Homemade custard

Homemade custard

By Good Food
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(48 ratings)
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Prep: 10 mins Cook: 15 mins

Easy

Serves 8

Once you've cracked your own technique for silky smooth vanilla custard, you'll never go back to tinned

Nutrition and extra info

  • Freezable

Nutrition: per serving

  • kcal284
  • fat20g
  • saturates11g
  • carbs22g
  • sugars17g
  • fibre0g
  • protein5g
  • salt0.1g
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Ingredients

  • 200ml double cream
  • 700ml whole milk
  • 4 large egg yolks
  • 3 tbsp cornflour
  • 100g caster sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Method

  1. Put the cream and milk into a large pan and gently bring to just below boiling point. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk the yolks, cornflour, sugar and vanilla. Gradually pour the hot milk mixture onto the sugar mixture, whisking constantly.

  2. Wipe out the saucepan and pour the mixture back into it. Heat gently, stirring with a wooden spoon (see Steps 1 and 2, for stirring tips) until the custard is thickened, but before any lumps form. Eat hot or cold.

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Comments, questions and tips

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MoarC
19th Mar, 2020
1.05
100g of sugar is way too much. The custard was too sweet and inedible :-(
loopyb
8th Feb, 2020
5.05
Quick and easy to make and you know what has gone into it.
heather rosemary's picture
heather rosemary
21st Jan, 2019
1.05
waaaay too much sugar ruined the whole batch of custard who ever put this recipe on should be ashamed of themselves
Eva Lams's picture
Eva Lams
19th Jan, 2019
5.05
I just made this custard and it is so tasty! I thought that making custard was going to be really hard but it's not! I didn't halve the sugar and it tastes really great but you may want to if you don't like things which are too sweet. Definitely going to recommend this recipe to friends.
trumpetgirl's picture
trumpetgirl
25th Dec, 2018
4.05
I gave this only 4* because of the sugar. I halved the sugar (like most people suggested) & because my custard was for trifle I used a tsp or 2 more cornflour & added amaretto. It was fantastic but they do need to sort the recipe!
MCRD
2nd Nov, 2018
4.05
I successfully made this but as stated before, the amount of sugar is wrong. You can’t whisk 200g of sugar into four egg yolks! Having compared other recipes I would try 50g and see how that works. Also, for a thicker custard rather than a crème anglaise style I would use a little bit more cornflour.
patandsteve
22nd Oct, 2018
1.05
Think the amount of sugar in the ingredients is totally wrong - surely it should be 20g and not 200g! I make proper custard with just a tablespoon of sugar to a pint of cream/milk and 3 egg yolks.
donnadrew
1st May, 2018
5.05
I used this recipe to make good old fashioned banana custard for 3 people. I halved the quantities, used semi-skimmed milk and 80g sugar (although I could probably have used 60g). I sliced up 3 small very ripe bananas and added them to the hot custard for 5 minutes before serving up. Clean bowls all round!
Elisabetta Renwick's picture
Elisabetta Renwick
30th Mar, 2018
This recipe is excellent - taste, texture, and ease of making. It gives a very smooth and velvety custard. The only change I would make is put a bit less sugar, say 100g instead of the 200g. If I had read the comments before making the custard I would have definitely put less sugar in. Like some others I too thought that 200g of sugar was a lot but I ignored my instinct. Nonetheless I would still give this recipe a 5-star rating.
Emma Whitton's picture
Emma Whitton
16th Mar, 2018
5.05
With less sugar and real vanilla this is lovely! I used half of everything with 70g sugar and it was still very sweet :) 100ml double cream 350ml whole milk 2 large egg yolks 1.5 tbsp cornflour 70g caster sugar 1 tsp vanilla extract paste

Pages

Mopsa
27th Sep, 2019
Has the amount of sugar been changed as comments talk about 200 g sugar but recipe states 100g
goodfoodteam's picture
goodfoodteam
28th Sep, 2019
Thanks for your question. Yes, this recipe has been amended following feedback. We do re-test recipes if there are consistent issues raised. We hope you enjoy it.
TechMinerUK's picture
TechMinerUK
21st Feb, 2016
Can this custard be stored in the freezer and if so how long can it be stored in the fridge/freezer?
goodfoodteam's picture
goodfoodteam
28th Apr, 2016
Unfortunately this custard doesn’t freeze well, it is likely to thin or curdle, sorry.
janicejean
4th Sep, 2014
Hi Can this custard be used for a trifle, will it set?
MsD
21st Sep, 2017
5.05
Unfortunately, it does not set in the fridge. It stays runny no matter how cold. It's perfect for ice cream!
goodfoodteam's picture
goodfoodteam
23rd Sep, 2017
Hi MsD, We're glad you enjoyed the custard. Thanks for responding and experimenting. As you've discovered, this custard doesn't set but if you decide to make trifle with homemade custard again, we'd suggest using the following custard recipe which will: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/strawberry-elderflower-trifle Thanks and enjoy! The Good Food Team.
MsD
21st Sep, 2017
5.05
I just used it for trifle, but unfortunately it does not work. It stays runny even when completely cold.
MsD
21st Sep, 2017
5.05
I am just about to use it for a trifle, so I'll let you know.
Eva Lams's picture
Eva Lams
19th Jan, 2019
5.05
When you're mixing together the cream/milk mixture and the egg/sugar mixture it's good too use a whisk then so you don't have any lumps when you're thickening it.
Cburn
20th Dec, 2016
4.05
Used half the amount of sugar and it was still too sweet. Maybe use about 80g and then add to taste. Mine also went lumpy as I couldn't continuously watch and stir it, but a quick blast with the hand blender soon smoothed things out .
rucbar11
30th Jul, 2016
Best served with fish fingers.
thekat
27th Nov, 2013
Adding the sugar afterwards stops the custard sticking to the pan.