Mini Egg Pies with creamy custard filling and a super buttery crust are the ultimate snack or dessert. They are fun to eat and make a great party or on-the-go sweet treat.
Before there was Kawaling Pinoy, my long-time dream was to have my own restaurant or catering services. Over the years, I thought of quitting my full-time job and taking the risky plunge, but the prospect of jumping into the water with both feet was daunting, especially with a dependent child still in college.
All I could do was take small steps and see where they brought me. I contacted a few restaurants, and Asian supermarkets in our area to offer my mini egg pies, leche flan, and cassava cake on a consignment basis and had a friend design a packaging label on Photoshop for my products.
I'd come home from work late in the afternoon, bake my goodies till dawn, and deliver them the next day before I went to work again. It was an exhausting one-person show but nonetheless exciting.
If you happened to be at a certain Asian supermarket in Carson, California mid-October of 2010 and saw a suspicious-looking woman taking pictures of their refrigerator, that would have been me. It was so surreal to see something I baked actually on the shelves for sale!
Unfortunately, after a year of sweating it out, I had to accept it was all but wishful thinking. Although the venture was successful on its own merits, it was too small-scaled to warrant hiring another pair of hands to help or to give up my job to focus on it a hundred percent.
But even if I don't sell these mini egg pies anymore, I still regularly make them for potlucks or gatherings. Conveniently bite-sized with a crust so crisp and flaky and a custard filling so smooth and velvety!
Give them a try and let me know in the comments if I could have been the next Sara Lee if I held on to the dream a little longer. ๐
Helpful tips
- The key to buttery, flaky crusts is starting with VERY cold ingredients. I recommend freezing the butter cubes and chilling the flour for a few minutes to maintain cool temperatures.
- For a tender crust, use ice-cold water and add just enough amount for the dough to hold together. The dough should not be sticky but shaggy and feel almost dry to the touch.
- Chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before rolling it out, especially during hot weather. Work fast while rolling and lining the muffin pans, so the dough doesn't heat up. If it softens, tears apart, or sticks on the work surface, return it to the refrigerator to chill for about 5 minutes.
- Handle the dough gently and do not over-manipulate to prevent gluten formation.
How to store
Wrap the pies tightly with film, transfer to a container with a tight-fitting lid, and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Note that the crust can become soggy over time.
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 8 ounces butter
- 2 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- ยผ cup ice water
For the Custard FIlling
- 6 egg yolks
- 1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
- 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
Instructions
- Cut butter into cubes and freeze for about 30 minutes to an hour.
- In a bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and sugar and chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
- Add butter to flour mixture. Cut the butter into the flour using a pastry blender or by pinching the fat into the flour mixture with hands. Work them together until resembling coarse cornmeal with pea-like, butter-speckled pieces.
- Slowly drizzle ice water to the flour-butter mixture and with hands, mix until just combined. Gently gather dough and press into a ball. If the dough is too crumbly and does not hold together, add more water a tablespoon at a time. DO NOT ADD TOO MUCH LIQUID and DO NOT OVERWORK DOUGH.
- Wrap dough with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours.
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine egg yolks, evaporated milk, and condensed milk until blended. Using a cheesecloth, strain custard mixture.
- Divide dough into 12 balls. Place each ball between two sheets of parchment paper and with a rolling pin, gently flatten each ball into 4-inch diameter and โ -inch thickness.
- Spray holes of a 12-hole muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray. Lift each flattened dough and place into each muffin holes and with hands, gently press on sides and bottom. Trim off excess dough on edges.
- Pour custard mixture into prepared dough-lined muffin pan up to ยพ full.
- Bake in a 350 F oven for about 20 to 25 minutes or until crust is golden and a toothpick inserted in the middle of custard comes out clean.ย
- Remove from oven and allow to cool before removing from pan. Best served at room temperature.
Notes
- The key to buttery, flaky crusts is starting with VERY cold ingredients. I recommend freezing the butter cubes and chilling the flour for a few minutes to maintain cool temperatures.
- For a tender crust, use ice-cold water and add just enough amount for the dough to hold together. The dough should not be sticky but shaggy and feel almost dry to the touch.
- Chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before rolling it out, especially during hot weather. Work fast while rolling and lining the muffin pans, so the dough doesn't heat up. If it softens, tears apart, or sticks on the work surface, return it to the refrigerator to chill for about 5 minutes.
- Handle the dough gently and do not over-manipulate to prevent gluten formation.
Video
Nutrition Information
โThis website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.โ
Gema says
Hi Lalaine,
The egg pie was delicious and it was hit already. Brought it recently to a pre-thanksgiving party and asking if i could make it for sale. I was wondering where did you get the pie carrier as shown in your pics and how much is your price estimate? Thank you for this recipe.
Gema
Lalaine says
Hello Gema,
Yay! I am glad everyone liked them. I think you can find the containers on Amazon. I use to sell the pies $3 per pack (4 pieces) but that was 9 years ago. I also priced them a little lower price as the stores had to also mark them up. If selling directly to the person, you can charge a bit more than when you have a middleman like a restaurant or a grocery store.
Mommy G says
Hi! I would love to try your recipe.. but unfortunately I don't have an oven. Can I use a steamer instead? Thank you!
Lalaine says
Unfortunately, this recipe won't work in the steamer. It has a pie crust that would turn like mush in a steamer ๐
Monina says
Hello,
Very inspiring. By the way, how did you start selling your pies? Did you have to get a Business license first? Please help me, im a stay at home mom and i love to bake and would like to start selling my pies at my local asian stores too but I don't know where to start, your advise is greatly appreciated.
Thank you.
