With creamy vanilla custard and ripe pears, this Pear Custard Pie is worth every bite. With just a few minutes of prep, this easy pear pie is amazingly rich, flavorful, and delicious. It is also gluten-free and low carb.
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One of my girlfriends from college, Kris, is famous for her Pear Vanilla Custard Pie. She has made it many times for our girls' nights and has passed out the recipe among our group. I've made it 4 or 5 times over the last few years but it was not gluten or sugar-free. When I had a few very ripe pears in the fruit basket that I needed to use I decided it was time to adapt her recipe.
Without a crust it is as easy as peeling and sliced the pears, mixing the ingredients in a blender and pouring them over the pears. It takes about 10 minutes to prep. Even with the pears, this is still only 9 net carbs per serving. For my Trim Healthy Mama friends, this would be an S Helper since it has a non-S fruit. I think it's worth the splurge of a few extra carbs.
Ingredients
Pears - You want VERY ripe pears for this pie. They don't soften much while baking so if you use unripe pears they will be flavorless and too firm. Bosc pears or bartlett pears are good varieties to use.
Eggs - Eggs are the base of the custard, what makes it creamy, and what helps it set and thicken. I do not recommend an egg substitute in this recipe.
Butter - I use salted butter when baking. If you are using unsalted butter make sure to add a pinch of kosher salt to bring out the other flavors.
Sweetener - I use a blend of xylitol, erythritol, and stevia. It tastes similar to sugar while being twice as sweet as most sweeteners so you need less.
Pure Vanilla Extract - Vanilla is the primary flavor in this besides the ripe pears.
Almond Flour - Using a bit of almond flour helps thicken the custard. For a nut-free option you can use a tablespoon of coconut flour instead of the almond flour.
How to Make Pear Custard Pie
Step One: Put the peeled, sliced, ripe pears into a deep-dish pie plate or pie dish greased with cooking spray. You can also use a casserole dish if you prefer.
Step Two: Blend together the remaining ingredients to form a custard. It will be thick and creamy.
Step Three: Pour the custard mixture over the pears. Bake the pie until the custard is golden and only jiggles slightly when gently shaken.
Variations
Spices - My favorite spice to use with pears is definitely ginger. But cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves are also good choices.
Fruit - You can use almost any fruit in this pie. If it is a fruit that does not soften easily (such as firm apples) I suggest baking it alone first before adding the custard.
Crust - Feel free to add a crust if you'd like! My variation of this, Keto Blackberry Pie, does have a crust.
Common Questions
What should I serve with pear custard pie?
This is wonderful on its own but I never turn down a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream with it either. Dusting with a sprinkle of powdered sweetener is another nice choice for serving.
Can I add a crust?
I kept this pie crustless but it is delicious with a crust as well. I've made it both ways. If you want to use a pie crust here is the recipe I use a lot. It is a press-in crust. Just press it into the pan, poke it with a fork, and bake for 10 minutes. Then add the pears and custard and bake again using the instructions for this recipe.
How can I make this keto?
If you want to reduce the carbs to make this suitable for a keto diet just sub in raspberries, blueberries, sliced strawberries, or blackberries instead.
Ingredients
- 3 very ripe pears peeled and sliced
- 3 eggs
- 4 tablespoon butter softened
- ½ cup Joy Filled Eats Sweetener (or see alternatives in recipe notes)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- ¼ cup almond flour
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Grease a pie plate. Put the peeled and sliced pears in the bottom.
- Combine the rest of the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour the custard over the pears.
- Bake for 35-45 minutes until the center isn't jiggly and the pie is golden brown. Cool completely and then chill in the fridge for a few hours before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Originally Published June 15, 2016. Revised and Republished April 13, 2022.
Yvonne says
I’m thinking I’d like to make this using banana’s! Yes. I’m aware of the increased carbs by way of the bananas, but sounds like it would be a yummy and easy play on banana pudding.
Taryn says
Oooh that sounds great! If you try please let me know how it turns out.
