Easy Egg Pie Recipe (Custard Pie) (2024)

FAQs

Should you prebake pie crust for custard pie? ›

Think of it this way: poor pie dough wouldn't stand a chance (aka be a soggy mess) with a custard filling if we don't give it a head start. Hence why we pre-bake, because custard pies are too delicious to have soggy bottoms.

Combine sugar, milk, melted butter, flour, vanilla, and nutmeg in a large bowl; mix well. Beat in eggs until well blended. Pour filling into partially baked pie shell. Bake in the preheated oven until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, 45 to 55 minutes.

Why does my egg custard pie taste like scrambled eggs? Overbaked custard can lead to an eggy flavor and rubbery consistency. Make sure to bake the custard pie until slightly jiggly in the center.

Prebake your crust

Prebaking provides insurance against soggy bottoms during a low and slow bake, which custard pies demand.” A preheated baking stone helps your pies brown on the bottom.

Many custard recipes/formulas use cornstarch as the thickening agent. The amount of liquid a starch grain can attract (absorb) and how concentrated the starch grains are in the liquid affect the thickness of the final product.

Wet pie fillings + raw dough are a tricky combination. If the bottom crust doesn't set before the filling soaks in, it's going to be gummy. A metal pie pan placed on a preheated surface will set the bottom crust quickest; once cooked, the liquids from the filling above won't soak in, and as a result: no soggy bottom.

Using a Thickening Agent

For 1 cup (240 mL) of custard, use 2 tablespoons (17 g) of flour mixed with 4 tablespoons (59 mL) of cold water. Add the mixture into your custard ingredients as they cook on the stove. Use cornstarch as an alternative to flour. Cornstarch, like flour, requires cold water as a mixing agent.

A few days ago, I was asked, "What's the difference between chess and custard pies?" My answer: Chess pies, of which there are many flavors, belong to the custard pie family and are therefore just a custard pie by a different name.

While most custard and pudding recipes both typically call for eggs, the main difference is that pudding uses a starch for thickening, whereas custard's thickening agent is the egg itself (or egg yolk, in most instances). Custard's texture also tends to be firmer than pudding.

How to avoid scrambling eggs in custard? ›

Add the milk in 1/2-cup increments to bring the temperature of the eggs up gradually while whisking. Tip: Whisking the eggs with sugar helps, too. Now you can add the tempered eggs to the hot milk without worrying that the eggs will curdle or scramble. Keep stirring over medium heat as the custard thickens.

Ultimately, the amount of jiggle is the most universal rule in judging the doneness of a non-crusty crusted custard pie. Unfortunately, it is also the most difficult to describe without being able to show in person. A majority of chess pies will be done they have a slight jiggly tremble to them.

In general, egg-based puddings and custards can curdle if cooked beyond 185°F / 85°C, unless a thickening starch is included.

There are a few instances, actually. You need a par-baked or fully baked crust if you're making quiche, no-bake pie, custard pie, cream pie, pudding pie, or simply want an extra-crisp pie crust. If you're making a pie that doesn't require a baked filling, you still need a baked crust.

Recipes for most tarts, pies, and quiches call for pre-baking to ensure that the final product doesn't end up soggy. Pre-baking also prevents you from ending up with undercooked shells or undercooked fillings.

But the one surefire way to make certain your pie's crust will be golden brown, crisp, and delicious — just as appealing as its filling — is to prebake it. That's right: bake the bottom crust first, before adding the filling.

That would mean it isn't cooked enough. It is during the cooling process that the pie will be fully set up.