Eggs, butter, vanilla and a dash of nutmeg come together to make this seriously addictive custardy Southern Egg Pie courtesy of my Mississippi Big Mama Maggie. It’s perfectly simple and classic with each bite giving you sweet and creamy vibes throughout y’all. I guarantee once you dig into this egg pie recipe, you will take one delish trip down memory lane!
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They’re Lovin’ It! Here’s what They’re Sayin’:
“Made this today for my egg custard loving husband, as part of his Christmas gift. He RAVED about it, so thanks for a great recipe.”
—linDEN S.
Y’all this was my Big Mama’s absolute favorite pie. I was so blessed to be able to share the story behind it in a holiday issue of Southern Living where I wrote a recipe dedicated to her and her recipe.
This egg pie is a silky, flaky, sweet and smooth custard pie. In honor of my Big Mama, and all of your steady-handed, gracious grandmothers, I’m sharing her iconic Egg Pie recipe. Make it with love y’all, it’s the most important ingredient. Always.
The Lowdown of This Egg Pie Recipe
Cuisine Inspiration: Southern Comfort Vibes
Primary Cooking Method: Baking
Dietary Info: Can be made gluten-free with ingredient swaps
Key Flavor: Sweet, Creamy and Luscious
Skill Level: Easy y’all (No Sweat Fam!)
Smooth As Silk
That egg custard is beyond creamy with a finish that is super rich, smooth and indulgent.
No Fuss, All Flava!
You won’t believe how easy it is to make this egg custard pie boos. It requires the simplest of pantry ingredients and the most straightforward instructions to pull it off.
Southern Nostalgia
There’s a reason why the Southern old schoolers love this pie so much. Each bite takes you back to nostalgic Southern goodness.
Ingredients You’ll Need to Make Egg Custard Pie
- Pie Crust: Either make your own homemade pie crust or buy a store-bought. It’s your world boos. If you go with store bought, just be sure to thaw the crust according to package instructions, prick the bottom with a fork and blind bake so it won’t end up soggy ya dig.
- Whole Milk: This liquid creates that perfectly smooth consistency.
- Salted Butter: Big mama used salted butter to balance the sugar and enhance all of the overall flavors.
- Eggs: You gotta have these boos! They give us the richness and help stabilize the pie filling.
- Granulated Sugar: This pie has the perfect amount of sweetness thanks to this.
- All-Purpose Flour: Flour helps our pie set up it’s structure so it won’t end up too runny.
- Vanilla: Woodsy, floral and sweet, aromatic vanilla adds such a great pop to this pie.
- Ground Nutmeg: Nutmeg is an intense spice that has a very distinct aroma.
How to Make Egg Pie
For the Crust:
- In a bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, and salt—the basics!
- Toss in cold butter cubes and use a pastry cutter to mix until you’ve got some nice crumbly bits going on.
- Slowly pour in cold water (start with 1/4 cup) until the dough forms. Give it a quick knead and shape into a ball.
- Wrap it up tight in plastic and let it chill in the fridge for 45-55 minutes.
For the Filling:
- Heat milk and butter in a pot over medium-low until the butter melts, then let it cool down.
- In a bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, flour, vanilla, and nutmeg. Once the mixture cools a bit, whisk that in until smooth.
To Assemble:
- Get your oven preheated to 425°F. Roll out half of the dough to about 1/4-inch thick, then pop it in the pie plate. Make sure prick the bottom with a fork.
- Line the crust with parchment and throw in some pie weights, then bake for 10 minutes. Drop the oven to 325°F after.
- Pour that custardy goodness into the crust, brush the edges with a quick egg wash, and bake for 45-55 minutes until the pie’s got a slight jiggle.
- If the crust starts getting too golden, cover the edges with foil or a pie shield. Hit it with a little extra nutmeg, slice it up, and serve it up!
How to Serve Southern Egg Pie
- Classic Vibes: Just dust some homemade powdered sugar over your finished pie and serve it up OG style.
- Dollop It Up: Add a nice spoonful of homemade whipped cream on top of each slice.
- Berry It Up: Toss a few fresh berries on the side or add a nice spoonful of strawberry sauce or strawberry preserves.
- With a Cozy Drink: Enjoy a slice with a mug of wassail, spiced apple cider, eggnog or white chocolate hot cocoa.
Recipe Substitutions
- Milk: You can add more richness to the filling by replacing with half-and-half.
- Salted Butter: You can use unsalted here but add in a teaspoon of salt.
- Granulated Sugar: Add some depth with molasses by swapping the granulated sugar for brown sugar.
- Vanilla Extract: Deepen the vanilla flavor by replacing with vanilla bean paste.
- Nutmeg: No nutmeg? Use cinnamon or a blended spice like apple pie spice for more intensity.
