Meringue-topped vanilla custard pie with a cinnamon-graham cracker crust.
| Prep Time: | 30 mins |
| Cook Time: | 30 mins |
| Total Time: | 1 hr |
| Servings: | 6 |
| Yield: | 1 9-inch deep dish pie |
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs
- ½ cup white sugar
- ½ cup butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 3 cups milk
- ½ cup white sugar
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 egg whites
- 2 tablespoons white sugar
Instructions
- Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- Mix the graham cracker crumbs, 1/2 cup sugar, melted butter, and cinnamon in a bowl. Reserve 1/4 cup for topping the pie. Press the remaining crumb mixture in the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate. Bake the crust in the preheated oven for 8 minutes.
- Heat the milk in a saucepan over medium-high heat. In a non-plastic bowl, whisk together the 1/2 cup sugar, cornstarch, egg yolks, and vanilla. When the milk is hot but not boiling, slowly pour the milk in a steady stream into the yolk mixture, whisking constantly. Return the custard to the saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or a heat-proof spatula. Cook and stir for 2 to 3 minutes over low heat until the custard has thickened. Pour the custard into the graham cracker crust.
- Preheat the oven’s broiler and set the oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source.
- Beat the egg whites until medium peaks form; add 2 tablespoons of sugar and beat until the meringue is stiff. Scoop out the meringue on top of the custard filling. Sprinkle the meringue with the reserved graham cracker crumbs.
- Place the pie under the broiler and bake until the meringue starts to brown, 3 to 5 minutes.
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 490 kcal |
| Carbohydrate | 66 g |
| Cholesterol | 153 mg |
| Dietary Fiber | 1 g |
| Protein | 9 g |
| Saturated Fat | 12 g |
| Sodium | 318 mg |
| Sugars | 50 g |
| Fat | 22 g |
| Unsaturated Fat | 0 g |
Reviews
I did not follow the recipe completely. I did follow the graham cracker crust but would cut back on the butter as it pooled after baking and had to soak it up. For the filling, I used half and half instead of milk, 1/3 cup cornstarch and cooked it on a double broiler. I mixed the sugar and cornstarch with the half and half from the start. Once hot, I mixed a little bit with the egg yolk and vanilla and then added to the pot. Stirring constantly until it thickened. Then I poured into the graham cracker pie crust. I refrigerated for about an hour before starting to make the meringue. For the meringue, I used the recipe from this link instead but of course modified the ratios as I only had 3 egg whites. https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/pavlova/ I did pipe it onto the custard filling and sprinkle the extra graham cracker crust bits on top. I did broil in the oven but had the rack 3 from the top. I only left in the oven for less than a minute as the tops were getting dark. So you have to watch every second it is in the oven and pull out immediately when it starts to darken the tops.
I made a few changes and this turned out quite well. 1. Omitted the cinnamon from the crust. I also used brown demerra sugar instead of white sugar. Yummy! The carmelized crust pairs beautifully with the vanilla custard. 2. Change out one of the cups of milk for 35% cream. It’s much richer 3. Use quality (real) vanilla. Double the quantity listed. If you can, scrape a real vanilla bean into the custard! Quality vanilla can make a HUGE difference! 4. Cook out the filling until it’s set, like a vanilla pudding. Then pass it through a sieve before adding it to the pie crust. You’ll always end up with a few gnarly but you’ll want to strain out. It’s worth the extra step. 5. Don’t broil the pie. Good lord. Cook your pie around 375 for 15 minutes. Broil will char the top and the middle won’t set.
Crust was too hard. I think there is too butter in the crust. Probably should have chilled the crust before adding the filling. Filling did not set properly. Looked pretty but could not get it out of the pie plate. The crust was probably cooked to long at 8 minutes.
I ate this all the time as a child and was so happy to find the recipe on here. Delicious.
This is a lovely pie and was a Listener favorite during the Roaring 20’s month on our baking podcast, Preheated. Neither of us had graham crackers, so we subbed Lotus Biscoff cookies and rich tea biscuits – either works great! Easy to make and eat.
Delicious
I used a 10 inch pie plate – smallest I have – and I had some filling left over. And have NEVER heard of broiling a merengue ( no wonder people had issues with it burning ) so I just baked it as I have always done with them. Perfect results as usual.
Terrible – meringue started on fire.. after 1 minute.. then after removing and baking meringue (nicely browned) custard did not set. So. Flapper soup. Pass.
Slightly less cinnamon, and it was perfect! Let it cool in the fridge overnight and it was magnificent the next day
I think this recipe assumes a pretty advanced baker is doing this and doesn’t explain some tips/tricks that would’ve helped. My filling did not set well and my meringue burnt (other reviewers appear to report the same). When I spoke to people who have made pies like this, they had some advice that would’ve helped, like letting it set in the fridge, pipe the meringue so it goes on more evenly, etc, etc
If I made it again I would add more egg whites to the merangue.
THIS TURNED OUT AWFUL THE MERINGUE BURNT TO A CHRISP AND THE FILLING DID NOT THICKEN!!!
this is my husband’s favourite pie, and he loves it. The only change I made was that I did not put cinnamon in the custard. The cinnamon in the crust gives enough flavor. This is a great recipe
Just came out of the oven and waiting for it to cool. The custard is lovely, but I would reduce the amount of butter in the crust. It was too much and would reduce it by half. Will try again with the reduction but I think it will be tasty.
Was my first attempt at this pie…. it was OK but waaaay too much sugar in the custard . If we make it again will reduce sugar to 1/4 cup
This was an awesome recipe. I will make it again. Thanks, dm
This was an awesome recipe. I will make it again. Thanks, dm
Very good, made this for the 1st time ever. Easy to follow instructions & tastes just like I remembered from 20 yrs. ago. Didn’t change a thing.
Great recipe, thankyou. I’m Aussie but I make this for my Ukranian-Canadian stepfather – he loves it. Its his birthday today and he likes this as a birthday cake lol so I’m checking out recipes to see if I can improve on the one I have currently. I usually leave the sugar out of the crust. Us Aussies don’t add excess sugar to crumb crusts with sweet baking as a rule. I also use a good pinch of cream of tartar in the egg whites to stop weeping. I wish I could find a recipe for a firmer custard – this pie never cuts cleanly. Still, its very popular in my house. I can’t get Aussie’s to enjoy it, its a bit too different for our tastes, but I like it.
The custard was awesome but never, never put a merangue under a broiler…..it will cook too quickly and burn the tips then come out all shriveled when it cools.
This pie is absolutely delicious and easy. My husband loves it, and he’s not really a pie guy!!!!!! Thanks allrecipes??