This earl grey pie is a cozy twist on a classic custard pie. The filling is smooth and creamy, infused with the floral flavor of Earl Grey tea. It sits in a buttery, flaky crust and bakes up into a delicate dessert that is unique yet perfect for the holiday season.
This earl grey pie combines a classic custard base with the bright bergamot flavor of earl grey tea for a dessert that's unique and comforting. The filling bakes into a smooth, creamy texture that sets beautifully thanks to the testing I did to nail the cream-to-milk ratio.
The flaky homemade crust holds up perfectly without getting soggy, and you can easily swap in a store-bought crust for a faster option!
If you love tea-inspired desserts, make chai spice cake, matcha cupcakes, or my dirty chai cake next.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
This pie is an elegant dessert perfect for the holidays! It's easy to make ahead too. You can prep the pie crust months in advance and make the pie the day before your big event so there's less to worry about the day of!
Key Ingredients
- Unsalted butter- Make sure the butter is cold for making a flaky pie crust! This is counterintuitive since most recipes call for room temperature butter. While this recipe works with regular butter, I highly recommend using a European-style butter, like Plugra. It has 82% butterfat compared to the standard 80%, which creates a flakier, more tender crust. It is slow-churned too, making it softer and easier to incorporate.
- Large eggs- Make sure to use room temperature eggs! They will be easier to mix and less likely to curdle when combined with the hot cream.
- Heavy cream and whole milk- This combination is important so that the custard isn't too loose. Don't use reduced-fat milk, or the filling will be runny!
- Earl grey tea- You need 3 tea bags or about 1 tablespoon of loose-leaf tea. You can experiment with other types of tea, like chai or chamomile, for a different flavor.
Pie Crust Instructions
Step 1: Whisk the all purpose flour and salt together in a large bowl.
Step 2: Mix cold cubed butter into the flour, then work it in with your hands, pressing it between your thumb and forefinger to create flat shards of butter.
You can use a pastry cutter if you have mobility issues, but it will change the results slightly. The crust won't be as flaky.
Continue incorporating the butter, breaking it down until the largest pieces are pea-sized. We want these bigger pieces of butter because as the crust bakes, they evaporate and create air pockets for distinct, flaky layers
Step 3: Add the ice water, starting with 2 tablespoons. Use your hands to mix it in evenly to hydrate the flour. It's ready when dough still looks crumbly but sticks together when you press it between your hands.
Be careful not to add too much water- you need less than you'd think!
Step 4: Pour the mixture on to a lightly floured surface and form it into a disc. Cover it with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. It can be chilled for up to 2 days, and the longer you chill it, the better your results will be!
Step 5: Roll the dough into a circle with a rolling pin. Cut it in half with a bench scraper, place one half on top of the other, then roll into a 1-inch thick disc. This is a quick lamination for more flaky layers. Cover with plastic wrap again and chill for 30 more minutes.
Step 6: Preheat the oven to 425ยฐF. Roll the dough out into an 11 inch circle. Place it into a 9-inch pie pan and fold the excess over to create a crust. Crimp the edges as desired and chill for another 30 minutes.
Step 7: Use a fork to poke holes into the bottom, then place parchment paper in the center. Fill with weights (you can use ceramic pie weights or 2 pounds of dried beans or rice) and blind bake for 18 minutes.
Step 8: Remove the crust from the oven and reduce the heat to 375ยฐF. Take the weights out of the center, brush everywhere with egg wash, and bake for about 10 more minutes until the center looks dry and golden brown.
Let the crust cool completely before adding the filling.
Making the Earl Grey Pie Filling
Step 9: Turn the oven heat to 325ยฐF. Then whisk the eggs, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, and salt together in a large mixing bowl.
Step 10: Add the heavy whipping cream, milk, and tea to a pot over medium heat. Stir until it is steaming and simmering on the edges, but don't let it boil.
Step 11: Drizzle the hot cream mixture into the egg mixture slowly to temper the eggs. This cooks the eggs without scrambling them, creating a silky custard base.
Step 12: Pour the liquid through a fine mesh sieve into a separate bowl at least twice to remove the tea leaves. Then carefully spoon it into the baked and cooled pie crust, being careful that it doesn't leak over the edges. Leakage makes the pie hard to cut!
If the recipe made too much filling of your crust, don't worry! You don't have to use it all.
Step 13: Bake the pie for 35-50 minutes. The bake time varies, but it's done when the outer edges of the filling appear set but the middle still jiggles. Be very careful not to overbake or the filling will be rubbery instead of creamy.
Step 14: Let the pie cool completely on a wire rack, then cover with foil and chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours.
Step 15: Before serving, make homemade whipped cream by whipping heavy cream, sugar, vanilla, and salt together with a hand mixer until it holds stiff peaks. Pile it on top of the pie, slice, and serve.
