The History of Butterscotch Pie

Butterscotch pie was invented accidentally by Sarah Wheeler in Indiana. Sometime between 1901 and 1904, Wheeler was running a bakery with her sons called the Wheeler Creamerie Exchange. One day, she was working on a cream pie and was distracted by a customer, so the pie burned slightly. She left it out for her sons to eat, since she assumed it wouldn’t be saleable, but to her surprise, her sons loved it and reported that the burnt pie tasted like butterscotch candy. Shortly thereafter, Wheeler published the recipe in a cookbook (for the uninitiated, the pie consists of crust, custard, and meringue). By 1920, butterscotch pie had become popular all across the country. That same year, her sons opened a diner called Wheelers Lunch, where butterscotch pie was of course sold. The business soon expanded to include 8 locations. The Wheeler name became so famous that the company was even chosen to provide concessions at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway! Today, butterscotch pie is less popular than it once was, but it still remains a favorite for many.