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Home » Desserts » Homemade Bourbon Butterscotch Apple Pie

Homemade Bourbon Butterscotch Apple Pie

September 7, 2020 by Claire | The Simple, Sweet Life 7 Comments

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This ain’t your Mama’s apple pie! This easy apple pie recipe features a boozy twist on the American classic by combining the apple pie you love with a homemade bourbon butterscotch sauce.

baked apple pie with ice cream on top

And with fall in full swing, I have a serious case of pie-on-the-brain. <– Can’t decide if this would be the worst or most delicious medical diagnosis ever…

And nothing screams fall like APPLE PIES, YO! 

But this ain’t your Mama’s apple pie, this is BOURBON BUTTERSCOTCH APPLE PIE. It’s everything you loved about your childhood with a boozy, adult twist!

Prefer to watch the process?

Here’s how to make this apple pie

First, make the bourbon butterscotch sauce.

In a small saucepan, combine all of the ingredients for the bourbon butterscotch sauce, and cook over medium-low heat.

Once the brown sugar has dissolved, continue cooking the sauce for about 15 more minutes, stirring frequently, until it coats the back of a spatula and has thickened and reduced. 

The sauce should be bubbling but shouldn’t be boiling.

jar of bourbon butterscoth

Second, prepare your filling.

Peel and thinly slice your apples. In a large bowl, stir together the sliced apples, cinnamon, and flour. Add the bourbon butterscotch and stir until the apples are completely coated.

open pie crust filled with apple pie filling

Finally, assemble your pie.

Press one pie crust into a pie pan, trimming the edges so only 1/2″ hangs over the rim of the pan. If you’re interested in making your own pie dough, I highly recommend checking out my favorite flaky pie crust recipe.

Pour the filling into the crust. Spread so the filling is evenly distributed.

If you want to do a simple crust, simply cover the filling with your second pie crust, sealing the edges with a little bit of water. If you’d like to replicate the crust I made, I cut the second crust into 1/4″ strips and criss-crossed them in groups of three.

Bake at 425F for 40-45 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.

unbaked pie

Expert tips

If you’re new to pie making, no worries! Here are some tips to help you make this pie perfectly the first time around.

  • Keep your pie dough cold. Because pie dough is mostly butter and flour, you’ll want to keep it cold at every step of the process. And a pie that has cold dough when it enters the oven is less likely to sink down as it bakes. It also produces a flakier crust.
  • Handle the dough as little as possible. This goes back to the notion of keeping your dough cold but also because pie dough can get tough if it’s handled too much.
  • Use aluminum foil or a “pie shield” to protect your crust while baking. As we all know, the outer edges of the crust tend to brown faster than the center of the pie. You can keep the edges from getting too dark by loosely folding strips of aluminum foil around the outer edge or by using a pie shield.
  • Make sure your filling is bubbling. While we often look to the crust as an indication of doneness, we also want to make sure the filling is boiling. Fruit pies, in particular, need to boil in order to thicken properly.
  • Brush your crust with an egg wash. Beating an egg and brushing it onto the crust of your pie will help you get that perfect golden brown color with just a hint of shine.
  • Shelf life: this pie will keep for approximately 2 days at room temperature.
slice of apple pie in front of jar of butterscotch

Frequently asked questions

What are the best apples for apple pie?

The best apples for apple pie are ones that are firm (and will withstand baking) and slightly on the tart side. A few good options include Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Pink Lady and Braeburn.

Do you cook the apples before putting them in the pie?

No, the apples will cook alongside the rest of the pie so they don’t need to be cooked beforehand.

Why is my apple pie runny?

The main culprits of a runny apple pie are too much moisture in the filling or not enough venting in the top crust for the steam to escape. If moisture in the filling is the problem, you can add a little more flour or cornstarch to thicken it. For venting, make sure the cuts are sufficiently deep and placed evenly across the top of the pie.

Did you make this recipe? I’d love to hear how it went in the comments below. Better still, snap a photo and tag it on Instagram with #thesimplesweetlife. I love seeing your creations!

Print

Bourbon Butterscotch Apple Pie

baked apple pie with ice cream on top
Print Recipe

This bourbon butterscotch apple pie has everything you love about the classic but with a boozy kick.

