Custard Pear Pie

Few things are as delicious as a homemade fresh custard pear pie. In this recipe, fresh (or canned pears) are prepared in a homemade custard filling and sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar before baking.

I had never heard of a custard pear pie until my sister-n-law made one. While this pear pie combines almonds and raspberries, the recipe I’m sharing with you today is a more simple recipe when it comes to pears. This pie can be made with fresh pears, or with good quality canned pears which is what I’m using today – since it’s winter.

Key Ingredients for Custard Pear Pie

Fresh or Canned Pears: For this recipe I used Bartlett pears from a reputable company that specializes in canned fruit to make sure they were high quality. The quality of your pears will directly impact the flavor and texture of this pie.

Evaporated Milk: This type of milk has a more caramelized flavor because 60% of the water from traditional milk has been removed. Don’t skip this ingredient. Also, make sure to only use one cup, as the canned evaporated milk comes in a larger quantity.

Unbaked Pie Crust: The best pies are made with homemade pie crusts. There is no substitute! If you’re intimidated by homemade pie, don’t be.

How to Make Pear Pie

This recipe is seriously easy to make. Unlike cherry pie which requires cooking the pie filling, this recipe is more like blueberry pie where you simply add and mix!

1. Make your unbaked pie shell.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour and sugar. Mix in evaporated milk and lemon juice until smooth. Add pears and mix until well incorporated.
3. Add pie filling to unbaked pie crust. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.
4. Bake at 400˚ F for 45 to 50 minutes.

Recipe Notes

How to avoid burned edges around your pie. I highly recommend investing in a good pie shield like this one. I add it about halfway through the baking process. This helps to keep the outer crust from burning while the rest of the pie bakes.

Spread the pears in the filling. When you first pour the pie filling into your pie shell you will want to spread the pie filling around so the pears are evenly distributed. Do this carefully as overflowing the filling will lead to it burning around the edges.

Check your pie during baking. Keep an eye on your pie as each oven is unique. I typically set my timer to 10 minutes before end bake time and check it. You’ll know your pie is done when the bottom of the crust is a nice golden brown.

Let the pie cool before serving. Pies do best when they have plenty of time to cool. For this custard pear pie I recommend waiting at least two hours before slicing.

Refrigerate leftovers after slicing. After slicing into the pie and the pie is completely cool from the oven, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

More Homemade Pie Recipes

• Fresh Strawberry Pie – an unbaked pie – that is delicious!
• Chocolate Pecan Pie – for all the chocolate lovers out there.
• Fresh Peach Pie Recipe – one of my all time favorites!

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