Brown Butter Custard Pie Filling

Aug 8, 2026 · By VanillaGoods

Baking Pies tarts Origin: Ugandan Vanilla: Extract Medium

A creamy, sliceable brown butter custard pie filling for one 9-inch pie. Best with Ugandan vanilla (bold, chocolatey, smoky); any pure vanilla works. Makes one 9-inch pie (8 servings).

Prep 20 min

Cook 15 min

Chill 4 hr

Total 4 hr 35 min

Servings 8

Diet —

Ingredients

Adjust yield

servings

2.0 cups (480.0 ml)whole milk
1.0 cup (240.0 ml)heavy cream
4.0 tbsp (50.0 g)browned butter, warm
2.0 tsp (10.0 ml)VanillaGoods pure vanilla extract
5.0 (90.0 g)large egg yolks
⅔ cup (133.0 g)granulated sugar
⅓ cup (43.0 g)cornstarch
¼ tspfine sea salt
1.0fully baked 9-inch pie crust, cooled

Make it at home

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Instructions

In a medium saucepan, heat the milk and cream over medium heat until steaming, about 5 minutes.
In a heatproof bowl, whisk the egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, and salt until smooth.
Slowly whisk about half of the hot milk mixture into the yolks, then whisk everything back into the saucepan.
Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the filling is very thick and bubbles steadily. Keep whisking for 1 minute more so it sets firmly and reaches at least 160°F.
Remove from the heat and whisk in the browned butter and vanilla until smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve if you see any lumps.
Pour the filling into the crust and smooth the top.
Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface and refrigerate until cold and firm enough to slice, at least 4 hours or overnight.

Tips

Top with whipped cream just before serving.
Vanilla swap: use vanilla bean paste 1:1 in place of the extract for visible specks, or the seeds of 1 vanilla bean for each tablespoon of extract.
Best vanilla for this: Ugandan (bold, chocolatey, smoky), or Mexican (spiced, warm, woodsy). Any pure vanilla works.
Storage: Refrigerate, covered, for up to 3 days.

Recipe FAQ

How long does it take to make brown butter custard pie filling?

Plan on 20 minutes of prep and 15 minutes of cooking, plus 4 hours to chill. It makes one 9-inch pie (8 servings).

How should I store brown butter custard pie filling?

Refrigerate, covered, for up to 3 days.

Can I use a different form of vanilla?

use vanilla bean paste 1:1 in place of the extract for visible specks, or the seeds of 1 vanilla bean for each tablespoon of extract.

A creamy, sliceable brown butter custard pie filling for one 9-inch pie. Best with Ugandan vanilla (bold, chocolatey, smoky); any pure vanilla works. Makes one 9-inch pie (8 servings).

Estimated · per serving

Nutrition

Per serving = 1 of 8 servings this recipe makes.

469 Calories / serving

31.5g Fat

40.8g Carbs

6.3g Protein

21.1g Sugar

Whole recipe (8 servings): ~3752 cal · 252g fat · 326g carbs · 50g protein · 169g sugar

Estimated values per serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not verified Nutrition Facts; actual values vary with brands, measurements, and preparation.

Per serving · 469 calories

What it takes to burn one serving

Brisk walking 89 min·5.2 mi·~10400 steps
Walking uphill or incline treadmill 64 min·3.2 mi·~6400 steps
Moderate cycling 48 min·9.6 mi
Swimming laps 66 min
Jogging 46 min·3.8 mi·~7350 steps
Stair climbing 43 min·~3850 steps
Dancing 76 min
Bodyweight circuit training 48 min
Cleaning, errands, or playing with the dog 109 min

Rough estimates for one serving, based on standard MET values at about 155 lb. Your own burn depends on body size, effort, and fitness. Shown for context only — food is not something you have to earn.

Made with VanillaGoods

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