If your backyard hens have thrown themselves into full production mode, and you want a super delicious and FAST dessert, creme brûlée pie is the recipe for you. I included this one in Homegrown and Handmade, and because it was so fast to make, I often demonstrated this when doing TV talk shows to promote the book. It was no problem at all to get this mixed up and into the pie plate in the 5-minute TV segments.
Table of Contents
Why This Recipe Works
- Fuss-free prep: No tempering, no water bath. Just blend and bake.
- Healthier indulgence: At ~172 calories per slice, this dessert is lighter than it tastes.
- Backyard egg bonus: A perfect way to use up fresh eggs from your hens (and the yolks give the custard its golden color).
- Homestead adaptable: Works equally well with cow’s or goat’s milk.
Ingredient Notes & Swaps
- Milk: Goat milk makes the custard extra silky, but cow’s milk works just as well.
- Flour: For gluten-free, rice flour gives the best texture. Oat flour is acceptable if cross-contamination isn’t an issue. Skip almond or coconut flour, which change the texture.
- Sugar: Turbinado sugar is the secret for that brûlée-style crunch baked right in.
- Eggs: The fresher the eggs, the better the pie’s color and flavor. Pastured yolks will give it that deep yellow glow.
Tips for Best Results
- Skip the flouring step: Only butter the pan—flour causes odd bubbling and thin spots as the custard cools.
- Knife test = done: When baked, a sharp knife inserted in the center should come out clean and the slit should stay open.
- Serving: Chill at least 4 hours for a firm slice. For clean cuts, dip your knife in hot water before slicing.
- Presentation: Serve with whipped cream or fresh berries if you’d like to dress it up.
Gluten-Free Version
This recipe is naturally easy to adapt for gluten-free guests. Simply use rice flour instead of all-purpose flour. The texture stays smooth and custard-like, unlike with nut flours which won’t set the same way.
Recipe: Creme Brûlée Pie
Equipment
- 10-inch deep-dish pie pan
- Blender
- Measuring cups & spoons
- Oven
- Sharp knife (for doneness test)
Ingredients
- Butter for greasing a 10-inch deep-dish pie pan
- 2 cups whole milk (cow or goat)
- 1/2 cup flour (all-purpose or rice flour for GF)
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar (for topping)
Instructions
- Prep the pan & oven: Butter a 10-inch deep-dish pie pan (do not flour). Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Blend the batter: Add milk, flour, sugar, vanilla, and eggs to a blender. Blend on low ~30 seconds, just until well combined.
- Fill and top: Pour batter into the prepared pie pan. Gently sprinkle turbinado sugar evenly over the top.
- Bake: Carefully transfer to the oven (batter will be runny). Bake 40 minutes, or until a sharp knife inserted in the center comes out clean and the slit remains open (not watery).
- Chill & serve: Cool, then refrigerate at least 4 hours before slicing. (Some enjoy it slightly warm, but chilling sets the custard.)
Notes
- Do not flour the pan: Flour can cause the custard to bubble oddly and collapse into thin spots as it cools.
- Topping: Turbinado sugar bakes up with a pleasant crunch that mimics the torch-kissed top of classic crème brûlée.
- Egg color: Very dark yellow custard usually comes from richly pigmented yolks (e.g., pastured hens).
Final Thoughts
This Crème Brûlée Pie is proof that elegant desserts don’t need to be complicated. It’s one of those rare recipes that’s quick enough for a weeknight treat yet special enough to serve to guests.
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Too many eggs? Here are many ways to use them up.
When it comes to cooking with eggs, freshness is key. Using a bad egg can not only ruin the taste of your dish, but it can also make you sick. Check out – How to Tell If an Egg Is Bad: Expert Tips for Spotting Spoiled Eggs
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Yum! Can’t wait to try this! It looks awesome!
It’s been in my oven way past the “bake” time and is still watery when knife inserted. Followed directions. What do I do. I’m supposed to serve it for a luncheon tomorrow.
Temperatures in ovens can vary, so I would leave it in the oven until you can insert the knife and it leaves a clean cut.
This is such an easy looking recipe! I think it would be wonderful for an Easter dinner too. Thank you so much for linking up to the Sunday Social Blog hop this week.
I did make this:
Just wonderful and easy
thank you
Awesome! Thanks for the feedback. Glad it worked well for you!
I have made this many times in the past weeks, everyone loved it that I shared it with. This is a wonderful way to use up those eggs and fresh goats milk,,, so easy too just my style!
Thank you, do you happen to have a good goats milk fudge recipe?
Dianne
I’m so glad to hear you like it — and like making it!
Sorry, I don’t have a fudge recipe.
Any way to make it Gluten Free for us Celiacs?
I’m so glad you asked! In the second edition of Homegrown and Handmade I added a gluten-free alternative. Rice flour is the best alternative flour, and oat flour comes in a close second, although I know some people have issues with cross-contamination with oats sometimes. Almond flour and coconut flour are terrible in this recipe!
Any way to make this so I can print it for my recipe folder? I’m still old-fashioned that way. 🙂
My old-fashioned idea is to cut and paste it into a Word document. 🙂 Sorry this recipe is not in the recipe app because I posted it before I had the recipe app.
Looks delicious!! Have you ever tried this with a refined sugar alternative like maple syrup?
I have not, although we make our own maple syrup, and I make ice cream with maple syrup. I’m worried about increasing the liquid content and it not setting up firmly enough to be able to cut and slice it.
Hi- The pie recipe looked great and I plan on trying it soon! My question is about using raw goats milk. If the pie bakes at 350 degrees for 40 min. would it be pasteurized? I have some family members who can’t drink it raw but I think would enjoy it in this recipe as long as its pasteurized. Thank you!
Yes, as soon as milk hits 170 degrees, it is instantly pasteurized.
Great! Thank you!
We make a goat milk pudding (goat milk, eggs, maple syrup, arrowroot powder, cacao powder, vanilla, pinch salt) very similar to this and pumpkin custard (goat milk, pumpkin purée, maple syrup, eggs, spices, vanilla) and old fashion plain custard (goat milk, eggs, vanilla, maple syrup) pie using maple syrup (half of sugar called for and maple sugar to sprinkle on top for brûlée) and instead of flour we use arrowroot powder and it turns out great and is gluten free. Simple, easy, delish
Thanks for sharing that with us 🙂
Tammy
It’s in the oven now. I made with almond extract. Plus, I substituted the whole milk with equal parts 2-percent and half-and-half (what I had on hand). And I used 1/2 cup sugar in mix, and sprinkled with 1/4 cup. I can never leave a recipe alone or follow directions. If it’s a disaster, I’ll let you know. But thanks for sharing your recipes.
No problem! The almond extract sounds like a great variation! If the top cracks badly, it’s because of how much sugar you sprinkled on top. I eventually settled on only 1 tablespoon because whenever I used much more, the top would crack during cooking, so there would be large areas where there was no sugar.
Have you tried this substituting honey for the sugar in the pie?
I have not. Since we have plenty of maple syrup, we sometimes substitute that in some recipes, which is another liquid sweetener, so keep in mind that because this pie needs to firm up, if you add honey, you should decrease the milk so that the amount of liquid stays about the same.
I just baked one of these and it is delicious. I’ve never had a problem with the temperature of my oven but it took 55 minutes to bake. I will plan accordingly next time. I sprinkled with 2 tbsp of turbinado sugar. It wasn’t crunchy for me I’m afraid. Still delicious. I imagine it would be good with fresh raspberries on top! For the next one I’m going to use brown sugar and add a tad bit of salt.
Mary
Please let us know how that addition turns out 🙂
Tammy