Before I can tell you about this recipe, I need to ask you a few leetle questions. It will only detain you a minute or two, I promise, but it essential that we get some facts out in the open before we can proceed. I wouldn’t want to lead you astray.
Do you flood your pancakes/waffles/French toast with so much maple syrup that you at times question whether they are simply a vehicle for your favorite sweetener, and have nothing to do with breakfast at all?
Do you wonder why, oh why, more desserts are not sweetened with this cozy ingredient, instead of granulated sugar, which is really so boring in comparison?
Have you tried to swap maple syrup for sugar in a dessert in the past, such as Pumpkin Pie, only to end up sorely disappointed that the maple flavor wasn’t pronounced at all?
Come, sit down next to me. [Hat tip.] Pull up a chair, let’s brew a strong espresso and stay for a while, because I have the dessert that you–and by you I mean we–have been searching for our whole lives.
There is no greater homage to the goodness of maple syrup than this Nutmeg Maple Pie (though I used a tart pan, because I am a rebel) from the New York Times archives. Yes, I worried that the nutmeg would distract us from the main event, too, yet it folded so eloquently into the final flavor, I entirely forgot it was there. I just knew there was something unrecognizably better. This tart is spectacular. It is breakfast, it is a late afternoon coffee break, it is calming, centering dessert after an elaborate dinner. It is that Thing, that recipe you’ve been searching for to bring to Thanksgiving this year, something so fall flavored, people won’t realize they’re breaking with tradition to eat it, but so innovative, you’ll get a break from the predictable.
It is one of the best dessert surprises I’ve had in a long while. And now, I’m off to bake the extra custard (because I had to be a rebel with the tart shell, which holds less) into a new crust. I can’t wait.
One year ago: Orangettes
Nutmeg Maple Cream Pie
- 1 9-inch pie crust, either storebought or homemade
- 3/4 cup maple syrup
- 2 1/4 cups heavy cream
- 4 large egg yolks
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (see Note)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Lower oven temperature to 300°F degrees.
Prepare filling: In a medium saucepan — larger than you think you’ll need, because it can bubble over — over medium-high heat, reduce maple syrup to 1/2 cup, which takes about 5 to 7 minutes. Whisk in cream and bring back to a simmer, briefly. Remove from heat and pour into a medium bowl with a pouring spout, if you have one.
In a medium bowl, whisk together yolks and whole egg. Whisking constantly, slowly drizzle cream mixture into eggs. Strain mixture through a fine-mesh sieve back into the bowl with the pouring spout, if using. Stir in salt, nutmeg and vanilla.
Bake pie: Pour filling into crust and transfer to a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until pie is firm to touch but jiggles slightly when moved, about 1 hour. Let cool to room temperature before serving with a sprinkling of powdered sugar, softly whipped cream, and a few gratings of nutmeg, if you wish.
Do ahead: Pie keeps well in the fridge for up to 5 days.
This has nothing to do with the lovely pie you just posted – but about the fideos. I’ve adapted the basic concept to whatever is sitting in my cupboard and it does wonders for poor grad students everywhere as wine from trader joes, spaghetti, onions, garlic and cheese are always around.
:)
also – i made the cranberry scone recipe you posted for a department tea time and it was a huge hit!
just wanted to say thank you.
the nutmeg photo is lovely!
I always wish that maple syrup was more easily available here, and that it didn’t cost an absolute fortune to buy.
Your recipes always have such fab pictures that I always leave here feeling hungry. yum x
Made this for Thanksgiving, and it was creamy and so delicious! The top of my pie didn’t look great (some bubbles, dry looking patches, a weird divot), but I just piped whipped cream on the top and no one was the wiser. This is a keeper! We liked it even better than the salted maple pie from Sister Pie, which is also excellent, but not as smooth as this pie.
Just made this as a Chanukah treat. It has instantly become a forever treat—far surpassing the sufganiyot. Thank you.
I was going to make this despite my misgivings about 2+ cups of heavy cream (because Deb never failed me) when I read your comment on Sister Pie’s salted maple pie and decided to give that a try instead. Sorry to hijack the thread but it was phenomenal! It basically came down to: more cream or more sugar? Sister Pie has 3/4 cup heavy cream and 1.75 cups of maple syrup/brown sugar. Melissa Clark/Deb’s has 2.25 cups heavy cream and 1 cup of maple syrup. I have to try this recipe now to compare.
let us know!
I made this last year for Thanksgiving (didn’t I comment about that here recently? or was that somewhere else?) and it is absolutely one of my favorite pies ever. I have to get to the farm for some cream before Wednesday’s baking extravaganza!
OH.MY.GOSH. That looks so good. I was just thinking of how to incorporate maple into Thanksgiving this year. My last attempt (not bad, not great) was to add maple syrup to whipped cream as a topping to Pecan Pie. I like this better.
Yes. Yes. Yes. Not yet.
I love maple syrup! And nutmeg, this seems fabulous!
I have a question about the vodka pie crust recipe, would it be disgusting to use a flavoured vodka? Like vanilla or something to add to the flavour of the pie?
…And I think I’ve found the dessert I’ll make for Thanksgiving this year.
A few questions: did you use Grade A or Grade B maple syrup? Should I use a slightly smaller amount if I’m using Grade B, since it has a stronger flavor?
And I know I shouldn’t even be asking this, but I’m a grad student on a budget (and I don’t have the time to drive all the way out to Penzey’s): is pre-grated nutmeg okay? I mean, obviously it won’t be as good as the fresh stuff, but do you think it will render the whole thing mediocre?
Amy — You might have. Someone said in the comments (I am too lazy to look it up, admittedly) that I should try this on the very day I did. I love such synchrony. This recipe is one for the ages.
Jelena — I really hope this doesn’t sound impolite, but I think vanilla-flavored vodka might be kind of ick. Maybe it’s just my personal taste but… it’s just, well, they use very strong artificial flavors in the vodka, and those wouldn’t bake out. I think it would trample over the really good flavors in there–namely butter. However, if you’d like to flavor the crust, a splash of vanilla extract (swapped for the same amount of vodka) or even a small scraping of fresh vanilla bean could be wonderful.
Elise — I used Grade A, because that’s what I had in the fridge. I’m pretty laissez-faire about this stuff and wouldn’t be concerned about a stronger flavor. That said, I don’t actually think there could be a such thing as too strong of a maple flavor, so I am indeed biased.
I meet all your criteria. I love, love, love maple syrup and it is readily available here in the northwoods. But I have one question for you. I love maple syrup but don’t like things that are overly (sickly) sweet. Will I like this tart?
Deb – I stumbled across your website recently and have been a regular visitor ever since. You never fail to make my mouth water. I’ve been looking for a new pie/tart recipe to try out for Thanksgiving and I think this one will definitely fit the bill. One question though – how the heck did you get it out of the tart pan in one piece?
Yes, I’m with you. My espresso is still buzzing in my head and, please, can I have more pie?
Oh man, another dessert I must try. I guess there will be three desserts at the table this Thursday. I have to make a traditional pumpkin pie for the kid, then my favorite paradise pumpkin pie, which is a two layer pumpkin and cheesecake pie. And now this one. It’s a good thing I’m sharing pies or I’d really be in trouble.
Kary — I don’t think this tart is overly-sweet. It’s definitely a dessert, but not tooth aching or anything. Hope that helps.
Jenn — I only use removable-bottom tart pans, so the finished dish pops right out. I honestly don’t know what people do with the other ones.
Christina — But of course!
Wow! That looks delicious! Can I come over?
I am new to your blog Deb and just want to say I will be trying pies soon….alongh with plenty of Christmas cookies and tarts…but…. in the meantime
in the meantime…what? …hey,wha’ hoppen?
There I was, telling you about finding your blog …using your recipe for Ratatouille, finding it easier than the original, but that it was still a bit of work with the slicing etc…and it disappeared when I posted…hmmm… oh, well..
Thanks for a fun blog to read…yummy recipes and helpful info any cook can use..
*Raises hand* Yes! I adore maple syrup and always keep a bottle in my fridge along with a nutmeg for grating. Now I just wish I had a fluted pie pan as pretty as yours (mine are flat-rimmed, culled from garage sales and family attics). Then, and only then, could I make something so gorgeous. (Though I reckon flat or fluted, the flavor is just the same.) Thanks for the Thanksgiving dessert inspiration!
Beautiful! I love the color especially. It looks so striking next to the raspberries!!!
This looks so lovely. I can’t wait to try this out!
