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Easy Custard Pie Recipe With a Perfect Flaky Crust

Easy Custard Pie With a Classic Flaky Crust

A smooth American egg-custard pie baked in a buttery, flaky homemade crust and finished with freshly grated nutmeg. This recipe yields one 9-inch pie, or about eight servings.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 3 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Crust
  • 1 1/4 cups (150 g) All-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon Salt
  • 1/2 cup (113 g) Cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
  • 3 to 4 tablespoons Ice water
Custard Filling
  • 4 Large eggs
  • 3/4 cup (150 g) Granulated sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon Salt
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
  • 2 1/2 cups (600 ml) Whole milk
  • 1/4 teaspoon Freshly grated nutmeg, plus more for topping

Method
 

Step-by-Step
  1. Whisk the flour and salt together. Cut in the cold butter until coarse crumbs form with some pea-sized pieces remaining.
  2. Add ice water 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing gently just until the dough holds together. Shape it into a disk, wrap it, and chill for about 30 minutes.
  3. Roll the dough into an approximately 12-inch circle and fit it into a 9-inch pie plate. Crimp the edges and chill the shaped crust again while preparing the filling.
  4. Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Whisk the eggs, sugar, salt, vanilla, whole milk, and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg until smooth, taking care not to whip in excessive air.
  5. Strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve for the smoothest texture, then pour it into the chilled unbaked crust. Sprinkle additional nutmeg over the top.
  6. Bake at 400°F for 10 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (175°C) and bake for another 35 to 45 minutes, until the edges are set and the center still has a slight jiggle.
  7. Cool the pie completely on a rack for at least 2 hours before slicing. Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container.

Notes

Keep the butter, water, and dough cold for a flaky crust. Do not overbake; the center should remain slightly wobbly when the pie comes out of the oven, since it will continue setting as it cools.