This butterscotch cinnamon pie is a gooey butterscotch filling baked in a crunchy phyllo dough crust. It’s topped with homemade whipped cream and cinnamon and is the perfect holiday dessert!
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This cinnamon butterscotch pie is made with layers of crispy phyllo dough coated with butter and cinnamon sugar. It is filled with a gooey butterscotch cinnamon filling. Enjoy as is or top with flaky sea salt or whipped cream.
This pie combines two of my favorite flavors: cinnamon and butterscotch. They are both warm, delicious flavors and taste amazing together!
For more delicious recipes, try my butterscotch cupcakes, coconut butterscotch bars and these phyllo dough apple turnovers.
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Why This Recipe Works
- Crispy, buttery phyllo dough makes the pie look and taste amazing.
- The crust is customizable! Instead of phyllo, it works great with a prebaked homemade or store bought pie crust, a graham cracker crust or biscoff cookie crust! For another yummy pie, try my chocolate pumpkin pie!
- The gooey, flavorful cinnamon butterscotch filling will keep you coming back for more.
- You can top the chilled pie with flaky sea salt or homemade or store bought whipped cream. It’s also delicious without a topping!
Ingredients
Below is some useful information about some of the ingredients for this butterscotch cinnamon pie recipe.
- Phyllo dough (optional, see recipe for other crust options): Phyllo dough is most commonly known for making baklava. It’s thin, delicate layers of dough. I use store bought phyllo brushed with butter and sprinkled with cinnamon sugar.
- Brown sugar: Use light or dark brown sugar. Make sure your brown sugar is fresh.
- Cinnamon: You’ll add 2 teaspoons of cinnamon to the homemade butterscotch. It adds such a warm flavor! I like to dust the whipped cream with cinnamon as well!
- Milk: Use 2 cups of whole milk. I wouldn’t recommend using low fat for this recipe. It might affect the consistency of the butterscotch.
- Egg yolks: Use 3 large room temperature egg yolks.
- Butter: Use unsalted, room temperature butter.
- Heavy cream: Use cold heavy cream for the whipped cream.
See the recipe card for the full list of ingredients.
Substitutions & Variations
- Instead of a phyllo crust, bake my single pie crust (or store-bought), a graham cracker crust, gingersnap, or Biscoff cookie crust (recipe included in the notes section of the recipe card below). Allow crust to cool completely before making the filling.
- For richer flavor, use heavy cream instead of milk. You can also use half milk and half heavy cream.
- Use a homemade or store bought pie dough in place of phyllo dough.
Instructions
Below are instructions for making this cinnamon butterscotch pie.
Step One: Prepare the crust. Prepare a single layer homemade or store bought pie crust or make the phyllo crust.
To make the phyllo dough crust, brush one sheet with butter. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar on top. Lay another sheet of phyllo dough sideways on top and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Continue layering phyllo dough sheets. Alternate directions lengthwise, sideways and diagonal with each layer. Brush each layer with butter and sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar. Repeat until you have a stack of 8 sheets.
Step Two: Bake the crust. Place the stack of phyllo onto your pie plate. Scrunch up the sides a bit to form the edges of the crust. Bake until crisp and golden, about 20 minutes. Place pan on a wire rack and allow to cool.
Step Three: Melt the butter. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan.
Next, remove pan from heat. Whisk in the flour. Then, stir in the sugars, cinnamon and salt and return pan to heat.
Step Four: Stir in the milk. Stir in the milk. Stir gently while you cook the mixture on medium high heat until mixture has thickened. Reduce heat to medium and cook another two minutes.
Step Five: Temper the egg yolks. Stir 3/4 cup of the thickened mixture into the egg yolks. Pour the egg yolk mixture into the pot and gently boil the mixture for another three more minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.
Step Six: Pour the filling into the crust. Pour the filling into the cooled crust. Refrigerate three hours before serving.
Step Seven: Make the whipped cream. Once the pie has chilled and you’re ready to serve it, make the whipped cream. Pour the heavy cream, powdered sugar and vanilla in the bowl and whip on medium high until it reaches medium peaks.
Step Eight: Enjoy! Top the entire pie with whipped cream and dust with cinnamon. You can also serve the whipped cream alongside individual slices.
