Egg Custard Pie Recipe

This Custard Pie is the kind of old-fashioned dessert that never goes out of style—creamy, silky smooth, and perfectly sweet without being over the top. It’s got a crisp, buttery crust and a rich, vanilla-scented custard that bakes up beautifully. Serve it chilled or at room temperature with a dusting of nutmeg or a dollop of whipped cream, and watch it disappear slice by slice. Classic, comforting, and ridiculously delicious!

Custard Pie Recipe Ingredients

How To Make Custard Pie

PREP: Ensure your eggs and milk are at room temperature.

STEP ONE: Preheat your oven to 350°F.

STEP TWO: Lightly spray a 9½-inch pie pan with nonstick spray.

STEP THREE: Place the unbaked pie crust in the pie pan, pressing the dough against the sides of the pie pan.

STEP FOUR: In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, room temperature eggs, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, and vanilla for 2 minutes. Add room temperature milk and whisk the egg mixture for another 3 minutes until smooth.

What To Do If You Have Lumps in Your Custard Mixture

Straining the Mixture: The egg and milk mixture should be perfectly smooth before it’s added to the pie shell.

Even with careful whisking, it’s possible for small lumps or bits of coagulated egg to form. These lumps can give the baked custard a texture that’s reminiscent of scrambled eggs.

Straining the custard mixture can help to eliminate these lumps and ensure a perfectly smooth custard. Here’s how to do it:

1. Prepare a sieve: Choose a fine-mesh sieve that’s large enough to hold your custard mixture. Place the sieve over a large bowl to catch the strained mixture.
2. Pour the mixture: After you’ve whisked your eggs, sugar, and milk together, slowly pour the mixture into the sieve.
3. Strain the mixture: Use a spatula or the back of a spoon to gently press on any solids or lumps that collect in the sieve. This will help to push the liquid portion of the mixture through the sieve and into the bowl, leaving the lumps behind.
4. Check the mixture: Look at the mixture that’s collected in the bowl. It should be smooth and free of lumps. If you see any remaining solids, you may want to strain the mixture a second time to ensure it’s as smooth as possible.
5. Use the strained mixture: Now that your custard mixture is perfectly smooth, you can pour it into your pie shell and proceed with the recipe as directed.

STEP FIVE: Pour the mixture into the pie shell.

STEP SIX: Sprinkle the remaining ⅛ teaspoon of nutmeg lightly on top of the custard.

STEP SEVEN: Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until set. Don’t overcook it.

Custard pies are delicate and can easily be overcooked. That’s because custard pies are unique in that they don’t solidify completely until they’ve cooled.

When they’re fully baked, they should still have a slight wobble, or “jiggle,” in the center when the pan is gently shaken. This is because the eggs in the custard continue to cook and set as the pie cools.

To perform the jiggle test, open the oven door and gently shake the pie pan by lightly holding one edge. Be careful not to jostle it too much, as this could cause cracks in your custard.

You’re looking for a slight jiggle in the very center of the pie. The outer edges of the pie should be mostly set and not wobble much, if at all.

If the entire pie jiggles a lot, or if it sloshes around, it’s not done yet and needs more time in the oven. If there’s no jiggle at all, the pie may be overcooked, which can result in a texture that’s more like scrambled eggs than creamy custard.

Remember, it’s better to err on the side of slightly undercooking a custard pie. As it cools, the residual heat will continue to cook the custard to the perfect consistency.

STEP EIGHT: Slice and serve. This pie tastes and cuts best when chilled.

Custard Pie Substitutions

EVAPORATED MILK: I’ve seen some egg custard pie recipes made with evaporated milk or heavy cream. This makes the custard filling even richer. Feel free to substitute this for regular milk if you like your custard extra creamy and sweet.

PIE CRUST: You can either use a store-bought crust or you can make your own pie crust. Check out our favorite pie crust recipe here.

Egg Custard Pie Recipe Tips

When preparing a custard pie, it’s crucial to use room-temperature eggs and milk. Room-temperature ingredients blend more seamlessly, creating a smoother, more homogeneous mixture.

This is particularly important for a custard pie, where achieving a silky, smooth texture is key. Additionally, room-temperature eggs and milk contribute to even cooking, preventing the issue of an unevenly baked pie that’s overcooked on the edges and undercooked in the center.

Remember, baking is a science that requires precision. Small details, like the temperature of your ingredients, can significantly impact the final result.

So, for the perfect custard pie, take the extra time to bring your eggs and milk to room temperature before starting your recipe. This simple step can make the difference between a good pie and a great one.

How To Serve Egg Custard Pie

Homemade pies are so much better than store-bought, and this old-fashioned custard pie is no exception. Because of its light texture and sunny yellow color, it is an ideal summer dessert.

Add a bit of whipped cream on top of the pie and fresh berries, and a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side.

For another custard recipe, check out our cream puff dessert, which is filled with a yummy custard inside a flaky puff pastry and topped with chocolate and whipped cream.

Our magic custard cake is truly amazing in the way the layers separate while baking.

For more delicious pie recipes, check out our jello pie, peanut butter pie, and chocolate pudding pie.

Egg Custard Pie Recipe Storage

IN THE FRIDGE: If you have leftovers, the cream pie will stay fresh, covered in plastic wrap or aluminum foil, in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. It’s best served cold.

IN THE FREEZER: This classic custard pie 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!