Description
Delicious Southern Brown Sugar Pie Squares with a buttery shortbread crust and a rich, creamy brown sugar topping. Perfectly balanced between sweet and buttery, these squares are baked to have crispy edges and a soft, jiggly center that sets after chilling.
Ingredients
Scale
Shortbread Crust
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cubed and chilled
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Topping / Filling
- 1 1/2 cups light brown sugar, firmly packed
- 1/4 cup whipping cream
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Prepare Shortbread Crust: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8-inch by 8-inch baking dish with parchment paper, leaving an overhang for easy removal. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, granulated sugar, and salt. Add the chilled cubed butter and cut it into the flour mixture using a pastry cutter or fork until the butter pieces are no larger than pea-sized. Stir in the vanilla extract and press the dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan.
- Bake the Crust: Bake the crust in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Remove from oven but keep the oven on for the next step.
- Prepare Filling: In a medium bowl, whisk together the light brown sugar, whipping cream, eggs, melted butter, cornstarch, vanilla extract, and salt until smooth and well combined.
- Assemble and Bake: Pour the filling mixture evenly over the warm shortbread crust. Return to the oven and bake for 25 minutes. The edges will become crispy while the center remains jiggly—this is key for perfect texture.
- Cool and Chill: Remove from oven and allow the pie squares to cool completely at room temperature. Then place in the refrigerator to chill for 2-3 hours until fully set.
- Serve: Using the parchment paper handles, lift the set pie out of the pan and cut into 16 equal squares. Serve chilled.
Notes
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to four days. When stacking, separate layers with parchment paper to avoid sticking.
- You can freeze the pie squares before or after cutting. Freezing before cutting is easier. If freezing after cutting, arrange squares in a single layer before freezing.
- Wrap tightly with plastic wrap or store in an airtight container for freezing, up to three months. Thaw in the refrigerator.
- It is important to remove the squares from the oven while the center is still jiggly; they continue cooking as they cool and will firm up once chilled.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 square (approx. 1/16 of recipe)
- Calories: 210
- Sugar: 20g
- Sodium: 90mg
- Fat: 11g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 28g
- Fiber: 0.5g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 55mg
