Galatopita - Greek Milk Pie - Souvlaki For The Soul

Jump to Recipe

Learn how to make this traditional galatopita recipe - a Greek milk pie made with milk and semolina. It's creamy, dreamy and just plain delightful.

a slice of custard pie served on a grey plate

CONTENTS

What is galatopita?
Why this recipe works
What goes into this recipe
How to make this recipe
Expert Tips
FAQ'S
Related Recipes
Video - how to make it
📋 Recipe

What is galatopita?

Literally translated, galatopita is a milk pie. The word derives from two Greek words (gala=milk and pita=pie). It uses milk as the main ingredient to essentially make a simple custard. For simplicity, let's call it a Greek custard tart.

Why this recipe works

You won't be able to say "no". Galatopita is one of the most "irresistible" Greek recipes prepared in Greek cuisine - it's a creamy sensation in every bite!
It uses semolina. It's a milk-based dessert and, like many Greek desserts, uses semolina flour to make a custard. You can also make galatopita with phyllo pastry or phyllo sheets, but I'm opting for a version of galatopita made without phyllo.
It's a lot easier than galaktoboureko. This traditional recipe shares similarities with galaktoboureko — a Greek custard pie encased in phyllo and drenched in sugar syrup. There is often debate about which one is better! I'm neutral on that one! Let's leave the galaktoboureko vs galatopita argument for another day.
It's great for celebrations. If you have a special occasion coming up, this traditional custard pie would be perfect!

Related: If you like creamy desserts make my rizogalo - it's a showstopper!

What goes into this recipe

Here's a list of the simple ingredients needed to make galatopita.

grey table with ingredients to make galatopita.

Milk. Use whole milk. It makes the galatopita creamy. You can use low-fat milk - but why do that? This is dessert!
Semolina. Semolina is a common ingredient in Greek desserts. For this recipe, I have used fine semolina, as opposed to coarse semolina.
Corn Flour (Corn Starch) - this helps to thicken our milk pie.
Eggs. I use medium-sized eggs weighing 60g each. (make sure they are room temperature). Using eggs helps to thicken the custard and make the galatopita smooth and rich.
Vanilla Extract. You can also use vanilla paste if you prefer. Vanilla is a classic ingredient in baking and helps provide a lovely depth of flavour.
Lemon Zest. The lemon gives the galatopita a delicious freshness and aroma. Please don't skip it!
Sugar. I use caster or superfine white sugar, but granulated sugar works just as well.
Butter. As we are essentially making a baked custard - the butter adds richness and depth. I use unsalted butter in my baking.
Powdered Sugar & Ground Cinnamon (not pictured) - are used for dusting the milk pie.

How to make this recipe

a collage of steps 1-4 for preparing galatopita.

Step 1: Preheat your oven 180 deg C and prepare a 27 cm round shallow baking dish. Rub liberally with butter and sprinkle a few tablespoons of semolina flour to coat the base and sides of the dish.
Step 2: In a large bowl, combine the semolina, corn flour, eggs, lemon zest and vanilla. Whisk thoroughly to combine and set aside.
Step 3: In a large pot, heat the milk and sugar on medium heat. Be careful not to let the milk boil rapidly — allow it to come to a gentle simmer.

🥛 TOP TIP - Be sure not to let the milk boil - hot milk will cause our eggs to scramble! Watch it carefully!

Step 4: Slowly add one ladle of the milk to the semolina mixture and whisk until well combined. Repeat this step 2 more times.

a collage of steps 5-8 for preparing galatopita.

Step 5: Pour the tempered mixture back into the milk. Stir and allow the custard mixture to thicken (this can take up to 5 mins), add the butter and whisk again. Pour the creamy custard into the prepared baking dish.
Step 6: Combine the egg, sugar, and milk in a ramekin and whisk well for the topping.
Step 7: Pour over the galatopita and brush, ensuring it covers the whole pie.
Step 8: Bake in the oven for 45-50 mins. The galatopita is ready when it is puffed, golden brown and a skewer comes out clean. Allow the pie to rest and cool completely before serving. When serving, it's best to top each slice with a sprinkling of ground cinnamon and powdered sugar and serve with Greek coffee.

Expert Tips

If you don't have the same baking dish use a 25 cm x 35 cm baking dish instead. It will produce a taller galatopita — please adjust the baking time accordingly.
Tempering the milk — I cannot stress enough not to boil your milk. To temper the eggs, we need it to be simmering. Otherwise, you will end up with scrambled eggs!
The topping creates a sort of caramel on top of the galatopita. You may find that it goes darker in certain places during cooking. Just place a piece of aluminium foil over that part.
Storing - store in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. I do not recommend freezing the milk pie.

FAQ'S

Can I use brown sugar to make galatopita?

Yes, you can. Just note that this may change the pie's texture slightly, and it will be slightly darker.

2 slices of galatopita served on plates with a baking dish ion the side

If you like Greek desserts, I have a selection of recipes on Souvlaki For The Soul. You may wish to check these out:

Video - how to make it

If you've made this galatopita or any other recipe on the blog - don't forget to rate it and leave a comment below. You can also follow the blog on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest OR sign up to the Newsletter for the latest delicious recipes.

📋 Recipe

This post was originally published in July 2020, but was republished with additional information in November 2021.

Galatopita - Greek Milk Pie