscotch as a soft candy. It gradually became used as a popular flavoring in many kinds of desserts. After you make Irish Whiskey Butterscotch Pie, check out Homemade Butterscotch Sauce, Salted Butterscotch Pot de Crème, Pear Butterscotch Pie, and Butterscotch Pudding & Caramelized Bananas.

Tools You Need

• Mixing bowls
• Measuring cups
• Measuring spoons
• Glass measuring jug
• Kitchen scale (optional)
• Rolling pin
• 9-inch (23 cm) pie tin
• Pastry brush
• Pie weights (optional)
• Whisk
• Medium saucepan
• Sieve

Key Ingredients and Why

• 1 recipe Pie Crust

• Egg yolk

  • The egg yolks emulsify the fat and water together, making a consistently smooth texture.
  • The fat in egg yolks is key to making custard with a creamy mouthfeel and deep flavor.
  • The heated egg yolks coagulate to thicken the custard.
  • Additionally, egg wash for the crust is made from one egg beaten with a tablespoon of water.

• Cornstarch

  • Cornstarch thickens the custard by absorbing liquid in the mixture and forming a gel.
  • Additionally, corn starch prevents weeping–liquid being released from the cooked custard–by forming a stable structure that holds the moisture.

• Salt

  • Salt is crucial to enhance the custard’s flavors and balance the sweetness.

• Heavy whipping cream

  • Heavy whipping cream’s 36% fat content gives the pie’s filling a luxurious texture.
  • The natural dairy sugars add a fresh taste and caramelly notes to the whiskey-butterscotch filling.

• Dark brown sugar

  • Dark brown sugar gives intensely flavored, toffee-like, caramelizing sweetness to butterscotch.
  • Dark brown sugar has about twice as much molasses (6.5% to 6.5% by weight) as regular brown sugar. This produces a complex flavor that is sweet without being cloying.

• Butter

  • In the custard, butter adds a rich flavor. As the butter melts in this recipe, its salty-sweet creaminess develops amazing toasty notes.
  • Butter also acts as a binding agent and retains moisture, creating a smooth texture.
  • The combination of caramelizing sugar and browned butter creates the distinctive taste of butterscotch, which is deliciously complex and indulgent.

• Whole milk

  • In the butterscotch mixture, milk gives the custard smooth creaminess and velvety mouthfeel.
  • Using whole milk in conjunction with heavy cream in this pie lightens the custard enough to be supremely creamy without being too heavy.

• O’Driscolls Irish Whiskey

  • O’Driscolls Irish Whiskey balances out the sweetness of the butterscotch and adds a smooth smokiness to the custard.
  • Irish whiskey is famous for having a smoother flavor than bourbon or Scotch whiskey.

• Whipped cream, for serving

  • The clean dairy taste of freshly whipped cream sets off the more intensely flavored custard perfectly, and its snowy white color is lovely atop the glossy golden-brown custard.

How to Make Irish Whiskey Butterscotch Pie

• Prepare and blind bake the crust: 
  • Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). 
  • Roll out the pie crust to a ¼ inch (6 mm)-thick circle and place it in a 9-inch (23 cm) pie tin.
  • Crimp the crust and brush with egg wash.
  • Line pie crust with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans.
  • Bake the pie crust for 15 minutes. Remove the parchment paper and weights.
  • Lower the oven to 350°F (180°C). Bake the crust for 10 minutes, until the edges are golden. Let cool.
• Cook the custard:
  • In a medium bowl, whisk the yolks, cornstarch, salt, and cream, and set aside.
  • In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and brown sugar together until bubbling vigorously.
  • Slowly add hot milk and stir until smooth.
  • Gradually pour the brown sugar mixture into the egg mixture, whisking constantly.
  • Return to a saucepan and let simmer for one to two minutes, whisking constantly until mixture thickens.
  • Remove from heat and stir in the whiskey.
  • Pour mixture through a sieve directly into the pie shell.
• Refrigerate the pie to cool and set:
  • Let cool to room temperature.
  • Transfer to fridge to set completely, at least four hours or overnight.
  • Serve with heavy cream whipped to soft peaks.

Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips

• To keep this crust extra crisp, brush a bit of melted white or dark chocolate on it before filling it with the custard. Let the chocolate harden completely, and bring the custard to room temperature before filling the pie.
• Fill this custard into individual cups and top with whipped cream for a gluten-free dessert.
• You can make this an entirely from scratch no-bake dessert by using my no-bake cookie crust (link). Brush the crust with melted chocolate and let it harden before filling it with room-temperature custard to keep it from getting soggy.
• This pie is pretty boozy and is definitely not for kids. But you can make a kid version by leaving out the whiskey.
• Serve this with a drizzle of my Irish Whiskey Caramel Sauce for an extra indulgent treat!

Make Ahead and Storage Instructions

You can make Irish Whiskey Butterscotch Pie in advance.

• Make elements of the pie in advance: 
  • The pie crust can be rolled out, placed in the pie tin, frozen for up to eight weeks, and blind-baked as directed.
  • It can also be rolled out, placed in the tin, refrigerated for two days, and blind-baked as directed.
  • The filling can be made and refrigerated for at least four hours and up to overnight.
• Make the pie and refrigerate for at least four hours and up to overnight.
• Store leftovers covered in the fridge for up to two days.

FAQs

• Can I make this pie without alcohol?

  • Yes, you can make this pie without alcohol. If you prefer, you can simply omit the whiskey.

• Can I make this pie egg-free?

  • For a custard pie like this, eggs are the main ingredient. I wouldn’t recommend a substitute.

• How do I keep my custard pie from weeping?

  • Be mindful when cooking the custard, as eggs can coagulate and cause it to weep when overcooked or cooked at too high a temperature.

• What is blind baking?

  • Blind baking is necessary when your pie will be made with an unbaked filling or when a pie is made with a very wet pie filling (like Pecan Pie, for example),
  • Place the pastry dough in a pie tin lined with parchment paper and fill it with pie weights or dried beans.
  • Partially bake the crust, then remove parchment and weights. If the recipe calls for the crust to be fully baked (as in this recipe), return it to the oven until it is fully cooked.

More Custard Pie Recipes

• Maple Cream Pie
• Creamy Coconut Custard Tart with Pâté Sucrée
• Southern Egg Custard Pie
• Classic Chess Pie Recipe
• Luscious Creamy Lemon Chiffon Pie

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