Traditional Southern Egg Custard Pie
Egg Custard Pie is one of those traditional southern heritage recipes that I love so much. It may be made from plain, simple pantry ingredients but it’s so worth getting out the fine china to serve it. Who would think that a few eggs, some sugar, vanilla, and milk could conjure up such strong childhood memories!
We all have eggs, sugar, and milk on hand pretty much all the time, right? Well, let me show you how to take those simple pantry ingredients and turn them into something extra special! Once you taste this pie, you’ll find an excuse to serve it for everything from next Saturday’s brunch to Thanksgiving dinner.
According to some sources, the origins of egg custard pie date back at least to the middle ages. They say it was brought here by immigrants from Europe. It has lots of variations found all over the world. I’m just glad it got here whatever path it took.
Now, if you’re looking for a “mile high” type of pie that’s overly rich and extra sweet, then this pie is not for you. But if you want a luscious, creamy treat that is perfect after any meal, I have your recipe right here.
Old fashioned southern egg custard pie has the lovely flavor of whole milk and eggs and the perfume of a dusting of nutmeg but it is not overly sweet. If I had to choose my favorite pie, it would be difficult to pick between this one and coconut meringue, but I think the egg custard would win.
❤ Why We Love This Recipe
- You probably have all the ingredients on hand right now
- Both children and adults love it
- Familiar, old fashioned flavors
- Really easy to make
🛒 Ingredient Notes
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- Unbaked Pie Crust – You’ll want a regular pie crust, not a deep dish crust, for this recipe. If you have a favorite pie crust recipe, please use it. I prefer the refrigerated and frozen ones available in the grocery store. Pillsbury brand is always dependable for me.
- Whole Milk – Do not substitute lower fat milk for the recipe. If anything, go higher fat with half and half or cream.
- Ground Nutmeg – Make sure your nutmeg is fresh for best flavor.
You’ll find detailed measurements for all ingredients in the printable version of the recipe at the bottom of this post.
🔪How to Make Egg Custard Pie
Prepare the Pie Crust
- Start by preparing the pie crust. If using a frozen, crust thaw it at room temperature according to its package directions.
Now I won’t go into it all over again, but just suffice it to say that homemade pie crusts and I are not friends. We’re barely on speaking terms. Homemade pie crust loathes me and the feeling is pretty much mutual. So, I’ll start with a frozen crust that I’ve thawed.
- Prick the crust all over with the tines of a fork.
- Very lightly beat an egg white and brush it all over the unbaked crust. The egg white will help keep the crust from becoming soggy.
- Set the crust aside.
👉 PRO TIP: I always think this pie is best baked in a regular shallow crust instead of a deep dish. It just seems more old-fashioned and that fits perfectly with this type of pie.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Make the Custard
- In a medium bowl, add the beaten eggs and egg yolk, the sugar, salt, and vanilla.
- Mix those together a little and then whisk in the milk.
- Put the prepared crust on a baking sheet.
- Then pour the egg mixture into the crust.
👉 PRO TIP: You will probably have a bit left over just like I did. I always add the extra egg mixture to two little custard cups. It makes a couple of delicious little treats for the cook :-)
- Lightly dust the top of the pie and custard cups with nutmeg.
Bake the Pie
- Carefully place the baking tray into the oven and let the pie cook for 30 to 35 minutes.
👉 PRO TIP: Check to see if your pie is ready by inserting a knife near the center. If it comes out clean, you’re all set.
- Remove the pie (and custard cups if you used them) to a cooling rack.
- Serve warm or at room temperature and refrigerate any leftovers.
🍽 How to Serve
Occasionally I serve a spoonful of very lightly sweetened whipped cream alongside my Egg Custard Pie, but I think it’s really perfect all by itself.
❗ Recipe Tips
Most older recipes instruct you to scald the milk before adding it to the eggs. That’s not really necessary. However, the eggs should be at room temperature.
🔀 Variations
- Half and half or cream can be used in place of the whole milk.
❓ Questions About Egg Custard Pie
Just like any recipe containing eggs or dairy, this pie should be refrigerated as soon as it cools to room temperature. Cover the pie with plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator for up to three days.
It’s not necessary to pre-bake the crust. If you follow my instructions for brushing the pie shell with egg white before baking that will prevent it from getting soggy.
To test whether the pie is done, gently insert a thin knife near the center of the pie. If the knife comes out clean with no liquid clinging to it, then the pie is done. It will firm up slightly as it cools.
🧾 More Recipes You’ll Like
- Old Fashioned Homemade Chocolate Meringue Pie
- Classic Lemon Meringue Pie
- Fresh Strawberry Pie
- Skillet Pineapple Upside Down Cake
- No-Bake Banana Fudge Pie
- Pecan Cheesecake Pie
- Vintage Hot Fudge Pie
- Baked Apple Hand Pies
- Heavenly Peach Pie
- Fresh Strawberry Pie with Chocolate Cookie Crust
HAVE YOU TRIED THIS RECIPE?
