Updated July 2026 - I've clarified the custard powder (with a simple US substitution), settled the apple question once and for all, and added a step-by-step FAQ. The recipe itself is unchanged - it's the same pie reader Toni called "seriously amazing! Totally irresistible!" ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This Dutch apple custard pie (appeltaart met custard) is what happens when a classic Dutch appeltaart meets vanilla pudding: apple wedges stand upright in a sweet crust, and a rich vanilla custard is poured between them before baking.
The outside turns golden and sweet; the inside stays creamy with pockets of soft, tangy apple. It's a prize-winning recipe - and once you've tried a slice cold from the fridge, you'll understand why..
A Real Dutch Prize-Winner
Apple pie is serious business in the Netherlands, everu family has its own appeltaart recipr, and mine comes with a story.
This recipe is based on the one Hilda Huiskamp entered in a Dutch national baking contest in 2006. She won first prize with it, and one bite tells you why: instead of the usual cinnamon-dusted filling, the apples are baked in a thick vanilla custard, a beloved Dutch home-baking twist on the classic appeltaart.
Because my birthday falls in autumn, this is the pie I bake for it every year. There has to be a party and a cake, and in my house, this is the cake.
What do you need for Custard and Apple Pie?
To prepare this Apple Custard Pie, you need the following ingredients. You can find the correct amounts in the recipe card at the bottom of the blog:
- Apples - The traditional Dutch choice is the Goudreinet (Golden Reinette): a firm, sweet-tart baking apple that softens beautifully without turning to mush. Outside the Netherlands, Jonagold or Braeburn are the closest easy-to-find substitutes. Avoid very soft eating apples, they collapse in the custard.
- Flour - All-purpose flour is used in this recipe
- Baking powder - Makes the dough airy.
- Sugar - Sweetener for this pie.
- Butter - This will make the dough creamy. Use unsalted butter at room temperature.
- Custard powder - A Dutch and British pantry staple: a mix of cornstarch, vanilla flavor, and a touch of yellow coloring. It thickens the cream into custard without eggs. No custard powder? Use 2½ tablespoons cornstarch plus an extra ½ teaspoon vanilla extract - the custard will be paler but just as creamy.
- Cream - The main ingredient for this custard filling. Pour this mixture (cream, custard, vanilla, and sugar) between the apples and bake until it has become a thick cream.
- Vanilla extract - gives a hint of vanilla flavor to the cream. If you don't have vanilla extract, you can replace it with two teaspoons of vanilla sugar.
How to prepare Apple Pie with Custard
You can find a printable recipe with a step-by-step description at the bottom of this blog.
- Knead the flour, baking powder, egg, sugar, and butter into a dough. Shape into a round disc and wrap in plastic wrap. Leave in the fridge for 30 minutes. Line the springform with parchment paper (bottom and sides). Then roll out the dough into a circle of 13½ inches (34 cm) and line the springform with dough. Cut off the overhanging edges.
- Peel the apples and remove the core. Cut each apple into eight wedges. Place it upright in the baking tin.
- Mix part of the cream with custard, sugar, and vanilla extract. Bring the rest of the cream to a boil and stir in the custard mixture. Return to low heat, stirring, until the custard cream thickens.
- Pour the custard over the apples. Place the springform in a preheated oven at 350 °F (180 °C) at ⅓ height and bake for 70 minutes. The pie is done when the top is deep golden brown and the custard still wobbles slightly in the center when you nudge the pan - like just-set pudding. It firms up completely as it cools and chills. If the top browns before the 70 minutes are up, cover loosely with aluminum foil.
Frequently asked questions
- What is custard powder, and what can I use instead? Custard powder is a mix of cornstarch, vanilla flavoring, and yellow coloring, common in Dutch and British kitchens. If you can't find it, use 2½ tablespoons cornstarch plus an extra ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract. The color will be lighter, but the texture is the same.
- Is this the same as an American apple custard pie? Not quite. Most American versions bake a raw egg custard around the apples. This Dutch version uses a cooked cream custard thickened with custard powder - no eggs in the filling - which makes it richer, silkier, and very forgiving to bake.
- Why does the pie need 3 hours in the fridge? The custard sets as it chills. Cut it warm and the filling will run; after 3 hours (or overnight) it slices into clean, creamy wedges. This also makes it a great make-ahead cake - it's even better the next day.
- Which apples work best? Goudreinet (Golden Reinette) is the traditional Dutch baking apple. Jonagold and Braeburn are the best widely available substitutes: firm and sweet-tart, so they soften without falling apart.
- Can I use a regular pie plate instead of a springform? The filling is too deep for a standard pie plate. Use an 11-inch (26 cm) springform, or a deep cake pan lined generously with parchment so you can lift the pie out.
- How do I know when it's done? Deep golden top and a slight wobble in the center - like just-set pudding. It firms fully in the fridge.
📖 Recipe
RECIPE CARD
Recipe Help
Two easy tools to make cooking even easier. Cooking mode keeps the screen on. The easy-step recipe displays the recipe step by step, including the ingredients needed. And you can adjust servings easily
Ingredients
Dough
- 2 cups flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 egg , size L
- 1⅔ cups sugar
- 1¼ stick butter, room temperature
Filling
- 2¼ lbs. Baking apples, Goudreinet/Golden Reinette, Jonagold, or Braeburn
- ½ cup cream
- 3 tablespoons custard powder, such as Bird's
- 1 teaspoon vanilla-extract
- ⅔ cups sugar
- 2¾ cup cream
All my recipes are written both in Metric (gram / ml) and US Customary (cups / pounds). Here you can select which type of amount you would like to see.
Instructions
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F (180 °C). Place the rack at ⅓ from the bottom.
- Cover the baking form with parchment paper (including the side walls).
Dough
- Form a dough by kneading flour, sugar, baking powder, egg, and butter.2 cups flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 egg , 1⅔ cups sugar, 1¼ stick butter
- Wrap the dough in plastic foil and let the dough rest for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
- Roll the dough into a circle with a diameter of 13½ inches (34 cm).
- Place the dough in the baking form and remove the excess dough with a knife.
Filling
- Peel the apples and remove the core. Cut every apple into 8 wedges.2¼ lbs. Baking apples
- Put the apple pieces vertically on the dough and fill the form as well as possible.
- Pour the cream, sugar, custard, and the vanilla-extract and whisk well.½ cup cream, 3 tablespoons custard powder, 1 teaspoon vanilla-extract, ⅔ cups sugar
- Bring the other part of the cream to a boil.2¾ cup cream
- Take off the heat and whisk the custard mixture in it.
- Whisk very well and put the pan back on low heat.
- Warm, while whisking, until the custard thickens.
- Take off the heat and pour the custard over the apple parts.
Baking
- Place the springform in the oven.
- Check regularly if the top isn't browning too much. Starting at 40 minutes every 5 to 10 minutes. If so place aluminum foil on top until the baking time is done, after 70 minutes.
- Take the pie out of the oven and let it cool down until room temperature.
- Then put the pie in the refrigerator and let it stiffen for about 3 hours or more.
Notes
- Refrigerator - Cover the apple pie with custard. You can keep the cake in the fridge for up to three days.
- Freezer - Let the cake cool completely. Then pack it airtight with foil or in a freezer box. You can freeze the cake for up to one month. Let it thaw in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
yummychunklet says
Your pie crust looks fantastic!
Toni says
This is seriously amazing! Totally irresistible! Everyone at my house loved it.
Andréa says
Thank you Toni!