Cream Pie Recipe

We all love a good fruity pie, but you have to admit that sometimes, nothing beats a slice of rich and velvety cream pie.

Cream pie is usually made with a Graham Cracker base, though it’s just as tasty with shortcrust pastry. The filling should be a silky smooth vanilla custard that’s soft enough to melt in your mouth, but firm enough to hold its shape when you slice it.

Cream Pie Recipes From Scratch

It’s a lot easier than you think to make custard from scratch. All you need are eggs, milk or cream, and real vanilla.

That’s the key!

By real vanilla, I mean paste or pods. You want to be able to see the flecks dancing in every bite.

As for the crust, it’s a simple blend of Graham Cracker crumbs and butter. Once it’s wet, you’ll press it into a pie dish and bake for around 10 minutes.

Or, make a batch of shortcrust pastry (I even have a vegan pastry recipe if you like) and gently line the pie crust.

Since you’ll probably want to add whipped cream, you don’t need to worry too much about making the edges neat.

Ingredients

For the Graham Cracker Crust

• Graham Cracker Crumbs - they’re available in crumbs in certain stores, but it’s easy enough to blitz them at home. Or use whatever cookie crumb you like, be it Oreos or shortbread cookies
• Butter - so the crumbs stick together. Feel free to use salted or unsalted
• White Sugar - for a little extra sweetness

For the Custard Filling

• Eggs + Yolks - for a rich, custardy filling
• Salt - to enhance the sweetness
• Corn Starch - to help the custard set
• White Sugar - for sweetness. Use brown sugar if you want a deeper, caramel flavor
• Milk -  to get the custard to the right consistency
• Vanilla Bean/Vanilla Paste - for sweet warmth
• Unsalted Butter - for extra richness and to make it glossy

For the Whipped Cream Topping

• Heavy Whipping Cream - use coconut cream if you want
• Powdered Sugar - for sweetness
• Vanilla Paste/Extract - optional, but I like the taste

How to Make a Cream Pie

This is enough for a deep-dish, 8-inch pie dish.

1. Crush the Graham Crackers and mix them with 50 grams of sugar and melted butter. 
2. Press into the pie crust and bake for 10 minutes. 
3. For the filling, add the milk to a medium saucepan and warm it over medium heat. 
4. Add the vanilla and remove it from the heat before it begins to boil.
5. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs and egg yolks until smooth. 
6. Whisk the sugar, cornstarch, and salt into the egg mixture until smooth. 
7. Slowly pour half of the hot milk into the egg and sugar mix, whisking constantly until it’s blended. 
8. Add the milk and egg mixture into the pot with the other half of the hot milk.
9. Heat the pot again on medium, whisking constantly until the mixture has thickened. 
10. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter until it’s melted and the mixture looks shiny. 
11. Pour the custard through a strainer into a larger bowl and cover with plastic. Be sure to press the plastic onto the surface so it doesn’t form a skin.
12. When it’s room temperature, pour the filling into the Graham Cracker crust and smooth the top with a spatula. 
13. To make the whipped cream, chill the cream and a metal bowl. Then whisk everything with an electric mixer on low until it’s thick and fluffy.

Tips for the Best Cream Pie

The best cream pie is made with full-fat milk and butter. Now isn’t the time to be worrying about cutting back!

As mentioned, this is great with Graham Crackers or pie dough for the crust - both of which can easily be store-bought.

When making the filling, be careful with the eggs. Since you’ll pour hot milk into them, you’ll need to keep whisking as you pour. If you don’t, they might scramble!

Recipe Variations:

• Add some chocolate to the mix! While the filling is still hot, add a few handfuls of chopped chocolate. Let it sit for a minute, then stir until it’s smooth. 
• Top with whipped coconut cream and toasted coconut for a tropical finish. You could even mix some mango or pineapple bits into the cream.
• Whisk espresso powder into the cream and dust with cocoa for a tiramisu pie. Top it off with shaved chocolate, too.
• Add a layer of Dulce de Leche and sliced bananas under the custard. Drizzle with extra caramel or chocolate sauce.