Now I don’t know about you, but I love custard.
I am notorious for drowning my cakes and fruit in the stuff, and some of my favorite desserts of all time are custard desserts. There are so many out there to choose from than sometimes, I find it difficult to choose just one to make for my after dinner treat.
So, I decided to pull together my favorite custard dessert recipes so you can pick a few to try! With so much choice, there is bound to be a recipe here for everyone so take a look below!
Traditional English Egg Custard Tart
Now this custard dessert is a personal favorite of mine. It brings back memories of sitting down for an afternoon tea after a long day of shopping with my mother.
This recipe will guide you through to make a large, classic egg custard tart that is cool and rich in flavor. The real cherry on top is the sprinkled grated nutmeg over the top that you can instantly taste the moment you sink your teeth into this amazing custard dessert.
Pasteis de Nata
However, England does not have a monopoly on custard tarts – Portugal has its own variant called Pasteis de Nata!
These custard tarts are smaller and baked in a really hot oven, making the crust way more crisp. This recipe also blends together the flavors of lemon and cinnamon amazingly well, bringing a bunch of flavors all wrapped up in one small package. Maravilhoso!
Vanilla Custard Slice
If you love custard as much as I do, sometimes all you want is a huge slab of the stuff to dig into. When I am craving the classic custard taste in the middle of a hot summer, I like to treat myself with a nice cool custard slice.
This traditional recipe makes the perfect vanilla custard sandwiched between two layers of fluffy pastry and topped with some classic icing! It’s pretty simple but it is perfect!
Custard Eclairs
Eclairs are one of the most sophisticated sweet treats out there, but how can we make them better? By replacing the cream filling with cool custard!
This recipe helps you make some amazing custard eclairs with light choux pastry and covered in a delicious white chocolate icing. It is the perfect sweet snack to replace your lunch with.
Custard Profiteroles
Very similar to custard eclairs, custard profiteroles are a great way to sneak in a custard dessert after dinner. They look professional and elegant, piled up on a plate and drizzled over with chocolate icing.
Take one bite into a profiterole, and your mouth is completely filled with that classic vanilla custard flavor!
Creme Brulee
Everyone has heard of creme brulee – it is the final word on class, the most sophisticated custard dessert, and the most infamous when it comes to baking some yourself.
I have always struggled to make the perfect creme brulee, but this recipe here was so simple and easy to follow. I ended up with the best creme brulee I have made to date. Now, I can serve it up as a fancy dessert to my guests with pride.
Creme Caramel
Creme caramel, flan, or caramel pudding – whatever you call this classic custard dessert, you cannot deny that it tastes amazing!
What I especially love about this dessert is the thick layer of caramel on top. It’s rich and indulgent and balances out the lightness of the cream so well.
It’s a great way to get a taste of sweetness without that sickly, heavy feeling in your stomach. I like to throw in a couple of raspberries for a little variance but you can add whatever kind of fruit or extra flavor you like!
Vanilla Bean Souffle
If you are after a light and fluffy dessert that has that sweet taste of custard, then this recipe is just the one for you.
Follow this recipe along and you will end up with six to eight vanilla bean souffles with a vague taste of custard. You can add more custard by drizzling some over, or even serve up your souffles with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Personally, I like to mash up my souffle in a bowl then pour in the extra custard – but sometimes I get weird looks because of it. It’s not just me, right guys? Right?
Cremeschnitte
Never before has a custard dessert been so shockingly underrated.
This classic Romanian dessert is right up there with some of my favorite desserts of all time – not only because it is so easy to make, but it tastes so amazingly good!
Although it may look similar to the classic vanilla custard slice, cremeschnitte is way creamier and lighter. The pastry is also far more crisp and flaky, and you really get to appreciate it more as there is no heavy vanilla icing.
While it can sometimes be messy to eat, I really enjoy tucking into a few pieces of cremeschnitte.
Tarte Normande
Sometimes, custard just isn’t enough. Sometimes, you just want more – more flavor, more taste!
