Christmas Eve Custard Pie (Printable)

Velvety custard with cinnamon and vanilla in a baked crust, chilled until set. Festive finish for holiday meals.

# Ingredient List:

→ Pie Crust

01 - 1 unbaked 9-inch pie crust

→ Custard Filling

02 - 1 cup whole milk
03 - 1 cup heavy cream
04 - 3 large eggs
05 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
06 - 2 tablespoons cornstarch
07 - 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
08 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
09 - 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

→ Topping

10 - 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
11 - Powdered sugar for dusting (optional)

# Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Arrange unbaked 9-inch pie crust in pie pan, crimp or trim edges as desired.
02 - In medium saucepan, combine whole milk and heavy cream. Heat gently over medium heat until steaming, without boiling. Remove from heat.
03 - In mixing bowl, whisk eggs, granulated sugar, cornstarch, vanilla extract, ground cinnamon, and sea salt until mixture is smooth.
04 - Gradually pour warm dairy mixture into egg mixture while whisking constantly to prevent curdling.
05 - Pass custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl to achieve a silky consistency.
06 - Pour strained custard filling evenly into prepared pie crust.
07 - Bake at 350°F for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the center is set but slightly wobbly. Shield crust edges with foil if browning too quickly.
08 - Transfer pie to wire rack and allow to cool. Custard will firm as it cools.
09 - Sprinkle surface with ground cinnamon; dust with powdered sugar if desired before serving.
10 - Refrigerate pie for a minimum of 2 hours prior to slicing and serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The custard sets up incredibly silky, and the cinnamon-vanilla aroma feels like a hug on a cold night.
  • It’s fuss-free but always gets festive oohs and ahhs—you can make it ahead and use any crust you like.
02 -
  • If you try to cut the pie before it’s completely cool, the custard will ooze everywhere—we learned this the messy way.
  • Straining the custard mix before baking makes all the difference for that impossibly smooth slice.
03 -
  • Let all ingredients come to room temperature for the smoothest blend.
  • A pie shield (or foil tent) prevents the crust from turning too dark while the custard bakes gently underneath.

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