Elise, I used grade b syrup (I buy it by the gallon from my friends’ farm) and pre-grated nutmeg. I can’t imagine how it could get any better, but I’ll use fresh nutmeg this year anyway, just because I have it.
Deb, that was me that suggested it! Great minds think alike. ;)
Oooh. And here I was already thinking of doing the cranberry tart you posted a little bit back for Thanksgiving. This looks and sounds amazing, but I’m not a huge maple syrup person. Perhaps this will convert me?
Your photos are scrumptious! Thank you for this mouthwatering post.
Oh boy, that pie looks heavenly! What a refreshing change from pumpkin. I’m definitely going to throw the family a curve ball this year and make this one.
So for those of us slightly slow on the uptake- the pie recipe you posted makes two tart shells? And the filling filled two tart pans? is this correct? I have been DYING to use my new tart pan. Just trying to figure out if i will have extra of either crust or filling or if I try to do this recipe as a tart x 2. thanks!
Celia
Thank you! I am the “pie-girl” in our family, and I’ve been struggling to think of something interesting to make this year for the holidays. This is the perfect homage to a much beloved local product! (I’m from New Hampshire where the maple syrup flows like water!)
I adore maple syrup. In SPain it´s an expensive delicacy, and not that easy to find, but I can´t be without. Just had a huge bowl of oatmeal porridge sweetened with it, after reading your post, very inspiring it´s been.
Me too, me too, I’m a maple syrup fan and so is my dad, so I know what I’ll be adding to the pie list for Wednesday’s baking extravaganza.
I made this last year too and it will be a welcome repeat this year. It’s a perfectly balanced pie– not “too” anything; just right. Except for the amount of filling. It isn’t that your tart pan is too small; this recipe makes too much filling for a 9″ standard pie pan as well. Not that I’m complaining– in little custard cups, baked in a water bath, the leftover hardly goes to waste. However this year, I’m going to try a 10 1/2″-11″ tart pan (not hard to find if you don’t have one). That should hold it all. And usually a good crust recipe for a 9″ standard pie will be enough for that size tart with maybe a little dough left over to stamp our a few maple leaf “cookies” for decorating the top. And if I’m wrong, well, those little custards are awfully good….
I would love to bring this on our Thanksgiving trip. Can anyone who has made this tell me if this is would travel well? I am concerned about the custard. We’ll be driving 3-4 hours. Maybe I should wait and try it for Christmas?
Celia — There isn’t enough for a whole extra shell (and a 9-inch tart shell holds less than a 9.5-inch pie dish) but there is a little extra, as CEN below attests, which can be baked in ramekins or in even a smaller shell or two.
CEN — Good to know there is too much filling. I never got to baking the extra custard but might try to tonight… water bath–great idea!
Carrie — I think it should travel just fine. If you’re worried about warm, a cooler or just a couple of those blue bricks underneath it should be fine. The tart is surprisingly firm for a custard, not really wiggly and cuts cleanly, so the bumps in the road shouldn’t be a huge issue.
This looks so yummy! I’m making it for Christmas this year. I don’t have fresh nutmeg though, so could you substitute ground nutmeg? If so, how much would you use?
I love using different sweeteners….. YUM! So many underrated flavors to use. I gotta be honest, I don’t know when I’ll get to this one. The good news is that I just subscribed to your blog so I could keep the recipes I intent to make in my inbox. That and the fact that I just got nutmeg and love to use my microplane. I love simple recipes that are freakishly good. This looks like a contender! OOOOO, I know this is a day too late but I am getting a pastry blender. So excited…cause, you know, I need more kitchen gadgets….. *sigh* Hopefully, the hubby won’t notice that I keep accumulating kitchen stuff…..
I’ve made 2 Grapefruit Cake already & get nothing but oooo’s & aaaahhh’s! I love what you’re doing here, keep up the good work.
This looks absolutely perfect for the close of a heavy meal – and it’s that cup of espresso that really caught my attention -a nice rich coffee to pair with the delicate maple flavor, nothing to overwhelming or creamy… and I think the thin tart probably is a better vehicle than a deep pie- but I think I’ll keep the crust recipe the same and just make two, since they’ll go fast!
OMG, I am going to try this Today! I LOVE maple syrup. I normally use it to make a mean pecan pie, but this sounds so much better. I have everything I need to make it. I’ll report back later with how it came out.
Thank you so much!
Thanks for your feedback on the sweetness. With that, this will be on our thanksgiving table. (Also, it’s very helpful to hear from those who have made this already.)
deb: this is perfect. Sounds like the fall-holiday twist on summer’s lemon or key lime tart… thanks: pulling up a chair with you is always worth it.
Happy Thanksgiving!
This looks amazing. I too am always in search of bigger maple flavor in my maple desserts, and don’t even get me started on fresh-grated nutmeg… *swoon*. I’ll definitely be trying this soon; might even just sneak it in for Thanksgiving!
Oh wow, I was really touched and impressed by this post. I’d love to sit next you and have a bit of that goodness. And YES, I love maple syrup. Lately I have been using lots of honey, but I might switch to maple syrup as a change. I will be definitely making this. Soon. Very soon.
Hello there!
This looks utterly delicious. You can’t go wrong with maple syrup. Ever.
This looks absolutely DECADENT!! Must try!
I just made this one, it’s delicious…perfect b/c it’s not too sweet! Thanks for the post!
This looks delicious and I can’t wait to try it! I would lwould love to try this with a shortbread crust, do you think this filling would pair well with that kind of crust?
I had extra filling because I used a 9″ tart pan instead of a 9.5″, so I chilled it in the freezer for a bit and then poured it over pumpkin ice cream. YUM.
How fantastic! I loved getting a little insight…and being able to look at these super sexy photos. Mm.
I absolutely love Maple Syrup – awesome pics too! Is there a way I can replace the egg in this recipe?
I tried this, and I’m pretty sure I did something wrong. Mine is not nearly as pretty and perfect as yours (sigh). The crust turned out though! I wonder if the pan was supposed to have been baked in a water bath? I didn’t have a flan pan so I used my quiche pan, which is about 12″ across, about an inch deep. I baked it for an hour, as per the recipe, but it came out not quite baked enough, not very high, and brownish on the top. The flavor was nice and my kitchen smelled wonderful, but it was just a bit too undercooked to be perfect. I had a hard time waiting though, so we had some while it was still warm. Could this be the issue? I’ll try it again sometime… after all, I have more crust in the freezer!
Jennifer in NYC — Not sure exactly which shortbread crust you have in mind, but I certainly don’t think it will taste bad. Shortbread has a lot in common with pie dough, anyhow, minus the cutting in the butter to get flakiness. Neither have an egg or yolk, and my crust without it did just fine. Good luck!
Akay — I have not practiced egg replacements, so I can’t give you much advice. However, my instinct tells me that it might be difficult as the custard is structured by the egg and yolks–that’s what makes it firm in the oven. Without it, you’d need a new stabilizer…
Shelly — Mine didn’t require a water bath (thank goodness, as I am lazy). Mine was done in an hour, however, perhaps another 15 would have done the trick for you. We’re ANY parts of yours that were set? (If the edges were but not the center, may have needed more baking time. If none was, I’m thinking it was an oven or ingredient issue.)
I cannot wait to try this recipe! I live in Québec so I can get maple syrup pretty much any time and I use it in like, everything! Have you tried it in coffee instead of sugar? Such a treat. Thanks for posting this recipe, again, I can’t wait to make it.
What a delicious looking cheesecake!! Oh and thanks for posting delicious recipes up every day in November! They’re all so great to read.
Hi Deb. Thanks for the answer. With the pie (I also filled 2 little ramekins), the very outer edge, next to the crust was ok, but the middle seemed a like pudding, same with the ramekins. Now, because I live in Australia, I’m thinking that all the metric conversions messed me up. It took forever to figure out how much butter to use for the crust, I finally ended up stuffing it into a tablespoon measure, it was quite a mess. Then even that didn’t turn out light and fluffy like yours appeared. I wonder if I need to increase the heat and cover it with foil next time. Sheesh I wish I had paid attention in math class when they were teaching the metric system!
definitely making this tart for thursday. any ideas on a fruit-based sorbet or maybe a sauce to drizzle along the side? i definitely don’t want to take too much attention away from the maple falvor, but maybe add a little freshness to cut the ruch custard. maybe cranberry or pear?
Thanksgiving! This completely explains why the shelves were stripped of maple syrup at the supermarket.
A beautiful–and mouth-watering–pie. I especially like the addition of nutmeg.
