A baked egg custard goes wrong in the last few minutes in the oven. Leave it in until the middle looks firm and it turns grainy and weeps water onto the plate. This Amish baked custard stays silky because it comes out while the very center still wobbles, and it finishes setting as it cools.
Save this recipe for later:
You need 5 eggs, 4 cups of whole milk, 2/3 cup of sugar, vanilla, salt and nutmeg. Plan on 1 hour and 15 minutes, plus 1 hour of cooling. It makes 8 servings in an 11×7 inch glass dish, and you can serve it warm or chilled.
What goes into Amish baked custard
Measure the sugar, salt and vanilla before you heat the milk, because the hot milk goes in soon after it starts to steam.
- 5 large eggs
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 4 cups whole milk
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Hot water for the water bath
You also need an 11×7 inch glass dish, a larger roasting pan that holds it, a strainer and a kettle of hot water.
How to make Amish baked custard
- Set up the pans. Heat the oven to 325°F. Set the 11×7 inch glass dish inside the larger roasting pan.
- Heat the milk. Warm the 4 cups of milk until it steams and small bubbles show at the edge. Take it off the heat before it boils.
- Mix the custard. Whisk the eggs, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Pour in the hot milk slowly, whisking the whole time, then whisk in the vanilla. Going slowly warms the eggs gently so they don’t scramble.
- Strain and dust. Pour the mixture through the strainer into the glass dish and dust the top with the nutmeg.
- Add the water bath. Pour hot water into the roasting pan until it comes halfway up the sides of the glass dish. Amish Baked Custard 13
- Bake. Bake 50 to 60 minutes, until a knife inserted 1 inch from the center comes out clean and the center still jiggles slightly.
- Cool. Lift the dish out of the water and cool it for 1 hour. Serve it warm or chilled.
Another old-fashioned Amish bake worth trying is this batch of soft Amish molasses cookies rolled in sugar before baking.
Tips for a silky custard
Start checking at 50 minutes
Go by the knife and the wobble. Slip the knife in 1 inch from the center. If it comes out clean and the middle still jiggles when you nudge the pan, the custard is done. If the knife comes out milky, give it a few more minutes and test again in a new spot.
Why it bakes in water
The water bath shields the sides of the dish from the direct heat of the oven, so the edges and the middle set at closer to the same pace. Without it, the outside can overbake and turn grainy before the center is ready.
Don’t skip the strainer
Straining catches the stringy bits of egg white and any egg that cooked when the milk went in. It takes about a minute and gives you a smooth slice.
Handling the hot water
Pull the oven rack out, set the roasting pan on it, then pour the water from a kettle and slide the rack back in slowly. When the custard is done, lift the glass dish out with oven mitts and leave the roasting pan in the oven until the water cools.
Other ways to finish it
Cinnamon can take the place of the nutmeg on top. A spoonful of whipped cream or a few berries goes well on a chilled slice. Keep the milk whole, because lower-fat milk gives a softer, thinner custard.
For more Amish home cooking, try our Amish macaroni salad or the slow cooker Amish chicken and noodles . If baked custard is your kind of dessert, our homemade pumpkin pie and apple cider donut bread pudding are good ones to bake this fall.
Storing the leftovers
Once the custard has cooled, cover the dish and refrigerate it within 2 hours of baking. The USDA recommends eating cooked leftovers within 3 to 4 days. It slices more cleanly cold.
Skip the freezer. Thawed custard separates and loses its smooth texture.
Questions about Amish baked custard
Why is my baked custard watery?
Water on the plate usually means it baked too long. The eggs tighten and squeeze out liquid. Pull it while the center still jiggles slightly, starting your checks at 50 minutes.
Why did my custard turn grainy?
Either it stayed in the oven too long or the milk went into the eggs too fast. Add the hot milk slowly while you whisk, and keep the water bath at halfway up the dish.
Should the milk boil?
No. Heat it until it steams with small bubbles at the edge, then stop.
Is the center supposed to jiggle?
Yes, as long as the knife comes out clean 1 inch from the center. The very center finishes setting as the custard cools for the full hour.
Can I make it ahead?
Yes. Bake it, cool it for 1 hour, then cover and chill it. It’s meant to be served warm or chilled, so a make-ahead custard only needs a spoon.
The Foodie Yummy Cookbook
12 reader-favorite recipes in one printable PDF. Enter your email and download it instantly.
Made it or loved it? Share this recipe
Written and edited by The Foodie Yummy Kitchen Team
The Foodie Yummy Kitchen Team writes and edits the recipes on Foodie Yummy: classic American potluck salads, holiday sides and easy comfort food, with a few low-carb options. Every recipe lists exact quantities, numbered steps and a printable recipe card, plus notes on swaps, storage and make-ahead timing. Spot a problem with a recipe? Tell us through the contact page and we will correct it. About us
Amish Baked Custard
Ingredients
Instructions
Heat the oven to 325°F. Set an 11×7 inch glass dish inside a larger roasting pan.
Heat the milk until steaming, with small bubbles at the edge, but not boiling.
Whisk the eggs, sugar and salt, then slowly whisk in the hot milk and vanilla. Strain into the glass dish and dust with nutmeg.
Pour hot water into the roasting pan to come halfway up the glass dish.
Bake 50 to 60 minutes, until a knife inserted 1 inch from the center comes out clean and the center still jiggles slightly.
Lift out of the water, cool 1 hour and serve warm or chilled.
Notes
Pull it while the very center still wobbles. The custard finishes setting as it cools and stays silky.