This article is about the dessert. For the Led Zeppelin song, see Custard Pie (song).

A custard pie is a pie crust filled with a soft filling, usually some form of custard, whipped cream, or meringue. Sometimes shaving foam is used. It is not usually used as an actual dessert anymore, although it does exist; its usual use is as a prop for farces. These may be stage, movie and television, or fund-raising events. In some cases it may be filled with shaving cream instead of an edible substance.

At a fund raiser, a custard pie event usually involves some well-known figure, generally a person either in a position of authority or fame, who is intended as the "victim". People attending the event pay for or bid on the opportunity to smoosh the volunteer victim in the face with a custard pie; throwing is generally not allowed anymore as the impact can cause injury, and the smoosh is usually in slow-motion and applied without great pressure. Although this takes the element of chance out of the event, it allows the opportunity to smear pie more thouroughly in the victim's face and potentially through their hair. This is a popular fund-raising event with military and businesses.

One additional option is allowing the person who has purchased/won the opportunity to use the pie to also fill it, usually with a variety of extremely messy dessert toppings: chocolate, cherries, caramel sauce, strawberry sauce, etc. Plastic bags for the victim to protect their clothing are optional. Witnesses standing too close to the victim may be splattered.

As an element of farce the general idea is the same, a pie gets smooshed in someone's face, except that the victim is normally displayed by the plot as being unsuspecting. A supermarket chain in Britain became so concerned by the amateur use of the custard pie that it hired a hall and invited employees to test its custard pies out as a source of amusement rather than appetite. (link to article)

Sometimes, the filling is simply piled onto a paper plate.

See also

• Slapstick