Christmas Eve Cinnamon-Vanilla Custard Pie Recipe
This Christmas Eve Cinnamon-Vanilla Custard is a perfectly spiced, creamy dessert featuring a flaky pie crust filled with a smooth custard infused with warm cinnamon and fragrant vanilla. It’s a comforting holiday treat that balances sweet and aromatic flavors, making it an ideal centerpiece for festive gatherings.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
Pie Crust
- 1 pie crust (homemade or store-bought)
Custard Filling
- 4 large eggs
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon (or 1 cinnamon stick, steeped)
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract (or 1 vanilla bean, scraped)
- Pinch of salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)
- 1 teaspoon orange zest (optional, for holiday flair)
Instructions
- Pre-bake the Crust: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Roll out your pie crust and place it into a 9-inch pie dish. Line the crust with parchment paper and fill it with baking weights to prevent bubbling. Bake for 15 minutes. Then, remove the weights and parchment paper and bake for another 5 minutes until the crust is lightly golden. Allow it to cool slightly before adding the filling.
- Prepare Custard Base: In a saucepan, combine the whole milk and heavy cream with cinnamon and vanilla. Heat the mixture until it is steaming but not boiling. If using a cinnamon stick or a vanilla bean, steep them in the warm milk mixture for 10 minutes before removing to infuse flavor.
- Whisk Eggs & Sugar: In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, granulated sugar, and a pinch of salt until the mixture becomes smooth and pale in color, ensuring the sugar is fully dissolved.
- Temper & Combine: Slowly pour the hot milk and cream mixture into the egg mixture while whisking constantly. This tempering process prevents the eggs from curdling. For an ultra-smooth custard, strain the combined mixture through a fine-mesh sieve.
- Fill & Bake: Lower your oven temperature to 325°F (160°C). Pour the prepared custard into the pre-baked pie crust. Bake the pie for 35–40 minutes, or until the edges of the custard are set but the center still jiggles slightly when gently shaken.
- Cool & Chill: Allow the custard pie to cool to room temperature. Then refrigerate it for at least 2 hours to fully set before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Using a cinnamon stick and vanilla bean will provide a more natural, rich flavor compared to ground cinnamon and extract.
- Be careful not to boil the milk mixture to avoid curdling the eggs.
- The slight jiggle in the center indicates perfectly baked custard; it will firm up as it chills.
- For added holiday aroma, include the optional nutmeg and orange zest.
- Make sure the pie crust is fully cooled before pouring in the custard to prevent a soggy bottom.
Keywords: Christmas custard pie, cinnamon custard, vanilla custard dessert, holiday pie, Christmas Eve dessert
