Strawberry Custard
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Make this gorgeous fresh Strawberry Custard towards the end of the strawberry season when cooler days are drawing in. This pouring pink custard is incredible with a light vanilla sponge but could also elevate your humble Apple Crumble into something a little bit more special.
If you adored Pink Custard at school then you’ll love this grown-up Strawberry Custard made from scratch. It still satisfies our sense of nostalgia but the flavour will far exceed your expectations. This custard made with cream is simply glorious, sweetly scented with fresh strawberries but with all the cosy homemade vibes.
Watch the recipe to see how to make it
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Your school days are re-imagined with this fruity Pink Custard flavoured with delicious strawberries and made with fresh cream. Especially when served over School Cake.
- Intense strawberry flavour is achieved from blending and reducing fresh strawberries.
- Custard made with eggs for a deep rich flavour.
- Gorgeous colour which is summery, bright and vibrant to accompany any delicious dessert.
- Beautiful thick and creamy texture is gorgeous served over pies, crumbles and cakes like a cosy blanket.
- Imagine serving it with your favourite Strawberry Pie recipe if you adore this fresh fruit.
- “Tastes like custard and tastes like strawberries” is a direct quote from our chief taste tester (my husband, Luke).
Is Pink Custard gluten-free?
Yes, this is a gluten-free Strawberry Custard. We use cornflour (cornstarch) to thicken and stabilise the custard sauce which is an essential Delia Smith hack to prevent it from splitting.
This recipe is adapted from my Vanilla Custard Recipe which is so easy to make and uses whole vanilla pods. Click here for the recipe >>> Gluten-Free Homemade Custard.
How to avoid a skin forming
I think there are two camps of people, those who love custard skin and those who can’t bear it. I fall into the latter category. It’s not the end of the world if a skin forms on your custard as you can either whisk it in (although it will mean little lumps in your custard) or you can strain it out.
However to avoid a skin forming on your pink custard in the first place then you need to press a film of plastic wrap over the surface of the custard as soon as it has been heated through. This does the trick.
Full list of ingredients needed
- Fresh strawberries.
- Double cream (heavy cream).
- Whole milk.
- Egg yolks. This recipe uses medium size eggs - 60g with shell and 50g without shell.
- Caster sugar (white baking sugar).
- Vanilla extract. I like Nielsen Massey.
- Cornflour (cornstarch).
- Pink food colouring. This is totally optional. I usually try to avoid food colouring but without it the custard is a subtle blush pink (which can look a little grey). Add a tiny drop of food colouring if you want a more vibrant colour. I recommend gel colouring as you don’t need much.
How to make Strawberry Custard from scratch
For full recipe instructions go to the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Blend the strawberries in a saucepan and place over a low heat for 30-35 minutes until the mixture is thick and reduced.
- Heat the milk and the double cream until just under a boil.
- Blend the egg yolks, caster sugar, vanilla extract, cornflour and cooled strawberry puree in a large measuring jug until light and creamy.
- Pour the heated cream into the strawberry mixture in a long steady stream with the immersion blender still on.
- Pour everything back into the saucepan then whisk continually on a medium heat until the custard thickens and starts to gently bubble.
Tips for best results
- An immersion blender is recommended rather than a stand blender as it cuts down on the washing up but if you only have a stand blender then that is fine too.
- The strawberry puree should be cooled down to warm, if not room temperature, before blending with the eggs so that it doesn’t curdle them.
- Transfer the strawberry puree to a small bowl and store in the fridge until needed.
- The colour of the gluten-free pink custard is more of a gentle shade of blush. To achieve a brighter colour you can choose to add a little food colouring. I recommend a gel colour but use the smallest pinprick and whisk it in. Then decide if you need any more.
- As the custard cools it will thicken, whisk in a splash of milk if the custard has thickened too much before you get to pouring it.
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Buy Now → Make in advance
You can make the strawberry puree up to 2 days in advance and store in the fridge in an airtight container.
How to store fresh custard
When the Strawberry Custard is still warm transfer to an airtight container. Press a film of plastic wrap to the surface of the custard to prevent a skin from forming then seal the container with the lid. Store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
How to freeze
This pink custard freezes well for up to 2 months. See the above note on how to prepare fresh custard for storing then just place in the freezer rather than the fridge.
Custard filling
The custard thickens as it cools so when it is chilled it can be used as a fruity custard filling. Use it as a base for your individual strawberry custard tarts. Fill the tart crust or shortbread crust with your freshly cooked strawberry custard and chill for at least 4 hours, then decorate your chilled custard tarts with fresh strawberries.
What dessert recipes to serve with Homemade Strawberry Custard
- Gluten-Free School Cake
- Apple Blackberry Crumble
- Apple Pie
- Steamed Chocolate Pudding
- Bramley Apple Mincemeat Pudding
- Pear and Almond Cake
- Apple Cake
- Pineapple Upside Down Cake
- Gluten-Free Spotted Dick
- Gluten-Free Bread and Butter Pudding
Other gluten-free custard recipes you'll love
I urge you to give Strawberry Custard a try. If you do then please leave a comment below and give the recipe a rating which helps others find the recipe on Google. If you then go on to use this recipe as a launch pad for your own culinary creation then I’d also love it if you’d share it and tag me on Instagram. It is so lovely for me to see your versions and variations of my recipes.
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Strawberry Custard
Ingredients
- 300 g fresh strawberries - hulled
- 300 ml double cream
- 200 ml whole milk
- 6 egg yolks - medium size, 60g
- 40 g caster sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons cornflour - cornstarch
- Pink food colouring - optional
Instructions
- Blend the strawberries in a small saucepan using an immersion blender until thin and liquidy.
- Place the pan on a low heat for 30-35 minutes until the mixture has reduced by ⅔. Keep an eye on the puree and stir every so often to stop the puree from sticking to the bottom of the saucepan. The puree should be thick and not watery. Set aside to cool whilst you prepare the rest of the custard
- Pour the milk and the double cream into a large saucepan.
- Heat on a low heat until just under a boil. Watch the surface carefully and when it starts to shimmer with tiny bubbles just underneath the surface then remove from the heat.
- Pour the egg yolks, caster sugar, vanilla extract, cornflour and strawberry puree into a large measuring jug (or bowl) and blend using an immersion blender until light and creamy.
- Pour the heated cream into the strawberry mixture in a long steady stream with the immersion blender still on.
- Pour this thin custard back into the saucepan then whisk continually on a medium heat until the custard thickens and starts to gently bubble.
- Remove from the heat and serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- The eggs used in this recipe were medium size, 60g with shell and 50g without shell. If you can't get hold of medium eggs I suggest you weigh the amount which for this recipe would be 200g.
- An immersion blender is recommended rather than a stand blender as it cuts down on the washing up but if you only have a stand blender then that is fine too.
- The strawberry puree should be cooled down to warm, if not room temperature, before blending with the eggs so that it doesn’t curdle them.
- The colour of the strawberry custard is more of a gentle blush pink, to achieve a brighter colour you can choose to add a little food colouring.
- As the custard cools it will thicken, whisk in a splash of milk if the custard has thickened too much before you get to pouring it.
Ingredient measurements
- US customary measurements for the ingredients provided are based on a conversion calculator. This recipe was tested with metric measurements and I recommend using a digital scale to weigh ingredients for the most accurate results. READ MORE >>> Why you should always weigh vs measuring with cups
