How to Make Almond Sweet Cream Pie
Calling all pie lovers! Sure, chocolate and walnut pies are great. But why not go for something different?! Sometimes you just need to switch things up a bit. Like with an almond sweet cream pie, perhaps. Whether you’re planning to whip up a pie for a holiday, or just feel like devouring it yourself on a lazy Sunday… Chocolate, walnut, and pumpkin pies are great too but, if you’d like a pie that’s different yet scrumptious – you have to try this one!
At its heart, this almond cream pie is a pudding pie. But, with the almond, you get added texture, flavor, and that oh-so-lovely almond-y richness! You’ll love it!
Top it off with shaved almonds, whipped cream, or even some fresh cherries to add to the flavor palette! Rest assured that this pie will get wiped out at parties, or by yourself… I’m not one to judge!Â
Almond Sweet Cream Pie
Ingredients Â
For the Crust
- 2.5 cup All-purpose flour
- 1 tsp Salt
- 6 tbsp Unsalted butter Cold
- 3/4 cup  vegetable shortening
- 1/2 cup Ice-cold water
For the Pie Filling
- 1/2 cup Granulated sugar or equivalent sweetener of choice
- 1/4 cup Corn flour
- 3 cups Milk
- 4 Egg yolks (Separated and slightly beaten)
- 1 tbsp Butter
- 3/4 cup Chopped almonds (Preferably toasted)
- 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp Almond extract
- 1 cup Heavy whipping cream
- 1/4 cup Sugar
- Cherries (Optional)
- Shaved almonds (Optional)
InstructionsÂ
For the Crust
- Swift together the salt and flour simultaneously in a big bowl.
- Chop your cold butter.
- Add the butter and your shortening to the bowl with the salt and flour.
- Use two forks, or even better, a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the flour mixture. Don't try to mix it. Just cut the shortening and butter into the flour till they’re combined and resemble a crumbly meal. It will look pretty dry at this point but that’s okay.
- Measure out ½ cup of ice-cold water (make sure it’s VERY cold). You might need more water if you’re in a dry place.
- 1 tbsp at a time, drizzle your water into the flour/butter bowl and stir it in.
- Do this until it resembles large clumps of dough.
- Transfer this dough to a well-floured surface and mix it together by rolling the dough into itself until it forms a dough.
- Make sure your dough isn’t overly sticky.
- Divide the dough into two halves.
- Wrap each half into cling film and refrigerate for 2 hours at least.
- To prepare your pie crust, roll out your dough onto a floured surface. Be sure to be gentle with the rolling pin.
- Starting spreading it out from the center to outwards (note: specks of butter and flour are completely okay, don’t try to roll those out).
- Transfer the rolled out pie crust onto your pie baking dish and tuck it in using your fingers and trim excess edges.
- Poke holes into the bottom of the crust using a fork or a toothpick.
- Line with parchment paper and add pie weights or an oven-safe stone weight to prevent the crust from puffing and depuffing.
- Bake at 190C for 15-20 minutes or until it starts to change color around the edges. Let it cool.
Tips
- Don’t try to knead the dough in the initial step; you’re only trying to combine the flour with the fat by cutting into it. Trying to vigorously knead it in this step will cause the butter to melt, resulting in a messy dough.
- To make sure your water is ice cold, put water and ice into a bowl, measuring it out from that bowl.
- You might have to use less water if you’re in a humid environment and more if you’re in a dry one. A dough that’s too wet or too dry won’t yield a flaky crust
- Using pie weights is highly recommended to prevent irregular dough. You can also use stones or dried beans if you don’t have the weights
- To prevent the dough from burning, you can use a pie shield.
- The colder the ingredients, the better.
For the filling
- In a saucepan, add the ½ cup sugar along with the corn scratch.
- Stir it while gradually adding milk.
- Stir and let it cook on medium heat until it begins to thicken. Then reduce the heat and cook for about 2 more minutes and take it off the stove.
- Add about 1 ½ cup of the milk and sugar concoction to your beaten egg yolks and stir. Now put this egg yolk mixture back into the saucepan and mix everything together. This step eliminates the rawness of the egg and takes away the eggy-flavor a lot of people dislike.
- Put the saucepan back onto the stove and bring it to a boil. Cook for about 2 mins.
- After 2 minutes, remove the saucepan from heat.
- Add your butter, vanilla extract, almond extract, and chopped almonds into the saucepan.
- Stir everything until nicely mixed.
- Transfer this mixture on your pre-baked pie crust.
- Cover with a cling film and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.
- Top with fresh cherries, whipped cream, or shaved almonds if desired.
- Serve while cool.
Recommended Ingredients
And that’s it! This recipe can be easier if you freeze your pie crust ahead of time or use store-bought pie crust, if you prefer. Some people also like using a simple crust with crushed shortbread cookies and butter. This way, you only have to prepare the filling, which is super easy!
However, if you do like almonds you might like our recipe for other almond desserts like almond custard, almond dacquoise cake, almond burfi, almond meringue cookies, and even almond ice cream! You can even find some savory recipes using almonds, here.
Other Healthy Dessert Options With Almonds
Eating healthy doesn’t mean you need to deprive yourself. You can always enjoy a healthier version of your favorite desserts or have it in moderation. Here are some other dessert recipes with almonds, for when you get the sweet tooth tingling!
- Almond tea cake
- Cherry almond biscotti
- Almond barfi
- Almond custard
- Almond croissantÂ
If you’re not a fan of almonds, you can use peanuts, pecans or anything else you like. However, be sure to tweak the sweetness accordingly. Do try the recipe and let me know what you think!
I am a yogi with a smoldering passion for nutrition and healthy living. I have been a Nutrition and Lifestyle Coach for over 11 years and now I want to help you. My mission is to inspire as many people as I can to expand their awareness and broaden their horizons by giving a voice to the choices that create abundant, radiant health. Here I share deliciously simple plant-based recipes, nutrition resources, detox tips, and a glimpse into my whole lifestyle.
