In this pear custard pie, fresh pears are combined with a rich and creamy 5 minute custard, then baked to perfection for a simple yet elegant dessert.
This crustless pie is my absolute favorite way to enjoy pears, I make it almost every week during the fall months!
I am not a huge fan of pears. I like them fine when they’re cooked but I don’t eat them raw, I think it’s the somewhat grainy texture that bothers me. A long time ago before we had kids a relative sent us a big box of those fancy mail order pears. My husband did his best to try and eat them before they turned to mush but it was just too many pears for him to finish. I made this pear custard pie to use them up and I have been making it ever since. It’s definitely my favorite way to eat pears.
We go through a ton of produce in this house. My kids are total fruit monsters and between the three of them they can polish off a whole pound of grapes or strawberries in one sitting when they’re in the mood. My mom often brings us bags of apples, oranges and pears to help keep our household well stocked in the fruit department.
Some weeks we don’t get through all the fruit and that’s when I make pear custard pie. The beauty of this recipe is that it only uses pantry staples that you probably always have lying around. Which means that if you’ve got pears, you can whip this up whenever you feel like it. I’ve made it twice in the last two weeks!
How do you make pear custard pie?
The batter for this custard is made in the blender. After you peel and cut the pears, toss them in the dish and pour the custard over the top. That’s all there is to it, 40 minutes later you’ve got an amazing dessert.
You can sprinkle some powdered sugar over the top if you want to dress it up for a special occasion. I’ve also put some cinnamon sugar on top which is great too. It probably comes as no surprise that the kids love this recipe. I’ve made it dozens of times over the years and it always gets rave reviews. It’s simple, but sometimes the simplest recipes are the best, don’t you think?
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Pear Custard Pie
Ingredients
- 4 firm pears of any variety cored, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup of unsalted butter melted
- 3 eggs
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- Powdered sugar for garnish
- Cooking spray
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9 inch round pan with cooking spray.
- Arrange the pear slices in the pan.
- Put the butter, eggs, milk, salt, granulated sugar, flour and vanilla into a blender; process until smooth.
- Pour the batter over the pears. Bake for 40-45 minutes until the custard is golden and firm to the touch. Dust the top with powdered sugar before serving.
Mon says
We have a glut of pears and was thrilled to find this recipe.
I’d initially planned to use a loose-bottom tin but it would NOT have worked as it is a very runny batter.
Would I make this again? Yes, but I would have to reduce the sugar content. It’s very, very sweet and we could hardly taste the pears.
Having said that it’s a great dessert and a great ‘ internet find’. ☺️ Will use it for other fruit too.
Hilda says
Hi, very tasty and loved it so much I made it again three days later but I wonder if I have the consistency or quantities right. I presumed these were US measures and converted them over. The custard is very firm, eggy and cake-like. I might try increasing or doubling the liquid to get a more jelly-like texture?
Sara says
Yes it is US measures. This is more of a firm pie, you should be able to cut it and have it hold its shape.
Bev Kates says
When I read through your recipe, I thought it would be delicious as a Passover dessert, if not for the flour. So, I substituted potato starch, and voilà! It worked beautifully. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Lorrie MN Keating says
What is the purpose of the flour in the custard mix – thickening? Is there a low-carb/keto alternative to that ingredient?
Sara says
Yes it is a thickening agent. I haven’t tested it with anything but all purpose flour so I can’t say for sure what a good substitute would be.
R says
How do the pears end up on top if you put them in the pan first?
Sara says
They float to the top!
Gail says
Delicious and so easy! This is a clafoutis isn’t it?
Sara says
It’s quite similar!
LindaLuFiberStudio says
Baked at 360 since I’m at 8000 ft. Added the cinnamon and used Brien sugar. Was amazing.
I sliced and arrange the pears fanned, wish you could see a pic, it’s a show stopper!
Jan says
The recipe says to put this in “a pan”, but it looks like you baked it in a cast iron skillet. I’m assuming it can be baked in a pie plate, but I’m not sure if that’s big enough.
Sara says
Yes a pie plate is fine!
Amy says
We received a box of pears as a gift so I tried this recipe last night. It turned out delicious! I cooked it for about 10 minutes longer as the middle wasn’t set after 45 mins. This recipe was so easy and my husband, who isn’t a huge pear fan, loved it.
Ginevra says
I received some pears for Christmas and I’m glad I found this recipe. It’s simple, easy, and delicious. I used brown sugar instead of granulated and added 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon. I skipped dusting the top with powdered sugar though. It would be fantastic with vanilla ice cream. Very satisfying. I liked that I didn’t have to make a crust. This dish really highlights the pears.
Jolene says
Has anyone tried this recipe with strawberries as yet? Planning on giving it a shot tomorrow. 🙂
Ash McDonald says
How did the strawberries go? I am keen to give that a try if it worked out.
Sandra Olivier says
I just made this using almond milk. I don’t know if my ovens temperature is correct but I cooked it longer and turned it up before I could get it to set. But let me tell you – I want to eat all of it NOW! Oh, I don’t put powder sugar on it either. So delicious.
Jolene says
Made this for the first time today. Doubled the liquid mixture. It was absolutely delicious. Thank you so very much for posting this recipe.
Missy says
Did you use a different size pan and/or increase bake time? Thanks!
Mirjam says
Looks great! Can I use almond milk instead of regular milk, or will it not set up?
Sara says
I haven’t tried it that way but I believe others have and that it comes out fine!
Angie says
I made two of these custards over the weekend. I really had a hard time judging when it was done. The edges seemed really golden and cake like but the center was wet. The first one was soupy in the middle when I cut it still warm so I added 5 minutes to the second one which seemed better, but I decided to refrigerate that one after it cooled to save it, but the top pears turned brown and it no longer looked appetizing once I’d done that. What is the ideal consistency and serving temperature/time for this after it cooks? Any tips appreciated since this was my first time attempting a custard.
Sara says
It should be set in the middle when you take it out of the oven. It is best when served warm or at room temperature. Pears will naturally discolor, you can try to help prevent this by tossing them in a little lemon juice before you add them to the pan.