My old-fashioned egg custard pie recipe is a classic dessert with a smooth and creamy texture and a rich, decadent flavor that is perfect for a dinner party, family gathering, or potluck.
Made with simple ingredients, egg custard pie has been a staple at our house for as long as I can remember. The rich and cream filling isn’t too sweet and is the perfect dessert for just about any occasion.
I still remember the first time I tasted this classic dessert, and I know after one bite, you’ll agree my egg custard pie is a keeper!
If you love egg custard, try my homemade vanilla custard, and for a fancier version, try my creme brulee recipe.
Ingredients
Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to make my old-fashioned egg custard pie recipe. In Chef Speak, this is called the Mise en Place, which translates into Everything in its Place.
Not only does setting your ingredients up ahead of time speed the cooking process, but it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.
*This is the classic recipe, but feel free to add cinnamon, almond extract, lemon zest, or orange zest to the custard filling before baking.
How to make Egg Custard Pie
This is my easy recipe for sweet pie dough. If you’d rather not make your own homemade pie crust, feel free to pick up a store-bought crust at your local grocery store.
- Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse the dry ingredients three times to mix.
- Add the very cold butter pieces to the flour mixture.
- Pulse at one-second intervals until the butter is mixed in.
- Add the egg to the food processor.
- Pulse until the dough forms a ball on the blade of the processor.
- Turn the dough out of the food processor onto a floured surface, and carefully remove the blade. Flatten the dough into a disc and wrap it with plastic wrap. Refrigerate and chill for 15-20 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees f.
- Use a rolling pin to roll out pie dough into a circle that is 2 to 3 inches wider than the pie pan.
- Carefully roll the dough onto the rolling pin and transfer it into your pie pan.
*Refrigerate until needed. - Separate one egg, placing the white and yolk into separate bowls. Beat the egg white, then brush the crust with beaten egg white.
- Place the unbaked pie crust on the center rack of a preheated oven and par-bake the crust for 7-8 minutes. Then, remove the crust from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes.
*With this method, you don’t need pie weights.
- Add five eggs plus the one egg yolk saved from the crust, granulated sugar, salt, vanilla extract, heavy cream, and whole milk to a large bowl.
- Whisk the custard mixture together until smooth and creamy.
- Pour the egg mixture into the par-baked pie shell, then place it on the center rack of the 375 degree preheated oven and bake for 35-45 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Remove the egg custard pie from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool.
*Place a baking sheet on the bottom rack under the pie to catch any spills that may occur.
When the egg custard pie is completely cool, place it in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours to chill before serving. Sprinkle nutmeg on the top of the pie and serve.
Serve my classic custard pie with a sprinkle of nutmeg, or if you’re feeling decadent, add a dollop of homemade whipped cream and fresh berries.
Store any leftover egg custard pie refrigerated, wrapped in plastic wrap (or in an airtight container).
Recipe FAQs
The classic recipe is made with a homemade or store-bought pie crust, eggs, granulated sugar, salt, vanilla extract, heavy cream, whole milk, and ground nutmeg.
The main reason for watery custard is it wasn’t baked long enough. Another reason is the eggs weren’t whipped enough and mixed well enough with the other ingredients. So make sure to beat your egg mixture well and bake long enough to firm up the custard.
Applying a coating of egg whites and par-baking the crust before adding the custard can help prevent sogginess.
More Recipes You’ll Love
Egg Custard Pie Recipe
Equipment
- deep dish pie plate or large pie plate
Ingredients
Sweet Pastry Dough
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoon granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon table salt
- 4 tablespoon unsalted butter ½ stick cut into small pieces kept very cold
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg white separated – save the yolk for the custard.
Custard
- 5 large eggs
- 1 large egg yolk
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon table salt
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 ½ cups whole milk
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Instructions
Sweet Pastry Dough
- Add the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt to the bowl of a food processor and pulse three times to combine.
- Add the very cold butter pieces and pulse at one-second intervals until the butter is mixed in.
- Add the egg and pulse until the dough forms a ball on the blade of the processor
- Turn the dough out of the food processor onto a floured surface, and carefully remove the blade.
- Flatten the dough into a disc. Wrap it with plastic wrap and chill for 15-20 minutes.
- Use a rolling pin to roll out pie dough into a circle that is 2 to 3 inches wider than the pie pan.
- Carefully roll the dough onto the rolling pin and transfer it into your pie pan.
- Refrigerate until needed.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Separate one egg, placing the white and yolk into separate bowls.
- Beat the egg white, then brush the crust with beaten egg white.
- Place the pie crust on the center rack of a preheated oven and par-bake the crust for 7-8 minutes.
- Remove the crust from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes.
Custard
- Add five eggs plus the one egg yolk saved from the crust, granulated sugar, salt, vanilla extract, heavy cream, and whole milk to a large bowl.
- Whisk the wet ingredients together until smooth and creamy.
- Pour the egg mixture into the par-baked pie crust and sprinkle with ground nutmeg.