Yvonne Hacker says
Ugh! Just realized I’m out of almond flour. I could cry! Was so looking forward to making this. Good thing I didn’t peel the pears yet. When I try the banana version I’ll be sure to reports back Taryn! Thx
Gail W says
This was very good but too sweet for our tastes. I used 1/3 cup of Swerve granulated and will reduce it to 1/4 cup next time. But other than that, it was delicious and we loved it.
Linda says
This desert was delicious...made it today, and even my husband who is not on Keto loved it! I will definitely make this again and try different fruits. After I took it out of the oven, I did a lite drizzle of Lokanto maple syrup!
Altlamp says
If I use stevia for the sweetener, how much do
I use ? I’m new to this and don’t understand the sweetener conversion. 1/2 cup seems like a lot of sweetener!!
Taryn says
I don't test my recipes with stevia extract so I don't recommend that. Erythritol, xylitol, and monk fruit blends measure like sugar so 1/2 cup really isn't that much.
Suzy Turner says
This is AMAZING!! My father brought me some fresh pears from his farm early November so for the last 2weeks we’ve had a pear dish at least everyday!! I was a little skeptical of this recipe only bc I’ve never tried it, but also a little intrigued. I’ve also cleaned up my eating-low carb, low sugar, NO processed and high protein due to autoimmune issues so I was also a little excited to try something that was a down home country dish dessert! I’m SO very glad I did! This is THE perfect dish for fantastic sweet substitute! I did use swerve(a staple in my kitchen now) and my family never knew that it was unsweetened-at all. I love the subtle vanilla with the custard texture. I had many more pears than what the recipe called for but I also adjusted the other ingredients the same, with the exception of the swerve(sweetener). I’m so thankful I did not pull the full multiple of the recipe-everything was doubled from the recipe with the exception of the sweetener(I used swerve granular). I’ve learned with swerve I don’t need as much as other sweeteners and this worked great! I also used about 2-3oz cream cheese, softened and cut into tiny pieces so to mix easier in the blender. Next time I’m thinking I will add a dash of cinnamon and my family loves pecans. I’m also thinking of trying another one but playing with the flavors. Maybe a coconut custard? Blueberry custard(of course I will have to cook berries down and strain), chocolate custard? The possibilities are endless! So if u are applying a low carb low sugar lifestyle-this recipe is a MUST-to get u over the sweet cravings! This will be my back up for sure! And to just throw it all in the blender to mix and poor into a pan over the fruit?!?! Doesn’t get much easier than this!! LOVELY, EASY, QUICK& AMAZING!!
Maggie Ryan says
Very quick and easy and everyone loved it! Sometimes I switch it up and add some apples and cinnamon or coconut. I also only use 1/3 cup of sweetener which is plenty.
Katie says
Ever considered to make it with chayote squash cooked in its juice, sweetener, and pear extract. They look exactly like pears and would drop the carbs a lot. 9 net carbs is kind of pricey.
Taryn says
I have not. If you try lmk how it turns out! I have used berries before.
Julia says
Can i use coconut flour instead or almond? I have an allergy to almonds. Thanks!!
Taryn says
Yes, use 2 tablespoons. It just helps thicken the batter.
Tiffani says
Hello! I bought 20# of pears straight from Oregon. I'm not into canning and I don't want anything too sweet. This pear vanilla custard pie looks amazing. I'm wondering if you think I could use honey or coconut sugar as a substitute for the sweetener? I appreciate your response!
Taryn says
I'd use coconut sugar. You may want to increase the amount of sweetener a bit because what I use is twice as sweet as regular sugar. Honey might make the filling too liquidy to set.
Tiffani says
Thanks, Taryn! I appreciate the reply. Excited to make this!
Maggie Ryan says
I used about 1/8 cup of coconut sugar, 1/8 stevia and less than 1/4 xylitol ( that was the closest I could come to her blend) and it turned out FANTASTIC! The coconut sugar adds more carb though.
Aidalynn says
Hi can I add coconut oil or more butter and eggs to fulfill the keto percentage of fats to carbs? Will this slide to stay in ketosis?
Thank you in advance.
Taryn says
You could use berries instead of pears to reduce the carbs. I'm not sure if adding additional oil would work. Adding an extra egg and serving with whipped cream could increase the fat.
Adebola says
Can it be frozen, please?
Taryn says
I do not think this would freeze well.