Kitchen rescueEggs and dairyUsually saveable

How to fix curdled custard

Take it off the heat straight away, pour it into a cold bowl and whisk hard or blend it with a stick blender, then push it through a sieve. This rescues lightly curdled custard, but custard that has fully scrambled won't go smooth again.

How you can tell

  • Small lumps or grains in the custard
  • It looks thin and watery around bits of cooked egg
  • It smells slightly eggy

Why it happens

Proper custard, or crème anglaise, is thickened by egg yolks. As the yolks heat, their proteins slowly set and thicken the milk or cream. If the custard gets too hot, the proteins coagulate too much and tighten into small lumps, which is curdling. This happens quickly, so a custard that is heated too fast or not stirred enough can go from smooth to curdled in moments.

How to fix it

Option 1Cool it and whisk

  1. Take the pan off the heat straight away
  2. Pour the custard into a cold bowl to stop it cooking
  3. Whisk hard, or blend with a stick blender until smooth

Option 2Strain it

  1. Push the custard through a fine sieve to remove the cooked bits
  2. If it's now too thin, warm it very gently with a little cornflour mixed with cold milk, stirring until it thickens

Option 3Use it another way

  1. If it's badly scrambled, start again with fresh yolks and milk

Next time

  • Cook custard over a low heat, or in a bowl set over simmering water
  • Stir constantly, scraping the bottom and sides of the pan
  • Take it off the heat as soon as it coats the back of a spoon
  • Add a little cornflour to the yolks, which makes the custard less likely to curdle

Terms on this page

General kitchen guidance, not food-safety advice. If food may be unsafe, for example undercooked meat or anything left out too long, follow the Food Standards Agency and throw it away if in doubt.