Hint: Measure out all your ingredients for the crust and the filling BEFORE starting the recipe. You won’t have time to stop and look for ingredients once you begin making the butterscotch filling!
Expert Tips
- Measure out all your ingredients and set them next to the stove before you begin making the filling. This is my most important tip!
- Thaw phyllo dough in the fridge or at room temperature. I put mine in the fridge to thaw the day/night before I need it.
- Keep the phyllo covered as much as possible. Phyllo dough dries out quickly when it’s exposed to air. I cover my phyllo covered with a kitchen towel as soon as I spread it out.
- Phyllo dough is delicate. Handle it gently but don’t worry if it rips a little. We are layering it, so a few rips here and there are fine!
- Dust the whipped cream with cinnamon. It adds flavor, looks pretty and hints at the flavor of the pie!
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Butterscotch Cinnamon Pie
Ingredients
Phyllo Dough Crust
- 8 sheets phyllo dough see notes section below for different crust options
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter melted
- 2 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar optional
- 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon optional
Butterscotch Cinnamon Pie Filling
- 1¼ cups dark brown sugar packed
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoons all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 2 cups whole milk room temperature, or swap in 2 cups heavy cream or use 1 cup milk and 1 cup heavy cream
- 3 large egg yolks room temperature
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Whipped Cream (optional)
- 1 cup heavy cream cold
- 1-2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Phyllo Dough Crust
- Preheat oven to 350 F. In a small bowl, mix the sugar and cinnamon together with a fork. In another small bowl, melt the butter. Place the cinnamon sugar, the melted butter, and a pastry brush next to your workspace.
- Remove the thawed phyllo dough from the plastic and lay it flat. Cover it with a towel. (Phyllo dough dries out quickly, so you’ll want to keep it covered as you work).
- Carefully place one sheet of phyllo dough on a clean workspace. Brush it with butter.
- Sprinkle about a teaspoon of the cinnamon sugar evenly over the phyllo dough.
- Lay another sheet of phyllo dough sideways on top of the buttered sheet. Sprinkle with another teaspoon of cinnamon sugar. Continue layering phyllo dough sheets making sure to alternate directions as you layer them (lengthwise, sideways and diagonal), brush with butter and sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar. Repeat until you have a stack of 8 sheets.
- Carefully lift the stack of phyllo on to the pie plate. Carefully press it into the bottom and up the sides of the plate. Fold in the edges to form the edges of the crust. Bake until crust is crisp and golden, about 20 minutes. Place pan on a wire rack and allow to cool completely. (The baked crust is best enjoyed the same day, but can also be wrapped and stored at room temperature up to 1 day.
Butterscotch Cinnamon Pie Filling
- Important-before you start cooking, measure out all filling ingredients and place them next to your stovetop. This recipe moves quickly once the butter melts, and you won’t have time to stop and measure later.
- Place the egg yolks in a medium sized heat proof bowl. Set bowl next to the stovetop.
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter.
- Remove pan from heat and whisk in the flour. Whisk in the brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon and salt. Return pan to heat.
- Slowly whisk in the warm milk/cream mixture. Cook over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, for 4–6 minutes, until the mixture thickens and begins bubbling. Reduce heat to low and cook for 2 minutes, stirring with a rubber spatula to prevent scorching.
- Remove pan from heat. Slowly whisk ½ cup of the hot mixture into the egg yolks to gently warm them, then pour the yolk mixture back into the saucepan. Cook while gently boiling for 2 more minutes, stirring constantly.
- Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.
- Carefully pour the mixture into the fully cooled crust. Refrigerate 3 hours before serving. Top the pie with whipped cream or sprinkle with flaky sea salt if you prefer it wihout cream. Add either topping just before serving (or enjoy without a topping!)
Whipped Cream
- If possible, place the bowl of your electric mixer and the beaters or whisk attachment in the fridge or freezer for fifteen minutes. Pour the heavy cream, powdered sugar and vanilla in the bowl and whip on medium high until it reaches medium peaks. Dollop over the pie or serve alongside the pie.
Notes
Nutrition
Please note that nutritional values are created by an online calculator and should only be used as an estimate.
Barbara Ward
Festive and Delicious!
Natalie
That it sure is! Thank you :):)