Thank you for posting this. I love anything maple.
I really love your writing and the photos. Not sure I could be tempted to make this particular pie though as I am not a maple syrup lover. But, I have enjoyed some of the other recipes on your site. Thanks! Happy thanksgiving!
Hi Deb,
Each year from October to December, every department in the nonprofit that I work at chooses a charity project they will donate to. My department is raising money for grinding machines for widows in Nigeria, so they can start small businesses.
All that to say, for the bake sale yesterday (Tuesday), I make the nutmeg maple cream pie. It was a fabulous hit! Several people came to me afterward, asking for the recipe. So, of course, I directed them to your site.
The pie had a great, smooth, creamy texture that was sweet enough, but not too sweet for my Dutch husband. :) Thanks so much! And we raised $192 for the Nigerian widows.
This pie/ tart sounds like a slice of heaven. Beautiful photos, too!
I have this baking in the oven right now. If it tastes half as god as it smells, I’ve just made an addition to my regular desserts
Sorry to post two comments, but after perusing the rest of your site I have this thought: Would bourbon not go well in this one also?
So, mine doesn’t look nearly this good. Since I have another pie already made and I only committed to bringing one dessert I think maybe tonight we will dive into this. It probably tastes just fine…
This tart looks awesome! I just made a maple pumpkin pie that is yum, but different:-)
Shelly, I always struggle with the butter conversion too–I’m American living abroad and all the butter is packaged in grams, and the sticks are different sizes than in the US. Plus, you can’t just do a regular conversion, something about the density. Anyhow, here is an awesome link http://www.onlineconversion.com/cooking_butter.htm Happy Thanksgiving!
Martha ~ Thanks for that conversion sight! I played with it for about 5 minutes and will bookmark it.
UGH! I don’t have a pie plate….thought I’d be clever do it in a square pan, like I have for key lime pie (w/ cookie crust)…but the reason you NEVER SEE PIE CRUST LIKE THIS IS BECAUSE IT FLOATS. This is what I get for baking at 6AM. Its in the oven, I’m crossing my fingers. I did use a palm oil shortening that claims to be The Answer and the pie crust cookies I made with the leftover crust were fabulous…esp the ones I dusted with vanilla sugar.
dan — garnish with fresh blueberries? or maybe a lemon blueberry sorbet? is that too breakfast-y? tart fall apples would be good too.
So, I made this last night, and I definitely screwed it up. I used the CI pie crust recipe (although I only had a little bit of shortening so I used mostly butter) and an 11″ tart pan (since the thought of having such an intense, homogenous filling in something as deep as a pie was unappealing) and… my crust collapsed during the prebaking. When I took out the pie weights I noticed that the sides were already starting to shrink down, and then when I took the finished crust out of the oven I discovered that a big section of the side had sort of melted down into a heap. I tried to patch it up with some dough scraps but the sides were still so short that it could only hold about a half-inch of filling.
The filling was good, but since it was so shallow the ratio of crust to filling was way off. I think I should stick to premade pie crusts, because it’s the one thing I always manage to screw up.
UPDATE – My accidentally upside down pie was hideous and PHENOMENAL. Thank you for posting this recipe, it’s a hands down winner.
I’m not much of a baker because (gasp) I don’t have much of a sweet tooth. I make probably one or two cakes a year and my husband loves oatmeal cookies, so I make those. I love to cook, though, and always put together the whole Thanksgiving spread, but end up buying pies or having other people bring them. This year, this recipe inspired me to make my VERY FIRST PIE (or in this case, first tart) … which meant that I also made my VERY FIRST PIE CRUST. I used my Kitchen Aid (poor thing, doesn’t get too much use) and I have to say that while this was probably the most time-consuming thing I’ve ever made due to my need to read and then reread to ensure I followed the steps correctly … IT WAS DIVINE and AMAZING and DECADENT. I am so very proud of my first tart/pie!!! Thanks so much for all the wonderful photos and detailed directions – they helped me enormously!
Just a follow-up and a short cut. An 11″ tart pan does not hold all the filling either, and it doesn’t leave enough to make the little “bonus” custards one can get if using a 9-9 1/2″ pie/tart pan. It does make elegantly “slim” tart slices if one wants something a little lighter (and needs a couple more slices than a 9″ pie might give). To the cook whose pre-baked pie shell collapsed: I never have any luck with pre-baking (shell filled with beans even!) unless the crust is frozen (at least 20 minutes to days) prior to baking. Works every time that way. The short cut: I found myself with only 1/2c of maple syrup in the house on Thanksgiving morning. So I skipped the reduction step, just combining the 1/2c syrup with the cream for the simmer. I detected no loss of maple flavor or change in texture.
so did you like this pie dough better than the ones you have tried before?
I made this for after Christmas dinner and it was a huge hit with my family. It may come to replace the pumpkin pies at Thanksgiving next year too!
I made this pie for Thanksgiving at the in-laws, and it was a HUGE hit. Thanks for a great recipe, Deb.
I just made this last weekend for dessert when a friend came over for dinner. It’s absolutely, unbelievably, incredibly, fantastically, amazing. I absolutely love this recipe. The fact that it tastes like you slaved all day over it but didn’t doesn’t hurt either. The filling would make an amazing ice cream. Hmmm… since it’s essentially a custard I wonder if it couldn’t be turned in to a an ice cream recipe.
We just made this pie…tastes really good but came out really wet and runny…any idea what we could have done wrong?
I’ve had this pie bookmarked for like a year, and have been drooling to try it… I’ve decided to finally make it this week for Thanksgiving and I can’t wait! However, I was wondering – do you think a graham cracker crumb crust would work instead of the traditional pie dough? I never seem to be able to get pie crusts right, and I’m kind of lazy too (haha) and can always get crumb crusts to be perfect in 5 minutes flat. What do you think? Anybody else try this?
I don’t see why it would work. A ginger snap crust (such as this one) would probably be even awesomer with the maple/nutmeg flavor.
Hi Deb! Could the Nutmeg-Maple Cream Pie be made two days ahead? I’m trying to schedule all of my Thanksgiving prep-work and will be traveling on Wednesday. I was hoping to make this Tuesday night for Thursday night’s dinner. Will this work? Will this need to be refrigerated because of the custard?
I haven’t made it that far in advance before, so can’t say for sure, but see no reason why it wouldn’t keep. It definitely needs to be refrigerated because it is a custard. The only concern I’d have is that the bottom of the tart might get soggy. You will have the best luck using the Great Unshrinkable Sweet Tart Shell, which keeps way more crisp than a pie dough for days and doesn’t require any pie weights–hooray.
Oh yum! My first effort just cooled off enough to taste test. Baked for an hour and ten minutes, but probably could have used another ten minutes as its very very moist (almost but not quite soggy.) Disclaimer: used a store bought crust.
This one goes in to work tomorrow morning, and I’ll be baking the turkey day one on Thursday.
But still, simply divine, although not as pretty as yours, and definitely a new favorite.
This was a delicious addition to Thanksgiving for a nutmeg, custard, and maple-loving family! I plan to make it again for Christmas. I used grade B syrup, fresh grated nutmeg, and the CI vodka crust. It was browner in appearance than the pictures, rather caramelized in appearance, which was actually perfect for Thanksgiving. I preferred it cold rather than room temperature, so I suggest people roll the crust thin so it will cook through very thoroughly and won’t be doughy after refrigeration. The next time I make it, I will watch it more closely, because the bottom crust flaked into layers while cooking and made a steam bubble between two layers. As a result, when the pie cooled and the steam escaped, one area sank low. If I had watched it more closely, maybe I could have hit the bubble with a skewer before the custard set around it.
I made this for a party last weekend (in a tart pan) and it was a smashing hit. I wish I’d gotten more than a tiny sliver. I can honestly say that it was the only dessert that didn’t have a crumb left.
Thanks for this recipe. I’m printing it out to give my mom to use.
Just made this two days ago in a small (7″) tart pan with your/Dorie Greenspan’s sweet tart shell – it was delightful. I have plenty of the custard left over, so I baked some last night as a custard (water bath and all, my first time trying that) and while it was still good, I found it a little monotonous after the first two bites. I think the rest will be baked as mini-tarts and handed out.
(note: I used 500 ml/2 cups of cream rather than 2 1/4 so as not to bother opening a second container and it came out just fine.)
Do you really need to parbake the pie/tart crust? because i’ve made quiche before, and never parbaked the crust and it came out fine.
also, doesn’t the crust get really brown if it bakes for an hour and a half?
