Sometimes you need a little indulgent treat to top off the tummy after a delicious meal. But if you’re trying to avoid white refined sugar most store-bought custards or even custard recipes you find online are a pretty big no-no.
Maple syrup comes to the rescue in this delicious melt-in-your-mouth treat that keeps you satisfied – I love that there is no refined sugar added; it is super simple to make with real natural ingredients. Plus homemade custard doesn’t contain any artificial flavors, preservatives, or wheat-based thickening agents that some store custards do.
I even have this yummy maple custard as a snack because of the protein from the eggs, calcium from the dairy, and the energy I get from the maple syrup. (sounds downright good for you when you think of all the real whole food ingredients)
So without further ado…
Our Super Simple Natural Custard Recipe
• 6 farm-fresh eggs
• 3 cups whole milk
(milk alternatives can also be used: coconut, almond, hemp, etc..)
• ½ cup maple syrup
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• ¼ tsp sea salt
• nutmeg (optional)
Making Custard: Preparation and Baking
1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
2) Whisk together eggs, salt, milk, and vanilla – blend in maple syrup (yes it really is that easy)
3) Pour into 8×8 (or 2 Liter) glass baking or casserole dish
3) Bake for 40-50 min (until nice and brown on top and a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean)
4) Serve warm or cold, sprinkle with nutmeg (or we love it with pumpkin spice)
5) Enjoy!
Extra Tips for Making Perfect Baked Egg Custard
While I love this custard recipe because it is so simple, baking any egg dish takes a bit of practice to get the texture right. Here are a few tips and extra methods for making a great custard.
Eggs:
Using the freshest eggs you can find when making egg custard is the key. We are lucky enough to have a local small farm where we get fresh pastured eggs. If you can’t get pasture-raised eggs opt for organic eggs for the most health benefit (the more orange the egg yolk the more nutrients).
Beat the eggs gently with a wire whisk before adding in the other ingredients. Your custard will come out much smoother. Also, beating the eggs lightly prevents air bubbles from forming which changes the texture of the custard.
Strain the eggs:
A simple tip for a smooth creamy custard is to strain the egg mixture before cooking. This removes any unmixed egg whites which let your custard get its smooth on so to speak. A smooth custard is a happy custard.
Water Bath:
While you don’t need a water bath (I’ve made some great custard with the no-frills method I mentioned above) a water bath ensures your custard is cooked evenly. Also, if you choose to bake your custard in ramekins a water bath is essential.
To make a water bath, place the baking dish or ramekins into a deep baking dish lined with a tea towel. Add hot water into the lined baking dish about 2/3 the way up until it reaches the level of the custard inside the ramekins or dish.
A water bath or bain-marie (the Fancy Nancy name) protects the custard from the direct heat of the pan bottom, this assures the custard cooks gently and doesn’t overheat and separate.
Timing:
Making egg custard is a delicate balance when it comes to timing because you don’t want to overcook your custard. A trick is to shake the baking pan to check for doneness.
Does your custard wiggle only slightly when you shake it? Then do a happy dance because it is ready to be taken out of the oven and enjoyed!
If your eggs don’t have that nice jiggle, they are overcooked and the custard won’t have the proper texture.
Do you have a delicious homemade custard recipe you really love? Let us know; we always like trying healthy new recipes. And remember sharing feels good – please share this simple custard recipe with at least a million friends (that’s a lot of feelgood-ness)
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FAQs
Whisk eggs, sugar, and cornstarch together in a bowl until sugar dissolves. Set the saucepan back over low heat. Pour in egg mixture slowly, whisking constantly, until custard thickens enough to coat the bottom of a spoon, 5 to 10 minutes.
What are the mistakes when making custard? ›
Experts Reveal 12 Big Custard Mistakes You're Probably Making
- Not Knowing The Difference Between Starch-Thickened And Egg-Thickened Custards. ...
- Not Knowing The Difference Between Stovetop And Baked Custards. ...
- Adding The Eggs To Your Custard Too Quickly. ...
- Overcooking Custard. ...
