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.
Randy Dean says
So I’m really wanting to try it but my one question is the picture looks like the pears were place on top of the custard and then baked. Not put in the pan with the custard poured over them. Am I just looking at it wrong or did you really put the pears in first and pour the custard over them and then bake. I just want to get it right.
Sara says
The pears go in first and they float to the top as they bake!
Jennifer Norman says
Such an easy recipe. My house smelled fantastic too! I could definitely see myself making this once a week during fall months.
Anne Elkins says
I don’t have a blender. Can I use a mixer
Sara says
Yes that should be fine!
Stephanie de Fiori says
Can this be made in an 8 inch pan? The only 9 inch pan I have is a springform pan. Thanks so much!
Sara says
Yes it might just take a bit longer to cook!
Adriana says
Can you make this with apples or berries?
I’ve made it with pears and it was a hit.
Sara says
Yes either should work!
Julie says
Can you use canned pears? I would use the halves then slice them as shown. If so, this would make a great emergency pantry dessert if you don’t have fresh pears on hand.
Sara says
I think it would work although I haven’t tested it myself!
Diane Bidgood says
Can I use oat flour or almond flour for this recipe to make it gluten free?
Sara says
I don’t think that would be a good choice here as the custard may come out gritty!
Greg says
I used all purpose gluten free flour, texture was fine, wasn’t gritty. Don’t know about straight almond flour though.
Ginny says
Is the pie turned over out of the pan to serve it? The photo shows the pears, but the recipe calls for the pears to be added first, which seems like they would be at the bottom of the pan. Am I mistaken? Do they rise to the top while baking?
Sara says
They float to the top while baking!
Jody says
Excellent served w a little vanilla ice cream. Ty
Laura says
My family really enjoyed this dessert. I ate some when it was warm, and then I ate it cold. I think we liked it better cold. It reminds me of flan with pears. I used almond milk and Lakanto sweetener. I’ll be making this often! In fact, I’m going to buy some more pears today!
Leslie says
I don’t think I’ve ever commented on a recipe before, but I make this so often that I felt the need! This is my families very favorite dessert! And my kids are 3 and 7, so that’s saying a lot when their other favorite desserts are Superman ice cream and birthday cake. It is so easy and turn out perfect every time. Thank you for this amazing recipe! We also love the leftovers cold (and I may eat it for breakfast the next morning too, don’t tell my kids haha)
Kristie Hohol says
Can you make with almond milk?
Sara says
I think it should be fine but I haven’t tried it myself!
Laura says
I made it with almond milk and used Lakanto sweetener. It turned out great!