Egg Custard Pie
on Jul 15, 2020, Updated Apr 28, 2021
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Egg custard pie is a light-tasting, sweet treat. This is an ideal summer dessert because it isn’t too heavy while still adding a nice finish to any meal. Or as a little afternoon delight. At just 244 calories per slice, this easy dessert recipe isn’t going to put you over the top!
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Make this easy egg custard pie in about an hour.
Table of Contents
Homemade pie recipes have always been cIose to my heart. I first fell in love with custard pies when my sister-in-law Carol (aka “The Pie Queen”) started making her raspberry custard pie.
But it doesn’t stop there! I love all sorts of pies. A couple of my many favorite pie recipes include this Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie and Shoo Fly Pie, which I practically consider to be a blood relative of mine.
Today’s recipe is a base for all of those wonderful berries desserts that Carol makes. The beauty of this egg pie is that it stands firmly (no pun intended), by itself. It just may be the best thing I’ve tasted since sliced bread!
🥧 What is it?
Remember hearing that simple is best? This dessert proves that point. This is a simple, old-fashioned, no-frills dessert recipe.
You can serve it by itself or top it with
- Vanilla ice cream
- Homemade whipped cream
- Sliced peaches
- Fresh berries
- Nutmeg
It’s perfect for company or for a major holiday meal, like Thanksgiving dinner. The bottom line: This easy homemade pie tastes great any day of the year.
🥘 What’s in it?
The shortlist of ingredients is part of what makes this recipe so appealing.
- Eggs
- Sugar
- Vanilla
- Nutmeg
- Salt
- Egg white
- Pie crust
🥣 How to make it
Start by gathering your ingredients. To save some time, you can always use a store-bought crust. If you want to learn how to make a pie crust, we are more than happy to show you the way!
Pro Baking Tip – Always use eggs at room temperature when baking. This will help your recipe to bake evenly. Here is a great trick for how to bring eggs to room temperature quickly.
- Combine eggs, sugar, salt, and, vanilla into a large mixing bowl.
- Add the scalded milk to the rest of the ingredients, after it has cooled.
- Be sure the milk is cooled before adding it, so you don’t end up with scrambled eggs!
- Scalding the milk is optional, see FAQ below.
- Whisk it all together.
- Use a pastry brush and coat the inside of the pie crust with the egg white.
- Pour the filling into the crust.
- Use a fine-mesh strainer to top the pie filling with the ground nutmeg.
If you’re new at making homemade pies, this is a great recipe to get you started!
Once you have everything put together, you’ll bake it for 40-50 minutes at 400°F, until it is set.
💭 Common questions
How do you know when an egg custard pie is done?
This is done baking when the edges are firm but the center gently jiggles when you gently shake the pan. Don’t over-bake!
Do egg custard pies need to be refrigerated?
Any recipe that contains eggs or dairy should be refrigerated as soon as it is cooled to room temperature.
- Seal it with kitchen wrap
- Refrigerate it for up to two days
Can I use evaporated milk?
For a smooth and creamy texture, you can substitute regular milk for any of the following.
- Evaporated milk
- Sweetened condensed milk
- Half and half
- Cream
Pro Cooking Tip: It is not necessary to scald any of these before adding it to the eggs. Warming them, to at least room temperature or above, will enhance the baking process!
Why is scalded milk used in some recipes?
Back in the days before pasteurization, milk was scalded to help eliminate any nasty bacteria that may have been in the milk. Even though today’s milk is pasteurized, scalding milk before baking with it can add some nice touches to your recipe.
- Milk is a great way to infuse flavor and can help incorporate things like vanilla beans, cinnamon, mint leaves, and many other common baking ingredients.
- Scaling milk first will help butter melt and yeast to rise in some recipes like homemade bread.
Do I have to par-bake the crust before filling?
You don’t have to par-bake the crust for this egg custard pie. Brushing the pie shell before baking will help to keep it from getting soggy.
If you like this dessert recipe, you’ll love our Old-Fashioned Butter Tarts as well!
I grew eating this type of dessert, and I’m afraid my waistline shows it. Still, I wouldn’t change a thing. My Mennonite Mom could whip up this egg custard pie like it was nobody’s business all the while juggling an armful of other tasks.
A good homemade pie always takes me back to those magical days of growing up on the farm and knowing first-hand the meaning of real food.
I hope you’ll give this easy dessert recipe a try, and be sure and let us know how you like it! Leaving a comment below is one way we know that you’re reading our recipes. It’s almost as good as seeing the smile on your face after tasting this pie. Thanks for reading Platter Talk, it means the world to us!
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⏲️ Egg Custard Pie
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 Eggs, beaten
- 3/4 cups Sugar
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 1 Egg white, beaten for an egg wash
- 1 Pie shell, pre-made
- 2 1/2 cups Milk, scalded
- 1/2 tsp Nutmeg
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400° F. Combine the egg, sugar, salt, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Pour the milk in with the other ingredients and whisk to combine. If using scalded milk, be sure it has cooled before adding.
- Use a pastry brush to coat the inside of the pie shell with the egg wash. pour the filling into the prepared shell and sprinkle the nutmeg on top, using a fine-mesh strainer
- Bake for 40 to 50 minutes until the edges of the pie are firm and the center jiggles a bit Allow to cool on a cooling rack and then refrigerate before serving.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Can you use splenda instead of real sugar? I have a diabetic person in the family.
Great question—and you’re not alone in wondering about sugar substitutes for classic desserts like this!
Yes, you can use Splenda (or another sucralose-based sweetener) in place of regular sugar for this egg custard pie. A 1:1 substitution usually works well in custards, but keep a couple of things in mind:
Texture: The pie may be slightly less silky since sugar helps with structure and moisture.
Sweetness level: Splenda can sometimes taste a bit sweeter than sugar, so feel free to start with a little less and adjust to taste.
Browning: The top might not brown as deeply because Splenda doesn’t caramelize like real sugar.
For best results, make sure you’re using the granulated form of Splenda, not the packets. And always check with your family member’s care provider if you’re unsure about sugar substitutes in recipes.
Let us know how it turns out—wishing your whole family a sweet (and safe) slice! 🥧
I tried to get the recipe for crusty bread, and keep getting a custard pie (which also looks good). Can you send the crusty bread recipe?
Hi Janice, I’m sorry you’re having a hard time finding our crusty bread recipe, this link should get you there: https://urls.grow.me/kazpVRBYd
I’m not sure what some of these comments are about. This is the best custard pie recipe! I have used it many times. In fact, my MIL now leaves the custard to me because she says it’s better than her mother’s recipe. I always get a laugh out of people changing up the recipe and then blaming the creator for how awful it turned out. This pie is amazing! Thank you for the recipe!
Thank YOU!