Christmas Eve Cinnamon-Vanilla Custard Pie – Creamy Holiday Dessert Magic Recipe
This Christmas Eve Cinnamon-Vanilla Custard Pie is a creamy, dreamy holiday dessert that combines warm spices like cinnamon and vanilla in a rich custard filling set in a flaky pie crust. Perfectly smooth and subtly spiced, this pie offers a comforting and elegant treat for festive gatherings.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 65 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
Pie Crust
- 1 pie crust (homemade or store-bought)
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 your 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 it with baking weights to prevent shrinking. Bake the crust for 15 minutes, then remove the weights and parchment paper. Continue baking for another 5 minutes until the crust turns lightly golden. Let it cool slightly before adding the filling.
- Prepare Custard Base: In a saucepan, combine the milk and heavy cream with the cinnamon and vanilla. Heat the mixture until it is steaming, but do not let it boil. If you are using a cinnamon stick or a vanilla bean, steep it in the milk mixture for about 10 minutes to infuse the flavors, then remove before proceeding.
- Whisk Eggs & Sugar: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, granulated sugar, and a pinch of salt until the mixture becomes smooth and pale in color. This step ensures your custard will have a nice texture and sweetness.
- Temper & Combine: Slowly pour the hot milk and cream mixture into the egg mixture while whisking constantly. This tempering process prevents the eggs from cooking too quickly and curdling. For extra smooth custard, strain the combined mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl.
- Fill & Bake: Lower the oven temperature to 325°F (160°C). Pour the custard filling gently into the pre-baked pie crust. Bake the pie for 35 to 40 minutes until the edges of the custard are set but the center still jiggles slightly when you gently shake the pan. This ensures a creamy but fully cooked center.
- Cool & Chill: Remove the pie from the oven and let it cool to room temperature. Once cooled, refrigerate the pie for at least 2 hours, which helps it to fully set and enhances the flavors. Slice and serve chilled for a perfect holiday dessert.
Notes
- Use fresh whole milk and heavy cream for the creamiest custard.
- Steeping cinnamon sticks and vanilla beans intensifies the flavor more than ground spices and extracts.
- Don’t overbake; the pie should have a slight jiggle in the center when done to keep it creamy.
- Optional nutmeg and orange zest add a lovely holiday twist if desired.
- Make sure to cool the pie completely before refrigerating to avoid soggy crust.
Keywords: Christmas pie, custard pie, cinnamon pie, vanilla custard, holiday dessert, creamy pie
