This easy homemade custard is made without cream using simple, everyday ingredients including milk, a whole egg and cornflour. It's smooth, creamy and delicious without the need for cream. There's no custard powder needed either, and it takes less than 15 minutes to make on the hob, with an easy all-in-one method.
To clarify, this easy homemade custard is a custard sauce, also known as Crème Anglaise or English custard. It's the perfect accompaniment to pour over apple and almond crumble, or a bowl of stewed fruit. It's no exaggeration to say that between my daughter and me, we've made this custard recipe over 300 times!
Egg custards that are baked in the oven are more solid and not suitable for use as a sauce.
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What you'll love about the recipe
- Made without cream. This homemade custard is rich and creamy, but lighter and lower in saturated fat than a traditional recipe
- No custard powder needed. This convenient recipe is made from ingredients you probably already have in the kitchen
- Uses a whole egg, so there's no egg whites to use up later
- Quick and easy. Everything is mixed in one pan and the custard is ready in less than 15 minutes
- Easy to adapt. You can make it thicker or thinner for different types of dessert, and serve it warm or chilled
- Lower in added sugar. With just a small amount of added sugar, it's a healthier homemade custard recipe
Ingredients
Milk. I made this healthier custard with skimmed milk, but you could also use either semi-skimmed or full-fat milk. I've also got a recipe for dairy-free custard if you prefer.
Egg. I find custard with a whole egg convenient, as I make it frequently and don't want leftover egg whites. But if you prefer, you can use two egg yolks in place of one whole egg. You'll get a slightly richer, more eggy flavour and a deeper yellow colour.
Cornflour, also known as cornstarch. This fine white powder, which is found in the baking section of supermarkets, is not the same as cornmeal or polenta.
Sugar. There's only a small amount of sugar in the recipe, as milk is naturally quite sweet. If you prefer, you can substitute the sugar with either honey or an alternative sweetener such as stevia. I've personally made the recipe with honey before when I've run out of sugar.
Vanilla extract. Start with 1 quarter of a teaspoon, and you can always add more if you prefer a stronger vanilla flavour. A few readers have commented that they prefer to add a little more vanilla.
How to make custard without cream
This recipe uses an easy all-in-one method, and you'll only have one pan to wash up.
Simply add all the ingredients to a cold pan and whisk together until smooth.
Place on a low heat. Whisk constantly whilst you bring the custard up to the boil. Ensure that you stir across the whole pan whilst you are whisking so that the custard doesn't catch on the bottom.
Remove the pan from the heat as soon as the custard has just come to the boil and is thick and smooth. You'll have perfect lump-free custard in 10 minutes!
Recipe tips
- Keep the heat low and keep stirring!
- Take the custard off the heat once it has come to the boil and is thick and smooth. Overcooked custard can taste too eggy as the proteins in the egg start to change.
- 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. Delicious!
How to serve homemade custard
Often, if I've made a lighter dinner such as a salad, I'll make crumble and custard for dessert. It's filling, and the combination of milk and egg in the custard makes this a great source of calcium, protein and vitamin B12.
Banana and custard is one of my favourite snacks. And custard with stewed rhubarb and apple is perfect!
A slightly thicker version of this custard can be used in recipes such as healthy trifle, gluten free rhubarb and custard tart or healthy rhubarb muffins with a custard filling.
Easy custard desserts
Storage and reheating
Enjoy your healthy custard hot or cold. If you want to leave it to cool without a skin forming, you'll need to put a layer of greaseproof paper directly onto the custard.
Cooled custard can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. If you want to reheat it, put it in a pan (ideally non-stick) and heat it very gently whilst stirring constantly.
The heat must be very low, otherwise the custard can curdle. If you struggle with that on your hob, put the custard in a heatproof bowl placed over a pan of simmering water. It'll take a little longer to reheat this way, but will keep the heat lower.
If you're a big fan of custard, and fancy it for breakfast, try this custard oats recipe. It's healthy porridge with an egg, which makes a rich custardy flavoured porridge.
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 depending on how rich you want the custard to be.
Yes. I've used whole eggs to make this custard as I think it is more convenient than having leftover egg white. However, if you do have egg yolks that you want to use up, replace one whole egg with two egg yolks in this recipe.
Yes. You don't need custard powder to make custard. This recipe uses cornflour (cornstarch) to thicken the custard, together with a whole egg for flavour and richness. Vanilla adds the traditional custard flavour, so there's no need for custard powder.
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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 low heat, stirring constantly until the mixture just comes to a boil and thickens. Ensure that you stir right across the base of the pan and into the corners. Turn off the heat immediately, 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.
Notes
- Keep the heat low and keep stirring!
