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
Alexa says
Hello po! What do i do if my dough comes out sticky? I accidentally pour too much water ๐ should i add more flour? ๐ข
Sarah Pengson says
Hi! I just want you to know that the first trial of mini eggpie I made is a big hit! My kids requested for it ... And I am now planning to make it a business! This recipe is perfect! ... Thank you
Renalyn cambil says
The mini egg pie is it ok to bake in microwave oven
Lalaine Manalo says
I'm sorry, but I've never tried baking these pies in a microwave and I don't think it would work.
Badette says
How much po ang cost each if i sell it? Tanx
Lalaine Manalo says
I wouldn't know how much you have to sell it because I don't know the cost of the ingredients in your area ๐ To figure it out, add the cost of the ingredients plus cost of packaging and then divide by the number of servings. This recipe yields 12 pieces so if the cost of the ingredients is let's say $6, then the cost of each pie is 50 cents. You can mark it up 30% to 50% more, taking into account the gas/electric and your time invested.
Alex says
which is better to use yokes and whites or yokes only. what is the difference?
Cherry says
Hello Ms. Lalaine
I would like to ask if it's ok to use fresh milk instead of evap milk?
Lalaine Manalo says
Hello Cherry,
I haven't tried this with fresh milk. It might work but please expect a change in the consistency of the custard as fresh milk is not as creamy or thick as evap.
Mila says
Hello...ano pong size ng muffin pan na gahamitin?iba iba pong sizes meron ako sa bhay.tnx
Lalaine Manalo says
Yung standard size na muffin tin ang ginagamit ko, bale the holes have a 1/2 cup capacity ๐
Kayla says
The recipe says 6 egg *yolks* but in the video it looks like it's 6 whole eggs (whites and yolks). Which is correct? Or what is the difference between using just yolks and yolks+whites?
Jolina McGuire says
Hi Ms Lalaine! Thank you for this recipe. I will try this using store-bought crust, in which case, do I need to adjust the oven temperature? I recently made mini pumpkin pie calling for 400F temp & with 20 mins baking time. Do you reckon this might work for the egg pie? Thank you.
Rhoma says
Can I make these in a large pie instead of in a mini muffin tin? And if so, will it fit in one pan or do I have to use 2 pans for it?
Lalaine says
I haven't personally tried doing this recipe in a large pie pan but I am sure you could. You just might have to adjust cook times.
Theresa says
I wonder how much you sold it? How much profit did you earn for the 40 packs?
Thanks
Theresa
Lalaine says
Hello Theresa,
I sold these 9 years ago so I am not sure how the pricing and profit margins would be at this time. From what I remember, I used to make about $2 for a pack of 4 pieces.
Saly says
This recipe is amazing. However, once cooked, the crust is to soft and flaky that I think it can't handle the weight of the filling. I had to use a spoon to take it out if the pan without breaking
Maria says
Is it ok if I donโt use a cheesecloth?
Lalaine says
You can strain the mixture using a fine mesh sieve ๐
Melissa says
Hi How long do they last in the fridge? Thank you so much! I may give it a go to sell them since I already am selling other baked goods. I need something to use yolks with.
Lovely says
Hi ms lalaine! I dont have oven, gas oven instead... will these mini pies work on this type of oven? Thanx
Lalaine says
You have a gas oven? It should work in a gas oven, that's what I have at home ๐
Karren says
Hi Lalaine,
Can I make these on a mini muffin tray? If so what is the temperature and for how long? Thanks.
My kids loves these. Thank you for the recipe!
Lalaine says
Hi Karren,
Mini muffin tray would be too small for these, as you need to put the pie crust and filling.
Karren says
Ok. Got it. Thanks.
Bernadette Espinosa says
I just made this mini egg pies, Oh My, they are oh so goooooood. I would cry to happiness for hitting it with just my first try! I have a gas oven too without any temperature control so I set it using the low fire. The flaky crust and the creamy custard = just perfect, I would do this again and again. Thank you Lalaine, I wish I tried this sooner. โค๏ธ
Karren says
Hi Ms Lalaine, what would be the temperature and how long to cook it if I made this on a mini cupcake pan? Thanks. My hubby and kids love this recipe.
Lalaine says
HI Karren.
A mini cupcake/muffin pan might be too small for these pies. I tried this size before and there was not enough room for the dough (bottom and sides) and egg-milk mixture. The custard overflowed and spilled over.
Gigi says
Hello good day ,pwede po ba gamitin vegetable shortening as substitute nang butter.If pwede po anung exact measurement po .Thank ou in advance
Lalaine says
Yes, you can use Crisco or vegetable shortening in same amounts ๐
Nea says
Hi Ms. Lalaine, can I use a food processor to mix butter and flour mixture?
Lalaine says
Yes, you can. ๐