Baked Custard
A fuss-free vegetarian built around eggs, white granulated sugar and salt — roughly 65 minutes start to finish, and rated medium to make. Below: the ingredients split into pantry staples and a quick shopping list, a built-in serving scaler, and the method in 8 steps.
You'll mainly reach for oven and saucepan. At medium difficulty across 8 steps, it's manageable with a little attention. As written, it's meat-free.
What you'll need
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
Diet: vegetarian — no meat or fish, based on every ingredient listed below.
Contains: Dairy Egg
Allergen labels are informational and may not cover cross-contact; verify every package and consult a qualified professional for medical dietary needs. Diet labels are derived from the ingredient list on this page — how we verify diet and allergen labels.
Food-safety and allergen information is general, not medical advice. Follow current guidance from your local food-safety authority, verify product labels, and seek qualified advice for allergies or health conditions.
How to make it
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit and lightly grease four 6-ounce custard cups or a single baking dish with the butter.
- In a saucepan, warm the milk over medium heat just until small bubbles form at the edges, then remove from the heat before it boils.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk the eggs with the sugar and salt until well blended but not foamy.
- Whisking constantly, pour the hot milk into the eggs in a slow, thin stream to temper them, then stir in the vanilla extract.
- Strain the custard through a fine sieve into the prepared cups and sprinkle the tops with ground nutmeg.
- Set the cups in a baking pan and pour hot water into the pan until it reaches halfway up the sides of the cups to create a water bath.
- Bake for 40 to 50 minutes until the custard is set around the edges but still slightly jiggly in the center and a knife inserted near the edge comes out clean, reaching an internal temperature of 170 to 175 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Carefully remove the cups from the water bath and let them cool, then chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before serving.
You'll use: Oven · Saucepan · Pan · Blender · Whisk
Ingredient substitutions
- Eggs
- ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce (baking) · 1 tbsp ground flax + 3 tbsp water per egg
- Milk
- any unsweetened plant milk · ½ cup evaporated milk + ½ cup water
- Butter
- olive oil (¾ the amount) · coconut oil · margarine
Tips & common questions
How long does Baked Custard take to make?
About 65 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 8 steps and 7 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
What can I use instead of eggs?
Try ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce (baking). See the substitutions section above for more swaps.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
Is Baked Custard vegetarian?
Its ingredients contain no meat, fish or shellfish, so it is suitable for vegetarians. Check any cheese for animal rennet if that matters to you.
Related recipes
Adapted recipe — rewritten in our own wording from an open-licensed community cookbook, not yet independently kitchen-tested by Consomee. How we source, test & correct recipes.
Baked Custard is adapted by Consomee from the Wikibooks Cookbook, rewritten in our own wording and used under CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo: Caramel custard PK020.jpg by PallaviKhale, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons. We add the serving scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure — how we source recipes.