This matcha cream pie recipe is a custard pie upgraded with bright, grassy matcha blended in. Green tea lovers will love this matcha pie! While you can make this vanilla cream pie recipe without it, if you're a matcha lover like I am, the addition of bright, grassy matcha makes this custard pie less cloyingly sweet and more sophisticated. This is also an egg-free custard, with dairy-free options.
If you've had those cute little mochi ice cream balls that are served at casual sushi restaurants, this pie tastes like that. It's creamy, cold from being primarily set in the fridge, and sweet, with a bit of grassiness from the matcha. I'm a total matcha fiend and am constantly dreaming up ways to incorporate its flavor into baked goods. It bakes to dark green color, and then I like to dust a bit of extra matcha powder on top to give it more brightness.
Matcha literally means "powdered tea." When you order regular green tea, components from the leaves get infused into hot water, then the tea bag is discarded. With matcha, you’re drinking the actual leaves, which have transformed into a powder that's then mixed with boiling water.
Fun fact: this pie was a finalist in KCRW's 2020 pie contest!
If you're into this, here are a few more matcha recipes:
What you need
- Pastry for single-crust pie (9 inches)
- 1 cup of sugar
- ¼ cup of flour
- 2 cups of milk -- whole milk or oat milk
- ½ cup butter, cubed -- if dairy-free, use Miyoko's vegan butter
- 2 teaspoons culinary grade matcha for the pie and a half a teaspon for dusting after it's set
How to make a matcha cream pie
- Preheat oven to 450F.
- Roll out dough to fit a 9-in. pie plate. Transfer crust to the pie plate and flute the edges. Prick the pie dough with a fork, and then line with aluminum foil, fill with pie weights and bake for 8 minutes. Remove foil and weights; bake 5-7 minutes longer or until light brown. Cool on a wire rack until the pie crust is cool to the touch.
- Reduce oven temperature to 350F.
- While the pie crust is cooling, in a large saucepan, combine sugar and flour; stir in milk until smooth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cook and stir 2 minutes or until thickened and bubbly.
- Remove from heat; stir in butter and matcha. If clumpy, use an immersion blender to get the matcha to fully blend in.
- Bake for 15 minutes -- it will still be jiggly in the middle. Transfer the pie to cool on a wire rack for another 15 minutes, then transfer to the refrigerator until fully cooled & set, another hour or two.
Matcha Custard Pie
Ingredients
- Pastry for single-crust pie 9 inches
- 1 cup of sugar
- ¼ cup of flour
- 2 cups of milk -- whole milk or oat milk
- ½ cup butter cubed -- if dairy-free, use Miyoko's vegan butter
- 2 teaspoons culinary grade matcha
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450F.
- Roll out dough to fit a 9-in. pie plate. Transfer crust to the pie plate and flute the edges. Prick the pie dough with a fork, and then line with aluminum foil, fill with pie weights and bake for 8 minutes. Remove foil and weights; bake 5-7 minutes longer or until light brown. Cool on a wire rack until the pie crust is cool to the touch.
- Reduce oven temperature to 350F.
- While the pie crust is cooling, in a large saucepan, combine sugar and flour; stir in milk until smooth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cook and stir 2 minutes or until thickened and bubbly.
- Remove from heat; stir in butter and matcha. If clumpy, use an immersion blender to get the matcha to fully blend in.
- Bake for 12 minutes -- it will still be jiggly in the middle. Transfer the pie to cool on a wire rack for another 15 minutes, then transfer to the refrigerator until fully cooled & set, another hour or two.