This recipe for an old-fashioned egg custard pie will knock your socks off. This simple but delicious pie is made with a few ingredients to make the most creamy custard filling against a nice pie crust. Step-by-step photos show you how to bake this egg custard pie recipe.
When I used to work in the restaurant industry I often worked with people who worked at multiple restaurants. One of the guys I worked with also worked at a pie place and sometimes he'd bring in a pie for us, he sure knew how to win me over LOL. But one of our favorites was when he brought in egg custard pie, so creamy, simple, and delicious. You find yourself always going back for more.
I love it chilled in the fridge and also at room temperature. With a cuppa tea too, ugh dreams.
Let's get to the recipe
Ingredients
For this simple pie recipe all you will need is:
- Unbaked Pie Crust. You can totally make your own homemade pie crust, I have a recipe for a brown butter pie crust that would be fabulous. But if I am honest I often just use a premade frozen pie crust for ease!! Even better if you're buying a pie shell already inside a pie tin!
- Whole Milk. I like to use whole milk when making custard because we want the richness that whole milk provides.
- Heavy Whipping Cream. I like to use a combination of cream and milk so that you get the thickness and richness but not overly thick.
- Eggs. We will use 4 whole eggs and 1 additional egg yolk. I love to use an additional egg yolk in lots of recipes. The egg yolk provides the luscious yellow color to the custard as well as a bit more richness. Trust me, I've tried the pie with and without the extra egg yolk and I truly believe the extra egg yolk makes all the difference!
- Granulated Sugar. We've got to sweeten this baby up! Just good old white granulated sugar does the trick. One of the beautiful things about egg custard pie is that it's not overly sweet.
- Vanilla Bean Paste. You could use vanilla extract as well. I have tested it both ways, in the photos I used vanilla extract but I find I like the look of the vanilla bean flecks in the custard.
- Salt. You may think you should just skip the salt, but don't! Salt is key!
- Nutmeg. Traditionally nutmeg is sprinkled on top of the pie, I am not a huge fan of nutmeg so I skip this step but if you like that warm spice try it!
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400F/205C. Take a piece of parchment paper and crumble it up into a ball then uncrumble. Place pie dough into the pie plate and design as you wish.
Place the uncrumbled piece of parchment inside the dish to cover the pie dough completely, you want the pie crust covered too. Add pie weights or dried beans or rice to help weigh down the pie crust. Once the oven is properly preheated place the pie dish on a baking sheet and par-bake for 8 minutes.
Pre baking the pie crust helps ensure no soggy bottom!
While the pie crust is baking prepare the filling. In a large pot over low-medium heat warm the milk and cream until just before boiling.
In a large bowl whisk together the sugar, eggs, vanilla bean paste, and salt, mix it all for a minute or two to ensure everything is fully combined.
When the milk mixture is warmed slowly add a little bit into the egg mixture and whisk immediately, then slowly add a little bit more. This is tempering the eggs to ensure that they do not end up scrambling. Slowly add all of the milk mixture, mix until everything is combined.
When the crust is done par-baking carefully remove the parchment paper and weights. Using a strainer -pour the custard into the pie dish and use a pastry brush to use the remaining bit of custard in the bowl to "egg-wash" the pie dough to create a golden brown sheen on the crust. You could use the leftover egg white for this as well.
Bake for 30 minutes - 40 minutes, you want the outer part of the custard to be set but the center couple inches to still be wobbly, you are looking for a slow wobble not a fast juggle.
I use my Thermapen MK4 internal thermometer to check for 170F/77C- 175F/80C to know the pie is baked fully.
Let the pie cool on a wire rack for one hour then gently wrap in plastic wrap, ensuring the plastic wrap does not touch the pie. The plastic wrap would just pull the "skin" off of the custard so it wouldn't be as pretty looking .
Chill the pie in the refrigerator for 3 hours. If desired sprinkle ground nutmeg on top of the pie. Any leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days, keep in mind the crust will lose some of its crunch the longer it sits.
Can you freeze
I do not recommend freezing anything that is custard based. The custard texture is not ideal for freezing and thawing.
More pie recipes
My all-time favorite baked pie is this Fruits of the Forest Pie Recipe, it's full of a bunch of berries, apples, and rhubarb it is sooooo delicious!
If you're looking for something chocolatey you gotta try this Chocolate Mousse Pie Recipe from one of my favorite people, Ari!
Another delicious pie is pumpkin pie, often served only in the fall/ autumn months I think this pie is delicious all year round!
★★★★★ Please let me know if you make this recipe by leaving a star rating and comment below!
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PrintRecipe Card
Egg Custard Pie
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 48
- Total Time: 58 minutes
- Yield: 8 Slices 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Description
This recipe for an old-fashioned egg custard pie will knock your socks off. This simple but delicious pie is made with a few ingredients to make the most creamy custard filling against a nice pie crust. Step-by-step photos show you how to bake this egg custard pie recipe.
Ingredients
- 1 Unbaked 9-inch Pie Crust, homemade or store-bought
- 10oz (1 ¼ Cup) Whole Milk
- 8oz (1 Cup) Heavy Whipping Cream
- 4 Large Whole Eggs + 1 Large Egg Yolk
- 200 grams (1 Cup) Granulated Sugar
- 1 Tablespoon Vanilla Bean Paste
- ½ Teaspoon Salt
- ½ Teaspoon-1 Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F/205C. Take a piece of parchment paper and crumble it up into a ball then uncrumble. Place pie dough into the pie dish and design as you wish. Place the uncrumbled piece of parchment inside the dish to cover the pie dough completely, you want the pie crust covered too. Add pie weights or dried beans or rice to help weigh down the pie crust. Once the oven is properly preheated place the pie dish on a baking sheet and par-bake for 8 minutes.