Parbaking is a … personal choice. The idea is to avoid a soggy crust. If a softer bottom crust doesn’t bother you, then by all means skip the extra work. It should not overbrown in the time it is in the oven.
You should just call it eggnog pie – it’s basically baked eggnog custard. On second thought, Nutmeg Maple Cream Pie sounds a lot les unromantic than Eggnog Pie 😂 Either way, I adore homemade eggnog so I’m definitely making this ASAP!
After at least a year of dreaming of this pie, I finally had an opportunity to make it – for my office’s annual Pi/e Day competition! Of course we actually celebrated Pi/e Day (observed) since 3.14 fell over a weekend – but it was a giant hit. I made the full deal and baked it for 70 minutes – the top got a little toasty, but it didn’t seem set after an hour. I’ll definitely be making it again, and probably in my sweet little tart pans that I never seem to have an excuse to use.
Love your website, and have had many great results but this recipe was a bit of a disappointment. Your shrinkable crust shrank, and was very very oily! when I took my first excited bite I realized it tasted like something extremely familiar…FRENCH TOAST! Something I am extremely fond of, but if its French toast I love, I rather make the simple version! (and less caloric). Nonetheless, I absolutely love your website and recipes, I felt it was important to give you honest feedback. And also, CONGRADULATIONS on your baby! he is absolutely adorable!
Deb, I have mad love for your site. This tart has my name written all over it and I am making it for Thanksgiving this year. Is there enough custard in this recipe to fill an 11″ tart shell? I thought I would make the cusard the night before thanksgiving, cover and chill and cook it in the prebaked tart shell the next day. Will this work?
“Do you love maple syrup?” Oh yes! As soon as I read the title I was intrigued. And reading through the maple syrup questions, I knew this was the recipe for me. It took me a while to find the time/occasion to make this, but finally Thanksgiving presented me with an appropriate event to experiment on my relatives. It was a huge success! Everyone loved it. I followed the directions exactly (with the exception of the crust, which I purchased). The directions were really simple to follow and the pie turned out perfectly. The overall consistency was a little like a custard. The flavor was delicious. I topped with some blueberries and enjoyed bites with and without them. My only complaint was that I think a lot of my freshly ground nutmeg ended up in the bottom portion of the filling which did not completely fit into the pie shell, so I think I lost some of the nutmeg taste. Maybe next time I can sprinkle some of the grated nutmeg over the filling once it is in the pie shell. Overall the nutmeg-maple cream pie was a delicious success and I definitely intend to make it again.
THIS SOUNDS PERFECT!
I am one of those addicted to maple syrup, and wish I could taste it in everything!
I’m a midnight baker, and plan on making it late late tonite. I can hardly wait.
I was so excited about this pie! But silly me, I mixed the warm cream into the eggs and they scrambled. I don’t think that’s supposed to happen (?) I chronicled the disaster in my blog.
So two years later (2007 to 2009) I get my act together and make this. I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED it. Mine came out a little bit darker and I was afraid it was burnt but it was perfect. My husband was annoyed cause I made this one week then a sweet potato pie the next week. He had to keep telling people at the two parties that the pies weren’t pumpkin pie.
Sigh. I am not really into pumpkin pie, I would rather make the pumpkin bread pudding you posted about. :D Thanks again!
I don’t quite understand the rimmed baking sheet step — do I take the crust out of its tin, and put the filled pie on the sheet? Also, how do you water bath bake the leftovers? This is perfect for sharing the pie with my beau, since he won’t be around for the real deal.
There is no water bath step. The baking sheet is just to catch spills, just a precaution.
Oh, I have been intrigued by this for months! I am gluten/dairy/egg/soy/blahblahblah free and so I tried to adapt this recipe. Well…. it was tasty, but oh so ugly, and a strange texture. There is one slice missing from the pie downstairs, and its the one I took. Better luck next time, maybe!
Hello, Deb. Thanks for such an inspiring blog- have been enjoying catching up with it as I found it only recently.
Here’s my question: do you have ANY idea why this tart might taste like bacon? I made it for Christmas; when I checked to see if it was set 3/4 of the way through the baking time, I opened the oven and was hit with a distinct “bacon” smell. Hm… strange, I thought. I could also smell this when it came out of the oven. First bite: bacon. Strange… but kept it to myself until my husband said, “This is going to sound strange, but does anyone get a bacon flavor in the tart?”
We were eating the tart at room temp on the day it was cooked.
Here are some things we ruled out: had not recently cooked bacon in oven; had not used any utensils, pans, bowl, etc. that had recently had contact with bacon; butter was purchased just days before and did not smell like bacon…
I used recently purchased Grade B maple syrup (tried on a spoon- delicious, but no essence of bacon!) and used freshly ground Penzeys brand nutmeg.
It’s a mystery… the next day I had a slice straight out of the fridge and the bacon flavor was practically nonexistent, but 30 minutes out it is noticeable.
My family speculated that perhaps there are aromatics produced that mimic bacon when maple and nutmeg (and the fat in the cream and eggs) are combined.
What do you think? Any chance you had this problem?
I’d like to make this again as I love maple and nutmeg, but am a bit reticent as maple syrup is quite expensive.
Many thanks, Lauren
Made this for a Winter Olympics party. AWESOME!! The perfect amount of maple-y sweetness. Your site has always had the perfect dish for whatever taste I am craving. Thanks!! p.s. Made your Challah as well. My FIRST success at bread baking! I am addicted.
I definitely did something wrong. I tried to make this pie using a store-bought crust since I’m awful with pastry dough. I par-baked the shell and then filled it and the pie just wouldn’t set. I kept it in the oven for an hour and a HALF (!) and it still came out soggy and kind of jiggly.
I’m sure I messed something up because it looks like others had success with this recipe. The ingredients list is so simple; I have no idea what I could have possibly done wrong. I want to try it again but the thought of throwing away all that delicious maple syrup again makes me hesitant.
I loved this so much. It went perfectly with my overbaked crust :P http://tinyurl.com/35yjy6y
I stumbled across this recipe this weekend and it was just what I was looking for. Mine baked up perfectly in a 9″ glass pie dish (not deep dish), with no leftover custard. I wonder if how much you reduce the syrup makes a difference? I prebaked the crust and, after adding the custard, covered the edges with a pie crust shield. SO good. Photos on my blog.
Finally made this yesterday after eyeing it for about a year and while the flavor was supreme, the texture didn’t seem quite right to me. I’m pretty sure I accidentally baked it 25 degrees above what is was supposed to be (I’m in between oven thermometers right now) and it just seemed a little eggy, almost like quiche, while I was hoping it’d be smoother, more like key lime pie or pastry cream. Do you think the higher oven temperature would have caused this?
I haven’t given up hope, though, I’m considering trying to cook it over a double boiler like a pastry cream instead. Do you have any recommendations/suggestions/illuminations? Thanks again for your lovely site and for all the hard work you put into it! I appreciate it immensely.
Is it okay to substitute the fresh nutmeg with powdered? I have had trouble finding fresh, and I’m anxious to get cooking. This recipe looks amazing!
Must try this… And since I live spitting-distance from the town that boasts the world’s largest single day maple syrup fest (Elmira, Canada), I have no excuse not to make it.
Three words: wonderful, wonderful, wonderful. Shared this pie with family and cappuccinos yesterday with great results. Thanks for the deliciousness.
simple and so silky beautiful and elegant! taste/texture is cross between creme brulee, flan and clafoutis. i’ve been bragging about it all day and i have no doubt that it will live up to the sky-high expectations i’m building!
I just made this for Thanksgiving dinner (which we’re celebrating a night early this year), and I’m eating a piece right now. It is everything you promised and more. So good, and so easy! I spilled a bunch of the filling when (over)filling the crust, and I got a baby spoon out and ate it off the counter. My husband was looking at me like I was pathetic until he tried it. Thanks for the great recipe!
Made this for Thanksgiving and it was a big hit. Might just be a new tradition. Thanks, Deb!
I made this for Thanksgiving with the gingersnap crust from the nectarine-mascarpone-gingersnap tart and everyone loved it!
Oh, I was really hoping that I would just love this, but I’m afraid I don’t! I love maple, but all I taste is nutmeg. I’m using pre-grated, too, so I can’t imagine how it would be with fresh stuff. You definitely used the whole teaspoon? I think I’d cut it back to no more than a 1/4 teaspoon – it completely overwhelmed the maple flavor for me. Ah, well – next time.
