Julie Clark
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Baked Custard Recipe: 6 Ingredients, Perfectly Creamy Every Time
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Baked custard is an old-fashioned egg custard made from just eggs, sugar, milk, vanilla, salt, and nutmeg, baked low and slow in a water bath until the centers are set but still jiggly.
Baked custard and egg custard are the very same dessert: eggs, not cornstarch, are what thicken it, and that is exactly what gives you the smooth, spoonable, Grandma’s-kitchen texture.
My version uses whole eggs and 2% milk, with no custard powder and no separating out egg yolks, so you get creamy results from 6 simple ingredients.
This is our Amish baked custard, first shared here back in 2016 and tested more times than I can count. The two steps that make or break it are scalding the milk and tempering the eggs, and I walk you through both below so you never end up with scrambled bits or a rubbery top. We love it warm with a little whipped cream, and we have even turned it into a coconut custard pie recipe.
You’ll also love our coconut cream pie and pecan tassies.
What readers are saying:
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ Larry says, “Fantastic!!! I made this and followed the recipe exactly with the exception that I only have (6) 9oz ramekins so I baked them for 1 hour and 10 minutes. The mixture made the perfect amount to fill all 6 to the rim. Boy ohh boy were they ever good! I will definitely be making this one a lot. Thanks so much for this recipe.”
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ Dorsey says, “I made the custard and it was incredible even though I had to make two main substitutions due to diet needs. I used extra creamy oat milk and used coconut palm sugar I still did them scald step and temper step and it was amazingly soft and smooth I have been making egg custard for eons but this will be the recipe I will use from now on. AMAZING!!! Thank you for sharing.”
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ Sarah says, “Perfect! Made it for my mom and she said it reminded her of her childhood. Very comforting, like warm tapioca pudding. I added almond extract to mine and it turned out great.”
What is the difference between pudding and custard?
Custard is thickened with eggs, while pudding is thickened with cornstarch. That single difference is why baked custard sets into a soft, spoon-coating dessert and bakes up firmer than a stovetop pudding. Pudding stays softer set.
Both are smooth and old-fashioned, so if you love this custard, you will love our homemade vanilla pudding too. The rule of thumb: if the recipe leans on eggs and a low, slow bake, you are making custard.
Is baked custard the same as egg custard?
Yes. Egg custard and baked custard are two names for the same dessert. “Egg custard” describes what thickens it (whole eggs), and “baked” describes how it is cooked (in the oven in a water bath instead of on the stovetop).
This recipe uses whole eggs rather than yolks only, so you get a classic, creamy egg custard without separating a single egg.
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. You can even simmer a vanilla bean in the milk if you’d like.
- 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
- Scald the milk. This means you’ll heat the milk until it reaches 180ºF, 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. You can scald milk in the microwave or in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. 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.
- Temper the eggs. You have near-boiling scalded milk. 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.
- 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 do you bake custard, and how do you know when it’s done?
Bake custard at 350ºF for 35 to 40 minutes in a hot water bath, until the edges are set and the center still jiggles like gelatin when you nudge the pan.
The surest test is to use an instant-read thermometer. Place it in the middle of the cutard and it should read 170ºF to 175ºF. A knife slipped into the center should come out clean. Timing shifts a little with the size and depth of your ramekins, so start checking at 35 minutes.
Overbaking is the one thing that turns silky custard watery or grainy, so pull them the moment the centers stop looking soupy and lean toward slightly underdone rather than too long.
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.
- Top with fresh berries.
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 pie recipes? Bake this recipe in a crust or make our custard pie or frozen custard ice cream.
Old Fashioned Baked Custard Recipe
A creamy 6-ingredient baked custard that never curdles. Scald, temper, and bake to 170ºF for the smooth, old-fashioned egg custard you remember.
Servings 10 servings
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 cups 2% milk
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF.
- In a medium-size bowl, beat the eggs on medium-low speed for 30 seconds. Add the sugar, salt and vanilla. Whisk gently until mixed. 4 large eggs, ½ cup granulated sugar, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pour the milk into a microwave-safe bowl and heat in 1 minute increments until the temperature of the milk reaches 180ºF.* Stir between each time interval to distribute the heat. Depending on the bowl and microwave you use, this will take about 5 minutes. Be sure not to let the milk boil. 4 cups 2% milk
- Remove 1 cup of the heated milk and slowly drizzle it into the egg mixture, whisking the eggs quickly the entire time.** Slowly pour the remainder of the milk over the egg mixture, whisking constantly. Beat with a hand mixer for 20-30 seconds.
- Pour the milk mixture into 10 6-ounce ramekins, dividing the custard equally between the cups. There is no need to grease the ramekins. Sprinkle nutmeg overtop the custard. ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Place the ramekins in a 10×15” baking pan with sides about as tall as the ramekins.
- Heat about 10 cups of water, not quite to boiling but very hot, on the stovetop or in the microwave. Pour the hot water into the pan around the ramekins, being careful not to get any of the water into the custard itself.
- Carefully place the pan into the middle rack of a preheated oven and bake for 35-40 minutes. The exact time may depend on the size and shape of the ramekins you use. The custard is done when you insert a knife into the center of a cup and it comes out clean.
- Serve cold or warm as desired, with whipped cream. Refrigerate any leftovers.
Video
Notes
*This is called “scalding” the milk. Many old recipes call for this process. It is not necessary to do this 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. You can also do this on the stovetop instead of the microwave.
**This is called “tempering” the eggs. Be sure to drizzle the hot milk slowly and constantly whisk (or use a hand mixer beating on medium speed the entire time you are drizzling) so that the hot milk doesn’t cook the eggs.
***For the creamiest custard, bake just until the edges are set and the centers still jiggle. An instant-read thermometer in the center should reach 170ºF to 175ºF. The custard keeps cooking a little after it leaves the oven, so do not wait for the center to fully firm up in the pan.
The calories shown are based on the recipe making 10 custard cups, with 1 serving being 1 custard cup. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate.
Nutrition
Serving: 128g | Calories: 116kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 81mg | Sodium: 189mg | Potassium: 159mg | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 205IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 124mg | Iron: 0.4mg
Delicious recipe and EASY recipe! I was missing my grandmother’s baked custard and decided to try this recipe. So glad that I did! I made some modifications due to ingredients that I had on hand: I used coconut sugar and added shredded coconut on a whim because my husband loves coconut flan. (I did not add nutmeg this time). I may try to add chocolate chips next time 🙂
Perfect! Flavor, texture and appearance are 5 star.
My grandmother made a baked egg custard with an egg white merengue topping that we always fought over the last one. Any idea of where to find this recipe. She was first generation American with Polish/Russian heritage
Man this recipe takes me back to my childhood (60 years) to my grandad making custard for all of us! I rate this an AWESOME 10 plus. Thank u
This makes a lovely custard. It’s my one and only recipe!
Can you add melted chocolate to this recipe?
This is a good custard recipe that filled 6 8 oz ramekins. The only thing I did differently was strain the mixture through a fine seive before filling the ramekins to bake in the water bath. The custard was velvety smooth. I have hens so used eggs I had gathered the same day. I also used whole milk and real vanilla. The custard was very flavorful. Quality ingredients are always key and can envision using a variety of flavorings including bourbon maple syrup, amaretto, coffee, orange, actually, the possibilities are endless!