Christmas Eve Cinnamon-Vanilla Creamy Custard Pie Recipe
This Christmas Eve Cinnamon-Vanilla Creamy Custard Pie features a delicate homemade buttery crust filled with a smooth, spiced custard infused with cinnamon and vanilla. Perfectly balanced sweetness and warm flavors make it an ideal festive dessert to enjoy with family and friends during the holiday season.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 45-50 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
For the Crust
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
- 2–3 tablespoons ice water
- A pinch of salt
- 1 tablespoon sugar (optional, for a slightly sweet crust)
For the Custard Filling
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/4 cups heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- A pinch of salt
Instructions
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, salt, and sugar if using. This forms the base of your pie crust.
- Cut in the Butter: Add the cold butter cubes to the flour mixture. Use a pastry cutter or your fingers to blend the butter into the flour until the texture resembles coarse crumbs, ensuring a flaky crust.
- Add Ice Water: Gradually add ice water one tablespoon at a time, mixing gently with a fork or your hands until the dough just comes together. Avoid overmixing to keep the crust tender.
- Chill the Dough: Form the dough into a disc shape, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to relax the gluten and firm up the butter.
- Roll Out the Dough: On a floured surface, roll the chilled dough to fit a 9-inch pie dish. Carefully transfer the rolled dough to the dish, trim the edges, and crimp as desired to create a decorative rim.
- Blind Bake the Crust: Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line the crust with parchment paper and fill it with pie weights or dried beans to prevent puffing. Bake for 10-12 minutes, then remove the weights and parchment and bake an additional 5 minutes until light golden. Allow the crust to cool before filling.
- Prepare the Custard Filling: In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, granulated sugar, heavy cream, vanilla extract, ground cinnamon, and a pinch of salt until smooth and well combined.
- Fill and Bake the Pie: Pour the custard filling into the cooled pie crust. Bake in the preheated oven at 375°F (190°C) until the custard is set but still slightly jiggly in the center, about 35-40 minutes.
- Cool and Serve: Remove the pie from the oven and allow it to cool completely on a wire rack. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving to let the custard fully set for the creamiest texture.
Notes
- Use cold butter and ice water to ensure a flaky pie crust texture.
- Blind baking prevents a soggy crust by partially cooking it before adding the custard.
- The custard should be slightly jiggly in the center when done to avoid overbaking and curdling.
- Refrigeration before serving helps the custard firm up nicely for clean slicing.
- Optional sugar in the crust adds a subtle sweetness, but can be omitted for a more neutral base.
- Pie weights or dried beans can be reused for blind baking.
Keywords: Christmas pie, custard pie, cinnamon vanilla custard, holiday dessert, creamy custard pie, festive pie recipe