I just put mine in the oven and have almost 1/2 cup of filling left over and I only used 2 cups cream because it is sold in 2 cup containers (didn’t want to spend the extra $2 just for 1/4 cup). I think it may have to do with how much you reduce the syrup. I didn’t let mine bubble like in your picture even though it was on medium heat for 5 minutes. I can’t wait to try it though and hopefully it sets okay.
Wow! Everyone at Christmas was impressed with this pie. It came out perfect. I did bake it for an extra 10 minutes just to be sure it would set. I didn’t think the nutmeg was overwhelming at all. All the flavors seemed to go very well together! I think this will become a new Christmas tradition.
Great use of Trader Joe’s grade B maple syrup and fresh nutmeg! Made this for New Year’s Day, and it was dee-licious. I found it a little difficult to figure out when the syrup was reduced by 1/4, but just let it go for the time indicated (it did bubble a lot). The filling fit perfectly. I stretched the 2-cup container of cream with 1/4 cup lowfat milk. Will definitely make again!
I made this pie and love it! But could I make this ahead of time and freeze it?
My sister, who has celiac, makes this in an almond-meal crust, and it’s basically become our family religion at this point. Between 3 sisters and our mom, we’ve probably made dozens of them. You can just watch people’s eyes glaze over at the first bite…. ;)
Wow, this tart looks incredible! I wanted to respond to Lauren from back in December of 09; older nutmeg nuts can have a strong flavor resemblance to bacon! My daughter made me oatmeal, found a lonely lost nutmeg nut hiding in the corner of the cupboard, grated some in the oatmeal, and viola! bacon oatmeal!
Same question as Audrey: has anyone had any luck freezing this? We’re doing the pies-instead-of-cake thing at our wedding in October and this is one of my all-time favorites, so I’d love to have it. But would less love making it too close to the frenzy!
Boo, just kidding. Not sure what I was thinging with the egg custard here. Not a great candidate for freezing unless I want it separated and liquidy. Maybe I’ll be able to convince someone else to do it day of, like someone convinced you to make them a wedding cake, Deb!
Wow, Deb! Excellent recipe!! Much easier than we expected, it’s in the oven at this very moment! With the extra custard we decidd to chill it and enjoy it later as a frozen custard delight!!! We will comment our verdict on the baked pie once we have tasted it!
And the verdict is… SUCCULENT! 4 thumbs up, Deb!!! We wanted an easy pie and delicious pie, but its so hard sometimes to have your “pie” and eat it too!! We just have enjoyed this whole experience, looking forward to trying out more of your recipes :)
My first attempt at this is cooking away right now! My entire house smells like nutmeg and maple syrup. I have two roommates drooling over the oven door as I type this…
I can’t wait to share this with a cup of coffee & some good friends! Thanks for another awesome recipe.
Hi…..I’m dying to try this for a party I am planning. My question is will it freeze and for how long can I keep it in the freezer for??? Thanks!
This pie just won a bake-off at my office and spurred requests for a second pie from all my coworkers who didn’t get to it quickly enough to score a slice! I am definitely making this a Thanksgiving favorite. Next time I make it, I’m going to attempt serving it with whipped cream infused with St. Elizabeth’s Allspice Dram. I had to special order it from the liquor store, but I think it will be worth the effort.
Just a note for my vegan/egg-allergic homies out there – I was not successful in replacing eggs and dairy in this tart. I am not vegan, so I tried using a combination of ener-g egg replacer and gelatin in place of the eggs. I also used MimicCreme instead of the cream. Taste was off and texture was weird. Now that I am using dairy again I might give it another shot with real cream and see what happen, but maple syrup is soooo expensive!
I had been thinking about making the recipe for a long time, and finally made it this year for Thanksgiving. I used Grade B maple syrup, which I think made it turn out a little darker. The taste was good (clearly got the nutmeg and maple flavors) but too sweet for my preferences. Not sure exactly how to adjust for that without messing up the consistency, but might try using a bit less maple syrup and replacing with a tad more cream (?).
I made this for thanksgiving and it was a success, but a little sweet and french-toasty for my taste. I was hoping for a more pronounced nutmeg flavor as well. I used the great unshrinkable tart crust, and that has a fair bit of sugar in it, so next time I might use pie crust and up the ground nutmeg a bit.
Also, because the flavors are pretty subtle, I think this dessert would be enjoyed best with a coffee or after a more simple meal than thanksgiving, where it got a little lost alongside the other desserts on the plate…
Deborah Madison has a nutmeg pie in her vegetarian cookbook that is AWESOME – we served with brunch and I sent people home with copies of the recipe it was that good. I wonder how this holds up to it…
I tried this last night. Amazing! But the tart fell as it cooled. I assume that might have something to do with eggs and their stabilization of the filling… Any ideas?
Not really impressed. Tastes way too much like rice pudding…. feels like a waste of my maple syrup.
This is really delicious but man, between this, the New York cheesecake, and the pumpkin pie (all from this site), I’m super annoyed at how much longer I have to bake a custardy ANYTHING than you do for the middle to set.
Jay — Do you think your oven might run cooler than mine? Have you checked it with an oven thermometer?
I made this last might, but mine was set at 40 min. Has anyone else had their’s set before an hour?
Made this on Friday night for my boyfriend’s family who hail from Vermont and consider themselves experts on all things maple-flavored. They loved it! I switched out your crust for one that I made with crumbled gingersnaps and butter and cocoa nibs. I also used maple syrup that his family buys right from the source up there. The dessert was a huge hit all around and I will absolutely be making this for them again soon. Thanks for helping me impress them!
I tried the CI crust twice. Once in a glass 9.5 inch and then a metal 9 inch. Both times my crust fell in on itself while prebaking. And i used pie weights. Not sure how to correct this. This was my first pie crust. Any suggestions? I really don’t want to give up!
I decided to try and salvage the second crust since it wasn’t as bad as the first one. Since it fell so much i was only able to use about half the filling. After 25 mins or so i had to take it out because the crust was so brown along the edges. The filling also collapsed in one spot and wasn’t nice and even all over like yours. Super sadness here.
La classe! This Québécois family says yay to this recipe! We changed the maple syrup to 1 cup then reduced to 3/4 cup. And my Mamere served it with a brûlé top, or with extra nutmeg sprinkled on top. Ah, ma bouche! Thank you for this recipe! More Québécois recipes, please!
A powerful share, I simply given this onto a colleague who was doing a little bit evaluation on this. And he in truth bought me breakfast as a result of I discovered it for him.. smile. So let me reword that: Thnx for the treat! But yeah Thnkx for spending the time to debate this, I feel strongly about it and love studying more on this topic. If possible, as you grow to be expertise, would you mind updating your blog with more particulars? It’s highly helpful for me. Massive thumb up for this blog post!
I have made this monthly for my husband, it is his favorite. I brulee the top for a little something extra. Thanks for the recipe
Hmmm… What happened? Mine is not nearly the beautiful yellow color yours is (grade B maple syrup? I questioned if I put in the right number of egg yolks, but I had plenty of filling so I don’t think I miscounted on my way to four…) and the texture was not nearly what I think it should’ve been… Hmmmmph…
I need a second opinion, but I am hoping it is pleasing to others since I put a good 3/4 cup of gorgeous Vermont maple syrup into this thing!
Also, the accidental overflow of filling made for some pretty crust. I’ll post it on my blog. :)
Thanks, as always.
Made this today for Thanksgiving (Canadian). We aren’t eating it til Monday, but I had leftover filling so cooked it in a couple of ramekins. It tastes delicious but the texture looks mildly curdled. You can’t really notice it as far as mouth-feel goes, just visually. Any ideas? Btw, when I was looking in the oven near the end of baking time, the custard was bubbling wildly. Is that normal?
Curdling usually comes from not adding the hot cream slowly enough, so that it “cooks” the egg a little. But it’s only a guess, of course.
Deb – what’s your go to removable bottom tart pan? I’m looking to buy a good, reliable one. Also, does the temperature of the eggs matter?
Susan — I don’t have one; mine is pretty junky from a restaurant supply store but it works just fine. I’m not sure if Williams-Sonoma makes one in their gold touch line, but if they did and you wanted to pay a little more, I’ve been very happy with their baking pans (good weight, nothing sticks, cleans up like new).
Made this last night for a dinner party. Changed only the crust as I can’t eat gluten (subbed a crumb-type crust using almond meal). Everyone loved it an said it was delicious. I did end up cooking it a bit longer than the recipe said an I made I in a tart pan, so it wasn’t even all of the cream mixture in there. In any case I’d just watch I closely adjust for your oven if necessary. Recipe was worth the effort and syrup!
