This easy homemade custard recipe is a real treat. It's so creamy and delicious (although made without cream) and it takes less than 15 minutes to make, with an easy all in one method.
Firstly, to clarify, this is a stovetop custard recipe. It's a custard sauce, otherwise known as Creme Anglaise or English custard. It's the perfect accompaniment to pour over Apple and almond crumble , Healthy rhubarb crumble or a bowl of fruit. Egg custards that are baked in the oven are more solid, and not suitable to be used as a sauce.
A slightly thicker version of this custard can be used in recipes such as healthy trifle, gluten rhubarb and custard tart or healthy rhubarb muffins with a custard filling.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, definitely. Milk and eggs will still provide a delicious creamy texture and taste. You can use either whole milk, or skimmed milk if want a low fat custard.
Yes. I've used whole egg in this recipe as I think it is more convenient than having left over egg white. However if you do have egg yolks that you want to use up, replace one egg white with two egg yolks in this recipe
Easy custard recipe tips
This recipe uses an all in one method, and you'll only have one pan to wash up. Simply add all the ingredients to the pan, and stir constantly whilst you bring the custard to the boil. Voila, perfect lump free custard in just 10 minutes.
Adjust the recipe to suit
- If you want thick custard, use 200 ml of milk. If you prefer your custard to be thinner, use 250 ml milk. I suggest making the recipe with 200 ml milk, and then it's easy to stir in more milk at the end if you want to thin it down. The custard will continue to thicken as it cools
- Traditionally, custard is flavoured with vanilla. In this recipe I've used vanilla extract as it's simpler. However, you could also use a vanilla pod if you prefer.
- If you want a delicious chocolate custard, melt in a few squares of dark chocolate at the end. Yum:)
Healthy custard
One of the benefits of making homemade custard is that you can control what goes into it. This recipe is much lower in sugar than most bought custard, although of course you can sweeten it to taste, or replace the sugar with stevia or maple syrup. It's also lower in fat than most, especially if you use skimmed or fat reduced milk. And the combination of milk and egg make this a great source of calcium, protein and vitamin B12.
Enjoy your healthy custard hot or cold. If you want to leave it to cool and don't want a skin to form, you'll need to put a layer of greaseproof paper directly onto the custard. Enjoy!
If you're a big fan of custard, you might also like to try this custard oats recipe. It's healthy porridge with an egg, which makes a rich custardy porridge.
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Recipe
Easy Homemade Custard without Cream
Ingredients
- 200-250 ml milk see notes above
- 1 tablespoon cornflour
- 2 teaspoon sugar
- 1 whole egg
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Measure the cold milk into a pan, and add the other ingredients. Stir well until all the ingredients are thoroughly mixed.200-250 ml milk, 1 tbsp cornflour, 2 tsp sugar, 1 whole egg, ¼ tsp vanilla extract
- Place the pan over a medium heat, stirring constantly until the mixture comes to the boil and is thickened. Turn off the heat, and serve hot or cold.
- Using 200 ml of milk will make a thick custard, if preferred, add up to 50 ml more milk for a thinner consistency.
Nutrition
Please note nutritional information is per serving and is provided for guidance only.
Rós says
Wow. Thank you for posting this recipe. I just made it with stewed apples and it was fantastic. Never buying custard powder again. And thank you again because this recipe is so economical - custard powder has gotten so expensive here in Ireland.
John says
Amazingly easy and tasty recipe! Worked perfectly when I needed custard but didn’t have any in the cupboard. Will make this in the future when I want custard instead of buying from the shop.
I followed the recipe exactly, using a low-ish heat and constantly stirred throughout, ensuring all parts of the bottom of the pan were stirred (to prevent burnt bits). Turned out perfectly.
It did have a slight “egg” taste to it, but definitely not overpowering. This could be because my taste buds are accustomed to inferior custard from the shops. I might try replacing the 1 whole egg with egg yolks next time as mentioned in the recipe.
Wendy Faulkner says
Hi, thank you for your feedback, I'm glad you enjoyed your custard. All yolks will make the recipe a little richer, and slightly more eggy as the yolk is the most flavoursome part of an egg.
Valerie Wang says
Excellent with stewed plums or rhubarb and so easy. Will never buy custard powder again!
Carol says
Thank you very much Wendy for this amazingly easy and healthy recipe. I'll be making this often as hot custard is such comfort food especially in winter (which it is right now here in New Zealand). I'm very keen to look at your other healthy recipes! Carol
Wendy Faulkner says
Thank you. I'm glad you enjoyed it. You might like to try it with apple and almond crumble which is in the desserts section on Cinnamon and Kale.
Tammy says
This is a such a fabulous, tasty and easy recipe to make. Won't buy custard again 😋
Wendy Faulkner says
Thank you. I'm so glad you liked it.
Laura-Lee Lothbrook says
Subbed 2/3 of the milk for coconut cream and added some lemon zest - it was amazing! And I cannot believe how easy or low sugar it is. Thanks for this recipe!
Wendy Faulkner says
A pleasure:) Thank you.