Apple Custard Pie
If you love apple pie and want to try a twist on the classic recipe, this Apple Custard Pie recipe is the perfect dessert for you. It has the warm flavors of a traditional apple pie with a creamy vanilla custard filling. Imagine tart apples layered in a creamy custard, nestled in a flaky crust and topped with a cinnamon-y crumb finish. This is my new favorite apple pie and I hope you love it too!
Why make this recipe?
- It’s perfectly balanced with a not-too sweet filling and a perfectly crisp topping.
- It lasts in the fridge for 2-3 days so you can make it in advance for holidays and celebrations.
- It is equally delicious chilled from the fridge, room temperature, or warm
Ingredients needed:
-
- 1 single 9 inch pie crust
- Apples (I like using honeycrisp or granny smith)
- Butter
- Ground cinnamon
- Ground nutmeg
- Ground ginger
- Heavy cream
- White sugar
- 1 large egg
- Flour
- Vanilla extract
- Salt
- Brown sugar
Supplies needed:
- Food processor for homemade crust (optional)
- 9 inch pie pan
- Mixing bowls
- Medium saucepan
How to make this pie: (Full recipe in the card below!)
- Roll out a pie crust and drape it into your pie plate. Chill it in the freezer while you prepare the filling. (This helps it keep it’s shape during baking.)
- For the apples: In a saucepan over medium heat melt the butter and let it start to brown slightly. Add the apples and spices and toss to combine evenly. Cook for 5-7 minutes or until the apples start to soften.
- For the custard: Combine custard ingredients: cream, sugar, flour, vanilla and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.
- For the topping: In a medium bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar and cinnamon. Add the butter and use your hands to work it into the dry ingredients until it is crumbly.
- Pour the apples mixture evenly into the bottom of the chilled crust. Pour the custard over the apple filling and sprinkle the crumb topping over the custard.
- Bake pie for 45-50 minutes on top of a cookie sheet to catch any drips. When it’s done the crust will be golden brown and the crumb topping crisp with the filling bubbling around the edges.
- Place pie on a wire rack and let cool until set. Enjoy warm or pie cool completely and chill before serving.
What type of fresh apples are best to use for this pie?
My favorite apples for all things are honey crisp and that what I typically have on hand. They work great in this recipe, but you could also use granny smith apples whatever you have depending on the sweetness of the apples.
What if I have too much custard and it won’t all fit?
When I most recently made this pie I thought I wouldn’t have space for all the custard, but when the crust is frozen and solid it did really keep it contained. If you seem to have too much you can discard it, but I found it settled into the apples as I gently moved them a bit. Also- when it’s time to sprinkle the crumble, spoon any dry bits into pooling custard so it helps absorb it.
Ultimately the amount of custard that will fit will depend on how you shape your pie crust, so try to give it a little extra height if you can.
Can I use a store bought pie crust:
Yes, any unbaked pie shell will work for this recipe.
Should I blind bake this crust?
You definitely can and it will result in a very crispy bottom crust. I have done it both ways and don’t find the bottom crust soggy either way. Tips for blind baking and using pie weights HERE.
Tips for a Flaky Pie Crust:
Serving suggestions:
Apple Pie is of course amazing a la mode with vanilla ice cream, but since this pie had more sweetness than normal I chose to use lightly sweetened whipped cream which was perfect! This pie is delicious room temperature, warm or even chilled from the fridge!
Want another Apple Pie Recipe:
If you want Apple Custard without the crust: This French Apple Cake is really popular and so good!
Apple Custard Pie
Ingredients
- 1 single 9 inch pie crust
For the apples:
- 4 medium-sized tart and firm apples, peeled and sliced (about 5 cups)
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
For the custard:
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 4 tablespoons flour
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
For the topping:
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 3 tablespoons cold butter- cubed.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F.
For the apples:
- In a medium-large sized saucepan, brown the butter over medium-high heat. (Once it is melted stir constantly until it is a toasty golden brown with dark specks.
- Add the spices into the butter and then gently add the apple slices, tossing in the butter spice mixture.
- Cook for about 5 minutes, or until apples have softened just slightly. Remove from heat and set aside.
For the custard:
- Whisk all the heavy cream, egg and vanilla extract until smooth. Add the sugar, flour and salt. Whisk until creamy and lump-free. Set aside.
For the topping:
- In a medium-sized bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar and cinnamon. Add the butter and use your hands to work it into the dry ingredients until it is crumbly with no pieces bigger than a pea.
To assemble:
- Roll out the pie crust and fit it into a 9 inch pie pan, crimping the edges with your fingers, the back of a knife, or a fork.
- Spread the apples evenly into the bottom of the crust. Pour the custard over the apples and sprinkle the crumb topping over the custard.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the crust is golden and the crumb topping is crisp with the filling bubbling around the edges.
- Let cool on a wire rack and enjoy warm or let cool completely and chill before serving.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 1 Serving Size: 1 gramsAmount Per Serving: Unsaturated Fat: 0g
The combination of the brown butter filling and the cinnamon topping sound to die for. Looks like I have another thing to add to my baking list!
This is the same as my grandmothers Sour Cream Apple Pie that I have been making for years. Our recipe states that you can use sour or sweet cream. I have always used sour cream and skip the extra step of pre cooking the apples. I have made this on the holidays for as long as I can remember.This is the first time I have ever seen the recipe online. Its wonderful
Between the brown butter and the custard, this takes apple pie to a whole new level!! After seeing this I’m probably going to have to rethink my pie strategy for the big day…yum!