Then, I really recommend you try making a tarte normande. It is really similar to the classic egg custard tart but it has the added extra flavor of apples and almonds. Plus, the crust is thicker and the texture way more crunchy thanks to the baked apple slices and cut up almonds.
Tarte normande is a real treat for a custard dessert as it indulges you with flavors and textures that other custard desserts fail to deliver.
Bread and Butter Pudding
This custard dessert is a great way to use up any slices of bread you may have before they go stale. When I was a kid, we used to make this dessert whenever we had a lot of bread that was about to turn bad.
Bread and butter pudding is pretty much what it says in its name – it is slices of bread and butter piled into a dish with lots of butter, cream, sugar and added flavors like nutmeg, cinnamon and raisins.
It is a traditional British dessert that is a great way to help reduce wasting food – plus, it tastes delicious!
Tiramisu
An iconic Italian dessert, tiramisu is an indulgent custard dessert that you have to try out.
It is a custard dessert that is ideal for coffee lovers, as tiramisu is made from coffee soaked Italian biscuits called ‘ladyfingers’. They create soft spongy layers between slabs of creamy custard, all topped off with a sprinkle of coffee or sugar.
Soft and delicious, this is certainly one custard dessert you do not want to miss out on.
Galaktoboureko
Another often overlooked custard dessert, Galaktoboureko is a traditional Greek dish that is very sweet to taste.
This is because it includes a lot of sugary ingredients like syrup or honey, as well as flavors like cinnamon. It is an ideal custard dessert for those with a strong sweet tooth (like myself) as it is both creamy and sweet.
The best part? This dessert has a golden crispy top layer made after baking that makes a satisfying crunch when you bite into it.
Quindim
We are taking a trip over to Brazil now with this delicious custard dessert: Quindim!
Served either in a ring shape or in little cupcake cups, Quindim is a great custard dessert that combines both the delicious flavors of custard with the sweetness of coconut. This makes this dessert a real tropical treat that is best served cold during hot weather.
It’s also very easy to make and does not contain a lot of ingredients – but it does not lack flavor!
Banana Cream Pie
Cream pie is a great dessert to serve up if you need to change up the flavors to suit everyone’s tastes. They come in all different kinds of varieties including lime, lemon, peanut butter and chocolate.
I decided to go with a banana cream pie recipe for this list because custard and banana pair so well together – and this recipe is perfect to help you create this multi-layered treat.
Enjoy a melody of flavors from the pastry, banana, custard and cream layers as they all come together to make a delicious banana cream pie.
Pumpkin Pie
You didn’t think that I wouldn’t put pumpkin pie on this list, did you?
Pumpkin pie is an iconic American dessert that is found at nearly every dinner table during Thanksgiving. Its delicious pumpkin-flavored custard filling is smooth and goes down a treat.
To make a pumpkin pie with the crumbliest crust and the richest flavored filling, try out this pumpkin pie recipe. Finish up your pumpkin pie with a dollop of whipped cream and you will have the perfect holiday custard dessert!
Traditional English Trifle
Another classic British dessert (those Brits really love custard, don’t they?), a traditional English trifle is a real sight to behold.
It is made of four main layers – the bottom is jell-o infused with fruit, then there is a layer of pound cake, then a thick layer of traditional custard, and finally a layer of whipped cream topped with more fruit (usually strawberries, but you can mix it up with raspberries instead).
Wacky yet delicious, an English trifle is definitely a custard dessert you have to try out. It sounds like it really shouldn’t work – but trust me, it does!
Bienenstich
Bienenstich is a German custard cake that is filled with creamy filling and topped with a crisp layer of almonds. It’s name translates to ‘bee sting’ as its traditional recipe contains ingredients like honey to give it a really sweet taste.
A very underappreciated cake, this dessert looks like a traditional almond cake but when you cut into the cake, you will find a middle layer of sweet creamy custard. This layer helps balance the dryness of the almonds and sponge cake, creating the perfect mixture of mouth in your mouth with each bite.
Ozark Pudding
This pudding is a timeless addition to this list. Originating here in the US, it was a favorite of President Truman.
