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 that combines warm cinnamon and rich vanilla flavors in a silky-smooth custard nestled in a flaky pie crust. Perfectly spiced and elegantly simple, it’s a festive treat that brings cozy magic to your holiday table.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 65 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 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 and bake another 5 minutes until the crust is lightly golden. Let the crust cool slightly before filling.
- Prepare Custard Base: In a saucepan, gently heat the whole milk and heavy cream along with the cinnamon and vanilla until it starts to steam but does not boil. If using a cinnamon stick or a vanilla bean, steep them in the hot liquid for 10 minutes to fully infuse the flavors, then remove.
- Whisk Eggs & Sugar: In a mixing bowl, vigorously whisk together the eggs, granulated sugar, and a pinch of salt until the mixture is smooth, pale, and creamy in texture.
- Temper & Combine: Slowly pour the hot milk and cream mixture into the egg mixture while whisking constantly to temper the eggs, preventing curdling. For an ultra-smooth custard, strain the combined mixture through a fine-mesh sieve to remove any lumps or cooked egg bits.
- Fill & Bake: Lower the oven temperature to 325°F (160°C). Pour the custard mixture carefully into the pre-baked pie crust. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until the edges are set and the center still jiggles slightly when shaken gently.
- Cool & Chill: Allow the pie to cool at room temperature first. Then refrigerate it for at least 2 hours to fully set before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Use a pie crust of your choice, homemade or store-bought, depending on preference and time.
- Steeping whole cinnamon sticks or vanilla beans in the milk mixture enhances flavor depth compared to ground cinnamon or extract.
- Tempering the eggs by slowly adding hot liquid avoids scrambling and ensures a silky custard texture.
- The custard is done baking when it is mostly set around the edges but still slightly jiggly in the center.
- Optional nutmeg and orange zest add extra festive aroma and flavor complexity.
- Chilling the pie overnight improves texture and flavor melding.
Keywords: custard pie, cinnamon vanilla custard, holiday dessert, Christmas pie, creamy pie, holiday custard, vanilla bean pie, festive dessert
