Baked Custard Recipe

An easy, Amish Baked Custard Recipe that will make you feel like you are at Grandma’s house again. Smooth & creamy, with just 6 ingredients.

My husband is extra-super in love with me right now. Comfort food is definitely one of his love languages and I’m hitting all the buttons lately. Homemade eggnog? He was in creamy Christmas heaven.

Now an old fashioned baked custard recipe?  This potentially ranked higher than that special eggnog.

A simple sweet custard recipe is one of those old-fashioned desserts that Matt grew up on. He remembers his grandma making a vanilla custard recipe, so my goal was to make an easy egg custard somewhat close to what his grandma’s used to be. Because we all know that Grandma’s food is the best food.

Why you’ll love this Baked Custard Recipe:

• This baked custard recipe has just 6 ingredients.
• What seems like a tricky dessert to make was surprisingly easy.
• There’s just a few hints I will give you so that your custard has that creamy texture you remember from your childhood.
• Smooth, simple vanilla flavor with a touch of spice on top.
• Made in individual ramekins for dinner parties.

What is the difference between pudding and custard?

The main difference between pudding and custard is what makes them thick. In homemade pudding (which is fairly soft), cornstarch is used to make the pudding thick. In custard (which is generally firmer than pudding), it is eggs that makes the custard thick.

Key Ingredients for Homemade Custard

This recipe takes only 6 ingredients:

• Eggs. Large eggs are standard.
• Sugar. Granulated white sugar is best for this. I would not recommend subbing for brown sugar.
• Salt. This adds flavor and cuts the sweetness slightly.
• Vanilla. Pure vanilla extract and nothing less for the best flavor.
• Milk. I used 2% milk. There’s not really a need to use a higher fat milk, but if you have whole milk, it will work. I do not recommend using skim milk.
• Nutmeg. Nutmeg gives such a comforting flavor to this custard. If you can, use freshly grated nutmeg. It’s amazing.

How to Make Baked Custard

1. Scald the milk. This means you’ll heat the milk until it reaches 180 degrees, near boiling. Many old recipes call for this process. It is not necessary to scald milk for safety reasons any longer due to the pasteurization process. However, scalded milk does give the custard a little bit of a smoother texture, so I do recommend taking the time to scald the milk. I made the custard both ways and even my non-professional taste testing could tell that the scalded milk custard had a smoother texture. You can scald milk in the microwave or in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. You’ll watch for the milk to start steaming and bubbling around the edges. Stir the milk constantly to prevent a film forming on top of the milk. If  you don’t have a thermometer to test the temperature, remove the milk from the heat right before it comes to a boil.
2. Temper the eggs. You have near-boiling scalded milk. You’ll want to pour 1 cup of that milk ever so slowly into the eggs, whisking the entire time. It is so important to drizzle slowly and whisk constantly. If you don’t, you’ll end up with  pieces of cooked eggs. Which is not going to make for a creamy custard.
3. Bake the custard cups in a hot water bath. What does a hot water bath do? It prevents the custard from curdling or cracking. Egg-based desserts need to cook slowly at a low temperature to keep a creamy texture, and the hot water helps to do just that. How do you make a hot water bath? Put a pot of water on the stove over medium heat and bring it to simmering, not a rolling boil. Place the custard cups in a large baking pan with sides that are nearly as tall as the custard cups. Pour the hot water around the custard cups, being careful not to spill any water into the cups. You want the level of the hot water on the outside of the cup to be just at the level of the custard. Oh…and be careful when placing this heavy baking pan into the oven. Don’t let that water spill onto your custard mixture!

How Long To Bake Custard

The length of time you bake the custard may vary slightly based on the size and shape of the ramekins you use. The custard should be set around the edges, yet slightly jiggly in the center.  A knife inserted in the center of the custard should come out clean. And if you want to? Test the temperature with a thermometer. It should read at about 170-175 degrees.

Recipe Variations

• Bake in a baking dish instead of individual ramekins. It will take longer to bake (close to an hour depending on the baking pan you use) and you’ll still want to use a water bath.
• Use almond extract instead of vanilla.
• Top with caramel or maple syrup.

If you have someone in your life who loves old fashioned recipes, surprise them with this old fashioned baked custard recipe. See if it brings back memories of days with grandma. Love pies? Bake this recipe in a crust or make our custard pie or frozen custard ice cream.