It’s week 3 of the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Box series, and I’m still getting so much delight out of these deliveries! Another reason why I love this box is that it encourages me to use ingredients I typically wouldn’t buy.Â
I don’t particularly love pears, I don’t dislike them either, but I wouldn’t think to buy them at the store, and I certainly wouldn’t go looking for recipes to use them in. However, when I received four lovely looking pears this week, I had a bit of an epiphany: pears are practically related to apples – actually, I’d call them distant cousins. In fact, a quick Google search proved my theory, stating they are both Pome fruits. Ah! Why had I not figured this out sooner? Have I been missing out on years’ worth of scrumptious recipes because I ignored this now intriguing ingredient? I absolutely love apples and have several apple-centric recipes to get me through the fall. I got right to work making up for lost time, figuring out what I could sub out pears for and if any adjustments needed to be made. Â
I decided to make Pear-Custard Pie – I use the word pie somewhat loosely as this recipe is so simple that it doesn’t even have a crust – and when I think of pie, I think of said buttery, golden crust, although this does have a buttery, golden top and smells just as delicious so I let it slide.
Pear Custard Pie
Prep Time: 20 min
Makes: 8 servings
Ingredients
- 2Â pears, any variety
- ¼ cup butter, melted
- 3Â eggs
- 1 cup milk
- A pinch salt
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup flour
- 2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degreesÂ
- Thinly slice pears and add to the pie pan
- Mix butter, eggs, milk, salt, sugar, flour, and vanilla together in a bowlÂ
- Pour batter mixture over pearsÂ
- Bake for 35 minutes, until pie has risen and the top is golden brown
- Serves eight (can be served on its own or with ice cream or whipped cream)
Pro Tips
- I used pears that were not yet super ripe. I like the firmer texture it provided against the soft custard filling. Asian pears would work for this method as well.Â
- I did NOT peel the pears, again, as I like a little bit of texture, but peeling would make the whole pie smoother.
- Because this recipe isn’t super scientific, you can use any type of milk or milk substitute, sugar or sugar substitute, or even a flour substitute such as almond. Next time, I may try it with heavy whipping cream, thinking it will make the final product even fluffier and/or brown sugar instead of white, for a slightly more autumn feel.