  • Author: Claire of The Simple, Sweet Life
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 45 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour
  • Yield: 1 pie – 10 slices 1x
  • Category: Dessert
  • Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Units Scale

For the bourbon butterscotch:

  • 2 oz butter
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp. dark corn syrup
  • 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 2 tbsp. bourbon

For the rest of the pie:

  • 2 pie crusts, store bought or homemade
  • 3–4 large apples
  • 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 3 tbsp. all purpose flour

Instructions

  1. In a small saucepan, combine all of the bourbon butterscotch sauce ingredients, and cook over medium-low heat.
  2. Once the brown sugar has dissolved, continue cooking the sauce for about 15 more minutes, stirring frequently, until it coats the back of a spatula and has thickened and reduced.
  3. Peel and thinly slice your apples. In a large bowl, stir together the sliced apples, cinnamon, and flour.
  4. Add the bourbon butterscotch and stir until the apples are completely coated.
  5. Press one of your pie crusts into your pie pan and trim the edges so that they no longer hang over the edge of your pie pan.
  6. Fill with your apple mixture. You can simply cover the pie with another crust or do something fancier if you like.
  7. Bake at 425F for 40-45 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown.

Notes

  • Keep your pie dough cold. Because pie dough is mostly butter and flour, you’ll want to keep it cold at every step of the process. And a pie that has cold dough when it enters the oven is less likely to sink down as it bakes. It also produces a flakier crust.
  • Handle the dough as little as possible. This goes back to the notion of keeping your dough cold but also because pie dough can get tough if it’s handled too much.
  • Use aluminum foil or a “pie shield” to protect your crust while baking. As we all know, the outer edges of the crust tend to brown faster than the center of the pie. You can keep the edges from getting too dark by loosely folding strips of aluminum foil around the outer edge or by using a pie shield.
  • Make sure your filling is bubbling. While we often look to the crust as an indication of doneness, we also want to make sure the filling is boiling. Fruit pies, in particular, need to boil in order to thicken properly.
  • Brush your crust with an egg wash. Beating an egg and brushing it onto the crust of your pie will help you get that perfect golden brown color with just a hint of shine.
  • Shelf life: this pie will keep for approximately 2 days at room temperature.

Bourbon butterscotch adapted from David Lebovitz

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 slice
  • Calories: 324
  • Sugar: 14.6g
  • Sodium: 232mg
  • Fat: 18.3g
  • Saturated Fat: 6.7g
  • Carbohydrates: 36.9g
  • Fiber: 2.4g
  • Protein: 2.8g
  • Cholesterol: 16mg

Keywords: simple apple pie recipe, how to make apple pie, butterscotch apple pie

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @thesimplesweetlifeblog on Instagram and hashtag it #thesimplesweetlife

If you liked this, you might also like…

  • Cranberry meringue pie
  • Caramel apple snack cake
  • Cranberry orange pie
  • Eplekake (Norwegian apple cake)

Update Notes: This post was originally published in May of 2017 but was republished with an updated format, photos and tips in September of 2020.

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Filed Under: Desserts

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Comments

  1. Sue Gregory says

    May 27, 2017 at 7:21 pm

    I love the detail on this beautiful pie and it sounds Delicious!

    Reply
  2. therusticfoodie says

    May 29, 2017 at 3:45 am

    I love using bourbon (or booze in general) when baking. Definitely going to try that butterscotch sauce!

    Reply
  3. Megan says

    May 29, 2017 at 8:30 am

    Your pie design is GORGEOUS! And the bourbon butterscotch filling sounds devine.
    Summer snuck up on us, too – it snowed two weeks ago and now it’s 90+!

    Reply
  4. Jessi says

    May 30, 2017 at 8:20 am

    Apple pie is one of our favorite dessert and this one looks so delicious and beautiful in those pictures!!!!! Thanks for sharing:)

    Reply
  5. Jennifer Dawn says

    June 1, 2017 at 9:45 am

    Yum! I love apple pie and this recipe takes the dessert to a whole new level. I’m featuring it at this week’s link party. http://www.thelifeofjenniferdawn.com/2017/05/summer-treats-weekly-link-party.html

    Reply
  6. Kathleen Sullivan says

    August 26, 2018 at 7:38 pm

    I tried this and could not taste the bourbon butterscotch flavor after baking. Are you supposed to taste it in the pie itself or are you relying on the sauce drizzled on top to give it that flavor? Was thinking about making this for a pie contest and although the sauce is delicious I wouldn’t be able to serve that with it.

    Reply
    • The Simple, Sweet Life says

      August 26, 2018 at 9:29 pm

      Hi Kathleen! Yes, you should definitely be able to taste the bourbon butterscotch. That said, there’s always a certain amount of personal preference when it comes to these sorts of things, so don’t be afraid to add more of the bourbon butterscotch. Just be sure to add more flour to keep the pie from becoming too runny/juicy.

      Reply

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I'm Claire, the baker, blogger, sprinkle enthusiast, and cookie painter behind The Simple, Sweet Life. Whether you like simple sweets, comfort (baked) foods, or works of sugar art, you're sure to find something here to sweeten your day! Get to know me better here!

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