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    Home ‣ All Recipes

    Pistachio Custard Pie

    November 21, 2022 by Sara Leave a Comment

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Pouring pistachio custard into raw pie shell and baked pistachio pie in white dish with whipped cream.
    Slice of pistachio custard pie, bite removed, on a white plate with spoon.
    Pouring pistachio custard into raw pie shell and baked pistachio pie in white dish with whipped cream.
    Slice of pistachio custard pie, bite removed, on a white plate with spoon.
    Pouring pistachio custard into raw pie shell and baked pistachio pie in white dish with whipped cream.

    This is a creamy Baked Pistachio Pie Recipe with cream cheese, eggs, milk, sugar, and of course, crunchy pistachios!

    Not to be confused with a pistachio cream pie or pistachio pudding pie! This is a pistachio pie filling similar to my super creamy Pumpkin Pie that we have every Thanksgiving.

    Baked Pistachio Custard Pie in white pie pan with spatula and pistachios in white bowl.

    Custard vs Pudding

    What's the difference between custard pie and pudding pie? Mainly the ingredients and preparation methods. This is a pistachio CUSTARD pie.

    A custard pie is usually made with a base of eggs as a thickening agent, cream or milk, and a sweetener like sugar, then baked in this case. Custard is more firm than pudding, and holds it's shape longer unless thinned to make a sauce.

    A pudding or cream pie is made with milk or cream, sugar, and starch as the thickening agent (like cornstarch). Many use pudding mix from a box. It can be cooked on the stovetop or be no-cook.

    🥣 Ingredients

    This pistachio custard pie has cream cheese in it, which makes it smooth, creamy, and delicious! Due to the salt in the pistachios, this recipe only has added salt in the pie crust.

    • Pistachios - lightly salted, roasted
    • Sugar - white granulated
    • Cream Cheese - full fat preferred
    • Eggs
    • Milk - whole
    • Vanilla & Almond extract
    • Salt
    • Flour - all purpose
    • Butter - salted, and COLD. Frozen works well as long as you can cut it into pieces.
    • Ice water - for the pie crust. The colder the better!
    Four, butter, salt, pistachios, cream cheese, eggs, vanilla, almond extract, and milk in bowls on a metal baking pan.

    🔪 Instructions

    We're starting with a crust that is similar to a pâte brisée, a french shortbread-style pastry dough. It breaks the butter into smaller pieces than normal pie crust, making a more crumbly dough that is still tender and flaky when baked. Since sugar is added, it is more like a pâte brisée sucrée.

    Make the Pistachio Pie Crust

    In a medium-sized bowl or in a food processor, combine the all-purpose flour, salt, and sugar. Add the cold butter and cut into the flour mixture using a sturdy fork or pastry blender.

    If using a food processor, pulse for 15-30 seconds until the butter is in small pieces. Add in chopped pistachios.

    I then start adding in the water while the butter is in pea-sized pieces, and it will continue to break apart into smaller pieces to resemble a coarse meal as water is added and the dough is pulsed.

    Squares of cold butter resting on flour in bowl of food processor.
    Butter broken in pieces in flour in the bowl of a food processor.

    Add in cold water a 1-2 Tablespoons at a time, and pulse or mix by hand to incorporate.

    Once the mixture comes together into a ball or is able to be pinched together, immediately stop mixing. If the dough is dry and too crumbly, add water 1 Tablespoon at a time until a ball is able to be formed.

    Hand pouring chopped pistachios into bowl of food processor.
    Disc of pistachio pie dough on marble countertop with wood rolling pin.

    Flatten the dough into a disc shape, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before using.

    Make the Pistachio Pie Filling

    While the dough is chilling, make the ground pistachios by combining them in a blender with HALF of the sugar. This helps prevent caking as the nuts blend. Pulse until the pistachios are ground finely into small pieces. Set aside.

    Start the filling by mixing together softened cream cheese and sugar either by hand or with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Add in the eggs one at a time, mixing well in between.

    Hand pouring white bowl of sugar into blue bowl of cream cheese with whisk.
    Whisk in blue bowl with egg, cream cheese, and sugar.

    Add in the almond and vanilla extracts, then the whole milk, and mix well. Add in the ground pistachio/sugar mixture last, and whisk until smooth.

    Roll out the pie crust on a flat surface, sprinkling flour first to prevent the dough from sticking. Press into a 9-inch pie dish and crimp the edges.

    Pouring ground pistachios and sugar into bowl of custard mixture.
    Hands crimping raw pistachio pie crust in 9 inch white pie dish.

