The custard recipe
for your table
Split open the half vanilla pod, scrape out the seeds, and put the seeds, pod, milk, and salt together in a pan. Bring the milk almost to a boil and remove it from the heat as soon as steam rises from it.
Whisk the egg yolks loose with the sugar and stir in the diluted cornstarch. While whisking, pour in a splash of the hot milk so the egg can gradually adjust to the heat, then stir that mixture back into the pan.
Place the pan over low heat and stir along the bottom with a wooden spoon. The custard thickens between 80 and 85 degrees; above 85 the egg curdles, and below 75 it remains thin. With cornstarch, the mixture may boil briefly, which is precisely why almost every homemade recipe uses cornstarch.
Pour the custard through a fine sieve into a bowl or directly into the glasses, and press plastic wrap tightly onto the surface so you don’t get a skin. Let it cool, and only assemble it once cold, with a layer of yogurt on top.
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The story
Custard from a carton is as familiar in Dutch refrigerators as milk and cheese, which makes homemade custard confusing at first: it is thinner. Cartons contain thickeners that keep the custard at the right consistency until the use-by date, and at home you cannot achieve that with egg yolks and a spoonful of cornstarch. What you get in return is flavor, because real vanilla in milk does something different from flavoring. The double layer of custard topped with yogurt is also a Dutch invention that is rarely understood abroad, and you build it upright in a glass.
The right glass
The familiar double layer of custard and yogurt depends on a straight-sided glass, because that is what keeps the dividing line between yellow and white level; in a stemmed coupe, the line follows the curve and is barely visible. The tumbler below holds twenty-five centiliters, exactly one portion, and according to the description, the faceted surface of this glass makes the layers especially visible. It is also tempered glass that, according to the description, can go from the freezer to a hot wash, so pre-chilling is no problem. There is also a generous 28-centiliter dessert coupe, intended for custard topped with fruit or crumble. There is no true custard glass; in the Netherlands, the ordinary tumbler has become one in practice. More glassware for dessert can be found among the dessert glasses.
Duralex Picardie Tumbler 25 cl (6 pieces)
Onis Primavera dessert coupe 28 cl (6 pieces)
Both sets together € 40,90.
The right tools
For custard, besides the glass, you need a saucepan, a wooden spoon, and two things that make all the difference: a fine strainer for pouring the thickened custard through so any lumps of egg remain behind, and a bar spoon with a long stem for building the double layer in the glass without smearing the sides. These are the bar tools we use ourselves; you can find everything in our bar tools & cocktail sets.
Keeps lumps of egg from getting through, so the custard enters the glass smoothly
Long stem for the double layer, reaching the bottom of the glass
Glass set (our choice 01) + 2 bar tools together € 39,85.
What do you serve with it?
Custard is served in most homes with children around, and in that case it needs no accompaniment: a glass of milk or water is enough, and that is not a shortcoming. If you eat it as dessert after dinner, a small glass of liqueur goes well with it, for example Baileys with the vanilla version or Kahlúa with the coffee and chocolate version. On each drink page, you can read the alcohol percentage, what it tastes like, which cocktails it pairs with, and what kind of glass you need.
Variations & twists
The three flavors everyone knows are vanilla, chocolate, and hopjes. For chocolate custard, melt fifteen grams of dark chocolate per serving into the warm milk and leave out the vanilla; for hopjes custard, dissolve a few hopjes candies in the milk instead, or add strong coffee with caramel. Make the two-layer version by pouring the chilled custard into the glass and using a spoon along the side of the glass to add a layer of full-fat yogurt. Looking for more inspiration? Browse more than 100 cocktail recipes.
Serving tip
Pour the custard into the glasses while it is still warm and immediately place plastic wrap directly on the surface, then they will cool without forming a skin and you will not have to transfer anything later. Chill them for at least three hours, because warm custard is always thinner than it will eventually become. Finish them at the table with a layer of fruit or crumbled speculaas cookies, so the crunch stays on top instead of sinking into the custard.
Good to know
Why does custard thicken between 80 and 85 degrees?
Because the protein in the yolk sets at that temperature and thickens the milk. If you stay below it, around 75 degrees, too little happens and the custard remains thin. If you go above it, the egg sets too quickly, giving you strands and lumps instead of a smooth mixture.
Why is there cornstarch in almost every homemade recipe?
Because cornstarch widens the temperature window. Starch coats the proteins, so the egg curdles less quickly, which means custard made with cornstarch can briefly come to a boil. That makes the recipe much more forgiving at home than custard made with egg yolks alone, where you really have to watch the temperature.
How do you prevent a skin from forming on custard?
Press plastic wrap tightly onto the surface itself, not over the rim of the bowl. A skin forms because moisture evaporates and the proteins on top dry out; if the plastic wrap touches the custard, that cannot happen. This only works if you do it immediately, while the custard is still warm.
Why is homemade custard thinner than packaged custard?
Because packaged custard contains additives that keep it thick, from starch to carrageenan. At home, you only have egg yolks and cornstarch. You can get closer by using an extra half spoonful of cornstarch, but the real difference remains the taste: homemade custard contains vanilla and no flavoring.
The custard has curdled; is there anything that can be done?
Take the pan off the heat immediately and pour the custard through a fine sieve; most of the egg lumps will remain behind. Then whisk it briefly with a whisk or hand blender. It will not be completely as it should have been, but in a glass with a layer of fruit on top, almost no one will notice.
How many yolks go into a liter?
The classic homemade recipe uses four egg yolks per liter of milk, with eighty grams of sugar, one vanilla pod and two tablespoons of cornstarch. The recipe above uses two yolks per 250 milliliters, so that custard turns out somewhat richer. If you want the classic ratio, halve the number of yolks.
Frequently asked questions
What exactly is custard?
Custard is a thickened dairy dessert made from milk, egg yolk and sugar, essentially the same as a custard. At home, cornstarch is almost always added so the mixture can boil without the egg curdling. It is eaten cold, from a glass or a bowl.
At what temperature does custard thicken?
Between 80 and 85 degrees. Below 75 degrees it stays thin, and above 85 degrees the egg curdles. With cornstarch added, that range is much wider, because the custard can briefly boil without going wrong.
Which glass do you use for custard?
A clear glass with straight sides that allows a spoon to reach the bottom, and for one serving, 250 milliliters is a good size. If you make the double layer with yogurt, those straight sides are the whole point: they keep the dividing line between the two layers level.
How do you make layered custard with yogurt?
Let the custard cool completely first, because warm custard mixes with anything you put on top. Pour it into the glass, let it stand for half an hour, then carefully layer full-fat yogurt on top using the back of a spoon, working inward from the sides.
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