- Place the custard pie on the center rack of the preheated 375 degree oven and bake for 35-45 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.*Place a cookie sheet on the bottom rack under the pie to catch any spills that may occur.
- Remove the custard pie from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool.
- When the pie is completely cool, place in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours to chill before serving.
- Store any leftover custard pie refrigerated wrapped in plastic wrap (or in an airtight container).
Bev says
I tried this recipe exactly as written. The texture turned out to be grainy not creamy. What did I do wrong?
Chef Dennis Littley says
There are a few reasons, the first being the sugar wasn’t fully dissolved in the milk mixture. Overbaking can cause it and heavy cream or milk that is close to expiration date can also cause it. Honestly, this is the first I’ve heard of this happening.
Martha E QUINTON says
Best Ever. I have a lot of eggs daily and love to make egg custard. This IS the best.
Do you have a cook book?
Chef Dennis Littley says
Thats what I like to hear! And sadly no, I do not have a cookbook.
Karen Stewart says
I was planning on making this recipe but the sweet pastry dough says 4 tablespoons of butter then 1/2 stick of butter. a half stick of butter is 6 tablespoons. how much butter should I use? Thank you for your help.
Chef Dennis Littley says
There are 8 tablespoons in a one quarter pound of butter, which is one stick.
Helen says
I love the idea of NO baking beads! Can I ask if this pastry baking idea would also work for a lemon tart?
Chef Dennis Littley says
Yes it would.
Becky Crown says
Fantastic recipe – will turn out perfect even for novice cooks – just follow the directions exactly.😊
Chef Dennis Littley says
Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed my custard pie recipe.
Erma says
I’ve not made this recipe yet. I saw a comment that it was too much for one pie. Can the extra be baked without the pie crust?
Chef Dennis Littley says
Yes, you can. That was the first person that mentioned they had too much.
Jackie Hepp says
Simple delicious and super easy to put add ons like coconut or fruit! Will uses again and again!
Chef Dennis Littley says
Thanks for letting me know you enjoyed my custard pie! Coconut would be a great addition.
Mark says
It’s a deep dish recipe. It fills up 2 regular crusts.
Joanne says
Excellent recipe! However, I don’t have time to make the crust from scratch, so high quality store bought is what I used the 2nd time an it still came out great,! I also use a little less sugar (personal taste preference).
Thank you Chef!
Chef Dennis Littley says
There is nothing wrong with using a premade crust, I do it from time to time. I’m glad you enjoyed the custard pie and were able to cut back the sugar to your taste preference.
Rosina Milhollin says
I bought the Graham crackers crust and for my personal preference I like the taste and the slight crunchyness. Tbh, I bought it by mistake and honestly it was a very good mistake. My husband even loves it more.
Chef Dennis Littley says
Graham cracker crust works well this pie, and honestly I prefer too. Thanks for letting me know you enjoyed the pie!
Susan Sherbert says
Deeeeelllllliiiiissssshhhhhh!
Thank you for sharing!
Only problem. My dish was too small. Making myself a note to use bigger pie plate!!!.,
Chef Dennis Littley says
You are very welcome and needing a bigger pie plate is a good problem to have, because it means you’ll have more pie!
Shelly says
Thanks for the recipe. Will this be just as good without heavy cream? Do I need to add butter
Chef Dennis Littley says
It will still be good, just not as rich. No need to add butter.
Linda says
Can I use gluten free flour for this pie crust such as King Arthur’s one to one?
Chef Dennis Littley says
I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. I’ve had success using cup-for-cuo before, I just haven’t trie it on this recipe.
Holly says
I was craving egg pie and decided to make one for the first time this Thanksgiving. This recipe is the best I’ve ever eaten. Perfectly sweet, creamy with a delicious crust. Thank you!
Chef Dennis Littley says
Thanks for letting me know you enjoyed my egg custard pie, its a family favorite!
Florence Williams says
Thank you Chef Dennis for the fantastic, easy to follow recipe of your Custard Pie, delicious.
Chef Dennis Littley says
Thanks for letting me know you enjoyed my custard pie, its a family favorite!
Kathy Black says
Can you replace heavy cream and milk with half and half?
Chef Dennis Littley says
Yes you can.
Florence Williams says
Excellent recipe Chef Dennis fot the custard tart. What benefit does the egg white brush on pastry do?
If you buy shortcrust pastry do you need too use egg white.
Chef Dennis Littley says
The egg white creates a water proof barrier and keeps the crust from getting soggy. You can certainly use a premade shortbread crust and if its prebaked, I wouldn’t use the egg whites.
Melanie says
Step 3 for the crust states ‘Add egg’, is this an error?
Chef Dennis Littley says
No that’s correct.
Mollie Williams says
Thank you so much for sharing . One of my favorite pies my mom always made for us growing up. Feels like home.
Chef Dennis Littley says
You’re welcome. I’m happy to hear the pie brought back good memories.
Lou Ann Kidd says
Just a question..is that just the egg white in the dough?? Gonna cook this today.
Chef Dennis Littley says
You use the egg white to brush the dough with before baking. It does not go in the dough.