Guyanese Baked Custard

Guyanese baked custard is a thick, creamy, sweet custard enhanced with sweetened condensed milk, eggs, and vanilla. Serve this dessert chilled for a tasty indulgence.

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 whisk together condensed milk and evaporated milk and warm until almost boiling.

Temper the Eggs

Whisk eggs together in a large mixing bowl and add essence and about 1/4 tsp. nutmeg. Then slowly add small amounts of warmed milk (about 1/2 cup at a time) to the egg mixture, while whisking vigorously. (This is called tempering the eggs).

Bake Egg Custard

Pour the mixture into a greased baking dish. Here I am using a 2 1/2 quart earthen baking dish. Grate some fresh nutmeg over the mixture. Finally, bake for 30 mins at 350 degrees.

Allow it 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). Well, a long time ago (out of pure laziness), I decided to do away with the whole water bath situation and found that not only was my custard still delicious but it was nice and thick and creamy too!
• The more eggs, the richer the baked custard. If you prefer a thinner Guyanese baked custard, use fewer 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 dishes (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, skim, 2%, 1% even almond milk for the evaporated milk in this recipe. Ok, I’ve never tried almond milk but I’m sure it would work too.
• 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 instead of vanilla.

Frequently Asked Questions