This sweet custard pie has the most delicious, smooth custard filling that goes perfectly with the flaky, buttery pie crust. It’s great for any occasion and only takes about 15 minutes to make.
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Pin RecipeI often compare my custard pie to a creme brulee. The custard has a similar texture and the slightly crunchy, brown sugar on top reminds me of the caramelized sugar on creme brulee. But my custard pie is much easier to make than a fancy creme brulee. One recipe also makes 8 perfect slices, so you can whip up this pie for your next party.
(Love pie recipes? I have so many to try! Check out my Blueberry Pie, Coconut Cream Pie, and Classic French Silk Pie.)
Custard Pie Recipe
My custard pie recipe starts with a par-baked pie crust. I love homemade pie crust, but I very often use a frozen pie crust from my local grocery store. It just makes this whole recipe a lot faster and it still tastes great.
The custard filling ingredients are simply whisked together in a pot and cooked for a few minutes until thick and creamy. The filling is spread into the pie crust, then a cinnamon sugar mixture is spread on top of the custard. The pie bakes for just a few minutes, sealing the custard, crust, and topping together.
I like to chill my custard pie and eat it cold with a little whipped cream. My kids actually like custard pie when it is warm so, to each their own! This pie really is tasty no matter how you serve it.
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Custard Pie Ingredients
See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
- Pie crust – I have made this pie using my homemade pie crust recipe and also with a store-bought crust. Both options work well so you can choose whichever type of crust you prefer!
- Sugar
- Cornstarch – Cornstarch is used to thicken the filling. Be sure to whisk the sugar and cornstarch together to prevent the cornstarch from clumping as it cooks. This is an important step!
- Salt
- Butter – I use unsalted butter in this recipe for both the pie filling and topping.
- Vanilla
- Heavy cream – Don’t try to use half-and-half or whole milk. You really need heavy cream for this recipe to work!
- Cinnamon
Variations
Here are a few ingredient substitutions and alterations you can try that will work well.
- Use brown sugar in place of regular sugar for the topping to add a delicious caramel flavor to the pie.
- Replace the vanilla extract with almond extract to make a simple almond custard pie.
- Skip the crust and pour the pie filling directly into a clean pie dish. This is an easy way to make a delicious custard. Scoop the custard into bowls after it has baked and enjoy!
How to Make Custard Pie
- Prepare: Preheat the oven to 350ºF and place the oven rack in the center of the oven.
- Make the crust: Place your homemade pie crust in a pie pan or take out your frozen crust to thaw. Fill the pie crust with pie weights, then par bake the crust in the oven. When par-baked, the crust will start to look flaky, but still be quite pale. You do not want it to brown just yet! Remove the pie weights from the crust and set it aside for now.
- Make the filling: Whisk the sugar, salt, and cornstarch together first, then add in the melted butter and heavy cream. Cook the filling over medium-high heat, whisking constantly for about 5 minutes. The filling will be thick and smooth. Stir in the vanilla, then pour the filling into the pie crust.
- Make the topping: Stir the sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter together in a small bowl. Spread the filling over the custard pie.
- Bake: Bake the pie for 25 minutes. The center of the pie will be set and no longer look liquidy when you shake it.
- Broil: Place the pie under a broiler for one minute to caramelize the topping. It will brown quickly, so be sure to take it out after just a minute!
- Chill: Let the pie chill in the fridge for at least an hour. This will help make it easier to slice and it tastes delicious when cold.
Quick Tip
Double the filling portion of the custard pie recipe if you have a deep dish pie pan. This recipe is perfect for a standard pie dish but, if you happen to only have a deep dish pan, it is a good idea to make extra filling so the pie is nice and thick. You will also need to bake the pie a little longer before the center is set. It takes about 30 minutes for a deep dish, double-filling pie to set in the oven.
How to Store Custard Pie
Custard pie should be kept in the fridge, loosely covered with plastic wrap. It will stay fresh for about 3-4 days. I do not recommend freezing this custard pie as the texture is not quite the same after freezing and thawing. It tends to separate and become runny. Best to eat this pie when nice and fresh!
FAQS
Most custard pies have a baked filling and cream pie is not baked, but chilled instead.
This custard pie is thickened with cornstarch. Many recipes use eggs to thicken the filling, but there are no eggs in this pie! My egg-free custard pie uses only cornstarch and heat from the oven to get thick.
I par-bake my pie crust to prevent it from getting soggy. Baking the crust a little bit before adding the filling will help the crust stay flaky. I also just try to eat this pie soon after baking. The longer the filling sits in the crust, the soggier it will get. Luckily, eating custard pie quickly isn’t much of a problem!
More Delicious Pie Recipes
Custard Pie
Ingredients
- 1 pie crust, frozen or homemade
Pie Filling
- ¾ cup sugar
- 4 tablespoon cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons melted butter
- 2 ¼ cup heavy cream
- 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
Topping
- 4 tablespoons melted butter
- ¼ cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F.
- Roll out your pie crust to a 13” circle then place it into a deep 9” pie pan, pressing the crust into the sides and bottom of the pan. Crimp the edges of the pie crust.
- Place pie weights in the bottom of the pie crust then bake the pie crust for 10 minutes. The crust will not be fully baked, just par-baked.
- Remove the pie weights from the crust and set aside.
- Make the pie filling. Add the sugar, salt, and cornstarch to a medium sized pot and whisk together.
- Add the melted butter and heavy cream to the pot and whisk. Heat the mixture over medium-high heat, whisking constantly until it becomes thick and creamy (about 5 minutes). Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla.
- Pour the filling into the pie crust and spread it so it is flat and even.
- To make the topping, mix the sugar and cinnamon together. Drizzle the melted butter over the top of the pie then sprinkle the cinnamon sugar over the top of the pie.
- Bake the pie for 25 minutes. The pie will look set in the center and not jiggle too much when wiggled.
- Keep the pie in the oven and turn on your oven broiler. Broil the pie for 1 minute, browning the top quickly. Watch the pie closely as it broils as it can burn quickly. You want it to be deep golden brown, not black!
- Remove the pie from the oven and let it cool at room temperature for about an hour. Then, place the pie in the fridge to chill and set for at least an hour. Slice and serve!
