Egg custard (creme anglaise)
A silky, vanilla scented pouring custard made from egg yolks, milk and cream, with no flour or cornflour.
Make this once, then cook it into 26 different dishes.
- Time35 min
- LevelMedium
- Costabout £0.92 a head
- Makesabout 700 ml, enough for 6 servings of pudding
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.
Method
- 1
Put the milk, cream, vanilla pod and its seeds in a medium saucepan. Heat gently until steaming with small bubbles at the edge, but not boiling. Remove from the heat and leave to infuse for 10 minutes.
10 min - 2
Whisk the egg yolks and sugar in a large heatproof bowl for 2 minutes until pale and thick.
- 3
Slowly pour the hot milk onto the yolks in a thin stream, whisking constantly. Lift out the vanilla pod.
- 4
Pour the mixture back into a clean pan. Cook over the lowest heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon in a figure of eight, for 5 to 8 minutes. It is ready at 82 C, or when it coats the back of the spoon and a finger drawn through leaves a clean line. Do not let it go above 85 C.
7 min - 5
Immediately pour through a sieve into a clean jug or bowl, ideally set over a bowl of iced water to stop the cooking. Stir for a minute.
- 6
Serve warm, or cool it with cling film pressed onto the surface so no skin forms, and chill within 1 hour.
About egg custard (creme anglaise)
Crème anglaise is a pouring custard made from egg yolks, sugar, milk and cream, cooked gently until it thickens and flavoured with vanilla. The name is French for English cream, and it is the real, egg thickened custard that shop custard imitates.
Unlike packet or tinned custard, it contains no cornflour or flour, so it is naturally gluten free. Poured warm over crumble, sticky toffee pudding, apple pie or sponge, or served cold with fruit, it is silky and rich. It is also the base for homemade vanilla ice cream.
The one skill is temperature. Egg yolks set at around 80 C and scramble if overheated, so cook the custard over the lowest heat and stir constantly. It is ready at 82 C, when it coats the back of a spoon. Straining it immediately into a cold bowl stops it cooking further.
Tips
- Cook on the lowest heat and keep stirring, scraping the base and corners of the pan. A digital probe thermometer takes the guesswork out: 82 C is perfect.
- If the custard starts to look grainy, take it off the heat at once and whisk hard, or blitz it in a blender with a splash of cold milk. This often rescues it.
- Put the pan in a sink of cold water to stop the cooking quickly if you see it starting to curdle.
- Use the leftover egg whites for meringues, or freeze them for later.
- For a dairy free custard, use full fat oat drink and oat cream in the same quantities. The result is slightly thinner and softer, but the method is identical.
- Use fresh British Lion eggs, and cook the custard to 82 C so it is safely cooked.
Storing and freezing
Cool within 1 hour and keep covered in the fridge for up to 2 days. Do not freeze it, because it splits when thawed. Reheat gently in a pan over a low heat, stirring, until steaming hot, and do not let it boil.
Dishes you can make with egg custard (creme anglaise)
Churros con Natilla de Vainilla (Churros with Vanilla Custard)
NFVNOGTrifle de Tres Leches con Durazno y Natilla (Peach Tres Leches Trifle)
NFVNOGStrawberry and Elderflower Trifle
VNFNOGZuppa Inglese (Italian Sponge and Custard Pudding)
VNOGCharlotte Russe (Raspberry Bavarois Charlotte)
NFNOGFraisier (French Strawberry Cream Cake)
VNFNOGBoston Cream Pie
VNFNOGBanoffee Trifle
VNOGBlack Forest Trifle
VNOGCabinet Pudding (Chancellor's Pudding)
VNFNOGRhubarb and Custard Sponge Pots
VNFNOGCopas de Natillas y Bizcocho (Spanish Custard and Sponge Cups)
VNFNOGQuestions
What is the difference between crème anglaise and custard?
Crème anglaise is a thinner, pouring custard thickened only with egg yolks, while English custard from a packet or tin is thickened with cornflour. Many British cooks also use the word custard for the egg based sauce.
How do I know when custard is cooked?
It is cooked at 82 C, or when it coats the back of a wooden spoon and a finger drawn across leaves a clean line. It will still look quite thin. It thickens as it cools.
Why has my custard curdled?
It was heated too fast or got too hot, which scrambled the yolks. Take it off the heat immediately and whisk or blend it with a splash of cold milk. Cook over the lowest heat next time and keep stirring.
Is homemade custard gluten free?
Yes. It contains no flour or cornflour, only milk, cream, egg yolks, sugar and vanilla, so it is gluten free, nut free and vegetarian. It is not dairy free or egg free.
Can I make custard with whole eggs?
Yes, but it will be less rich and more likely to scramble. Egg yolks alone give the smooth, velvety texture of crème anglaise, so keep to the yolks and use the whites elsewhere.
Can I use vanilla extract instead of a pod?
Yes. Use 2 teaspoons of vanilla bean paste, or 1 teaspoon of good vanilla extract added after cooking. Vanilla bean paste gives the flecks of seeds you expect in a proper crème anglaise.
More base recipes
Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.