Recipe Variations and Additions
- Swap the Crust: Go with a graham cracker crust to change up the flavors.
- Gluten-Free: Go with a gluten-free crust and replace the flour in the filling with a 1:1 ratio gluten-free flour.
- Add Ins: Fold in some chopped strawberries or even chocolate chips for a different flavor profile.
- Zest It Up: Brighten up the flavors by tossing the zest of a lemon, lime or orange into. your filling.
Expert Tips and Tricks to Make Egg Custard Pie Recipe
- Go Fresh: If possible, use fresh ground nutmeg! When freshly grated, nutmeg releases a strong, warm aroma and an undeniably rich flavor.
- Go Room Temp: Make sure those eggs are room temp so the custard sets up just right.
- Pour Carefully: Avoid dumping in the mixture, we don’t want splashing, spilling or too many pockets of air.
- Don’t over-bake!: Before removing the pie, take a second look and move it around a bit. The pie should still be somewhat giggly in the center.
- Be Patient: Don’t be tempted to slice before chilling. I know, all this hard work and you gotta wait to eat? Hard ask. But, this pie tastes and cuts best when chilled.
How to Store Southern Egg Pie
You can stash your cooled leftover pie right in the pie plate with plastic wrap on top or add to an airtight container in the fridge. If you want to serve at room temp, just leave a slice out for 20-30 minutes. When you wanna warm a slice, pop in the microwave and heat in 20 second intervals until you get it how you like it.
How long will this egg custard pie recipe last in the fridge?
It should last for about 4-5 days in the fridge.
Can I freeze it?
You can but I honestly don’t recommend it. The custard will change texture and not be as smooth once thawed. Just sayin.
Frequently Asked Questions
For sure boos. Just make it ahead and store in the fridge up to 2 days ahead of serving.
Absolutely boos. Just make sure to blind bake it regardless so the filling doesn’t bake up leaving the crust soggy.
I suggest at least 2-3 hours so the custard sets all the way up. This will help with slicing.
Favorite Custard Pie Recipes
Southern Egg Pie
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Equipment
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter very cold, cut in cubes
- 1/4 cup cold water up to 1/3 cup
For the Egg Custard Filling
- 1 cup whole milk
- 4 tbsp salted butter
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 tbsp all-purpose flour to thicken
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg plus more for garnish
Instructions
For the Crust
- In a medium sized bowl, add flour, sugar and salt and whisk together to combine.
- Next add your cold butter cubes to flour and using your pastry cutter, cut the butter into the flour mixture until various sized crumbs appear.
- Slowly add the cold water into the flour until a ball of dough forms. Start with a 1/4 cup and add more water if you need it. Knead the dough quickly to bring it together. Don't worry if there is any flour left in the bowl.
- Remove the dough from the bowl and round into a bowl. Cover the ball tightly with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 45-55 minutes to rest.
For the Filling
- Add milk and butter to a medium pot over medium low heat. Once the butter has melted, allow the mixture to cool to room temperature.
- While it cools, whisk together eggs, sugar, flour, vanilla and nutmeg in a medium sized bowl and set aside. Whisk in the milk/butter mixture until smooth.
To Assemble
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
- Remove dough from the fridge and add a bit of flour to a working surface or clean counter and place dough on it. Using a rolling pin, quickly roll dough out to about 1/4-1/3 inch thickness and place in your pie plate. Prick the bottom with forks.
- Line the dough with parchment paper and add pie weights to your crust then bake for 10 minutes.
- Next remove pie crust from the oven and reduce heat to 325 degrees.
- Next pour your filling into the pie, brush the crust with an egg wash (just 1 egg and 1 teaspoon of water whisked together( and bake for 45-55 minutes or until pie jiggles just slightly. Sprinkle with additional nutmeg and serve. If you see that the crust is browning too quickly, add some foil to the outside or a pie shield to keep it from browning any further.
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This Southern Egg Pie recipe sounds absolutely delightful! I can almost taste the creamy custard just reading about it. Can’t wait to try making it and share it with my family—it’s the perfect comfort dessert!
Thank you so much!
Ty. My husband asked me to make this. Ty for the easy recipe.
You’re so welcome! Hope you both enjoy!
I never had this pie before but I have a client who wanted one so I started making this pie and every two or three months she wants me to make it so I must be doing something right she loves it thanks for the recipe .
Thanks for making it for her!
My Georgia born grandmother made this for my birthday every year until she passed. Thanks for the recipe, never had it till now!
Awe, I am so sorry to hear about her passing! I hope it brings back memories and good times!
My mom who is my grandmother and BFF used to make this for Christmas and were so delicious. OMG, I ❤ IT.
So glad you liked it!!