Expert Baking Tips
- Use store-bought pie crust. Making pie crust from scratch is totally worth it, but I understand that it's time consuming. You can make the pie with a store-bought pie shell if you're in a time crunch!
- Let the dough rest. Time is your friend when making pie dough. For the more tender crust, we want to prevent too much gluten from forming. If you notice the dough springing back when you're trying to roll it into a circle, stop and let it sit for 5 minutes or so. The bounce means too much gluten is forming, and stopping gives it time to relax so the crust won't be tough.
- Cover with aluminum foil. As the filling bakes, the crust may start to brown too soon. You can loosely cover it with aluminum foil to keep it from getting too dark. Just cut circle in the center of a piece of foil so the filling isn't covered.
Frequently Asked Questions
ย If the custard is rubbery or has a texture like scrambled eggs instead of being silky smooth, it is overbaked.
If you slice the earl grey pie and your filling is runny and hasn't set, it was either underbaked or it wasn't allowed enough time to cool completely.
The crust was not blind baked long enough if it's soggy and raw. Properly baked crust will look dry and have an even golden color with no light patches of raw dough. Also make sure to seal the crust with egg wash so the filling does leak into it.
More Cakes and Pies to Try
๐ Recipe
Earl Grey Pie
Equipment
- 1 Rolling Pin
- 1 9-inch pie pan
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Ingredients
Pie Crust
- 170 grams all purpose flour
- ยฝ teaspoon salt
- 114 grams unsalted butter cold
- 60 grams ice water
- 1 large egg for egg wash
Earl Grey Filling
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 150 grams granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ยผ teaspoon salt
- 240 milliliters heavy cream
- 180 milliliters whole milk
- 3 bags earl grey tea about 1 tablespoon of tea leaves
Whipped Cream
- 240 milliliters heavy cream cold
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ยฝ teaspoon vanilla extract
- โ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Pie Crust
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour and salt.170 grams all purpose flour, ยฝ teaspoon salt
- Cube the cold butter, then add it to the flour mixture. Toss the mixture with your hands until the butter is coated in flour.114 grams unsalted butter
- Work butter into flour mixture with your hands or pastry cutter, squishing the butter into flat discs until the pieces are quarter-size.
- Add ยผ cup of the ice water. Toss together until flour is hydrated and a dough begins to form. The mixture may appear crumbly but should hold together when you press it into a ball with your hands. If it doesn't stick together, add more ice water 1 tablespoon at a time.60 grams ice water
- Dump the mixture on to a floured surface and press it into a 1 inch thick disc. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 days.
- Flour your surface, then roll the dough into an 11 inch circle. Cut it in half with a bench scraper and place one half on top of the other. This is lamination, which results in a flaky crust. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 days.
- Preheat the oven to 425ยฐF. Roll the dough out into an 11 inch circle. Place it into a 9-inch pie plate and fold the overhang to create a crust.
- Crimp the edges by pressing your pointer finger of one hand against the inside of the dough while gently pressing with the knuckles of your other hand from the outside. Make sure the crust is taller than the lip of the pie plate. Chill for 20-30 more minutes.
- Line the inside of the dough with parchment paper and use dried rice, beans, or ceramic pie weights to hold it down. Bake for 15-18 minutes until the edges begin to turn golden.
- Take the crust out of the oven, remove the paper and pie weights, and reduce the heat to 375ยฐF. Whisk an egg until smooth in a small bowl, then brush the crust with the egg wash and bake for 7-10 minutes until the inside looks dry and golden brown.1 large egg
- Let the crust cool while you make the filling.
Earl Grey Filling
- Preheat the oven to 325ยฐF.
- Whisk the eggs, sugar, vanilla, and salt together in a large bowl.4 large eggs, 150 grams granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, ยผ teaspoon salt
- Add the heavy cream and milk to a saucepan. Cut open the bags of earl grey tea and pour in the tea leaves. Whisk together over medium-low heat until it is steaming and bubbling on the edges. Don't let it boil.240 milliliters heavy cream, 180 milliliters whole milk, 3 bags earl grey tea
- Slowly drizzle a tiny amount of the hot cream mixture into the egg mixture and whisk it in. This tempers the eggs without scrambling them. Keep adding a little at a time until it is all incorporated.
- Pour the mixture through a fine mesh sieve 2 times to remove the tea leaves. Then pour the filling on top of the parbaked pie crust. Don't let the filling drip over the top of the crust!
- Bake for 35-50 minutes. The outer edges of the filling will be set but the middle will still jiggle. If the crust starts browning too soon, cover the edges with aluminum foil.
- Remove the pie from the oven and let cool to room temperature. Then chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Whipped Cream
- Beat the heavy cream, sugar, vanilla, and salt on medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes or until stiff peaks form.240 milliliters heavy cream, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, ยฝ teaspoon vanilla extract, โ teaspoon salt
- Cover the chilled pie with whipped cream, slice, and serve!
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