I’m wondering if this is anything like the Maple Syrup Pie from Gourmet mag? http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Maple-Syrup-Pie-102529
What I love about that one is topping it with crème fraîche instead of whipped cream or ice cream. The sweetness of the pie combined with the tang of the crème fraîche is really incredible.
Maple is my weakness. :-z
I just made this for Thanksgiving later today. It turned out a much much darker brown than the pictures and now I’m nervous.
Made this pie for Thanksgiving today…it was a hit! Mine also turned out darker than the photo, but was tender and delicious. This will definitely be part of my pie inventory. There was some leftover filling that wouldn’t fit in the tin and my boyfriend and I drank it like eggnog! Would be good with a little whiskey perhaps?
I made this today, and it was delicious. I made the “pie crust 102”, prepared the pan, and then wrapped it in aluminum foil and froze it overnight. The next day I prepared the filling while the shell was baking (make sure your pie pan can go from freezer to oven if it’s not metal). The shell came out very nice, and the filling is to die for. I took the eggs out of the counter earlier, so that I wouldn’t have to pour hot cream mixture into cold eggs. Everything went smoothly: the color, the texture, and the flavor, oh the flavor. Do not skimp on the nutmeg, and if you don’t have whole nutmeg to grate at least make sure you are using fresh spices. This is a keeper. It’s sweet, but flavorful and absolutely not cloying.
I’ve tried this pie twice now and both times it got great reviews from everyone! The first time I baked it at 300 and it took well over an hour to become set enough to take out; the second time I did it at 325 and it was perfectly set at 50 min. Probably mostly to do with my super-old oven which is probably not calibrated properly though. I also used two different maple syrups – the first time a much darker and thicker one that I buy directly from a producer, the second time regular grocery store B grade which is lighter in colour and texture. The first time the tart was much darker than the photos here and the second time it’s much closer to these photos, so I think the darkness of the syrup makes a big difference. However the darker ones always taste stronger and more complex…so it’s a trade off!
Made this for a birthday today and it was perfect! I used half and half and it came out fine (only mentioning because I looked in the comments to see if anyone else had done it and didn’t see). I did make a small mini pie to test and the day I made it tasted overwhelmingly nutmeggy and I was afraid to serve it, but didn’t have time to remake the pie. But after a night in the fridge, it tasted perfect today. Neither overwhelmingly nutmeggy or mapley, just right. I’m not sure why the nutmeg flavor was so overpowering in the first few tastes!
I came here looking to see if anyone used half & half. I have some I need to use before it spoils!
How do you bake a pie crust without the edges flopping in and making a useless crust pancake?
As a more specific question, can I freeze the crust? Would that help? I feel like I’m doomed to have to use shortbread crusts for everything that needs blind baking.
You might try using this tart crust instead: Great Unshrinkable Sweet Tart Shell. Good luck!
Hi Deb! Could you bake this pie and then freeze it? Is this at all freezer friendly? Thanks!
Kay — I have not frozen it but I suspect it might be fine.
Do you need to refrigerate this or can it be covered left out for several days?
Thanks in advance…
I am also concerned about it being a little curdled. I decided to sneak a bite before serving today and it did seem a little curdled. I used room temp eggs and let the cream cool just a bit before ever so slowly adding to the eggs. Should I have skipped letting it cool? I am a novice custard cook. I also had to cook well over an hour for the first pie. I turned my oven up to 325 for the second and it cooked much faster.
Made it again using the ‘unshrinkable’ pie shell that sunk miserably. Not sure what happened… (i followed the instructions, am a sorta veteran baker, but this isn’t my usual oven and that may have had something to do with it) but I will stick with the other pie shell from now on.
Just made for Thanksgiving….Huge hit! Topped with pomegranate arils. Definitely a keeper. Thanks for the recipe
Hi Deb (or any other experienced baker who might like to answer),
This feels like a silly question to me, but when making this, should I follow the blind-baking directions from the “Great Unshrinkable Sweet Tart Shell” recipe or those in this recipe?
Thank you.
Sarah — Either will work. I find that it’s rare for two recipes to agree on how to blind bake, but it should all work out the same in the end.
Hi! Everything I have ever made from smitten kitchen is amazing, first, so thank you for being awesome. :) next- question: would tempering the eggs be enough to avoid having to sieve the custard? What are the advantages of sieving instead?
Mine are still in the oven, and this is what I did since I didn’t have a fine mesh sieve on hand… and now I have 45 minutes to stare at the oven and wonder if I screwed them up. :D the unbreakable sweet tart shells are robin though, gnuh. I had to forcibly remind myself not to devour them once baked! Thanks again!
First, thank you! Sieving the custard wasn’t about tempering, but about removing any lumps that often form even when experts make custard. Can you skip it? Definitely, it’s more about getting a perfectly silky texture. Hope it was a hit.
Deb,
Watching the Great British Baking show recently, I was inspired to hunt down a recipe for custard tarts. The recipe they have online (that was apparently used by the contestants, at least in some form) seems to be problematic, so I’ve been hunting around for something else more reliable to try.
I should have known you’d already come through with this recipe from years ago.
Sorry I didn’t hunt here first!
I think I’ll try them as tarts, since something this sinful really does seem to need a bit of built in portion control.
Thanks for the inspiration!
I made this pie last year for “friendsgiving” and everyone went CRAZY for it. I’ve been thinking about it all year and will make it again this year, if not for Thanksgiving then for Christmas. Such a unique and tasty addition to the table.
Husband detests nutmeg but loves maple flavor and cream pie. Any spice sub suggestions?
Hi. I am desperate to make his pie because we love maple syrup-flavored desserts, however we are not huge nutmeg fans. Is it possible to substitute something else, like ginger, or is it possible to leave it out (or reduce the amount)? If I include it, will the nutmeg be very obvious to a group of people who are nutmeg-adverse?
do you think this could work with a flavored tart crust? like maybe a cinnamon graham or gingersnap?
I just discovered this recipe and it makes me exceedingly happy! As you published this exactly eight years ago when I was three days away from giving birth to my soon to be EIGHT YEAR OLD (gasp), and he loves maple syrup (especially that Deep Mountain Grade B from the USQ farmer’s market, yum) as much as his mama, and I have a tart pan that has weathered my marriage without ever being put to use, it is high time that I make my boy a birthday nutmeg-maple cream pie for his birthday breakfast. Here’s to it becoming our new tradition!
this looks amazing! one question..does the custard bake up relatively firm? I have recently discovered pure maple sugar and have been using in place of sugar where I want to impart maple flavor (whip cream!)..it is pricey but I could see putting it a top this dessert and caramelizing the top creme brûlée style..
Not sure about the egg/creme thing, but I love maple syrup and just brought some back home after vacationing in Vermont. Might have to try it!
I haven’t read through all the many comments, so someone might have already mentioned this, but at Costco a jug of pure maple syrup is almost the same cost, ounce for ounce, as Mrs. Butterworths, which is unfathomable to me…how can they charge $4.79 for 16 ounces of corn syrup??? I pay about $13 for 32 ounces of Costco maple syrup and it lasts forever.
Oh yes!
Thanks for a fabulous blog. Always inspirational and always my go to for recipes.
I have been looking for the perfect way to use my HUGE bottle of maple syrup that our dear friends lugged all the way back from Canada for us and it looks like this is the one!
2007? Wow. It is definitely time to give this a try.
susan — I bet you could brulee this.
terri — Funny, I’d thought about updating this this year with Dominique Ansel’s gingerbread pie crust, but haven’t had a chance to yet.
Jenny, Mm — I see no reason to include the nutmeg if you don’t like it. There are other flavors here, or you could add a spice you prefer.
I wish I had seen the gingerbread pie crust recipe! I had to make this gluten free for a work thing, so I made a gluten free gingersnap crust (which works pretty well, usually, because I am way too lazy to buy all the stuff for gluten free baking). But it was 9pm already and I didn’t let the crust cool before adding the custard, which caused a bunch of the crust from the middle to dislodge and float in the custard.
Thankfully, I made it for the office Diwali/thanksgiving potluck, and engineers will eat almost anything. It sure *smells* good. Just not my prettiest pie ever.
YUM! Thoughts on pecans on top?
I just popped this pie in the oven…I had about 1/4 cup of filling left, so I sprinkled the remains of the nutmeg over it and chugged it like eggnog!! Dreamy doesn’t even begin to describe it. I’d make this easy custard base for a mixed drink, any day, although maybe reduce the syrup so it isn’t quite so sweet.
