This recipe for egg custard is a delicious and easy pie that's perfect for any holiday! It uses basic ingredients which makes a delicious, yet simple dessert, and only takes 35 minutes to bake.
Pie Crust: Let 1 refrigerated pie crust come to room temperature.
Prep Oven: Preheat oven to 350 degrees f.
Mix: In a mixing bowl, beat 3 eggs lightly. Add 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and 2 & 2/3 cups milk, and beat well.
Pie Crust Placement: Unroll pie crust and place in a 9-inch pie plate (glass pie plate recommended). Press sides and bottom so it fits nicely in to the pie plate. Try to make the pie crust even and form the rim of the pie crust "up" to almost create small sides so egg custard does not overflow.
Optional but recommended: take the whites of an egg, and put in a small bowl. Gently whisk with a fork. Using a basting brush, brush on the egg whites on to the pie crust. This will help prevent a soggy crust.
Pour: Pour egg custard batter in to pie crust. (See notes for tips on how to safely do this for best results.)
Bake: Bake for 35 minutes or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. NOTE: if the pie crust starts to burn, before custard is done, you can cover with aluminum foil to prevent burning. However, this isn't something we've had to do.
Cool: Let cool on a wire rack and chill in the refrigerator before serving.
Notes
What size pie crust do you use for an egg custard recipe?For this recipe, buying this type of pie crust is recommended (or the generic brand is ok too!) but the sizing works perfectly and is very easy to use. Most packages come with two pie crusts, however you'll only need to use one for this recipe.You will place one pie crust, in a 9-in pie plate, preferably glass but metal is ok too.TIP: To avoid spillage, here are tips for best results: Pouring the egg custard batter in to the pie crust can get messy if you pour and walk to the oven. (The batter is very thin so it can swoosh out if not careful.)
Place a rimmed cookie sheet on the bottom rack of the oven. (This will catch any spills or an accidental overage.)
Place just the pie crust/pie plate in the oven, on the middle rack.
Pull the middle rack toward you, just enough for the next step.
Pour egg custard batter in to a pitcher and pour the batter in to the crust while it's in the oven.
Carefully slide the oven rack back in to the oven, being careful not to splash the batter out of the pie shell.
Do you have to refrigerate egg custard pie? Yes. This egg custard recipe needs to be refrigerated. In fact, custard-based pies should not be left at room temperature for more than two hours. You can store this creamy pie in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. How do you keep a custard pie from getting watery? Custard pies may become watery if the eggs are not cooked all the way or evenly distributed over the mixture. To prevent this, make sure you beat your egg mixture very well and bake for as long as needed.