Fruit Custard Recipe

Fruit custard is a quick, comforting dessert made by folding fresh fruits into a smooth vanilla custard sauce. It’s a popular Indian dessert for parties and everyday treats — creamy, versatile and kid-friendly. This page gives an easy stovetop custard method (using custard powder or cornstarch), quick assembly tips, and tasty variations — including a rich mango custard and an ultra-creamy version — so you can make perfect fruit custard every time.

Our Other Recipe

Ingredients

Use the quantities below for a straightforward, tested family portion (scale up as needed):

Milk: 2½ cups (whole milk recommended for creaminess).
Sugar: 5 tablespoons (adjust to taste).
Custard powder: 3 tablespoons — OR substitute 3 tbsp cornstarch + 1 tsp vanilla extract if you don’t have custard powder. (Make a slurry with a little warm milk first.)
Warm milk for slurry: 3 tablespoons (to make the custard powder slurry).
Mixed fruits (chopped): 1½–2 cups — examples: apples, banana, mango, papaya, strawberries, pomegranate arils. (Avoid citrus fruits, pineapple and melons when using dairy custard.)
Optional garnishes: chopped nuts (cashews, almonds, pistachios), raisins, a sprinkle of cardamom powder, or a little grated mango for mango custard.

Benefits

Quick & Crowd-Pleasing Dessert

Ready in ~30 minutes (including cooling), fruit custard is easy to scale for parties and potlucks.

Nutritious When Made With Fresh Fruit

You get dairy protein plus vitamins and fibre from fruits; using seasonal fruit keeps the sugar content and flavour balanced.

Flexible For Dietary Needs

Make it vegan by using almond/soy milk and jaggery or plant-based sweetener; swap custard powder with cornstarch + vanilla.

Process

Making The Custard Sauce

Warm 2½ cups milk in a heavy-bottomed pan until it gently simmers.
In a small bowl, mix 3 tbsp custard powder with 3 tbsp warm milk to make a smooth lump-free slurry. (If you’re using cornstarch, mix 3 tbsp cornstarch with 3 tbsp warm milk and 1 tsp vanilla.)
Add sugar to the hot milk and stir until dissolved; keep heat low. Gradually whisk the custard slurry into the warm milk in a slow stream, whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Cook on low for about 5–6 minutes, stirring frequently, until the custard thickens. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature (or chill).

Assembling Fruit Custard

Chop fruits into bite-sized pieces. Once the custard is cooled (room temp or chilled), fold in the fruits gently. Garnish with pomegranate arils or chopped nuts and serve immediately — if you refrigerate, add fruits just before serving to avoid dilution from juices.

Storage & Serving Notes

Custard can be refrigerated; add fruits just before serving because fruits release juices and can thin the custard over time. Best eaten fresh after assembly.

Creamy Fruit Custard Recipe

How To Make It Extra-Creamy (Tips)

Use full-fat milk or substitute up to ¼ cup of the milk with full-fat cream (add near the end) for a richer mouthfeel. Whole milk is what the tested recipe uses.

Custard Powder Vs Cornstarch (Which To Use)

Custard powder (ready flavoured) is convenient and produces classic flavour.
Cornstarch + vanilla is the neutral alternative and useful if you don’t want extra colouring/flavour from boxed powders. Both are supported methods in recipe sources.

Texture Control (Thick Vs Loose)

Cook a minute or two longer for thicker custard; remember it thickens further as it cools. If it becomes too thick, whisk in a little warm milk. If too thin, make a small extra slurry and cook briefly to thicken.

Mango Fruit Custard Recipe

Two Ways To Make Mango Custard

Mixed fruit custard with mango pieces — fold in chopped ripe mango just before serving.
Mango-flavoured custard — add ¼–½ cup mango puree to the cooled custard and gently mix for a uniform mango custard (reduce added sugar slightly if mango is very sweet). Both approaches are common variants.

Best Mangoes & Puree Tips

Use ripe, aromatic mangoes (Alphonso / Kesar / local ripe varieties) for best flavour. For puree, blitz peeled mango flesh and strain if you prefer silky texture. Add puree only after custard cools to avoid splitting.

Serving Ideas (Mango Custard)

Serve chilled in glasses, topped with diced mango and toasted coconut flakes or chopped pistachios. A scoop of vanilla ice-cream on the side makes a rich dessert.

Timing & Assembly Guidance

Many pages list ingredients and steps but don’t emphasize when to add fruits or how to manage cooling — the key tip: cool custard before adding fruit to avoid fruit juice dilution and curdling. Mentioning which fruits are incompatible with milk (citrus, pineapple, melon) and why helps readers avoid indigestion issues.

Vegan/Plant-Milk Options & Jaggery Tip

Provide a clear vegan variant using almond/soy milk and jaggery (add jaggery when custard is warm if using plant milk — with dairy jaggery can curdle, so add carefully). This practical note is useful and often missing.

Troubleshooting Checklist (Quick Fixes)

Lumpy custard: whisk vigorously and strain; next time make smoother slurry and add slowly.
Too runny: cook a little longer or add a small slurry and re-cook.
Fruits releasing juice: add fruits only before serving.