For my gluten free buddies, I always use Glutino brand crust mix. The crusts are extremely tasty, almost as good as a wheat pastry crust, and not too terrible to work with…getting the right consistency of dough is tricky (it wants to be dry) and then rolling it out between parchment is awkward but it does work, with a little fussing around the edges once you get the crust in the pan.
OMG…was the cream/maple syrup combo supposed to curdle when I added them together…?
Just have to say that this pie has become more valued by my family than any other pie, including pumpkin. I’ve made it several years now and I can’t show up without it.
If you’re looking to use maple syrup as a sweetener in more things–you’re welcome.
http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/spiced-rum-cider-sangria-pomegranate-seeds
I have made this pie every single year since you first posted it. It’s my Thanksgiving tradition! I usually make a graham cracker crust because I suck at pie crust and I’m lazy, plus they’re my favorite. :-) This year I’m stepping it up a notch and made a crust using Speculoos (i.e., the spice cookies they make cookie butter from).
Made this for Thanksgiving and it was the only dessert that was completely eaten up. I would definitely consider this a sleeper dessert: it’s surprisingly good given the overall beige appearance. I will be making this again.
This was, um, DELICIOUS! Total Thanksgiving keeper.
I made this for Thanksgiving this year, too, and it was great! I’ll definitely make this again at Christmastime! Also – I made mini-pumpkin cheesecakes with Speculoos crusts, and I think this would be fantastic in that crust!
Complete hit at this year’s Thanksgiving table. Love!
Sorry..Don’t want to over comment but still looking for some help on whyyy as soon as I added the cream to the reduced maple syrup it instantly curdled. The eggs we nowhere near it though! I ended up tossing it, but it smelled so lovely! I also made maybe the best crust of my life with ALL BUTTER thanks to Smitten Kitchen <3
Does this pie freeze well?
This is my go-to pie when I want to make something both unusual and impressive. Everyone loves it! Also, I now live in Morocco and was all set to make it when I realized I was low on maple syrup, and as it is Ramadan all the grocery stores that would import American food products were closed. I ended up substituting honey for about two thirds of the maple syrup and it was delightful! It came out tasting a bit more like maple flan, but still good. Rave reviews all around. :)
Heey there just wanted to give you a brief heads up and let you
kno a few of the pictures aren’t loading correctly.
I’m nott ssure wwhy butt I think its a linking issue.
I’ve tried it in two different inteenet browsers andd both show the same results.
Thanks for the heads up. Does it look better now?
I did not anticipate me messing this up completely. I checked my tart 40 minutes in and it was completely browned on the top. It didn’t seem totally done so I let it go a little longer, but by the time I removed it the top was even browner. The custard inside had gotten kind of spongy-looking (air bubbles). Crust was perfect, it’s a shame I had to waste it.
Any thoughts?
Thinking of adding this to our Thanksgiving Pie Table (usually one per person!). How long will it keep–can I make it the day before? Do I have to find space in the fridge or is in the cool garage ok?
Never Mind! I forgot to search prior questions first.
I am thinking of making this for a pie sale–we have to bake 4 pies for my son’s school and I live in VT where maple is popular!–will this pie need to be refrigerated? And how long will it last? (could I freeze one?)
Thanks!
Hi Deb, happy book tour! What can I stick this filling in that would be easier to gluten-freeify? I‘ve given up on a good pastry crust but I must eat this filling. Would it work with a graham cracker-like crust? or could i cook it in some kind of pot on the stove just like pudding?
I made a gluten free crust by following the crust recipe for the Country Apple Tart with Spiced Brown Butter (a fabulous tart by the way) and simply subbing King Arthur Flour’s Measure for Measure gluten free blend. I’ve done this many times and it works great.
Three years too late, but in case it helps anyone else, you could easily bake the filling in individual ramekins. It’s basically a baked custard, similar to creme brulee. You’d want to grease the ramekins and adjust the baking time down but it would work out very nicely that way.
You could also try a GF graham cracker crust. I actually think that would taste quite nice with this particular filling.
Love the new cookbook, especially the lentil soup!
Could I make the filling for this the night before and refrigerate it until I pour it into the crust to bake the next day?
This sounds amazing as a non-chocolate Valentine’s treat. Could this be made without the crust? I was thinking either in ramekins or as a flan.
I had a bit of liquid leftover from my tart and I put it in a ramekin and baked it alongside the tart (and I didn’t even use a waterbath). It came out well, and could easily be a dessert on its own. Basically, it is almost a creme brûlée.
This is delicious, and surprisingly, less “nutmeg-y” than I imagined. Using the fresh nutmeg must be the difference, as it didn’t overshadow the maple flavor (my initial concern). I used the blind baking method from the Butterscotch Pie recipe for the crust, and it worked well. Being lazy, I skipped the straining step in the recipe and all was still smooth (I was very careful about slowly integrating the cream into the egg mixture, to avoid any eggy clumps). There was a bit of liquid leftover after pouring it into the crust, so I just baked that in a ramekin alongside the tart.
I was excited to find this recipe, as I love maple, but in eating the tart I was much more aware of nutmeg than maple, though I used less than the stated amount of nutmeg. Also, the recipe made enough filling for two tarts of the type pictured, and I had to quickly whip up another crust (thanks to David Lebovitz I did it in record time with his technique of melting the butter in a hot oven, then dumping in the flour!). In addition, the tarts took about 40 minutes to bake, and since I had set my timer for 50 minutes the first one was overdone. I wanted this to be sublime, but it wasn’t.
This is phenomenal! I made it with very dark amber maple syrup and the maple flavor is *intense*. I have to admit I saw the teaspoon of nutmeg and said “I like nutmeg, but that’s way more nutmeg than anything needs” and added less. I was wrong. It’s perfectly fine with less nutmeg but the maple overwhelms it. Trust the recipe; add the full teaspoon.
Maybe mine tasted so overwhelmingly of nutmeg because I grated it fresh, but next time I would only use 1/4 tsp, if that. I hardly tasted the maple, though the friend who took the leftovers home told me that when he had it a couple of days later the maple flavor was stronger. I wanted to love this!
I made this for a potluck and it was a big hit. The tart was delicious the same day — it had an egg custard kind of consistency, sort of light and pillowy. However, I think it was even better the next day. The texture became denser and the flavor more intense and complex. I am planning to make this for our Thanksgiving dessert. I love the subtlety of flavor and how it breaks out of the pumpkin/apple mold for fall desserts.
Also, a question. Maple extract — yay/nay?
I made this about three years ago and just realized I never posted a review! It worked out BEAUTIFULLY for me, but I admit that I baked all of the filling in a pie shell rather than a tart pan – I think I added maybe about 10 minutes of bake time overall, but that’s it.
I made this last year for Thanksgiving, for a gathering at my son and daughter in law’s house with all their friends. Wowzer! It went fast…wish I had made two! Everyone raved and asked where I got the recipe…def introduced some young people to your site that night. Thanks for this absolutely gorgeous, delicious, scrumptious pie :)
I have a 10 inch pan I want to use for this that’s also a bit deeper than most tart pans, at 1.5 inches deep. Any idea how I would scale it up for this? Could I just double it or maybe do 1.5 times the recipe and have a thicker custard? How would you adjust the timing? Thanks in advance!
Would this recipe work with coconut cream? Surprisingly, it appears that nobody has asked yet, but I’m worried it will either mess up the texture, overpower the nutmeg, or both.
I don’t see why that wouldn’t work. This is basically baked custard in a pie crust. The eggs are what give it structure. Swapping out coconut cream for the heavy cream should work just fine. I think the taste would actually be really nice. This is recipe is very similar to homemade eggnog so if you’d like the taste of a non-dairy coconut eggnog (I know I would) then go for it!
update: I decided to use the coconut cream and it worked beautifully, really big hit with the family. I’ll definitely be making again.
Do you think this would work with a chocolate graham crust?
Laughing….I’m making this for Thanksgiving and was going nuts trying to find the recipe because I didn’t recognize the photos here. Finally read the recipe headnotes and saw the line about the updated photos. Nutmeg maple cream pie sounds even better than custard tart!
When you are reducing the syrup, it’s a little vague- am I reducing to half a cup or reducing the 3/4 cup by half? Thanks.
