Vanilla Latte Pie
Rich, creamy, and so so dreamy! Vanilla Latte Pie appeals to both coffee and non-coffee lovers alike. A friend who is an avowed “tea only” drinker loves this.
Vanilla Latte
Whether hot or iced, vanilla latte is a very popular order at cafes and coffee houses. It is in the list of top drinks that folks order at Starbucks, clocking in at number 10.
For those who don't know, a latte consists of one shot of espresso (or two if you didn't sleep well the night before), steamed milk, and a layer of frothed milk on top. It is similar to a cappuccino but with more milk so it is creamy and mild.
Extracts and syrups are added to change up the flavor, producing drinks like pumpkin spice latte, chestnut praline latte, gingerbread latte, and of course the quintessential vanilla latte.
The combination of coffee, vanilla, and cream is delicious and not-too-sweet, so why not make it into a pie?
Dairy-Free and Gluten-Free Variations
Vanilla lattes are also made with plant-based milks. How to make this pie dairy-free? Friend, I’m not entirely sure. This is a very dairy-filled pie, after all.
But!
My best guesstimates are:
- Sub in plant-based butter for the dairy butter in the crust.
- Use full fat coconut milk to sub for the whole milk in the custard, but be aware that the custard will not be totally silky smooth (even after straining) once it’s chilled because coconut fat coagulates when cold. There will be tiny bits of coconut fat, but that might not bother you.
- Use non-dairy whipped topping like CocoWhip to sub for the whipped cream.
- To make this gluten-free, sub in GF Oreos (they exist!) in the crust. Also, double check that you have pure cornstarch without added gluten.
If you make a dairy-free or gluten-free version, please be sure to leave a comment and let us know.
Lessons Learned
- All the components can be made a day ahead, if necessary, leaving the assembly of the pie until the day of serving.
- Even though this pie is light and fluffy, it is rich. You can cut it into 10 or even 12 slices rather than the 8 mentioned in the recipe.
- Another delicious pie based on a warm drink? Mexican Hot Chocolate Pie!
Hat Tips
Many thanks to Dough Eyed for the coffee cream pie recipe.
Vanilla Latte Pie
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Chill Time: 2 hours or overnight
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes plus chilling
Ingredients
- 25 Oreo cookies
- 4 Tbsp butter, melted
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup cornstarch
- 2 Tbsp instant espresso powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 cups whole milk
- 4 egg yolks
- 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups heavy cream
- 3 Tbsp powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F/175 C. Make the crust by placing Oreos in a blender or food processor and blitzing until fine crumbs. Pour into a bowl, add the melted butter, and stir until combined into a wet sand-like mixture. Press the mixture into a 9-inch deep dish pie plate evenly on the bottom and sides. Bake for 8 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.
- Make the filling by tipping the sugar, cornstarch, espresso, salt, and milk into a medium saucepan. Whisk together and heat over medium-low heat. Allow the mixture to heat slowly.
- Combine the egg yolks and 2 tablespoons sugar together in a small bowl. Add about ½ cup of the heated milk mixture to the eggs to temper them (to avoid curdling). Pour the egg mixture into the saucepan, whisking constantly. Whisk as the mixture heats and starts to become thick. A spatula dragged across the bottom of the pan should leave a clear trail. It should take about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the vanilla extract.
- Now you have a choice to make. If you like your custard to be absolutely smooth with no lumps, press the custard through a fine mesh strainer into a medium bowl. Any lumps or small bits of cooked egg will be filtered out leaving you with a silky smooth custard. If those things do not bother you, skip straining but instead just transfer to a bowl.
- Cover with plastic wrap, pressing the wrap directly on top of the custard so that no skin forms. Place in the fridge and chill for 2 hours or overnight.
- Whip the heavy cream and powdered sugar together until medium-firm peaks happen. The volume will almost double and the mixture will look billowy with soft tips. It should take 3 to 4 minutes. Don’t overbeat or the cream will split and you will regret everything.
- Remove the custard from the fridge. Break it up with a spatula into smaller blobs. Add a heaping spoon of whipped cream and incorporate it into the custard. You can be slightly aggressive here because you want to loosen things up.
- Now, add about ½ of the whipped cream to the custard and this time fold in gently to avoid deflating the cream. Fold just until the mixture is the color of a vanilla latte. Tip the mixture into the prepared crust and lightly even it out.
- You have another choice to make: serve the pie as is with the whipped cream on the side or plop all the whipped cream on top like I did. It’s up to you.
- If you’re feeling fancy, dust with ground cinnamon, cocoa powder, or chocolate sprinkles just before serving.
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