Pies & Tarts

Southern Egg Custard Pie

4.68 from 34 votes
My Egg Custard Pie recipe is a super creamy, delicious mixture of milk, sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, and a little salt — inside of a homemade pie crust!
Top-Down view of my Egg Custard Pie recipe.

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Hi Bold Bakers!

Simple egg custard pies are loved around the world, and plenty of different cuisines have their own version. And I love a good recipe that brings up happy memories for a lot of people! 

This old-fashioned, nostalgic creamy custard pie is made with very few ingredients you’ll likely already have in your kitchen, and if you don’t feel like making your own pie crust, you can always use store-bought. 

The flavor of my homemade egg custard pie is just perfect because of that simplicity. It’s not too sweet, it’s not dense, and the dash of freshly grated nutmeg makes it taste so comforting! 

This is an excellent recipe for a novice baker to try their hand at! Serve this egg custard pie with a hot cup of tea and some fresh berries!

A freshly baked Egg Custard Pie.

What Is Egg Custard Pie?

Traditional egg custard pie is essentially a pie crust filled with a super creamy, delicious mixture of milk, sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, and a little salt to help draw out all the wonderful flavors — and it’s loved very much so in the Southern U.S.. You can either make your own pie crust or use store-bought for this recipe. 

Egg custard pie tastes a little sweet, but its velvety texture is the real showstopper. 

What You Need To Make Egg Custard Pie

A slice of egg custard pie removed from the rest of the egg custard pie.

How To Make Egg Custard Pie

Making this recipe is a simple process, so it’s perfect for a baker wanting to build up some confidence in the kitchen! Plus, it’s so delicious and comforting! Here is how you make egg custard tart (and don’t forget to get the full recipe with measurements, on the page down below):

  1. Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).
  2. On a lightly floured surface, roll out your pie crust and then line a 9-inch (23cm) deep-dish pie tin with it. Pop this in the refrigerator while you make the filling. 
  3. Bring your milk to a boil and let it cool for 10 minutes.
  4. In a bowl, whisk together the sugar, eggs, vanilla, and salt. Then, whisk in the cooled milk. You want to be sure it isn’t HOT, so you don’t accidentally cook the eggs. 
  5. Pour the filling into the pie crust and generously grate fresh nutmeg over the top. 
  6. Bake in the preheated oven for 40-50 minutes, or until the middle just slightly jiggles when moved.
  7. Allow the tart to cool on a wire rack before cutting. You want to allow the custard to cool; otherwise, it will leak when cut. 

Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips For Making Egg Custard Pie

  • The custard filling is very runny. To prevent spillage in the oven, place the pie crust on a rimmed baking sheet before filling and bake on the sheet.
  • This tar is delicious with macerated strawberries! Slice 2 cups (10oz/284g) of fresh strawberries, stir in 3 tablespoons of sugar and let it sit for 20 minutes. The sugar will draw out some of the berries’ juice and give you a perfectly sweetened sauce! 

How Do I Store Egg Custard Pie?

You can store any leftover egg custard tart in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

A slice of egg custard pie topped with cream.

Make More Pie At Home!

And don’t forget to buy my Bigger Bolder Baking Cookbook!

Full (and printable) recipe below!

Southern Egg Custard Pie Recipe

4.68 from 34 votes
Prep time: 20 minutes Bake time: 40-50 minutes Yield: 8 servings
Author: Gemma Stafford
Prep time: 20 minutes Bake time: 40-50 minutes Yield: 8 servings
Author: Gemma Stafford

Ingredients

  • 1 pie crust
  • 2 ½ cups (20floz/565ml) whole milk
  • ¾ cup (6oz/170g) granulated sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground or freshly grated nutmeg

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
  • On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pie crust and line a 9-inch (23cm) deep-dish pie tin with it. Refrigerate while you make the filling.
  • Bring the milk to a boil and then let it cool for 10 minutes.
  • In a bowl, whisk the sugar, eggs, vanilla, and salt. Whisk in the cooled milk.
  • Pour the filling into the crust and generously sprinkle/grate over nutmeg.
  • Bake for 40-50 minutes, until just the middle slightly jiggles when moved.
  • Let cool on a wire rack, then cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
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Glenda Lasbury
Glenda Lasbury
2 years ago

I have a precooked pie crust, how do I cook the pie with egg custard in. ty

tracy van eijk
tracy van eijk
3 years ago

oh em gee heaven def going to try this I love custard pie

CodyPuppy7
CodyPuppy7
1 month ago

I can’t understand why this is termed a “southern custard pie.”
Although I live in the USA, I was born in and grew up in the North of England and my Mum made this Custard Tart every week, along with an host of other pies and cakes! And in any case, it is far more likely that the original hails from Yorkshire!🤗

Renee stewart
Renee stewart
2 years ago

I’ve never scalded the milk before prepping my custard pie. What is the reason for this step?

Jenifer
Jenifer
2 years ago

I was Wondering if it was possible to add some cocoa powder or chocolate chips to this to make it a chocolate custard pie or would it ruin it and if i did and it wont ruin the pie how much ?

Gudrun Kellam
Gudrun Kellam
2 years ago

Hi Gemma. I would love to make this pie. Can I use your 5-Minute Pie Crust (No-Roll Pie Crust Recipe) for this pie? Would the time in the oven change at all then? Thank you for making baking easy for us.

Shreeya Sawhney
Shreeya Sawhney
3 years ago

I’ve never had this before and it’s a little difficult to understand what it tastes like! Any help?

Wendy
Wendy
3 years ago

I tried this recipe for couple of times. 50 mins under 400f oven. It turned out that the center part sank once I took the pie out of the oven. I realized that the crust and custard was still kinda raw in the center but perfectly browned on the edge Should I blind bake the crust first?

Janice
Janice
3 years ago

Would using honey instead of sugar work in this recipe?

Sonia Hamilton
Sonia Hamilton
3 years ago

I just made this custard pie for dessert tonight, absolutely delicious ❣️ I will definitely make this again. Thank you Gemma,I can always trust you with food turning out good❣️

This Recipe Made By Bold Bakers

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About Us

Meet Gemma

About Us

Meet Gemma

Hi Bold Bakers! I’m Gemma Stafford, a professional chef originally from Ireland, a cookbook author, and the creator of Bigger Bolder Baking. I want to help you bake with confidence anytime, anywhere with my trusted and tested recipes and baking tips. You may have seen one of my 500+ videos on YouTube & TikTok or as a guest judge on Nailed It! on Netflix or the Best Baker in America on Food Network. No matter your skills, my Bold Baking Team & I want to be your #1 go-to baking authority.

 

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