Three ramekins of egg custard with nutmeg.

Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Erika Joyce

Baked egg custard is the little black dress of dessert recipes. It’s simple and elegant—ready to be dressed up with fresh berries, chocolate syrup, or whipped cream, but it’s also astoundingly good all by itself. Custard, in various forms, has been made for centuries: set into creme brûlée, flan, mini egg custard tarts, or a savory quiche; frozen into ice cream; soaked into bread pudding; poured into myriad egg custard pies; or serving as a creamy custard filling for éclairs and other pastries.

This recipe for individual old-fashioned egg custard cups keeps things very simple: no pie crust, no nonsense, but if you did want to up the ante, you could swap the extract for an equal amount of vanilla bean paste—or trade it for half a vanilla bean. (Split and scrape the pod, then add the seeds and pod to the milk while it comes to a boil.) We also recommend picking up whole nutmeg and grating it on a rasp-style grater; pre-ground nutmeg loses its luster quickly and won’t add the same punch.

The custards are baked in a hot water bath, which helps even the most disagreeable oven cook gently and evenly. We use ramekins, but oven-safe coffee cups work too. Set your chosen vessels in a deep baking dish that’s just large enough to hold them so the water doesn’t have too much room to slosh around. Pro tip: If you’re into do-ahead dishes, this one is even better the afternoon after you’ve made it.

Recipe information

Yield
6 servings

Ingredients

2 cups whole milk

2 large eggs plus 2 large egg yolks

⅓ cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Freshly grated nutmeg

Preparation

Step 1
Place rack in center of oven; preheat oven to 300°F. Place six 4-oz. ovenproof cups (you can use ramekins or coffee cups marked as oven-safe) in a deep baking pan just large enough to hold them.
Step 2
Bring 2 cups whole milk to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally and keeping a close watch so it doesn’t boil over.
Step 3
Meanwhile, whisk 2 large eggs plus 2 large egg yolks, ⅓ cup sugar, and 1 tsp. vanilla extract in a medium bowl just to combine (you don’t want to incorporate too much air into the mixture). Slowly pour warm milk into the egg mixture, whisking gently. Pour custard through a fine-mesh sieve into the cups (if the strainer clogs, use a spoon to scrape it clean, discard vanilla pod). Sprinkle the tops of each custard lightly with freshly grated nutmeg.
Step 4
Pour hot (not boiling) water into the base of the pan until it reaches halfway up the sides of the cups. Bake until the custards are just set (they should wobble a bit at their centers), 30–35 minutes. Let the custards cool in the water bath for about 2 hours before serving.
Do Ahead: Custards can be made 3 days ahead. After cooling, cover surface of each custard with plastic wrap and chill. Serve chilled or bring to room temperature.
Editor's note: This easy egg custard recipe was first printed in the March/April 2007 issue of ‘Cookie.’ Head this way for more of our best desserts for New Year’s Eve →