- Take the custard off the heat once it has come to the boil and is thick and smooth. Overcooked custard can taste overly eggy as the proteins in the egg start to change.
- Use a vanilla pod in place of vanilla extract if you prefer.
Nutrition
Please note nutritional information is per serving and is provided for guidance only.
Mog says
Fantastic easy no cream custard recipe thank you!
Often have it with a banana, a dessert I'd not had for 55 years until recently
Wendy Faulkner says
Thank you, I'm so glad you enjoyed it. Banana custard is a favourite of mine too!
Julie Ashford says
Absolutely fab really easy and very tasty I shall pass this on to my friend who's always dieting and talking about food , Thank you .😺
Wendy Faulkner says
Thank you:) I hope your friend enjoys the low-fat custard too!
Anna K says
Made this last night. Absolutely wonderful. Easy to make ❤️
Wendy Faulkner says
Thank you. Nothing beats a bowl of homemade custard does it;)
Sarah Watkins says
Excellent, easily executed and even kept its velvety smoothness after going in the microwave.
Wendy Faulkner says
Thank you. That's really helpful to know it was good in the microwave too:)
Deborah Jayne says
This custard is great. Very easy to make and a healthy alternative for cream-based icecream.
Wendy Faulkner says
Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Elaine says
I prefer things that are easy to do and this recipe is perfect. This is the first time I have ever made custard from scratch always thinking it was difficult to do but this recipe proved that it's not and it was so tasty. It won't be the last time I make this.Thank you for sharing.
Wendy Faulkner says
Thank you, I'm so glad it's helpful:)
Mairi says
Super simple and I love the low-waste option of being able to use the whole egg.
Wendy Faulkner says
Thank you, I'm so glad you like it!
Prue Stopford says
This is excellent and it tastes absolutely delicious! I used skimmed milk and two duck eggs, doubling up the other ingredients. I also used vanilla sugar and a little extra granulated. I was surprised that the cornflour mixed in so well - usually I mix it with a little milk first, which I suppose you could, but it was unnecessary.
I used the custard for a trifle. I will definitely do this again! Many thanks 🙂
Wendy Faulkner says
Thank you:) What a treat - duck eggs!
Kat says
So simple and tasty. This recipe was a life saver for me when I couldn't eat practically any desserts after my surgery. Thank you for sharing it!
Wendy Faulkner says
Thank you. I'm so glad the recipe was helpful at a difficult time. I hope you are much better now.
Irene Bemister says
This custard was absolutely amazing!!!!!
Wendy Faulkner says
Thank you so much:)
Emma says
How do I not get lumpy cooked egg in it. What am I doing wrong?
Wendy Faulkner says
Sorry to hear that. Either the heat is too hot, or you need to stir more. Maybe try using a whisk rather than a spoon as it makes it easier to mix it, and turn the heat down lower. I hope that helps, and you get some delicious smooth custard!
Bella says
Can I freeze this custard?
Wendy Faulkner says
Hi there, thanks for your question. Unfortunately, I think this kind of custard will split if you freeze it, so I wouldn't recommend it.
Cade says
Excellent!! Made this on the spur of the moment to go with homemade gluten free donuts and jam. I doubled the recipe and added two extra teaspoons of sugar. So quick and everyone loved it!! Thank you😊
Wendy Faulkner says
Lovely! Thank you so much for your comment:)
Wendy Sawyer says
Great recipe, had apple crumble but ice cream or custard found this recipe, so easy and will not be buying shop brought custard again .
Wendy Faulkner says
Thank you so much, that's lovely to hear:)
Kiera says
Tried making this, very cheap to make and great In a pinch. Tastes good but had to add a little extra sugar. Read in around 10 minutes!
Wendy Faulkner says
Thanks for your comment. Yes, you can adjust the sweetness to suit. Sometimes it also depends what you are serving it with.
Oliver says
As a teen who doesn't cook often this was really easy and extremely tasty!! Thank you 🙂
Wendy says
So glad to hear:)
amy says
Can this be stored in the fridge? If so for how long?
Wendy Faulkner says
Hi, yes you can store this custard in the fridge for 2-3 days.
Frances says
Roughly how many mls does this recipe make?
Wendy says
Hi, the recipe will make about 250ml of custard.
Annamarie says
I made this tonight. Followed the recipe to the T. In my case it came out a bit grainy... the custard was smooth but it tasted a bit grainy almost a kind of cornflower taste. Not a great taste either. Sort of bland tasting. What am I doing wrong.
Wendy says
Hi there. In terms of flavour, you can adjust the vanilla and sugar to suit if you prefer. Make sure that the mixture has come fully to the boil so that the cornflour is cooked. If yours is a little grainy, I wonder if had started to split, in which case keep the heat a little lower. I hope that helps!