Vanilla Custard Sauce

Vanilla custard sauce is made by gently heating milk with sugar, whisking it into egg yolks, and cooking the mixture slowly until it thickens into a smooth, pourable sauce. Made with basic pantry ingredients, it pairs beautifully with Nova Scotia blueberry grunt and many other desserts.

Vanilla custard sauce is a simple, stovetop custard made with milk, egg yolks, sugar, and vanilla. In Nova Scotia kitchens, a sauce like this is a natural companion to fruit desserts like crisps and cobblers. It’s super easy to make from scratch, and in my opinion, tastes better than anything you can buy in a store.

Ingredients for Vanilla Custard Sauce

Ingredient Notes

• Egg Yolks: I use large eggs for all of my recipes. Separate the yolks cleanly from the whites, as any traces of white can make the custard slightly less smooth.
• Salt: I use table salt for all of my recipes.
• Sugar (Granulated): Use standard white granulated sugar.
• Vanilla Extract: Use any vanilla extract you like or have on hand.
• Whole Milk: I use whole milk for all of my recipes. Look for fresh milk with a clean smell and a date that gives you a few days of fridge life.

It’s important to note that when making substitutions in recipes, the texture and flavour may be slightly different. However, these substitutes are the best options for changing the original recipe.

Ingredient Substitutions

• Salt: Fine sea salt can be used in place of table salt.
• Sugar (Granulated): Caster sugar can be substituted in place of granulated sugar.
• Vanilla Extract: You can use the same amount of vanilla bean paste or vanilla powder, or the seeds scraped from ½ of a vanilla bean.
• Whole Milk: 2% milk can be used.

Recipe Variations

Try any of the following for a twist on this KEYWORD recipe:

• Almond Extract: ¼ teaspoon, stirred in after removing the custard from the heat
• Bourbon: 1 tablespoon, whisked in once the custard is fully cooled
• Cardamom: ⅛ teaspoon, ground, added to the milk before heating, or 2 whole pods, lightly crushed, steeped in the hot milk and removed before tempering
• Cinnamon: ¼ teaspoon, ground, whisked into the milk as it warms
• Citrus Zest: 1 teaspoon, finely grated lemon or orange zest, infused in the milk and strained out before tempering
• Dark Rum: 1 tablespoon, stirred in after chilling
• Maple Extract: ¼ teaspoon, stirred in off the heat
• Star Anise: 1 pod, steeped in the milk while heating and removed before tempering

Use the JUMP TO RECIPE button at the top of this post, or scroll to the bottom to see the PRINTABLE recipe card with ingredient measurements and complete instructions.

How To Make Vanilla Custard Sauce

STEP 1: Add the milk and half of the sugar to a saucepan and heat until steamy with small bubbles forming around the edges. Do not let it boil.

STEP 2: In a bowl, combine the egg yolks, remaining sugar, vanilla extract, and salt.

STEP 3: Whisk the yolk mixture until smooth.

STEP 4: Slowly pour the hot milk into the yolk mixture while whisking constantly to temper the eggs.

STEP 5: Return the mixture to the pot and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened and it coats the back of a spoon.

STEP 6: Strain the custard into a clean bowl, then set the bowl over ice and a little cold water to cool before refrigerating.

Recipe Notes

• For detailed ingredient notes, substitution tips, variations, and step-by-step photos, scroll through the full recipe post.
• Use a digital kitchen scale for precise measurements and an instant-read digital thermometer to confirm temperatures.
• To switch to gram measurements, click “Metric grams” in the ingredients section of the recipe card.
• Keep the heat at medium-low once the custard returns to the stove, as higher heat can cause the egg yolks to scramble.
• This is a thin, silky, pourable custard, so don’t wait for it to become thick like pudding in the saucepan.
• Let the custard cool slightly before covering and refrigerating so condensation doesn’t drip back into the sauce.

Storage

• Store the custard in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Stir gently before serving warm or cold.