I kind of thing original apple pie is a bit boring. Nothing to call home about. This looks amazing. Certainly want to give this one a go the next time my husband wants some pie.
What better week is there than Pie Week? Cabot is thrilled to be part of the festivities! Now I have to get in the kitchen, because you’ve just taken Apple Pie to a whole new level of amazing!
I’m all about brown sugar right now, so I’m beyond excited to try it into an apple pie! Great twist on a classic!
xo, Elisa
This looks amazing!! I was playing around with a custard apple pie but couldn’t get the measurements down. Thanks for the recipe – made my Thanksgiving baking menu so much easier to tackle!
This pie looks perfect Audra! I love the custard filling!
Audra, this looks incredible! I love the addition of custard. And, I’m always a sucker for crumb toppings!
What an absolutely gorgeous pie! Apples and custard sound delightful.
Pie week is off to a magnificent start!! This looks divine!
Yum! Yum! Can’t wait to make this one!
Oh my goodness that looks so awesome! Never thought traditional apple pie could be outdone.
Oh yes! This looks gorgeous!!!
Off I go to buy some heavy cream …. lol.
So there’s no need to blind bake the crust for this pie? Is there any chance of it being soggy after baking?
You can blind bake if you’d like! I would line with parchment or foil- fill with pie weights or dried beans, and then bake at 375 for 15 minutes. Take the lining and weights out and bake for 5-10 more minutes.
Ohhh I love pies ;) Especially apple and the combination with cinnamon is just irresistible :D Cant wait to see more pie recipes ;)
Goodness gracious, look at this gaw-geous pie! I would dive fork-first into this pie with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream. Such a beautiful and comforting dessert for the holidays! Lovely job, Audra!
I love this twist on apple pie-it sounds perfect! Can’t wait to see what else is in store for pie week!!
Brown butter in apple pie?? Now we’re talking! This is a great twist on the classic. Hooray for the first day of pie week, can’t wait to join you guys Wednesday :)
Ok this is definitely going on the holiday table this year! Looks amazing!
This sounds amazingly delicious!! I love seeing twists on apple pie, and this sounds like a great one. Brown butter?! I’m always all about it. Pinning :)
Need this pie in my life STAT! I can’t wait to see what else you’ve got in store for us!
HI Audra! First time stopping by your site and so glad we did! Your pie looks AMAZING! I love how you add the brown butter ? We can’t wait to try it! thanks for sharing!
BEST WEEK EVER!!! Thanks so much for putting this together. We are going to need at least 8 of these on my family’s Thanksgiving table: one for every day of the week, and an extra just for good measure.
It’s funny that you baked this, Audra. I have some apple butter in my fridge and have been craving pie.
Now I know what to do!
Hope you’re doing well, Mama! xo
This is happening in my kitchen RIGHT NOW! Thank you, Audra!
I’m so excited to try this (both baking and eating)! Quick question…I just want to make sure the recipe indicates to NOT heat the custard before putting it into the pie? It doesn’t say, but I just wanted to double check…Thanks!
That’s right! The custard gets poured in cold and then bakes up :)
Hey there! I’m making this right now, and the custard is overflowing…is this natural? I whipped it to about medium-thick peaks, and it’s just coming out all over the pie. Also, should I have baked the pie crust before?
Hey Mark! Sorry for the confusion but the recipe says you’re just supposed to *whisk* the custard together until smooth- not whip it into soft or medium peaks. It must have increased way too much in volume.
Also- no you don’t have to pre-bake the crust!
Such an amazing pie week! This is such a beautiful take on apple pie, Audra! Thank you so much for including me in Pie Week!
Hello there, You’ve done an excellent job. I’ll certainly digg it and personally suggest to my friends.
I’m sure they’ll be benefited from this site.
i made this and it was delicious and so easy!!! i’m a sucker for anything with brown butter and this was amazing!! i highly recommend it :)
So the custard is not cooked at all before the oven? I just attempted this pie for the first time and found the custard still completely liquid at the end of the process. All of the flavors were still wonderful, but I had no luck serving this in slices with the custard in that state.
Made this over the holidays and it was so good!! Delicious!! I used a pre-made graham cracker crust too which totally worked well with it! I would definitely make this again! And make sure that I have ice cream on hand the second time around!
Does this pie need to be refrigerated or can it set out at room temp if not eating right away? thanks :)
I prefer it served cold but it can be room temp as well
Where I am we don’t have heavy cream. Is there a substitute?
Hi! Half and half would work if you have that!
This Brown Butter Apple Custard Pie looks absolutely divine! I love the combination of flavors and the idea of using brown butter adds such a rich depth. Can’t wait to try making this for our family gathering! Thanks for sharing the recipe!
***** As I checked this recipe out I read lots of sounds good I want to make it or it sounds amazing. Well I thought it sounded so amazing I did make it. IT IS AMAZING . I did add about a teaspoon of sugar to the apple filling other than that I did what it said. I was worried because it calls for 9” pan I had 9” but deep dish. I had to take some of apples out to allow for the custard and topping. I think a 10” would also work. For those that asked will half and half work it may but it might make it a bit runny get the heavy cream so worth it.
Going to get a piece of my pie and a scoop of vanilla beans ice cream. Thank you so much for this great recipe it’s a keeper.