If You Ate This Custard Dessert As A Child, You Probably Grew Up In The '60s

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If you grew up in the '60s, you've certainly seen many food trends come and go. From Dr. Pepper advertised as a hot drink to truly odd retro dishes you're probably glad aren't popular anymore, the food culture was almost unrecognizable six decades ago. Still, there is one dessert from that era that continues to nostalgically linger on people's minds — egg custard pie.The classic custard pie is defined by simplicity. Made from just a flaky crust and an egg-based custard filling, there's really not a lot of prep required. 

The crust is baked separately first, then put back into the oven with the filling inside. Once baked and cooled, the pie rests in the fridge for several hours to chill. The only thing that could potentially go wrong is messing up the texture, but even that's not the end of the world: You can strain the custard for a smoother consistency and use whipped cream for cosmetic corrections if the top comes out of the oven cracked. Flavor-wise, custard pie is very consistent and reliable, which is probably why it was such a favorite for holiday occasions. The filling is flavored with only vanilla and nutmeg, allowing the egg custard to really shine.

There are several variations of this pie that play around with different flavors in the forefront, though. There's coconut custard pie filled with coconut flakes, or the slightly tarter rhubarb custard pie. Another popular type is lemon chess pie, which famously adds acidity to the mix.  

Most of the recipes for this once-popular old-fashioned dessert survive through a cherished practice of passing it on to the next generation in the family. People report holding onto their mother's and grandmother's custard pie recipes, some even preserved in the original handwriting. One of the most special recipes survives in what's believed to be the first African-American cookbook, "What Mrs. Fisher Knows About Southern Cooking," which was published in 1881. But, by the '60s,  families didn't have to make the pie from scratch because there were several commercial brands selling them.

One such brand was Mrs. Smith's, which is still around today, but unfortunately doesn't sell nostalgic custard pies anymore. Another popular brand was Sara Lee, which actually still making the pies in classic and coconut versions. A box of six, unbaked Sara Lee classic custard pies sells on Amazon for $135.67 — $22.61 per pie. Finally, there was Ukrop's, a beloved brand for its coconut custard pie that's still available today alongside its lemon chess.