    Carefully pour the pistachio pie filling into the raw pie shell. Bake at 350 F for 45-55 minutes on a low oven shelf. The pie is finished when at least 3 inches of the filling is set, and the middle is still slightly jiggly; it finishes cooking as it cools.

    Let cool completely, then refrigerate for at least 3 hours before slicing.

    Pouring a bowl of pistachio custard into a raw pistachio crust.

    🍽 Serving & Storage

    This pie is best served chilled since it is a custard pie, just like pumpkin pie.

    Refrigerate covered for up to 3 days. Freezing is not recommended due to the dairy and eggs, it may change the texture of the pie once thawed and cause the crust to be soggy.

    Serving Suggestions

    • Top with whipped cream
    • Sprinkle some ground pistachios on top!
    • Make a meringue topping for an elegant finish
    Baked pistachio pie with spatula and bowl of pistachios with green dish towel on marble countertop.

    ✏️ Tips & Variations

    • Be sure to use softened cream cheese; otherwise, the pie filling will be clumpy if cold is used.
    • ALWAYS use cold butter when making pie crust! This is what gives it a flaky, tender texture when baked.
    • Chill completely before slicing and serving, just like a pumpkin pie.
    • Use eggnog in place of the milk in the pie filling for a fun holiday twist!
    • Layer your favorite raspberry jam on the top of the pie once it's baked for a beautiful tart flavor.
    Slice of pistachio custard pie with whipped cream on spatula.

    Pistachio custard pie has become one of my favorite pie recipes for the holidays, especially Thanksgiving and Christmas! The combination of the shortbread-style pistachio crust and the creamy pistachio pie filling makes for a unique pie recipe.

    Baked Pistachio pie in white pie dish with whipped cream on top.
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    Pistachio Custard Pie

    This is a creamy Baked Pistachio Pie with cream cheese, eggs, milk, sugar, and of course, crunchy pistachios!
    Prep Time30 mins
    Cook Time50 mins
    0 mins
    Total Time1 hr 20 mins
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: Pistachio Custard Pie, Pistachio Pie, Pistachio pie with cream cheese
    Servings: 8
    Calories: 522kcal
    Author: Sara

    Ingredients

    For the crust:

    • 1 ¼ cups all purpose flour
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • 2 Tablespoons white granulated sugar
    • 8 Tablespoons cold salted butter, cubed
    • 6-8 Tablespoons ice water
    • ¼ cup finely chopped pistachios

    For the filling:

    • 1 cup lightly salted roasted pistachios
    • 1 cup white granulated sugar
    • 8 oz cream cheese
    • 4 large eggs
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1 teaspoon almond extract
    • 1 cup whole milk
    • whipped cream for topping.

    Instructions

    For the crust:

    • In a bowl (or food processor) combine flour, salt and 2 Tablespoons sugar. Add cold butter and cut into the flour mixture using a sturdy fork untl butter is in pea sized chunks. If using a food processor, pulse for about 30 seconds.
    • Add in cold water a Tablespoon at a time, and mix the dough together just enough to form a ball. Careful not to overwork the dough. Shape the dough into a disc and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before using.

    For the filling:

    • Preheat the oven to 350 F°.
    • In a blender or food processor, combine the pistachios and HALF a cup of white sugar to help prevent caking. Blend until pistachios are finely ground.
    • In a bowl, mix together the other half cup of white sugar with the softened cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Add in the eggs one at a time, mixing well in between each addition.
    • Add in the vanilla and almond extracts and milk and whisk together. Add in ground pistachio mixture and whisk until smooth.

    Assemble:

    • Roll out the pie crust and transfer to a 9 inch pie dish, then crimp the edges as desired.
    • Pour the pie filling into the crust. Bake for 45-50 minutes, until the outer 3 inches of the pie is set. May still be jiggly in the middle, this is normal and the pie finishes cooking as it cools.
    • Cool completely (at least 1-2 hours) and refrigerate 2-3 hours until cold. Serve cold with whipped cream and sprinkled chopped pistachios on top.

    Notes

    Store covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days. Freezing once baked is not recommended due to the dairy. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 522kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 141mg | Sodium: 358mg | Potassium: 289mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 31g | Vitamin A: 905IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 67mg | Iron: 2mg

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    Hi! I'm Sara. Registered Nurse by day, food blogger by weekend. Perfect dip tester & snack quester. I love short walks on the beach and long naps. Sharing my love for food, one bite at a time.

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