Ozark pudding, in truth, looks more like a crumbly cake once it is baked and set – but the undeniable taste is there. This custard pudding brings together strong nutty flavors with the tartness of apples and the sweetness of cinnamon. It’s a wonderful melody of flavors that really gives you a taste of classic America.
Zeppoles
Zeppoles are small pastries that you can either bake or fry (the recipe I picked out bakes their zeppoles as it is generally easier) then they are filled up with custard filling. Similar to doughnuts, you can serve up these Italian treats either as a snack or as a small dessert.
To make your zeppoles extra special, I recommend garnishing them with powdered sugar and fruits like cherries or strawberries. This will bring a little touch of extra flavor, as well and further sweetening this delicious custard treat!
Magic Custard Cake
This recipe is a great choice if you just want a nice, simple custard flavored cake.
It sandwiches the traditional taste and texture of custard cream in a spongy cake so you get a full blown mouthful of custard flavor. Plus, it’s really easy to cut up and consume. Once the cake is set, you can easily cut it up into even squares that stand on their own without spilling or sliding. Nice!
Frozen Custard
Yep, you heard me – frozen custard!
It is a great custard alternative to ice cream plus it is really easy and simple to make. This way, you can serve up some frozen custard instead of regular ice cream or alongside another custard dessert.
Pasticciotto
Usually eaten during breakfast, pasticciotto are little cakes that are filled with creamy custard filling.
Originally from Italy, I love making these and serving them up as alternatives to cupcakes or as a very small dessert after a large dinner. They are small, sweet and delicious – perfect for a light custard-flavored snack!
Flaugnarde
If you want a custard dessert that is seriously fruity, try out this French dessert of Flaugnarde.
It is basically a custard batter baked with a ton of different fruits – cherries, peaches, plums, apples, anything! My favorite flaugnarde uses mixed fruit including blueberries and blackberries for a really sweet dessert.
Of course, if you have other fruits you would rather use, then you can just swap them out in the recipe. It’s easy!
Flapper Pie
And finally, we wrap up this list with a Canadian favorite – flapper pie!
This recipe will leave you with a delicious custard pie topped with thick meringue. What I love most about this recipe is the completely unique graham cracker and cinnamon crust – meaning that every single inch of this custard pie tastes amazing!
Conclusion
And those were my favorite custard dessert recipes!
Like I said earlier, there are a lot of different custard dessert recipes out there – pies, puddings, eclairs, tarts and cakes just to name a few!
There are bound to be a few up there that stand out to you so why not pick some and give them a go? Impress your dinner guests and treat yourself to a wonderful custard dessert.
Go on – you know you deserve it!
Frequently Asked Questions
Do All Custard Desserts Contain Custard?
Custard is a mixture of eggs and milk/cream that can be served either warm and runny, or cold and near solid.
Custard desserts are usually classed as such because they contain this mixture somewhere in their recipe, so all custard desserts should contain custard as a primary ingredient in their recipe.
Is Custard A Sauce?
Some people may be confused because they are used to seeing custard served as a type of ‘sauce’ over desserts like pies and cakes, but custard can be made into any kind of consistency that suits the recipe’s needs.
You can even eat frozen custard, or as a pastry cream like in eclairs. You can even make more savory custard creams to use in quiches.
Are Custard Desserts Suitable For Vegans?
If you are vegan, you will have to change the recipes for the above custard desserts as none of them are vegan. This is because traditional custard is made using eggs and cow’s milk, so to make custard desserts to suit your diet, you will need to swap out these ingredients for vegan alternatives to make vegan custard.
You will also need to check each recipe to see if they use other animal products like butter or honey.
Hi! My name is Jessica, and I recently decided to set up the site My Baking Heart, as an extension of my love for baking. It is something I have enjoyed since being a young child, when I would bake cookies and cakes with my grandma
Over the years, I have developed my skills and love to try all kinds of baking, from genoise sponges, to peach cobbler, and everything in between. New recipes are so much fun to follow and recreate.
Through this site, I hope to teach others the basics of baking, from how to use certain equipment, to the best types of recipes to follow. My site is a mixture of useful informational content, recipes, and of course, review of the best types of baking equipment.
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