- While the pie crust is baking prepare the filling. In a large pot over low-medium heat warm the milk and cream until just before boiling.
- In a large bowl whisk together the sugar, eggs, vanilla bean paste, and salt, mix it all for a minute or two to ensure everything is fully combined.
- When the milk mixture is warmed slowly add a little bit into the egg mixture and whisk immediately, then slowly add a little bit more. This is tempering the eggs to ensure that they do not end up scrambling. Slowly add all of the milk mixture, mix until everything is combined.
- When the crust is done par-baking carefully remove the parchment paper and weights. Using a strainer -pour the custard into the pie dish and use a pastry brush to use the remaining bit of custard in the bowl to "egg-wash" the pie dough to create a golden brown sheen on the crust.
- Bake for 30-40 minutes, you want the outer part of the custard to be set but the center couple inches to still be wobbly, you are looking for a slow wobble not a fast juggle. If you use an internal thermometer check for 170F/77C- 175F/80C. Let the pie cool on a wire rack for one hour then gently wrap in plastic wrap, ensuring the plastic wrap does not touch the pie. Chill in the refrigerator for 3 hours. If desired sprinkle ground nutmeg on top of the pie. Leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days, keep in mind the crust will lose some of its crunch the longer it sits.
Keywords: custard pie recipe, egg custard pie recipe, how to make egg custard pie, egg custard tart
Sarah says
I made this for a weekend treat and oh my gosh its so rich and creamy, I will be making it again!
★★★★★
Elizabeth Waterson says
Thanks so much Sarah, so pleased you enjoyed it, we love egg custard pie too!! Take care. XX Liz
Erin says
The texture of this custard was perfect, but it was slightly sweeter than what I was hoping for. I'm trying to recreate a pie from my mother-in-law's childhood which was made by her mom each year for her birthday. Unfortunately, Great Grandma passed a long time ago so we don't have the recipe. I've looked at 100s of versions online but can't find anything like it: a custard pie in a graham cracker crust topped with meringue. There's a pie called Canadian Flapper Pie, but that one is filled with a stove top creme patisserie instead of a true egg custard baked in a pie shell. I think the reason this filling might have been too sweet wasn't the fault of this recipe, but rather, the combination with the graham cracker crust AND the meringue. Graham is a pretty sweet crust on its own, and with meringue added to the combination, I should have realized that the sugar in the custard needed to be lowered. I'm sure with your crust it was perfect.
★★★★★
Elizabeth Waterson says
Hi Erin, thanks so much for reporting back and reviewing the recipe I really appreciate it. I would definitely adjust the sugar to accommodate for the meringue and graham cracker crust, but that pie sounds delicious you are describing. I have never seen anything like it. If you ever find/ perfect the recipe please share with me I would love to try it!!! Have a lovely Sunday!! XX Liz
Jeannette says
An absolute hit at my Thanksgiving gathering. I’m such a huge lover of custards and I never bake. This recipe is so simple yet so appetizing! It was definitely the show of the night! It’s already been requested for every holiday!
★★★★★
Elizabeth Waterson says
Thank you so much for coming back to rate and review the recipe Jeanette. I am so glad you enjoyed the pie and happy to hear it's going to be a staple at your table!! XX Liz
Darlene Hardwick RN says
Hallelujah! I can't wait to bake this custard pie. I have been asking all the restaurants and bakeries for custard pie. The last one I ate was at Bakers Dozen Restaurant in Mentor, Ohio, over a year ago. That restaurant had delicious custard pie and I was informed the pie was history . No more warmed custard pie topped with creamy vanilla ice cream! Boo Hoo!! Now I can bake my own...
Elizabeth Waterson says
Hi Darlene, thanks for reaching out. I am so excited for you to try the recipe! Please let me know if you have any questions and when you make the pie, I would love to hear what you think! Happy New Year. XX Liz
Gayle says
Would you use the same amount of vanilla extract ( 1 tbls.) if don’t have vanilla bean paste? Recipe not clear on the either or.
Thank you
★★★★★
Elizabeth Waterson says
Hi Gayle, thanks so much for reaching out! You can substitute equal amounts, please let me know if I can help with anything else or if you try the pie recipe! XX Liz
MB says
Hello there! I would love to make this good looking custard pie for Easter. You mentioned frozen pie shells, do I need to pre-cook that or can I put the filling in the frozen pie shell and bake straight away.
Thank you for sharing your recipe!
~MB
Elizabeth Waterson says
Hi MB! Thanks for reaching out! Yes, you still need to par-bake the crust to prevent a soggy pie bottom. Please let me know if you have any other questions and how you get on, I would love to know what you think! XXX Liz
MB says
Wow thank you for responding! I will sure let you know! So excited
Happy Easter!
John McGowan says
Made this it came out tasting like eggs. I used a frozen pie crust that was thin so made 2. I am not overly experienced at cooking so follow directions very closely. I am going to,trynthis again with 1 less egg.
Elizabeth Waterson says
Hi John, I am so sorry you didn't have a good experience the first time you made the recipe. The custard definitely has an egg flavor due to all of the eggs but still a creamy sweet custard flavor. Please let me know if you like it better with just one egg! Thanks! - Elizabeth
Laura James says
Hello!! This sounds amazing!!! I was curious though, do you know if the bottled Boiled Custard could be used in place of the milk and cream?
Thank you.
Elizabeth Waterson says
Hi Laura, thanks for reaching out. I have never tried that and to be honest, my gut tells me no! I am sorry! If you try though please do report back on how it turns out! Please let me know if you have any other quetsions! XX Liz