Gooey Butter Pie
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My homemade Gooey Butter Pie has a sweet, buttery brown sugar custard and is layered over chopped pecans and salted caramel in a flaky homemade crust. If you enjoy gooey butter bars, this pie gives you that same gooey topping as the entire filling.
I first heard about gooey butter years ago from the cake mix and cream cheese recipe that got popular on the Food Network. Later, I learned about an even better version made in St. Louis for generations.
I spotted the same bar, or something very similar, at three other places in Nashville, so I think it's truly a Nashville specialty. When I got home, I tried to turn it into a pie.
Nothing quite matches Colt's, but this pie is close. It has the same creamy custard with a bit of cream cheese, warm brown sugar, and vanilla, plus a layer of caramel and chopped pecans in a homemade crust.
Here's Why You'll Love This Recipe
- The filling is rich and creamy. Brown sugar, butter, cream cheese, and heavy cream bake into a soft custard.
- There's a caramel pecan layer. Chopped pecans and salted caramel sauce sit under the custard, like the ribbon in the Nashville bars.
- The crust is flaky. A mix of oil and cold butter gives it tenderness and layers.
- It's a make-ahead pie. The crust can be chilled in stages, and the pie has to cool completely before you slice it.
- It's good plain or dressed up. Add salted caramel sauce, whipped cream, and more pecans if you like.
Ingredients You'll Need
The recipe card at the bottom of the post contains the full list with all of the amounts. Refer to that when you're cooking.
For the crust
- All-purpose flour: The best flour for this pie.
- Kosher salt: Don't sub in table salt. It doesn't measure 1:1 with Kosher Salt and can leave a bitter aftertaste because most table salt contains iodine.
- Neutral oil: Vegetable or canola oil. It makes the crust tender.
- Unsalted butter, cold: Creates flaky layers and flavor. If you only have salted butter, you can use it, but omit the Kosher salt.
- Ice water: Brings the dough together. Add it a tablespoon at a time.
For the filling
- Pecans, finely chopped: Scattered in the bottom of the crust.
- Salted caramel sauce: Drizzled over the pecans for the caramel layer.
- Unsalted butter, softened: Gives the filling its buttery flavor.
- Cream cheese, softened: Use 4 ounces, or half a block. It adds a slight tang.
- Light brown sugar: Packed firmly. It gives the custard its warm, caramel flavor.
- Large egg: Helps the filling set.
- All-purpose flour: Thickens the filling.
- Kosher salt: Use a scant amount. Kosher salt has larger crystals and tastes less salty than table salt, so use half as much if you only have table salt.
- Heavy whipping cream: Makes the custard rich and silky.
- Vanilla extract: Rounds out the flavor.
Optional garnishes
- Salted caramel sauce, sweetened whipped cream, and finely chopped pecans: For topping each slice.
How To Make Gooey Butter Pie
Step 1: Make the crust
In a large bowl, combine the flour and salt. Add the oil and stir with a whisk until the mixture looks like coarse meal.
Cut the cold butter into thin slices and toss them in the flour mixture to coat.
Dribble in the ice water a tablespoon at a time, mixing just until the dough holds its shape.
Gather the dough into a ball, wrap it tightly, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Roll the dough out to ¼ inch thick and fold it into thirds. Fold it into thirds again and refrigerate for another hour.
On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to about 2 inches larger than your pie plate's diameter.
Slip the dough into an ungreased pie plate, trim off any excess, and fold and crimp the edge.
Put the crust in the fridge while you make the filling. For more details, check out my perfect homemade pie crust.
Step 2: Make the filling
Scatter the chopped pecans in an even layer over the bottom of the unbaked pie shell and drizzle with the salted caramel sauce. Chill while you make the rest of the filling.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
In a medium bowl, beat the butter and cream cheese together until smooth.
Add the brown sugar and beat on medium speed until fluffy. Add the egg and stir it in until incorporated.
Add the flour and salt. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl with a silicone spatula, then stir until well blended.
Add the cream and vanilla. Scrape the bowl again, then mix in the cream and vanilla.
Step 3: Bake and finish
Pour the filling into the prepared pie shell and bake for about 40 to 50 minutes, until the edges are golden and the filling is set.
Let the pie cool completely before slicing.
Top each slice with salted caramel sauce, sweetened whipped cream, and/or chopped pecans.
Helpful Tips and Tricks
- Keep the butter cold. Slice it thin and toss it in the flour so it stays in pieces for flaky layers.
- Add the water slowly. Use only enough to hold the dough together.
- Don't skip the chilling. Chill the crust twice to keep it from shrinking.
- Chill the pecan layer. Putting the filled shell back in the fridge while you make the custard keeps the caramel in place.
- Soften the butter and cream cheese. They blend smoothly, with no lumps in the filling.
- Scrape the bowl. Do it twice, as the recipe says, so the flour mixes in evenly.
- Look at the edges. The pie is ready when the edges are golden, and the filling is set.
- Cool it completely. The custard finishes setting as it cools, so it slices cleanly.
- Use White Lily Flour for the crust, if you can find it. It's the flour I used in the original recipe for the lightest crust.
Recipe FAQ
Gooey butter is a sweet, buttery, custardy topping. It's best known as a St. Louis cake, and it also shows up in bars and, in this recipe, a pie.
It tastes like a creamy brown sugar custard with a little cream cheese tang and vanilla, over a layer of caramel and pecans.
Yes. The homemade crust is flaky and worth making, but a store-bought crust will work in a pinch.
The edges should be golden and the filling set, after about 40 to 50 minutes at 350°F.
