Christmas Eve Cinnamon-Vanilla Custard Pie Recipe
This Christmas Eve Cinnamon-Vanilla Custard Pie is a festive and comforting dessert featuring a smooth, spiced custard filling baked in a flaky pie crust. Infused with warm cinnamon and aromatic vanilla, it’s the perfect holiday treat to share with family and friends.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
For the Crust
- 1 pie crust (homemade or store-bought)
For the Custard Filling
- 4 large eggs
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1½ cups whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1½ tsp ground cinnamon (or 1 cinnamon stick, steeped)
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract (or 1 vanilla bean, scraped)
- Pinch of salt
- Optional: ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- Optional: 1 tsp orange zest for holiday flair
Instructions
- Pre-bake the Crust: Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Roll out the pie crust and place it in a 9-inch pie dish. Line the crust with parchment paper and fill with baking weights. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove the weights and parchment paper. Continue baking for another 5 minutes until the crust is lightly golden. Let it cool slightly.
- Prepare Custard Base: In a saucepan, heat the milk and heavy cream with cinnamon and vanilla until steaming but not boiling. If using a cinnamon stick or vanilla bean, steep for 10 minutes and then remove them from the mixture.
- Whisk Eggs & Sugar: In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, granulated sugar, and a pinch of salt until the mixture is smooth and pale in color.
- Temper & Combine: Gradually pour the hot milk and cream mixture into the egg mixture while whisking constantly to temper the eggs and prevent curdling. Strain the combined custard through a fine-mesh sieve to ensure extra smoothness.
- Fill & Bake: Lower the oven temperature to 325°F (160°C). Pour the custard filling into the pre-baked pie crust. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the edges of the custard are set but the center still jiggles slightly when nudged.
- Cool & Chill: Allow the pie to cool at room temperature. Once cooled, refrigerate the pie for at least 2 hours before slicing and serving to let the custard fully set and flavors meld.
Notes
- You can use either ground cinnamon or a cinnamon stick for a more delicate infusion.
- Vanilla bean provides a more intense flavor than vanilla extract but is optional.
- Adding nutmeg and orange zest adds a festive and aromatic twist to the traditional custard.
- Ensure the custard does not boil when heating to avoid curdling.
- Straining the custard mixture before baking ensures a smooth texture.
- Allowing the pie to chill properly will help achieve a clean slice and perfect custard consistency.
Keywords: Christmas Eve dessert, cinnamon custard pie, holiday pie recipe, vanilla custard pie
