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It’s a Southern favorite and easy dessert recipe that’s incredibly comforting. This rich and creamy egg custard pie offers vanilla and pumpkin pie spice flavors and a smooth, creamy texture. Eggs are the main ingredient and you also need a pie crust, cream, sugar, salt, and the vanilla and pie spices. This is an old-fashioned dessert that’s been around seemingly forever! It’s great for potlucks and family dinners and the holidays just wouldn’t be complete with it. So, if you want to make a nostalgic dessert, you can’t go wrong with this iconic egg custard pie recipe.
Creamy homemade egg custard fills a pie crust to make this gorgeous custard pie which is flavored with aromatic vanilla and warm pumpkin pie spice.
Do you love trying out new pie recipes? You might also like mini pumpkin pies, sweet Italian ricotta pie, or this Baileys no-bake pie.
Why You’ll Love It
Easy to make: Using a readymade pie crust makes this a simple recipe, and you only need 6 other ingredients to make it.
Tastes really good: The rich and creamy filling is flavored with pumpkin pie spice and vanilla for an exquisite flavor.
You can make it ahead: Working on a variety of dishes for dinner? You can make egg custard pies a day in advance if you need to.
Custard Pie Recipe Ingredients
A complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Pie crust: Use a store bought pie crust or make your own, as you prefer.
Eggs: You can’t make this classic pie without them!
Half & Half: You can use a combination of whole milk and heavy cream if you’re out of Half & Half.
Sugar: For sweetness.
Vanilla extract: A classic custard flavoring.
Pumpkin pie spice: For that wonderful fall-inspired flavor. Nutmeg is the traditional spice, so an option too.
Salt: Just a pinch. This makes the sweet flavors pop.
How to Make Old Fashioned Egg Custard Pie
For more detailed instructions with weights and measurements, jump to the printable recipe card.
Prepare the pie crust: Roll out the pie crust on a lightly floured surface and press it into a pie pan, trimming and crimping the edges as needed.
Make the custard filling: Whisk the eggs well in a large bowl and then whisk in the sugar followed by the remaining ingredients. Pour the filling into the pie crust.
Bake the egg custard pie: Bake the pie until the filling is set but still a little jiggly in the center.
Chill the pie: Let the custard pie cool completely on a wire rack and then chill it for a couple of hours before slicing and serving.
Substitutions and Variations
Gluten-free option: If you want a gluten-free version, use gluten-free refrigerated pie crust or a GF pie crust mix.
Granulated sugar: You can swap the white sugar for brown sugar for a slightly different flavor.
Vanilla extract: Swap aromatic vanilla extract for almond extract or maple extract.
Pumpkin pie spice: Substitute ground cinnamon or freshly ground nutmeg instead.
Homemade crust: You can make your own pie crust if you like.
Serving Suggestions
As a sweet snack: Enjoy a slice of this custard pie with a Dalgona coffee or cinnamon dolce latte.
After your holiday meal: It’s delicious served after a meal of smoked turkey breast, green beans, ranch bacon potatoes, and cranberry fluff!
For dessert: Pair the egg custard pie with some fresh berries, whipped cream or both.
How to Store Egg Custard Pie
Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container or covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator and eat within 3 days.
Freeze: You can freeze custard pie in an airtight container or in plastic wrap and then foil for up to 2 months.
Thaw: Defrost it in the refrigerator overnight.
Top Tips
The best pie pan: You need a 9-inch pie dish make this recipe. It also needs to be quite a deep dish, not a flat pie plate (as the crust has to contain the runny custard mixture).
Combining the ingredients: Make sure the eggs are well beaten before adding the sugar and then mix that well before adding the remaining ingredients, in order to ensure your filling comes out smooth and even.
Let it cool: It’s important to let the pie cool on a wire rack and then sit in the fridge for at least 2 hours to get the texture perfect.
Egg Custard Pie Recipe FAQs
There’s no need to blind bake the pie crust for this recipe. The custard bakes slowly in the oven, which allows the crust to cook fully without the need for blind baking. However, if you prefer a crisper bottom crust, you can partially prebake it for about 10 minutes before adding the filling.
I love these deep 9-inch ceramic pie dishes. You get 2 in the set (so you could make a chocolate chunk pecan pie too!)
It might have been overbaked or undermixed. Custards should be baked gently at a lower oven temperature to prevent curdling. Be sure to watch for that slight jiggle in the center as your indicator that it’s done. You’ll know the custard is set when the edges are firm, but the center still has a slight jiggle when gently shaken. The pie will continue to firm up as it cools, so don’t worry if it doesn’t seem fully solid in the oven. You can also insert a knife into the center, and if it comes out clean, the pie is done.
If the eggs aren’t mixed properly, the custard can have an uneven texture with pockets of egg whites or yolks that don’t blend well with the other ingredients. This can cause the pie to bake unevenly, resulting in a lumpy or curdled texture instead of a smooth, creamy consistency.
Old Fashioned Egg Custard Pie Recipe
Egg Custard Pie
Ingredients
- 1 pie crust, unbaked
- 6 eggs, large
- 3 Cups Half & Half
- ¾ Cup granulated sugar
- 2 Teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ Teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ¼ Teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F.
- Roll out the pie crust on a lightly floured surface and press it into a 9-inch deep dish pie pan, trimming and crimping the edges as desired. Set it aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs until very well beaten.
- Add the sugar and keep whisking until smooth.
- Slowly whisk in the Half & Half, vanilla extract, pumpkin pie spice, and salt, ensuring everything is fully combined.
- Pour the custard mixture into the prepared pie crust and place in the oven.
- Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until the custard is set but still has a slight jiggle in the center.
- Remove the pie from the oven and let it cool completely on a wire rack at room temperature.
- Once cooled, refrigerate the pie for at least 2 hours before slicing and serving.
Notes
Combining the ingredients: Make sure the eggs are well beaten before adding the sugar and then mix that well before adding the remaining ingredients, in order to ensure your filling comes out smooth and even.
Let it cool: It’s important to let the pie cool on a wire rack and then sit in the fridge for at least 2 hours to get the texture perfect.
Nutrition
Enjoy a slice of this old fashioned egg custard pie and reminisce about those nostalgic and classic egg custard flavors. The pie filling is rich and creamy, spiked with vanilla extract and pumpkin pie spice for a fantastic flavor. It’s easy to whip up and might end up becoming one of your family’s favorite desserts.
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Bella Bucchiotti
Bella Bucchiotti is a Canadian-based syndicated food, travel, and lifestyle writer, photographer, and creator at xoxoBella. She founded xoxoBella in 2015, where she shares her love for food, dogs, sustainability, fitness, crafts, outdoor adventures, travel, and philanthropy to encourage others to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places, and stand for a cause. Bella creates stress-free and family-friendly recipes for weeknight dinners and festive feasts.
Made the egg custard pie for a family dinner, and it was like a warm, cozy hug! Smooth, creamy, and that vanilla spice flavor is just perfect.