- Cooking Custard At Too High A Temperature.
Keep an eye on the heat when cooking the custard - too low and it won't thicken, too high and you'll have scrambled eggs.
What's the difference between pudding and custard? ›
While most custard and pudding recipes both typically call for eggs, the main difference is that pudding uses a starch for thickening, whereas custard's thickening agent is the egg itself (or egg yolk, in most instances). Custard's texture also tends to be firmer than pudding.
How do I know if my custard is done? ›
Stir constantly with a wooden spoon, until the custard thickens and coats the back of the spoon. Stirring distributes the heat so the custard doesn't become too hot, which can curdle it. Draw a finger across the back of the spoon and if it leaves a trail, your custard is ready.
Can you whip custard to make it thicker? ›
Stir as recommended by your original recipe, but if your custard is still runny, try more vigorous stirring. Make sure to use the appropriate tool, such as an immersion blender or a hand whisk.
Why does my custard turn into scrambled eggs? ›
When you heat egg yolk without proper tempering you'll end up cooking the egg into a solid. If you're baking custard, which is sounds as though you are, you should cook in a hot water bath to avoid direct heat.
What happens if you add flour to custard? ›
This thick vanilla custard is easier than crème anglaise, as the flour stops the egg from curdling. Use flour for a velvety texture, or cornflour for a custard more like one made with custard powder. Lovely with crumbles and steamed puddings!
Why should you not boil custard? ›
Custard, a creamy blend of eggs, milk, and sugar, is integral to many desserts, from crème brûlée to ice cream. Boiling custard leads to curdling, resulting in a grainy texture and loss of flavor. Proper preparation involves slow heating, avoiding overcooking.
How do you increase the thickness of custard? ›
The first option is to mix two tablespoons of flour with four tablespoons of cold water for every cup of custard you've made. Mix the flour into the water well, then whisk it into your custard mixture as it cooks on the stove. You can follow the same steps with cornstarch instead of flour if you prefer as well.
The custard needs to come up to boiling point to thicken and to loose the taste of the uncooked starch, but the cornflour stabilizes the egg yolks so that they can tolerate higher temperatures without scrambling. Again the more cornstarch there is relative to the amount of liquid used, the thicker the custard will be.
How do you get custard to set? ›
You don't want the custard so cold that it sets and breaks up as you spread it. The easiest way to cool the custard is to put it into a large bowl in a sink of cold water. It will take about 15 minutes. If you want it to set, put it in the fridge for an hour.
What are the 3 types of custard? ›
There are three types of custard: baked, stirred, and frozen. Baked custards include bread pudding, flan, and cheesecake, and are prepared by baking in an oven or water bath. Boiled Custards include beverages like eggnog. Puddings, creme anglaise (krem on-GLAYZ), and pastry cream are some examples of stirred custards.
What do Americans call custard? ›
Custard is a thing in the U.S. but we usually associate the word custard with a thick pudding rather than custard sauce.
Is creme brulee made from custard? ›
At its most basic, crème brûlée is a creamy, pudding-like, baked custard with a brittle top of melted sugar that cracks when you gently tap it with a spoon. The custard is made with heavy cream, eggs, sugar, and vanilla.
Will custard thicken when cold? ›
The custard will thicken though as it cools, so if you want a cold custard then please do look at the custard recipe in Nigella's Boozy British Trifle as this makes are relatively thick custard once it is chilled. For a thick, hot custard you need to add cornflour (cornstarch) as a thickener.
How do you make custard set faster? ›
Because if it's a stovetop custard like a creme anglaise you can chill it fast with an ice bath (put it in a bowl surrounded by ice and then stir stir stir until it cools down).
Does instant custard thicken as it cools? ›
It thickens as it cools, I stood with mine in a basin of cold water, whisking it till it was cool enough enough to put on the jelly, I always also put in a bit more custard powder and a bit less milk!
Will custard thicken without cornstarch? ›
There are some cooking purists that say that to make proper custard you shouldn't need any flour or cornflour to aid thickening, you should let the egg yolks do all the work.