I’d LOVE to know what you thought!
Leave a rating below in the comments and let me know how you liked it!
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📖 Recipe
Egg Custard Pie
Ingredients
- 1 9-inch unbaked pie crust
- 1 egg white lightly beaten
- 3 whole eggs plus one egg yolk beaten
- ¾ cup sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups whole milk
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Instructions
- If using a frozen pie crust, allow it to thaw at room temperature according to its package directions.
- Prick the crust all over with the tines of a fork.
- Brush thoroughly with beaten egg white. This helps prevent the crust from becoming soggy.
- Set the crust aside.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- In a medium bowl, add the beaten eggs, sugar, salt, and vanilla. Beat together.
- Using a wire whisk, add the milk.
- Place the prepared pie crust on a baking sheet.
- Pour the egg and milk mixture into the pie crust filling baking cups with any excess mixture.
- Sprinkle the top with nutmeg.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack.
- May be served either cold or at room temperature.
Notes
- Most older recipes instruct you to scald the milk before adding it to the eggs. That’s not really necessary. However, the eggs should be at room temperature.
- Half and half or cream can be used in place of the whole milk.
- Just like any recipe containing eggs or dairy, this pie should be refrigerated as soon as it cools to room temperature. Cover the pie with plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator for up to three days.
- To test whether the pie is done, gently insert a thin knife near the center of the pie. If the knife comes out clean with no liquid clinging to it, then the pie is done. It will firm up slightly as it cools.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated by software based on the ingredients in each recipe. It is an estimate only and is provided for informational purposes. You should consult your health care provider or a registered dietitian if precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.
— This post was originally published on October 17, 2011. It has been updated with additional information.
Love your pie
I am looking for a recipe for crustless egg custard pie. Do you happen to know of a recipe.
Thanks, Vicky
Hi Vicky – I’ve never made a crustless egg custard pie so I did a quick Google search and it turned up over 22,000 recipes for that! However, I can’t vouch for any of them. Good luck finding just the right recipe!
I made this pie today, and it is delicious. I remember my great-grandmother making custard pies in her wood-burning stove. Luckily, mine is electric, but the pie tastes just like hers did. Some egg custard pies are too watery, but your recipe is perfect. Thanks for sharing!
I grew up on egg custard! I loved it and no one’s made it in ages! It’s weird how as a society we cycle through food like fashions. I must make egg custard this year!
A wonderful tip about skipping the scalding…makes it a much easier dessert to whip up!
I am all for taking shortcuts that make sense, and skipping the scalding to make the custard makes so much sense that it’s hard to argue against NOT making this amazing looking pie!!
And another thing that skipping the scalding does is that you never risk getting that scrambled egg taste in the cooked custard. It’s a win-win for me :-)
Three words: yum, yum, yum :)
I’m loving your heritage recipes! Good ‘ole southern food speaks to my roots – and my tummy :) Keep ’em comin’.
Love the recipe but I don’t see a oven temp. I made it today at 400 I hope it comes out okay. We’ll see after dinner. :)
Yes! That’s correct, Lillian. Thanks for pointing it out. I’ll correct the post for the oven temp.
that pie is SHOUTING for me :)
Hi Lana,
The pie looks amazing! Can 2% milk be used and get the same effect as whole milk?
Shunti – It would probably be close. However, you don’t get the *exact* same result with 2% since the fat content is lower.
YUM. This topped with fresh berries and I’d be in heaven!
I think blackberries would be especially lovely with this pie :-)
Thanks for this, been looking for a long time to find a recipe like this. I don’t mind even if it’s not “Southern heritage” it looks great. Can’t wait to give it a try this weekend.
Hope you enjoy it, Sarah.
I bet this is delicious and not too sweet (my preference)….there is nothing like whole milk in a recipe, sometimes reduced fat just won’t cut it!
You’re so right! Sometimes you just have to use the whole milk to get the smoothest, richest result.
I absolutely adore custards of all sorts. You got it down to a science here Lana. BTW you are my kind of alady I don’t lik emy desserts too sweet either!
I think that’s the reason that I really don’t eat desserts that often – I don’t like anything too sweet. This pie has such a mild, slightly sweet taste so it’s one that I do enjoy.
This looks beautiful! reminds me of a pie my grandma used to make.
I never had an egg custard pie before…but I’m with Jessica. Yours I want to try! This looks fabulous, Lana. Creamy and dreamy:)
Lana, my maternal grandmother dressed this up a bit and it was my favorite dessert. She called it a three story pie. She put stewed dried apples in the bottom of the pie plate, then poured egg custard over that and baked it. Finally, she added a meringue on top for the third story! Oh, my that was southern Alabama and just delicious!
That’s a new one on me, Glinda! But it sure does sound interesting. Never heard of three-story pie before.
sounds terrific! great post as always
This looks really delicious!