Hot English Custard Over Frozen Berries is an easy, comforting dessert. Fresh berries are frozen then hot English custard is poured over them to slowly defrost for a most enjoyable treat.

Frozen blueberries, strawberries and raspberries in a glass bowl with custard sauce being poured over

A simple, yet delicious dessert that is a great use of seasonal berries. Easy enough for a family meal dessert and elegant enough to serve at a dinner party. I may have had this for breakfast once or twice too.

The texture and flavor sensation is one to behold. A spoonful of hot, creamy custard with a frozen berry is just so good. The custard helping defrost the berry in your mouth for a creamy, sweet bite.

A closeup of berries in a bowl with creamy custard

This recipe was originally posted in 2014 but I freshened up the pictures and added a video.

Growing up, the best thing my mother made for dessert was English custard. I had to have it so piping hot that I could barely eat it.  I don’t know why, it just tasted better to me.

This lovely berry dessert is quite easy to make. Sweet, fresh berries are frozen for 1 hour while you make the custard. You can prepare both of these a day ahead.

Why not by pre-frozen berries?

Fresh berries frozen for 1 hour v’s berries that have been sitting in the freezer for months are not the same. The already frozen berries are too hard and have lost their shape, whereas the short time the fresh ones are in the freezer, they still look pretty and are not as hard and defrost when they have the hot sauce poured over.

A side view of a glass bowl with fruit and custard

What berries are best?

I used raspberries (they taste so good with the custard), blueberries and strawberries. You will need to cut the strawberries to bite-size pieces. 

This dish doesn’t have to be just a summer dessert,  this would be perfect other times of the year with other seasonal fruits and don’t necessarily need to be frozen. What is better than piping hot custard on a chilly winter evening over a warm fruit compote?

This is not a thick custard, is more of a custard sauce which is perfect for pouring the same way I serve Rhubarb and Custard. If you like a thicker custard like in my Berry Custard Tart or Spring Orange Custard that is also a delicious option.

Yield: 4

Hot English Custard Over Frozen Berries

Frozen raspberries, blueberries and strawberries in a glass bowl with custard being poured over

Fresh berries are frozen then hot English custard is poured over them to slowly defrost for a most enjoyable treat.

Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • ½ pound (236 grams) fresh raspberries
  • ½ pound (236 grams) fresh blueberries
  • ½ pound (236 grams) fresh strawberries, cut into bite-size pieces
  • 2 ¼ cups (532 ml) whole milk
  • ½ cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
  • 2 large egg yolks, room temperature
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • ¼ cup (40 grams) cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Place the berries on a baking sheet in an even layer. Freeze for 1 hour.
  2. To a medium saucepan, add the milk and  sugar over medium heat, bring to a simmer.
  3. While the milk is coming to a simmer, add the eggs to a large mixing bowl. Whisk in the cornstarch until smooth. Slowly drizzle while whisking ⅓ cup of the hot milk into the egg mixture. This will temper the eggs and stop them from curdling or cooking. Add the egg mix to the pan while whisking until thickened. Once the custard has thickened, remove from the heat. If it is too thick, whisk in more milk until it reaches a sauce consistency.  
  4. Stir in the vanilla and mix until well incorporated. If the custard is a little lumpy, just strain through a sieve. 
  5. Serve berries in a bowl and pour over the hot custard. Serve immediately.

Nutrition Information

Yield

4

Serving Size

6 ounces

Amount Per Serving Calories 361Total Fat 10gSaturated Fat 4gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 5gCholesterol 199mgSodium 117mgCarbohydrates 59gFiber 6gSugar 43gProtein 11g

Berry Custard Tart

Colorful fruit on top of a custard tart