The custard sets as it cools. Slicing it too soon makes it runny.
Yes. They're what give the pie its caramel-pecan layer, but the custard is good without them.
Ingredients
For the crust
- 1 ¼ cups (156.25 g) all-purpose Flour
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) kosher salt
- 2 ½ tablespoons (2.5 tablespoons) neutral-tasting oil, (such as vegetable or canola oil)
- ¼ cup (56.75 g) unsalted butter, , cold
- ⅓ to ½ cup ice water
For the filling
- ⅓ cup (33 g) finely chopped pecans
- 2 tablespoons salted caramel sauce
- ½ cup (113.5 g) unsalted butter,, softened
- 4 ounces (113.4 g) cream cheese, (half a block), softened
- ¾ cup (165 g) light brown sugar,, firmly packed
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup (125 g) all-purpose Flour
- ¾ teaspoon (0.75 teaspoon) kosher salt*, (scant)
- 1 cup (238 g) heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Optional garnishes
- salted caramel sauce
- sweetened whipped cream
- finely chopped pecans
Instructions
To make the crust:
- Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl.
- Add the oil, and stir with a whisk until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
- Cut the butter into thin slices and toss in the flour mixture to coat.
- Dribble ice water in, a tablespoon at a time, mixing just until the mixture can hold it's shape.
- Gather the dough into a ball, wrap the disks tightly, and refrigerate for at least an hour.
- Roll the dough out to ¼" thickness, and fold into thirds. Fold into thirds again and refrigerate for another hour.
- Unwrap the dough, and on a lightly floured surface, roll to about two inches larger than the diameter of the pie plate.
- Slip the dough into the ungreased pie plate, cut off any excess dough, and fold and crimp the edge.
- Refrigerate while preparing the filling.
To make the filling:
- Scatter the chopped pecans in an even layer over the bottom of the unbaked pie shell, and drizzle with salted caramel sauce.
- Chill in the refrigerator while preparing the rest of the filling.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a medium mixing bowl, beat the butter and cream cheese together until smooth.
- Add the brown sugar, and continue to beat on medium speed until fluffy.
- Stir in the egg until incorporated.
- Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl with a silicone spatula, then stir in the flour and salt until well-blended.
- Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl with a silicone spatula, then mix in the cream and vanilla.
- Transfer the filling to the prepared pie shell, and bake until the edges are golden and the filling is set (approx. 40 to 50 minutes).
- Cool completely before slicing, then garnish with salted caramel sauce, sweetened whipped cream, and/or chopped pecans.
Notes
Author
More Pies and Tarts
Have a question about this recipe? Ask AI:
sorry but I'm very confused. the recipe shows 1x,2x,3x. Is 1 for 1 crust? 2x for 2 crust and so on?
Hey Candy, so sorry for the confusion. Clicking those buttons doubles or triples the whole recipe. Hope that clarifies!
My pie browned in spots on top at 40 minutes and teh filling was raised and crackling like a cake . Oven was at 350°. What did I do wrong? I followed the recipe exactly.
I'm so sorry that happened to you. That's certainly not how it's supposed to be. Perhaps your oven is running hot? I'd suggest hanging one of those little gauges off of one of the racks so you can know for sure. It's not at all uncommon for ovens to wander out of calibration over time. Definitely a good idea to keep an eye on things as they're baking and just use the bake times as a rough guide, as a general rule.
Does this pie need to be refrigerated!
Hey Cindy! It holds its shape really nicely at room temperature so you can leave it out for a few hours without a problem! But if you need to store it longer than that it should probably go into the fridge. Good luck!
In the oven now, and it looks beautiful! Can it cool at room temp for several hours or should I put it in the fridge? I have to run out for a bit and not sure my best course of action. I should have planned better!
No worries Nicole! This pie is fine at room temperature for a day or two. Hope you enjoy!
Can’t wait to try these recipes
Hope you enjoy!
I love this gooey butter pie!!!
Because I LOVED your vanilla malt cake and salted caramel recipes, I decided to make this anyway. Obviously now I see it should be refrigerated, kind of like a dense cheesecake... But it's SO delicious with all the components! I did whipped cream and the salted caramel and pecans. I LOVE it! I don't know how you come up with these recipes; they're so unique! I made it for Christmas, and most of my family went for the chocolate dessert, but I think it was just because I served this as-is with an optional side of whipped cream and caramel. Next time I think I'll just add a layer of (homemade) whipped cream to the top and drizzle the caramel, just for more "popular" visual appeal. But it's very delicious and unique! I love it!
I'm so happy you liked it Kat! Thanks so much for the positive feedback and for the sweet compliments as well!
Can you refrigerate this overnight? Can it be served chilled or...? How long does it keep?
Yes, you can refrigerate this pie. It can be served chilled or at room temp, however you like it best. It keeps about the same amount of time as any other pie would, a few days at room temp and maybe a week or so in the fridge. Hope that's helpful!
WHAT WHAT WHAT???! This is so much better than any gooey butter bar, oh my GOD I am going to have to make this!!!
Lol thanks Kayle! So happy you like this idea. Hope your week is off to a great start!
This is the best snow day recipe! I love anything buttery and the sound of that ribbon of caramel chopped pecans sounds heavenly right about now 🙂
Aw, thank you Medha! So happy you like this recipe. Hope you're keeping warm dear!
This seems like the perfect recipe to try while we are snowed in!!! My mouth is watering!!! Is 9am too early to make pie!
Never! Start your salted caramel early so it has a chance to cool, and get going on that pie crust! Thanks for the sweet comment Becky, and I hope you and your crew enjoy 🙂