A Southern treat, Butterscotch Pie made low-FODMAP and gluten-free. Rich, creamy custard in a flaky, tender crust. Perfect for any occasion!
Imagine. Creamy, butterscotch custard, nestled in a tender, flaky crust. Topped with whipped cream. THIS is a pie that goes fast at any dessert table or holiday feast.
There are many versions of butterscotch pie, and often the custard is made simply with cream, eggs, and brown sugar. I found that (while still delicious), those varieties lacked a real ‘butterscotch’ flavor. So, I dove a little deeper and made sugar-caramel, then infused the filling with that flavor as well.
You will love it.
A couple of words about dairy and the low-FODMAP diet:
- The low-FODMAP diet is NOT a dairy free diet. It does restrict lactose, which is the carbohydrate that people with IBS often have difficulty digesting.
- The good news is, lactose tends to be the FODMAP that is most tolerated overall, and with a fairly large amount. Butter, heavy cream, and cheeses often contain quite low amounts of lactose.
- The other good news is, you can make dairy products LACTOSE-FREE by the addition of lactase enzyme (like Lacteez, Milkaid, Intoleran).
- For my low-FODMAP Milk Options, see Dr. Rachel’s FODMAP Facts: What are LOW-FODMAP MILK OPTIONS?
For those of you expecting a ‘non dairy’ dessert recipe, this is NOT that. However, it can be completely lactose-free to help with us IBS sufferers that can’t consume lactose.
You may also love:
- Low-FODMAP Perfect Pumpkin Pie
- Best Low-FODMAP Chocolate Pie with Cookie Crust Recipe; Gluten-free, Dairy-free
- Lovely Low-FODMAP Vanilla Pie with Cookie Crust; Gluten-free, Dairy-free
- Low-FODMAP Pecan Pie Bars with Chocolate Drizzle; Gluten-free
- Dr. Rachel’s Favorite Low-FODMAP Butter Tarts; Gluten-free
- Low-FODMAP No-Bake Peanut Butter Pie; Gluten-free
Or check out over 600 more low-FODMAP recipes on the blog. IBS-friendly!
Be healthy and happy,
Rachel Pauls, MD
Low-FODMAP & Gluten-free Butterscotch Pie
A Southern treat, Butterscotch Pie made low-FODMAP and gluten-free. Rich, creamy custard in a flaky, tender crust. Perfect for any occasion!
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Chill Time: 6 hours or overnight
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes + Chilling
- Yield: 9 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert, Baked Goods
- Method: Cook/Bake
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
- One 9-inch pre-baked low-FODMAP Pie Crust, or low-FODMAP Cookie Crust
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 cup low-FODMAP, gluten-free flour
- 1 & 1/2 cups lactose-free whole milk; divided*
- 1 & 1/3 cups heavy whipping cream*
- 4 large egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter*
- Garnish: Heavy whipping cream or whipped coconut cream, butterscotch chips, caramel sauce
Instructions
- If not already done, bake your low-FODMAP Pie Crust and allow to cool, or use a no-bake low-FODMAP Cookie Crust
- In a medium bowl, mix your dark brown sugar and low-FODMAP flour, breaking up any lumps
- To the flour and sugar, whisk in 1 cup of the lactose-free whole milk and egg yolks until smooth. Set aside for now
- In a large saucepan over medium-low, melt your granulated sugar. You want to do this carefully, while tipping the pan frequently to evenly distribute the heat. Be patient
- When the edges begin melting, begin to swirl the saucepan gently to evenly melt all the sugar and continue cooking, without stirring, until it turns an amber color (3-5 minutes)
- Remove from the heat, and gently add in the heavy cream, followed by the remaining 1/2 cup of milk. It will spatter and the sugar will harden, that is normal
- Return the mixture to your heat (adjusting to medium-low as necessary) and stir gently until the sugar caramel is melted into the milk mixture (about another 3-5 minutes). It will be hard until the mixture warms, and then should combine well
- Once this is incorporated, whisk in the prepared flour/milk liquid, a little at a time, so as not to cook the egg yolks
- It will begin to thicken, keep whisking until it is starting to bubble and become thick (about 5 minutes). Adjust your heat as necessary
- Remove from the heat, and stir in your salt, vanilla extract, and unsalted butter
- Whisk until the butter is melted, and the mixture is smooth
- Pour into the prepared pie shell and cover with plastic wrap just touching the surface
- Place in the refrigerator and chill until firm, at least 6 hours, or overnight
- Before serving, whip heavy cream to top (if desired) and garnish with butterscotch chips and caramel sauce
Notes
- Although this recipe has not been lab tested, a single serving should be low-FODMAP based on the ingredients, using FODMAP data at time of posting
- Low-FODMAP milks include almond milk, hemp milk. I prefer the lactose-free whole milk for this recipe. Feel free to add lactase drops to your products 24 hours prior to use
- Heavy cream is low-FODMAP in about 1/4 cup servings. If you plan to top this pie with additional whipping cream, I suggest you use lactase drops (mentioned above) to reduce the lactose. Altertnatively, canned coconut cream (dairy-free) may be substituted if desired, but this product can be more difficult to whip. See my recipe for low-FODMAP Vanilla Bean Coconut Whipped Cream for details!