I’m fairly confident she means 1/2 of the volume of maple syrup used (so half of 3/4 cup in this case)
Thank you, I was wondering that also. “Reduce to 1/2” makes me think that the word “cup” is missing, as opposed to “reduce BY half” to produce 3/8 cup, or three ounces,
Sorry for the confusion. We’re reducing it to a 1/2 cup — the word “cup” is missing, so sorry. Now fixed. (Fortunately I think there’s little harm if you reduced it further. It will still have all that maple flavor, just compacted.)
Lesson learned, I used this par-baking method for pumpkin pie and did not press the foil tightly enough around the sides and crimps. My sides slumped in :( and even with the docking, my crust got VERY puffy for the post-foil bake. Good sign for nice flakey crust but my pumpkin pies won’t be filled to their usual capacity. I think I will skip par-baking in the future. I never did it before and now I am finding the crusts are too dark and the pie is too thin.
when do you add the pumpkin puree??
Can’t tell if you’re being serious or cheeky but I’ll answer anyway. This isn’t a pumpkin pie recipe. It’s more like a maple eggnog custard pie. Deb has a few pumpkin pie recipes on this site but this isn’t one of them. Good luck with you’re holiday pie baking!
Hi Deb, thank you for your yummy recipes! I made the pie last night (we will eat it on Thursday). It looks so good but it isn’t smooth and sleek like yours. What’s the secret? Thanks!
Inside or on the top?
Oh boy, this is in the oven, and the hour is up, but I think I messed up. It smells delicious but it is not firm or custardy looking. It is setting but looks bubbly/frothy. I am praying another 10 minutes baking will fix whatever I messed up!
If it’s just gently jiggling, it’s fine and you can take it out. Or, if you have a thermometer, most custard pies will set when the center is between 170°F and 180°F.
This is the review I needed! I made this for thanksgiving (and it was delicious regardless of the mishap) but i think it did an 1:30 in the oven cause it was still EXTREMELY jiggly. Delicious but the consistency was definitely a touch off (very dense)
My father demanded I figure out how to make it work right because it was so tasty, so I’m making it again today and will try this! Thank you!
Made this after seeing Deb make it on Instagram. Turned out sooo delicious despite some setbacks. I went to 2 grocery stores to get heavy cream and of course they were both sold out the day before thanksgiving. Went with half and half instead. I used SK’s extra flaky all butter crust recipe, but it shrank quite a bit in the oven this time and I lost my crimping :(. I ended up not having an even height around the pie so I wasn’t able to use all the custard in the pie. I baked the extra separately in a ramekin. Baked both for 60 mins, started at 300 and then increased to 310 45 mins in as it wasn’t firming up as much as I wanted. Both turned out amazing – the solo custard in particular turned out just like Flan. The half and half resulted in a pretty smooth custard, looking forward to seeing how it sets in the fridge overnight. Huge winner and will definitely be making this one again!
Where’s the pumpkin?
Susan, why are you looking for pumpkin in a Nutmeg Maple Cream Pie recipe?
Made this pie for Thanksgiving and it was so creamy and delicious. Everyone loved it! It was easy to make too!
Yeah, like any pie is going to last five days 😂 Can’t wait to try this!
Lovely taste, and the sweetness level is perfect (light). By using heavy cream, the filling is rich, similar to a pot de creme. May try it with half and half the next time around. Make sure to really par-bake the crust to a light golden. I was just shy of that and resulted in the bottom of the crust being slightly undercooked.
I made this without the crust, as a baked custard. It was great!
If you somehow misread the recipe and thought it was a maple pumpkin pie, but didn’t realize it until you’ve basically finished the custard on thanksgiving morning, I would like to say that you CAN add ~2 cups of pumpkin to it and it turns out great. Since I made it in a pie pan and not a tart pan, it didn’t even overflow, all fit in great.
I’m not doing this yet but I totally will 🤤
Hi- have you ever had or made Pudding Chomeur? A must for maple syrup lovers.
On it!
Deb, you did it again!!!! A part of me doesn’t want to waste your time, with you having to glaze over another comment/praise, but in case you still love hearing it… your recipe collating is superior!!
Another recipe for the ages.
All i can think about is that pie, sitting in my fridge, but it’s still morning and I’m trying for decorum.
Have to set an example for the 10 year old….
Hello! Planning to make this soon, however, I have only ground nutmeg. Would you suggest using the full tsp originally indicated or more? Thanks- would hate to waste even a drop of maple syrup!
Have you ever made this crustless?
Could you use the four remaining egg whites to make a meringue topping or would this be too sweet?
Hello! I am super excited to make this pie but I have a lactose intolerant guest…thoughts on what to swap the heavy cream with? Thanks!!!
Deb, Hello! I am recently dairy free so I am hoping the custard will still set with oat or soy? What do you think? Thanks!
We’re dairy-allergic, too. Same question: would this work with full fat coconut milk subbing the cream, do you think?
Can I use a pre-made frozen pie crust? Would I just add the filing to the frozen crust and bake as instructed?
Letting it cool…
I decided to go big, or go home and doubled the recipe and made 2 at once. Cool time went 50 mins longer. It’s cooling right now but the fork I used to popped the bubbles (I know, I know shouldn’t have! It’s my first time making a custard like pie so 🤷🏼♀️) I digress – the fork tastes amazing. Hint of maple with some nutmeg.
Can’t wait for it to chill. I have 2 Turkey meals tomorrow – 1 for each. Now it’s time to wait for tomorrow…!
*cook time +50 l, not cool time
I made this for Thanksgiving! It was delish but it took an hour and 50 minutes to cook. I had small/medium eggs so I think it was too much cream to egg ratio so took longer to set up? Wasn’t the prettiest but tasted great!! I’ll have to try again with larger eggs and see if that brings the cook time down to the recipe’s time.
I made this instead of pumpkin pie and all I can say is…wow!!! This was insanely delicious!!! One of the most delicious pies I’ve ever tried. Followed the recipe step-by-step and it turned out perfect! I didn’t measure the nutmeg although I used dried, not fresh. The flavours were balanced and the texture was a nice, firm custard after cooling overnight. This will be our new Thanksgiving pie! Thanks, Deb!!
Delicious. I used about 1/2 tsp of fresh nutmeg and did not find it overpowering. This is a keeper for Thanksgiving and beyond.
Made one pie of this for Thanksgiving, and my mom (who is not a dessert person) has requested that I make sure to bring two for Christmas!
I was so glad to see this recipe pop up. Made it for Thanksgiving 2020, following directions exactly, and it was absolutely delicious. I used very local maple syrup. Will make again this year.
Have you ever made this with hazelnut crust? I
I LOVE this post. Very interesting info! Perfect just what I was looking. Nice PICS. I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe. Thank You !!!
We just met this pie, and it is now a treasured part of the family. We thought it would be good, but we were bowled over by how good it is.
I made this for Thanksgiving this year. It was truly fabulous! The custard seemed VERY jiggly after an hour, but I trusted my thermometer that is was done (it read 190 degrees) and took it out anyway. It set up perfectly once it cooled to room temperature.
My daughter was baking to raise money for St Jude Hospital. I asked her to make this pie for me for our Christmas party. It was delicious. It was mapley, creamy, and rich. You gotta make this pie!
Hi Deb, how do you think this might freeze? Weekend baking for my mom and thinking to freeze individual slices? Thank you!!
Is there an easy way to measure when you’ve reduced 3/4 c of syrup to 1/2 cup, without pouring it back and forth to a measuring cup to see when it’s “there”?
I don’t have pans with interior measurement marks. Is there such a thing?
Pie was excellent. It took longer than 7 minutes to reduce the syrup tho.
I know this is slightly sacrilege but has anyone subbed oat milk for the heavy cream? I want to make this for thanksgiving but there’s several lactose intolerant folks, and my own nut allergy. Because oat milk can be a little nutty, do we think it could work? It may sacrifice some texture, but is it possible?
Question: How do you think this would work with a gingersnap crust? Good complement or too much competition?
Question: Will this pie be ruined by not-freshly-grated nutmeg? I am having trouble tracking it down… Thank you!
This is my new favorite pie. If you don’t like pumpkin, this for you. Also, it tastes SO GOOD COLD.
Deb have you ever had Marlborough pie? From what I gather it’s a maple apple custard pie from Vermont, supposed to be even more fall-ish than pumpkin pie
Never tried it but it looks like an apple chess pie — I’m sure it’s delicious!
This looks lovely and I cannot wait to make it! Is there any way to make this into bars, or is the center too jiggly?
It will be jiggly for handheld bars, but it should slice okay, as you might be able to see in the sliced pie photos.