Egg Custard: 23g Protein

By Annette

Egg Custard: 23g Protein

It’s the dessert that feels like a hug in a ramekin.

Silky smooth, gently sweet, warm from the oven with a cloud of fresh nutmeg. And because it leans on its own eggs and a can of evaporated milk, it hits 23g of protein per serving without a single thing that tastes out of place.

This is the dessert that works double-time as breakfast.

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[PHOTO/DIAGRAM NEEDED: two white ramekins of golden egg custard with freshly grated nutmeg on top, soft natural light, one ramekin cracked open with a spoon, warm and inviting. Free-image search: “baked egg custard ramekins golden nutmeg.” AI prompt: “Two white ceramic ramekins of baked egg custard with fresh nutmeg grated on top, one with a spoon resting in it, warm soft natural light, white surface, classic and comforting food photography, no text.”]

đź“Š The Macros

🥩 PROTEIN: 23g

Calories 290 · Carbs 16g · Fat 16g · Fiber 0g Protein density: 7.9g protein per 100 calories Serves 3 · about 45 min (including bake time) · serves warm or chilled

Dessert with 23g of protein per serving is not a compromise. It’s a strategy.

Traditional egg custard sits around 7g of protein per serving. Six eggs, a can of evaporated milk, and a 3-ramekin portion push each one to 23g, all from the custard’s own ingredients.

🍳 The Recipe

Egg Custard. Serves 3. Baked in a water bath for that perfectly silky set.

The water bath is the secret to custard that’s smooth all the way through rather than rubbery at the edges. It’s worth the one extra step.

Ingredients

  • 6 large eggs (the custard’s own protein; 36g total)
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • One 12 oz can evaporated milk (the quiet protein lift; ~26g protein)
  • â…” cup Splenda or sweetener of choice
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • Freshly grated nutmeg, generous

Method

  1. Heat oven to 325°F. Place 3 ramekins in a large roasting pan and set aside.
  2. In a blender, combine the eggs, whole milk, evaporated milk, Splenda, and vanilla. Pulse 3 to 4 times until everything is combined and silky.
  3. Pour evenly into the 3 ramekins. Grate a generous amount of fresh nutmeg over each one.
  4. Pour hot water into the roasting pan until it reaches halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
  5. Bake 35 to 45 minutes, until the custard is set at the edges but still has a slight jiggle in the center.
  6. Remove from the water bath carefully and cool on a towel. Serve warm or refrigerate and serve chilled.

Make-ahead: these keep beautifully refrigerated for 4 days. The flavor deepens overnight.

[GIF PLACEHOLDER: slow close-up of a spoon breaking through the silky surface of a golden baked custard, creamy and inviting]

Making these for the first time? Reply and let me know if you served them warm or waited for them to chill. I never wait.

🔄 The Swap

Use 6 eggs instead of the usual 4, and divide the custard into 3 generous ramekins instead of 4.

Eggs are the custard’s own protein, so leaning on them keeps it exactly what it is: silky, eggy, comforting. The two extra eggs add 12 grams of protein and a slightly firmer, more satisfying set.

The evaporated milk quietly carries another 26 grams across the batch, and the 3-ramekin portion (instead of 4) is what lands every serving at an honest 23 grams. No protein powder, nothing added that doesn’t belong in a custard.

🔬 The Science

Why does egg custard, of all things, make such a strong protein vehicle?

Eggs are one of the most complete proteins you can eat. Egg protein contains all nine essential amino acids in proportions close to what the human body needs. The leucine content in particular is important for triggering muscle protein synthesis.

Evaporated milk is concentrated dairy protein. Simmering milk down to evaporated milk roughly doubles its protein per cup, so a single can quietly carries the custard most of the way to its number. Paired with the eggs, it’s a complete, slow-digesting protein that keeps you satisfied for hours.

Custard is a surprisingly ideal delivery vehicle. The texture is gentle, the flavor is comforting, and it’s satisfying in smaller portions than most desserts. For anyone managing blood sugar or working on protein goals, custard with real protein hits that sweet spot.

Most desserts add calories without contributing anything useful. This one adds 23g of protein. Same pleasure, completely different outcome.

[QUOTABLE]

đź’ˇ The Takeaway

Silky, warm, lightly sweet, and 23g of protein in every ramekin.

Make three on Sunday and you have dessert for the week that also functions as a protein-forward breakfast. Try doing that with cheesecake.

Send this to someone who wants something sweet in the evenings but is trying to eat more protein. This is the answer she didn’t know existed.

Want a full week of meals and desserts hitting 120g of protein per day?

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Written by Annette. Real food, honest macros, not medical advice.

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