Egg custard pie is a light-tasting, sweet treat. This is 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!
Make this easy egg custard pie in about an hour.
Home 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.
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.
Other homemade pie recipes
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!
Other easy desserts
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📖 Recipe
⏲️ Egg Custard Pie
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 Eggs beaten
- ¾ cups Sugar
- ¼ tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 1 Egg white beaten for an egg wash
- 1 Pie shell pre-made
- 2 ½ cups Milk scalded
- ½ 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.
Velma Dailey
Egg custard pie is my favorite ever since I was a little girl and my grandmother used to make this pie I just thought about why I thought it would be more eggs than just three when making this come to think about it all eggs she was using she was making more than one pie haha just thought about that well feel like pie today on my way to the store
Dan from Platter Talk
Thanks for the lovely memories! Part of the magic of good food!
Dede
This is the first egg custard pie recipe that has turned out for me. I. too, added the leftover egg from the wash. THANK YOU!
Dan from Platter Talk
Thanks, Dede!!! Glad you loved this recipe. Please pass it on to your friends/family; any link sharing on social media is greatly appreciated!
Angela
Great full proof recipe .
Great texture and delicious.
Dan from Platter Talk
Hi Angela! So happy this pie turned out well for you; be sure and pass the link along to your friends on social media!
April J Harris
This looks absolutely delicious. My husband loves egg custard tarts from our favourite store, so I'm definitely going to give this a try! Pinning 🙂
Alisha Payne
My dad’s favorite pie! The only thing different I did was add that leftover yolk to the pie mixture, and it turned out great! Less waste that way especially with the price of eggs.
Dan from Platter Talk
Sounds wonderful, Alisha!
GiGiJen
Just made this pie… WOW… delicious!!! I doubled the recipe to make 2 pies.. so very tasty…
Dan from Platter Talk
GiGiJen; thanks so much for the nice comments! We're happy you enjoyed this recipe!
Georgina morrison
I’ve just made this using a shop bought pastry shell, I’ve got loads of egg mixture left over and no pastry shell so poured into a pie dish and hope it comes out ok.
Is it meant to have thickened, what’s the reason for the same amount left over.
Kristen
Is it necessary to use a pie crust for this recipe or can I pour the egg mixture in the pie dish without the crust?
Dan from Platter Talk
If you grease the pan, you may be able to make this without a crust.
Melissa
I used one cup almond milk, one cup coconut milk. I also added a pinch of cinnamon, and tried it with vanilla paste. I also had leftover, so I made two small custard dishes full. Added one additional egg, it came out amazing!
Joan Taylor
I haven’t eaten it yet but it is firm and looks good. I didn’t see your comments, after suggestions until it was in the oven but hopefully it is fine. I made my own pastry so was able to make small custard tarts with the left over liquid. I didn’t Blanche the milk, just cold.
Heather Hodge
I have some tips and changes to this recipe that I believe make it better...
•put crust in 350° oven for 5-7 mins after brushing on egg white.
•add rest of egg white and yolk to custard mixture.
•I brushed the egg white on the edge of crust also & baked pie at 375°. it was done in a little over 30 mins & the crust was not over baked.
• use 1/2 cup of sugar instead of 3/4. use 2 cups of milk instead of 2 1/2.
•even using a deep dish crust & decreasing the milk there was too much filling to fit, so I put the rest in a tiny custard dish and baked that alongside the pie..(got it out much earlier tho)
• don't bother measuring nutmeg.. just sprinkle to your liking
I've tried this recipe a few diff times, changing up things each time and I feel like it comes out best with the changes I mentioned.
Ray Ferose
Can I use 9inch pyrex dish instead of pie pan?
Dan from Platter Talk
Sure.
Bea
Definitely, you will like the pyrex better anyway !