Christmas Eve Cinnamon-Vanilla Custard Pie – Creamy Holiday Dessert Magic Recipe
This Christmas Eve Cinnamon-Vanilla Custard Pie is a creamy and comforting holiday dessert featuring a buttery pie crust filled with a fragrant custard infused with cinnamon and vanilla. Perfectly baked to achieve a delicate set with a slight jiggle at the center, this pie is a delightful festive treat that combines warm spices with rich dairy for a magical indulgence.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 70 minutes (including chilling time)
- 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 your pie crust and place it inside a 9-inch pie dish. Line the crust with parchment paper and fill with baking weights or dried beans to prevent bubbling. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove the weights and parchment paper and bake an additional 5 minutes until the crust is lightly golden. Let it cool slightly.
- Prepare Custard Base: In a saucepan, gently heat the whole milk and heavy cream together with the cinnamon and vanilla until the mixture is steaming but not boiling. If using a cinnamon stick or vanilla bean, allow it to steep in the hot milk for about 10 minutes before removing.
- Whisk Eggs & Sugar: In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, granulated sugar, and a pinch of salt until the mixture is smooth and pale in color.
- Temper & Combine: Slowly pour the hot milk and cream mixture into the egg mixture while whisking constantly to temper the eggs and prevent curdling. Strain this combined custard through a fine-mesh sieve to ensure smoothness.
- Fill & Bake: Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F (160°C). Pour the custard filling into the pre-baked pie crust. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the edges of the custard are set but the center jiggles slightly when shaken.
- Cool & Chill: Remove the pie from the oven and allow it to cool to room temperature. Then refrigerate the pie for at least 2 hours to fully set before slicing and serving.
Notes
- For a richer flavor, use a combination of cinnamon stick and ground cinnamon.
- You can enhance the festive flavor by adding ¼ tsp nutmeg and 1 tsp orange zest to the custard mixture.
- Make sure not to boil the milk and cream mixture to avoid curdling the eggs.
- Let the pie chill thoroughly for clean slices and the best texture.
- Store leftover pie covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Keywords: Christmas Eve dessert, cinnamon custard pie, holiday pie recipe, vanilla custard pie