Lalaine says
Hello Monina,
I didn't get a business license because I did only a very small scale. I just approached local Asian supermarkets and restaurants and offered the eggpies on consignment basis. It was kind of a difficult set up because I had to eat the cost when the food doesn't sell or spoil but it was easier to convince the store owners to carry my products because it is zero cost/investment for them. They make a dollar or two per item by giving me some of their counter or fridge space.
One important thing they require though is to have food labels. The labels don't have to be complicated, just need the ingredients and expiration date. Hope this helps ๐
Ivy says
Hello, may I know if the baked egg pies will turn soggy after 2-3 days at room temperature or in the fridge?
Lalaine says
Hello Ivy
Yes, unfortunately, the texture of the crust changes over time and most especially when in the fridge. They're best consumed freshly baked ๐
Ivy says
Hi Ms. Lalaine,
Thank you for sharing your recipe. I will definitely try this. I have a couple of questions:
1. What's temperature setting do you use?
2. Do you place the muffin pan in a vat of boiling boiling water while baking?
Lalaine says
Hi Ivy
Bake in a 350 F oven and no water bath. I hope you like them ๐
Pauli says
Hi! Im a first time baker and i want to try baking using your egg pie recipe. I need help though, can you specify the instructions for the flaky crust? I got kind of confused cause in the notes area you mentioned the butter should be frozen, but then i dont see how that will mix with the other ingredients. Thanks & more power!
Lalaine says
Hi Pauli
Here are the steps: You cut butter into cubes and freeze for about 1 hour. In a bowl, whisk together flour, salt and sugar and chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes and then you add the butter. Cut butter into flour (mix together) using a pastry blender or by pinching the fat into the flour mixture with hands. Work them together until resembling coarse cornmeal with pea-like, butter-speckled pieces.
I hope this helps.
Pauli says
Thanks for replying! More power!
Raeven says
May I know when should I be putting this inside the fridge?
Taurian says
I too used to sell cheesecake and pecan tart to my friends and co-workers, but it get too tiring and just break even sa puhunan, i feel bad stopping kasi most of them are still asking or it. Now I only bring it to friends and family gatherings.
I will be trying this recipe for the first time. I can't wait.
May Benitez says
Me again for update. Baked last night, oh so good, my son and my husband devoured them. Made the crust a little thick, a first timer mistake I guess, next time I'll make it thinner, but I achieved the 'flaky and crusty' yay! So proud of myself. Thank you Lalaine!
The filling is not as yellow like yours, mine kinda brownish. Any tips on this? Yours is perfectly yellow on top and more white in the inside, yon ang gusto kung i-achieve.
Maraming salamat talaga. Very generous for sharing your recipe.
~May
Lalaine says
Hello May
I am glad your family enjoyed these mini eggpies. They're a hit everywhere I bring them to!
I apologize but I am not sure why the flan would turn brown as you can see from the photos, dapat yellow sila. Hindi kaya na-overbake ang filling because the dough was a bit thick?
May says
Hi Ms. Lalaine, bake uli ako right now hehe. Grabe request dito sa bahay. Will try to make the crust thinner at regular egg gamitin ko kc last night brown egg ginamit ko at darker ang egg yolk I think that also contributed to the dark yellow outcome.
But you're right, over baked din kc at 25 mins, hindi pa clean ang toothpick when I poked ung flan kaya nag additional 5 mins ako. Siguro I'll just let it cook habang pinapalamig? Sorry kulit ko.
Taga Whittier ako, sa La Habra ka?
Maraming salamat uli.
~May
Lalaine says
Hello May
Yes, I am from La Habra. Hindi pala tayo nagkakalayo, Whittier is just a few minutes away sa akin ๐
May Benitez says
Hi Ms. Lalaine,
I'm trying it right now and I'm excited. My husband loves egg pie. My question is, have you tried baking it in a silicon mold? Or do you think it will cooked/baked as crusty as it is if baked in a non-stick muffin pan?
Thank you.
May
theresa magao says
Hello,you got 5 star for this recipe and your other recipes as well,,i love it,try ko itong ibenta gaya ng cheese cupcake mo na palaging hinahanap ng mga friends ko,,thank you so much for sharing your recipes.Godbless
Lalaine says
Thank you, Theresa, for the feedback. I hope maging mabenta sila ๐
Sheryl says
Hi Ms. Lalaine,
I was wondering if you have a recipe for a no bake eggpie or any pie that requires no baking, perhaps one that uses crushed graham crackers pressed with butter.
Thank you!
Carlrose Addun says
Hi po! Im making this mini epies now po. Hoping na maganda ang kakalabasan from m oven. Im planning to sell it po kasi. Easy recipe and simple. Hoping okay yung final product ko.
Lalaine says
Hello Carlrose
I hope they turn out great as well as ang benta ๐
Carlrose says
masarap po yung kinalabasan ng mini eggpies specially the crust. looking forward din po na same din pag ibebenta na. thanks you po sa masarap na recipe.
girlie says
Pwede po gumamit ng mini oven s egg pie?
Lalaine says
Hi Girlie
Kung mayroon temp adjustment yung mini oven, I am sure pwede. Kailangan lang kasi may control sa init para di masunog.
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Marife says
Hi Lalaine,
It was my first time to bake egg pies and your recipe and tips were so helpful and easy to follow. My family loved it! The only concern I have is the crust. Mine easily crumbles. I don't know if water has something to do with it. Is it because of too little or too much water? Thanks
Lalaine says
Hi Marife
It's the butter that makes them flaky. I loke to chill the dough for a couple of hours as it gets hot in my kitchen but you can try lessening the chill time if they come out too crumbly. Also, wait until they are completely cool nefore taking them out of pans. They hold better when set.