Sugar Cream Pie

The old-fashioned custard-style sugar cream pie is buttery, so velvety, and literally melts in your mouth! It's quick and easy to put together!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword cream pie recipes

Prep Time 1

Cook Time 5

Setting and Cooling Time 5

Total Time 5 6

Servings slices

Calories 419kcal

Author Kathleen

In a heavy bottom, medium-sized saucepan add the cornstarch (5 tablespoons), sugar (1 cup), and salt (a pinch). Whisk together. Pour in the cream (3 cups) and add butter (5 tablespoons). Heat over medium-low heat, whisking continually to prevent burning or scorching. Bring to a boil and cook for 1 minute.
Remove pan from burner and stir in vanilla (1 tablespoon).
Pour filling into blind baked pie crust. Smooth top with a small offset spatula. Allow pie to set for 20-30 minutes.
Adjust the oven rack to approximately 6 inches from the heating element. Set oven to broil.

Pour melted butter (2 tablespoons) evenly over the top of the pie. Tilt the pie side to side, as necessary to distribute butter evenly over the top of the pie.
In a small bowl, whisk together sugar (2 tablespoons), cinnamon (1 teaspoon), and nutmeg (1/4 teaspoon).
Sprinkle the spice mixture evenly over the butter. Broil on the adjusted oven rack for 1-2 minutes, until the sugar crystallizes and browns. Watch carefully so the topping doesn't burn!
Place pie on a wire backing rack and cool completely. Refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours, or best overnight.

Use a Metal Pie Plate for Blind Baking. Even though my photos may show otherwise, I prefer a metal pie plate whenever I blind bake a crust. It heats more evenly, helps the bottom bake up nicely, and can go from the freezer straight into the oven without the risk of cracking or shattering like some glass or ceramic dishes.
No Pie Weights? No Problem. If you don’t have ceramic pie weights, dried beans or uncooked rice work just fine. The goal is simply to keep the crust from puffing up or sliding down while it bakes, so use whatever you have on hand.
Cook the Filling Until It’s Truly Thick. One of the biggest mistakes with sugar cream pie is pulling the filling off the heat too soon. It should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon and drip off slowly. If it still looks thin or pours like liquid, keep cooking.
Let the Pie Chill Before Slicing. This pie needs time to fully set. For the cleanest slices and the best texture, let it cool completely, then refrigerate it for a few hours or overnight before serving. That rest time makes a big difference.