Easy Pear Custard Pie with Buttery Streusel Topping

This pear custard pie combines creamy custard and golden brown streusel topping for a delicious treat. The old fashioned flavor is sure to please. Serve it plain, or top with vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.

Pear Custard Pie Recipe

This pear pie recipe is adapted from Favorite Recipes of America: Desserts, copyright 1968. It makes a 9 inch pie, but you can increase the filling by half to make a 10 inch pie. (The photos show a 10 inch pie. I use a duck egg or two chicken eggs for the 10 inch pie.)

Ingredients

• 2 cups chopped pears – about 2 medium to large pears
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar (for filling) plus 1/3 cup granulated sugar (for topping)
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 2/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 unbaked 9 inch pastry shell – see pie crust recipes here
• 1/4 cup butter

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Place unbaked pastry crust into a 9 inch pie dish and crimp the edges. Coarsely chop or slice 2 cups of pears (peeling is optional).

In a medium bowl, combine sliced pears, 1/2 cup sugar, egg, cream, 1 tablespoon flour, vanilla extract and salt. Pour the custard mixture into the unbaked pastry shell. Bake the custard pear filling for 15 minutes at 350°F.

I use a pie crust shield to cover the edges of the pie to prevent burning, and a pie drip catcher. If you don’t have a crust shield, you may want to wrap aluminum foil around the edge of the pie for the second part of baking.

While the pie is baking, combine 2/3 cup flour, 13/ cup sugar, and 1/4 cup butter with a pastry blender or food processor. After 15 minutes, remove the pie from the oven and add the streusel mixture to the top of the pie. Return the pie to the oven and bake for 30 minutes, or until golden brown on top.

Allow the pie to cool slightly before serving so the custard has time to set completely. Yields 6-8 servings. We like it warm or at room temperature, either plain or with a bit of whipped cream.

Refrigerate unused portions and eat within a day or two for best quality.

What are some of the best pear varieties for baking?

We usually cook with Bartlett pears, as our neighbors have a large tree. We help with the harvest and they share the fruit. For baking, it’s best not to let the fruit get too ripe, or it won’t hold shape in the oven. Of course, if you’re making a recipe with pear puree, soft fruit works well.

Other pear varieties commonly used for baking include:

• Bosc pears – these hold their shape very well, even when ripe
• D’Anjou pears
• Concorde pears
• French Butter Pears
• Seckel Pears
• Forelle Pears
• Comice pears – like Barletts, these have a softer texture when baked

Do I need to peel the pears for pear custard pie?

If the skin on the pears is blemish free and not too tough, there’s no need to peel the pears for pear custard pie. I simply trimmed any damage, cut out the cores, and diced the fruit up. If you prefer, you can use a mandolin to cut pear slices.

Pear Custard Pie

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Smooth and creamy custard wraps around sweet pears, topped with a buttery streusel to create a tasty late summer dessert.

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 45 minutes
• Total Time: 55 minutes
• Yield: 8 slices 1x
• Category: Dessert

Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 2 cups chopped pears – about 2 medium to large pears
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar (for filling) plus 1/3 cup granulated sugar (for topping)
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 1 tablespoon (for filling) plus 2/3 cup (for topping) all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 unbaked 9 inch pastry shell
• 1/4 cup butter

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Place unbaked pastry crust into a 9 inch pie dish and crimp the edges. Coarsely chop or slice 2 cups of pears (peeling is optional).
2. In a medium bowl, combine sliced pears, 1/2 cup sugar, egg, cream, 1 tablespoon flour, vanilla extract and salt. Pour the custard mixture into the unbaked pastry shell. Bake the custard pear filling for 15 minutes at 350°F.
3. While the pie is baking, combine 2/3 cup flour, 13/ cup sugar, and 1/4 cup butter with a pastry blender or food processor. After 15 minutes, remove the pie from the oven and add the streusel mixture to the top of the pie. Return the pie to the oven and bake for 30 minutes, or until golden brown on top.
4. Allow the pie to cool slightly before serving so the custard has time to set completely.

Notes

Serve warm or at room temperature, either plain or with a dollop of whipped cream. Refrigerate unused portions and eat within a day or two for best quality.

More Ways to Use Pears

We’ve been helping our neighbors with their pear tree for years, so we’ve enjoyed a lot of pears. These are some of the recipes we use.

Jams and Jellies

• Maple Pear Jelly
• Pear Ginger Jam
• Blueberry Pear Jam
• Cranberry Pear Jam
• Carrot Cake Jam

More Preserving Ideas

• 9 Ways to Preserve Pears, Plus Tips to Prevent Browning and Best Storage Varieties
• Dehydrating Pears
• Almond Pears
• How to Make Pear Wine

This article is written by Laurie Neverman. Laurie grew up in the kitchen, learning baking and home cooking from her momma. At age 15, she and her mom and two sisters created Irene’s Custom Cakes & Catering. This was her summer job through most of high school and college.