
Homemade Custard
I was brought up with custard made from Bird’s custard powder, I loved it then, and to be honest, I still love it now. However, when I want to be a bit fancy pants or it is a special occasion, I like to make homemade custard.
Delicious in a trifle
This dreamy, creamy, silky smooth, homemade custard is sweet but not over sweet and has delicious undertones of vanilla. It is easier than you think; I use cornflour which helps to stabilise the eggs and reduce the chance of the custard splitting or curdling.

How to make homemade custard:
Collect all your ingredients together:
- mix of fresh cream and milk (The ratio will depend on how rich you want the custard to be.)
- caster sugar
- cornflour
- vanilla extract
- large eggs
- pinch of salt
How to make the custard:
- Put the milk and cream into a saucepan and heat over a moderately hot heat until steaming but not boiling.
- Mix the caster sugar, cornflour, vanilla, eggs and salt thoroughly in a large jug.
- Pour the hot milk and cream onto the egg mixture and stir well.
- It is important to wash the saucepan well before returning the custard to the pan.
- Put the pan back onto a low heat and cook, stirring all the time, until it thickens. This could take up to 5 minutes. Take off the heat.
- Use your finger to check it is cooked: you should be able to run a clean line through it on the back of a spoon.
- Delicious with desserts such as crumble, fruit pies, Christmas pudding, steamed puddings, Eve’s puddings and in trifle.
1 Heat the milk and cream in a saucepan 2 Mix sugar, cornflour, vanilla, eggs and salt .. ..thoroughly in a large jug. 3 Pour the hot milk and cream onto egg mixture .. ….and stir well. 4 It is important to .. wash the saucepan well before … returning the custard to the pan 5 Put pan back onto a low heat and cook, stirring all the time … …until it thickens. This takes up to 5 minutes. 6 Clean line through the custard Served with Blueberry Crumble Bars
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Homemade Custard
This dreamy, creamy, silky smooth, homemade custard is sweet but not over sweet and has delicious undertones of vanilla.
Ingredients
- 600ml mix of fresh cream and milk (The ratio will depend on how rich you want the custard to be.)
- 40g caster sugar
- 18g/2 tablespoons cornflour
- 2 – 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
- large eggs – either 1 large egg and 2 yolks OR 2 eggs plus 1 egg yolk, OR or 4 egg yolks (See Recipe Notes)
- pinch of salt
Instructions
-
Put the milk and cream into a saucepan and heat over a moderately hot heat until steaming but not boiling.
-
Mix the caster sugar, cornflour, vanilla, eggs and salt thoroughly in a large jug.
-
Pour the hot milk and cream onto the egg mixture and stir well.
-
It is important to wash the saucepan well before returning the custard to the pan.
-
Put the pan back onto a low heat and cook, stirring all the time, until it thickens. This could take up to 5 minutes. Take off the heat.
-
Use your finger to check it is cooked: you should be able to run a clean line through it on the back of a spoon.
-
Delicious with desserts such as crumble, fruit pies, Christmas pudding, steamed puddings, Eve's puddings and in trifle.
Recipe Notes
Equipment:
- kitchen scales and measuring spoons
- saucepan
- jug
- balloon whisk and wooden spoon
Milk/Cream
You need a combined total of 600ml. The more cream the richer it will be. You could use all milk – in which case I would use full fat milk. You could also use all cream, in which case I would use single/pouring cream. All cream is too rich for me particularly with all the other rich ingredients in this dish.
Eggs
I use large eggs. You can use any of the following combinations, depending on how rich you want your custard:
- 1 large egg and 2 yolks, OR
- 2 eggs plus 1 egg yolk, OR
- 4 egg yolks
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