Custard pie is an old fashioned, southern dessert that people have been making for nearly 200 years. With eggs and milk being the main ingredient to make a custard filling – and nutmeg sprinkled on top – this pie is smooth, silky and ridiculously rich. It’s always a big hit at my house.
For more delicious pie recipes, check out our jello pie, peanut butter pie, and chocolate pudding pie. Our banana pudding pie is also very popular!
Custard Pie
Recently I have been feeling quite nostalgic with my baking. I want to make the kind of traditional desserts your grandma used to make from scratch with good old flour, sugar, butter, and eggs. Custard pie brings back instant good memories. It’s an oldie, but a goodie!
This recipe is really simple to make but it tastes like you’ve been slaving away in the kitchen for hours! (Shh, don’t tell anyone!) Last week I was able to throw this dessert together at the last minute when we had some unexpected dinner guests. They loved it so much, they even asked me for the recipe.
Custard Pie Ingredients You Will Need
- unbaked pie crust
- sugar
- eggs
- vanilla
- milk
- nutmeg
I’ve seen some recipes made with evaporated milk. This makes the custard filling even richer. Feel free to substitute this for regular milk if you like your custard extra creamy and sweet.
Make sure you also check our amazing recipe for peanut butter pie. It only needs a freezer to make and keeps in the freezer until this needs to be served. Get the recipe.
How to Make Custard Pie
This recipe is super simple, it’s just an easy dump and stir process. Grab your ingredients and measure out the sugar, vanilla, and milk.
When you are ready, crack all of the eggs in a big mixing bowl and then beat them together with the sugar and vanilla. After the eggs are completely beaten and mixed in with the sugar, add in the milk. Then, stir until everything is combined
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Get your unbaked pie crust in a pie and press the edges to the sides of the pie pan.
Pour the custard pie filling into the unbaked pie crust. Sprinkle the top of the pie generously with nutmeg. Pop the pie in the oven for 45 minutes or until set.
You’ll be able to tell when it’s done by doing a simple jiggle test. Try gently shaking the pie pan and if the center of the pie jiggles slightly, it’s done!
Can You Freeze a Custard Pie?
This classic recipe is ridiculously silky and creamy when it is freshly baked, but unfortunately, it is not one of those desserts you can freeze, defrost and enjoy later.
As with most dishes that contain dairy, when it is defrosted, the ingredients separate and you lose that rich silky goodness that makes this recipe to die for! If you have leftovers, the pie will stay fresh in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
At my house, this recipe never lasts more than 2 days! I love baking and finding new recipes to try but sometimes there’s nothing better than making an old favorite traditional recipe for the ones you love. I hope you and your family enjoy it too.
Custard Pie
Ingredients
- 4 cups milk
- 1 cup sugar
- 5 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- dash of nutmeg
Instructions
- Beat together sugar, eggs, nutmeg, and vanilla then add milk.
- Mix together and pour into unbaked pie shell, sprinkle top with nutmeg
- Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until set.
This is a delicious favorite for us – we love it!
Can you add coffee creamer for half the milk
I have not tried that before, so I am not sure how it would turn out!
Hi. Sounds delicious. Was wondering if you can just make this as a custard but in a pie shell?
It’s super yummy! I’m not sure I understand your question??
Does the crust brown on the bottom with so much liquid baking in it? I have never made custard pie and hate soggy or doughy crusts. The pie looks delicious in the photo.
I was iffy at first, but it’s an old family recipe from grandma’s recipe box and it came out perfect!
can you put these into 6-8 custard cups just using the filling? maybe cook for 30 mins?
I haven’t made it like that, so I can’t say for sure how it would turn out! You could definitely try! Good luck 🙂
I haven’t had this since childhood that I can remember. Can’t wait to try it. Thanks for sharing your recipe at #HomeMattersParty
I can’t wait to try this out! Reminds me of my childhood, my mom would always make custard with jello!
Do you have recipe you use for pie crust?
I don’t have one posted yet, I’ll have to do that! You could use your favorite pie crust recipe or a store-bought pie shell.
Can you put this recipe in an already baked crust ? Like a Graham cracker crust?
I haven’t tried that before – I think it would burn that because you put the crust in unbaked to bake along with the filling. If your crust was graham cracker or already baked, I think it would burn right up.
Can cherries or coconut be added? My mom used to purchase cherry and coconut custard pies?
I’m not sure – I haven’t ever tried it that way so I don’t want to say yes and then have it not turn out for you! You could definitely experiment and try 🙂 Enjoy!
What size pan for this pie recipe
You can make two 9-inch pies with this amount of filling, baking for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Or you can use one 10-inch pie pan as pictured with this filling, baking for 90 minutes.