Guyanese Baked Custard

Guyanese baked custard is one of those childhood favorites that I carried into adulthood. It is thick and creamy with notes of nutmeg and vanilla. Serve cold it is a delicious treat or have it warm and it is like a warm vanilla custard porridge.

Guyanese Baked Custard

My earliest memory of baked custard is of my Auntie Cheryl bringing it home from work. Auntie Cheryl worked as a cook in the kitchen at Georgetown Public Hospital in Guyana. I spent some August (summer) vacations during my adolescence with her and she made lots of yummy treats for me.

I remember her custard always came in an aluminum pan with a collapsible handle. Today, the taste of her baked custard still lingers in my memory and I think I’ve come as close as I can to replicating it. Although baked custard is simple and quick to make its deliciousness is addictive and you might find yourself making it quite often!

Why You’ll Love This Guyanese Baked Custard Recipe

• Simple: Learn how to bake custard Guyanese style with this foolproof egg custard recipe that uses just 5 ingredients.
• Delicious: It’s fluffy, light, and sweet but not overwhelmingly so. With a sprinkle of warm spice on top, it’s a tasty finishing touch.
• Great for Sharing: Make this for any celebration. Serve it in a large baking dish or elevate this dessert by serving individual servings in ramekins. (This would be perfect for a dinner party!)

Guyanese Baked Custard Ingredients

This baked vanilla custard comes together with just 5 ingredients.

• Condensed Milk: No sugar is needed when you use this thick, sweetened milk.
• Evaporated Milk: You can use 3 cups of whole milk instead, if you prefer.
• Eggs: Use large eggs for the best results.
• Vanilla Extract: This provides pure vanilla flavor.
• Grated Nutmeg: Freshly grated nutmeg adds a cozy warm quality to this dessert.

See recipe card for quantities.

How to Make Baked Custard Guyanese Style

Simmer Milk

In a saucepan combine the condensed milk and evaporated milk. Then stir with a spoon until fully combined. Next add the saucepan of milk to medium heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling remove from the heat.

Temper the Eggs

Whisk the eggs together in a large mixing bowl. Then slowly add small amounts of warmed milk (about 1/2 cup at a time) to the eggs, while whisking to combine. This is called tempering the eggs and prevents your custard from curdling.

After you’ve added about 2 cups of milk to the eggs, you can pour the mixture into the pot of warm milk and mix well.

Bake Egg Custard

Next add the vanilla extract (essence) and about 1/4 teaspoon of freshly grated nutmeg to the custard.

Pour the custard into a greased baking dish. You can grate some fresh nutmeg over the mixture before putting into the oven to bake bake for 30 mins at 350 °F.

You can bake the custard in a bain-marie by placing the baking dish in another baking pan and adding water. This allows the custard to steam at an even temperature. You can also skip the bain-marie, which is what I do often since my husband prefers the texture of the custard when it is baked this way.

Allow your baked custard to cool to room temperature and then place it in the fridge so it can be served cold.

Storage

Cover the leftover baked custard with plastic wrap and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Tips for the Best Egg Custard Recipe

• No water bath is necessary. Most people will be surprised that I am not making this in a water bath (placing the baking dish in a pan of water while baking, also called bain-marie). Well, a long time ago I skipped the bain-marie and my custard thick and creamy. Now that’s the only way my husband likes it.
• Evaporated and condensed milk. Both of evaporated milk and condensed milk has less water than traditional whole milk, so it makes a thicker custard with less eggs.
• Serve in a large baking dish or individual baking dishes. I baked my custard in a large baking dish so that we could decide how much we wanted when serving ourselves (family style). The custard just sits in the fridge like a tub of ice cream and everyone takes as they like. You can choose to bake yours in individual baking ramekins for a bit more elegant appeal when serving, especially if serving for a dinner party or brunch.

Recipe Variations

• Milk: You can substitute whole for the evaporated milk in this recipe. For a dairy free version of baked custard try my coconut baked custard found in Caribbean Paleo.
• Immersion Blender: You don’t have to heat the milk. That is an optional step I use to prevent the eggs from scrambling when I combine the ingredients. Some recipes simply whisk or blend the ingredients together. This blending method yields fluffier baked custard.
• Flavor: You can use almond extract or mixed essence, instead of vanilla.
• Garnish: Add a bit of orange zest over the top of the baked custard before serving. Or add some fresh fruit to brighten the custard. Berries or diced tropical fruits like mangoes and pineapples work well.

Frequently Asked Questions