Our Old-Fashioned Eggnog Pie Is A Boozy Holiday Showstopper

Transform your favorite boozy holiday drink into an old-fashioned eggnog pie, a showstopping dessert that captures all the classic flavors of the festive libation in every slice. All it takes are some chilled ingredients and a bit of patience, and you'll be rewarded with a dessert fit for your great-grandmother's recipe collection.

According to Ksenia Prints of At the Immigrant's Table, making something this beautiful look easy takes a special kind of skill. Sure, the Internet is full of "easy eggnog pie" recipes, promising to capture your favorite childhood flavors using instant vanilla pudding and store-bought eggnog. But none of it will taste like your grandmother's love, or your mother's kitchen.

Instead, this old-fashioned version features a buttery homemade crust filled with rich custard, made from scratch, the traditional way. We walk you through the whole tricky process, troubleshooting potential custard pitfalls to save your pie from ruin. We then spike the custard with rum and bourbon, chill it, and top the whole thing with billowy whipped cream and freshly grated nutmeg. The filling tastes just like traditional creamy eggnog, with warm spices and a subtle boozy kick. And that extra warmth? That's just the taste of your grandmother's pride in a well-made pie.

For the crust, you'll need all-purpose flour, salt, sugar, cold butter, and ice water. The rich custard filling calls for egg yolks, cornstarch, granulated sugar, ground nutmeg, salt, whole milk, heavy cream, butter, dark rum, bourbon, and vanilla extract, all to imitate the flavor of traditional eggnog. (You can make meringue with your leftover egg whites.) For the topping, grab heavy cream and sugar for whipping, plus fresh nutmeg for garnish.

Combine the flour, salt, and sugar.

Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal.

Add ice water 1 tablespoon at a time until the dough holds together. Start with 3 tablespoons and add 1 or 2 more if needed.

Work the dough slightly, first with a spatula and then with your hands, until it forms into a disk. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375 F.

Once chilled, roll out the dough between two pieces of parchment.

Fit the dough into a 9-inch pie pan.

Trim and crimp the edges.

Dock the bottom and line it with parchment and pie weights. Bake at 375 F for 20 minutes.

Remove the weights and parchment. Bake 10 minutes more until golden. Cool completely.

Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks in a bowl and set them aside.

Combine the cornstarch, sugar, ½ teaspoon of nutmeg, and salt in a heavy saucepan.

Whisk in the milk and cream.

Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened and bubbling. This usually takes between 5 and 15 minutes, but watch the custard carefully.

Temper the egg yolks by slowly whisking in 1 cup of the hot mixture.

Pour the yolk mixture back into pan. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.

Remove the pot from the heat. Stir in the butter, rum, bourbon, and vanilla extract, and another ½ teaspoon of nutmeg.

Strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into the cooled crust.

Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the pie. Refrigerate overnight.

When ready to serve, whip the cream with sugar to stiff peaks.

Spread or pipe the whipped cream over the chilled pie.

Grate nutmeg over the top. Serve the pie immediately, or refrigerate it for later.

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The secret to this eggnog pie filling lies in the cooked custard method. Instead of relying on store-bought custard mixes, we heat eggs, milk, cream, and cornstarch to create a rich, silky texture without requiring any baking after assembly.

While the crust does get baked, the filling itself sets through the power of cornstarch and yolks, combined with proper chilling time. The cornstarch acts as the primary thickening agent, creating structure as it cooks and gelatinizes when heated with the milk and cream. The egg yolks add richness and additional thickening power, but they need to be tempered carefully to prevent them from curdling. The key is to cook the custard on the stovetop until it reaches the right consistency, which is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon and hold bubbles when it comes to a simmer.

Then, the magic continues to happen as you cool the pie in the fridge. As it chills, the cornstarch and liquids fully set, resulting in a velvety smooth filling. We cover our pie with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming, but you can safely skip this stage. We admit, this traditional custard method takes more time than instant pudding shortcuts, but then again, good things are often worth waiting for. Once you taste that pure, old-fashioned eggnog flavor in a creamy, sliceable texture, all that work will feel like it was worth it.

Success with custard comes down to three critical factors: tempering it, constantly stirring the pot, and cooking it just long enough. To start your custard right, always temper your egg yolks by slowly adding about a cup of hot liquid to them in a separate bowl, all the while whisking constantly. This gradually raises their temperature and prevents them from scrambling when added to the pot.

Custard must be stirred constantly. Avert your eyes, and your beautiful custard can go from perfect to curdled in seconds. Use a whisk or wooden spoon and scrape the bottom and corners of the pan where the mixture thickens first. If your custard begins to curdle, remove it from the heat immediately, submerge the bottom of the pot in cold water, and whisk it again. Unfortunately, custard doesn't come with a perfect cook time. On the stovetop, it can take anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes, depending on the thickness of your pot and the size of your burner. Instead of relying on the clock, watch the custard itself. It should be thick, glossy, and gently bubbling, not boiling. When you drag a spatula across the bottom of the pot, it should leave a trail before filling back in. 

If your custard doesn't set after a night in the fridge, you have several options. The simplest is to serve it as a spoonable custard that people can eat straight from the pie shell. It may not look elegant, but it will taste great, and the eggs are fully cooked. Another option is to spoon the custard into individual ramekins or glasses and chill them. Finally, you can freeze the pie and serve it as a frozen eggnog pie. All three solutions turn out delicious.

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