Christmas Eve Cinnamon Vanilla Custard Pie Recipe
This Christmas Eve Cinnamon Vanilla Custard Pie is a festive and comforting dessert featuring a creamy custard filling infused with warm cinnamon and vanilla flavors baked in a flaky pie crust. Perfect for holiday gatherings, it combines aromatic spices with a silky texture for a nostalgic treat.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours 5 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
- 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
Instructions
- Pre-bake the Crust: Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Roll out the pie crust and place it into 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 and bake for an additional 5 minutes until the crust is lightly golden. Allow to cool slightly.
- Prepare Custard Base: In a saucepan, combine the whole milk and heavy cream with cinnamon and vanilla. Heat the mixture until steaming but not boiling. If using a cinnamon stick or vanilla bean, steep for 10 minutes to extract flavor, then remove these solids.
- Whisk Eggs & Sugar: In a mixing bowl, whisk together the 4 large eggs, granulated sugar, and a pinch of salt until the mixture is smooth and has lightened 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. For an extra smooth custard, strain the combined mixture through a fine-mesh sieve.
- 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 until the edges are set but the center remains slightly jiggly.
- Cool & Chill: Remove the pie from the oven and allow it to cool at room temperature. Once cooled, refrigerate the pie for at least 2 hours before slicing to let the custard fully set and enhance the flavors.
Notes
- You can substitute ground cinnamon with a cinnamon stick for a subtler infusion; just remove it before combining with eggs.
- Using a vanilla bean instead of extract adds deeper flavor and aroma.
- Optional nutmeg and orange zest add extra warmth and holiday flair.
- Make sure not to boil the milk and cream mixture to avoid scalding.
- Chilling the pie helps firm up the custard for clean slices.
- This pie is best consumed within 2–3 days when stored properly refrigerated.
Keywords: Christmas pie, custard pie, cinnamon pie, vanilla custard, holiday dessert, festive pie, baked custard
