Custard sauce (orange creme anglaise) is a smooth, creamy, velvety sauce perfect for drizzling over all your fall desserts. Made with simple ingredients you will have in your fridge and pantry, this easy dessert sauce will elevate any holiday dessert table.
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I always like to take inspiration from fresh seasonal produce for my recipes. This simple custard sauce recipe is a seasonal variation of my creme anglaise (vanilla custard sauce).
My favorite way to enjoy it drizzled over my holiday spiced mini bundt cakes or my easy pound cake recipe. Nevertheless, the sky is the limit when pairing this elegant sauce with desserts and breakfast recipes like French toast or crepes.
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Why you'll love this recipe
- Make-ahead recipe: This custard sauce is the perfect make-ahead dessert for the holidays. See FAQs at the bottom of the post for complete storage instructions.
- Luscious flavor and texture: This orange dessert delivers on all fronts. It's creamy, silky, and slightly tangy from the fresh orange juice and zest.
- There are many pairing options: I love homemade custard sauces for their versatility. Want to keep it simple? Serve it warm with poached fruit. Or, for a more decadent dessert, add it to my bread pudding recipe with praline sauce instead of the praline. On the other hand, if you're looking for a chilled version, use it as part of a trifle or mini fruit parfaits.
Ingredient notes
- Milk & Cream: Full-fat milk and cream create the base for this luscious dessert.
- Orange juice: I like to use freshly squeezed orange juice for this recipe. I strain it and remove the pulp to ensure a smooth custard.
- Orange zest: Adding some orange zest enhances the taste and aroma of the custard sauce.
- Eggs: The egg yolks help thicken the custard. Make sure to separate the whites properly, as they will make the custard too stiff.
- Sugar: This will add flavor and help achieve a silky consistency for the custard.
- Salt: A pinch of salt helps balance the flavor of the custard.
- Vanilla bean paste: I like to use vanilla bean paste in my desserts where possible as it's cheaper than vanilla beans, has actual vanilla bean specks, and tastes less artificial than extract.
Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the complete list of ingredients, measurements, and recipe instructions.
Substitutions & variations
- Add holiday spices to the sauce: Add whole spices like cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and star anise when you boil the milk and cream. Simmer for 5-10 minutes to let the spices infuse the liquids, and then strain and continue with the rest of the recipe as instructed.
- Use vanilla extract: Add one teaspoon of vanilla extract for every teaspoon of vanilla bean paste. However, always add the extract at the end of the cooking process for maximum fragrance.
- Make it a different flavor: Experiment with flavors like lemon, strawberry, and chocolate for your custard sauce. For complete instructions, refer to the section labeled 'how to make different custard flavors' below.
Step-by-step instructions
Step 1: Add the orange juice and zest to a cooking pot and boil.
Step 2: Cook the juice until you have a half cup of concentrated reduction.
Step 3: Add the milk, cream, vanilla bean paste, and salt to the juice and cook.
Step 4: Cook until the liquids start to foam at the surface. Just short of them reaching a boil.
Step 5: Whisk the egg yolks and sugar into a dense mixture and slowly add it to the liquid mixture, whisking constantly to incorporate.
Step 6: Turn the heat low and stir until the custard sauce thickens. This can take up to 20 minutes. Turn off the stove as soon as the custard coats your spoon.
How to make different custard flavors
- Lemon custard: To make a lemon version of this custard, add one tablespoon of fresh lemon juice and one teaspoon of lemon zest at step 3 of the cooking process in the step-by-step instructions above. Continue to cook the custard as directed in the recipe.
- Strawberry custard: For a strawberry custard, take one cup of strawberries, pluck the stems off, wash, and puree. Cook the puree in a small saucepan on medium heat for 20 minutes, cool, and strain. Add this strained mixture instead of the orange juice reduction and follow all the remaining steps as directed in the recipe card below.
- Chocolate custard: Prepare a custard using my creme anglaise recipe. Once the custard has thickened, turn the stove off and add half a cup of chopped bittersweet cooking chocolate. Stir until completely melted, and then serve.
Expert tips
- Zesting an orange: I highly recommend a microplane zester or a 4-sided box grater. To grate, rub your orange up and down against the zester or the finest side of the cheese grater until you have the desired amount of zest. Avoid the white pith, as it can make your custard bitter.
- Separating the eggs: To separate eggs, start with two clean bowls to catch the white and yolk. Crack the egg on a flat surface, gently break it in half, and let the white pour into the first bowl. Move the yolk back and forth between the two halves of the shell until you've collected all the white. Place the yolk in the second bowl and repeat this process until all your eggs have been separated.
- Fixing a runny custard: Make a slurry with one tablespoon of cornstarch and ¼ cup of milk and whisk it into the warm custard to thicken.
- A custard that's too thick: Gradually add more milk, a little at a time, starting with a ¼ cup, and whisk the custard sauce mixture to thin it out.
Recipe FAQS
The eggs can scramble if you add them in all at once to an overheated milk mixture. To fix this, use an immersion blender to smooth out the clumps and then strain in a fine mesh sieve to recreate a silky texture.
The custard should be at room temperature before you refrigerate it. Please place it in an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 5 days maximum. Freezing the custard is not usually a good idea, as it loses its texture when defrosted.
Chilled custard can be reheated on the stove at low heat. Stir intermittently to preserve the texture, and don't overheat it.
Other dessert sauces you may like
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Custard Sauce (Orange Creme Anglaise)
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Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup orange juice (see notes)
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 1 ½ cups milk (see notes)
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste (see notes)
- 4 egg yolks (see notes)
- ¾ cup sugar
Instructions
- Add the orange juice and zest to a pot and cook on high until you have a ½ cup reduction.
- Add the milk, cream, salt, and vanilla bean paste to this, and cook until you see foam on top, and turn off the stove at this time. (see notes)
- Whisk the egg yolks and combine them with the sugar.
- Add the egg mixture to the hot liquid mixture gradually until fully combined.
- Turn the heat back to low and keep stirring until the custard thickens, about 20 minutes. (see notes)
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