This easy Pastry Cream (Creme Patissiere) recipe is simple and delicious. A rich and creamy vanilla custard you can use in a variety of decadent desserts.
Pastry cream is one of those recipes that you’ll want to have in your repertoire. It’s super easy to make and very versatile.
Today, I’m going to walk you through the process using the recipe I learned in Pastry School. I’ve been using it ever since as a filling for various desserts like this Banana Pudding Cake….
…and these Vanilla Custard Cookie Cups.
What is Pastry Cream?
Pastry cream, also known as creme patissiere, is a thickened vanilla custard made with eggs, milk, sugar, cornstarch (or flour), and vanilla.
It is used to fill desserts like cream puffs, eclairs, donuts, tarts, and cakes. It is also often used as a cake filling, specifically for the Boston Cream Pie.
You can eat it straight up, like a pudding, but one of my favorite ways to use it is in a Diplomat Cream. It’s a lightened-up version where equal parts of pastry cream and whipped cream are folded together.
How to Make Pastry Cream (Creme Patissiere)
I’m going to walk you through step-by-step on how to make creme patissiere yourself at home. It only takes a few simple ingredients, about 20 minutes, and some patience while it cools and sets.
I use egg yolks in my recipe (vs whole eggs) and today I used vanilla extract instead of vanilla bean paste which is what I usually use. You can also use a whole vanilla bean pod sliced in half which will get strained out at the end.
Let’s get to it!
Step #1 – Simmer the Milk & Vanilla
Place 1 1/2 cups milk and the vanilla (or vanilla bean paste) into a medium saucepan. Cook over high heat, stirring constantly until it just starts to simmer. Remove from heat.
Step #2 – Whisk Remaining Ingredients
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk the remaining milk, egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch. Make sure the cornstarch is completely dissolved.
Step #3 – Temper the Egg Mixture
While whisking the egg mixture vigorously, slowly pour in the hot milk – in a thin, steady stream. Whisk constantly and quickly until all of the milk is incorporated. Pour slowly, whisk quickly.
Liv for Cake Tip!
Tempering is a process where you slowly introduce a hot liquid into something cold. In this case, the eggs. Slowly adding the hot milk while whisking quickly will prevent the eggs from cooking. If you were to pour it all in at once you’d end up with a scrambled mess.
Step #4 – Return to Heat & Boil
Return the mixture to the pot and cook over high heat, whisking constantly, until it thickens and comes to a boil.
Step #5 – Strain & Cover
Strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve to remove any cooked bits of egg and to ensure it is completely smooth. This is also where you’d strain out the vanilla pod if you used one.
Place plastic wrap directly on top of the custard to prevent a skin from forming.
Step #6 – Chill
Cool to room temperature and then place in the refrigerator for a couple of hours to set. The pastry cream will have thickened and look curdled with you try to stir it.
Rewhip by hand for a perfectly smooth and silky custard.
How to Store Pastry Cream
Pastry cream is perishable and needs to be refrigerated. It does not keep for a long time. You can store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
Unfortunately, creme patissiere does not freeze well. The starch will break down during freezing/thawing and the custard will separate.
If you absolutely must freeze it, you can try restoring it to its former glory by using this method. I haven’t tried it myself, but I would give it a go!
Flavor Variations
One of my favorite versions of this custard is the coconut one I did for this Raffaello Cake by using canned (liquid) coconut milk instead of regular milk.
You’ll be eating that straight up with a spoon for SURE.
You can experiment with other milk alternatives as well, though I suspect they won’t have as much of a flavor impact as the coconut.
You can also infuse the milk with various flavors during step #1. Do this by adding tea bags or leaves to the milk, or herbs like lavender and thyme to the milk.
You can strain them out before tempering the hot milk into the eggs, or at the very end when you’re straining the custard.
I would recommend straining them out after step #1 though for ease as the custard will be thick and you’ll need to press it through the strainer.
Instant coffee or espresso powder would be a delicious addition too, or cocoa powder for a chocolate version!
You can also add liqueur to it — whisk it in right at the end (or before the final boil if you want to burn some of the alcohol off).
If you’ve never tried making your own pastry cream, I hope you give it a go. It’s a simple and delicious way to elevate your desserts to another level.
The flavor variations and uses are seemingly endless. Be sure to let me know in the comments if you try it!
Tips for making Pastry Cream
- Don’t boil your milk, just bring it barely to a simmer.
- Ensure the cornstarch is completely dissolved and incorporated into the egg mixture.
- Whisk quickly and pour slowly when tempering the egg mixture with the hot milk to prevent cooking the eggs.
- Be sure to bring the mixture back to a boil, while whisking the whole time.
- Strain the pastry cream to ensure it is completely smooth.
- Once chilled, it will be somewhat gelatinous – rewhip by hand until smooth and creamy.
- Refrigerate for up to one week. Do not freeze.
Pastry Cream (Creme Patissiere)
Ingredients
Pastry Cream (Creme Patissiere):
- 2 cups milk divided
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- 1/4 cup cornstartch
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large egg yolks
Instructions
Pastry Cream (Creme Patissiere):
- Place 1 1/2 cups milk and the vanilla into a medium saucepan. Cook over high heat, stirring often until it just starts to simmer. Remove from heat.
- In a medium bowl, whisk remaining 1/2 cup milk, egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch.
- While whisking vigorously, slowly pour the hot milk into the egg mixture.
- Return mixture to saucepan and cook over high heat, whisking constantly, until it thickens and comes to a boil.
- Pass through a strainer and into a bowl. Place plastic wrap directly on top of custard to prevent a skin from forming.
- Cool to room temperature then place in the refrigerator for a couple of hours to set. Whip before use.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. Do not freeze.
This post was originally published Feb 7th, 2020 and has been updated with new content on Jan 27th, 2023.
Grace Calabrese says
Excellent! Easy and Delicious!
Olivia says
Thanks so much Grace!
Tisa says
I want to try your recipe. It looks yummy. But can I skip the egg?
Olivia says
Hi Tisa! No, the eggs are a critical component of this recipe.
Jen says
My Mother made this custard for her trifles, everyone loved her trifles.
This was her “secret recipe” she told us when we were young.
She did pass on this recipe to me, but unfortunatley I lost it & wasnt sure of all the ingredients until seeing this recipe. Thankyou so much.
Olivia says
Hi Jen! I’m so happy you were able to find a recipe that is reminiscent of your moms. I hope you love it 🙂
Pat says
Hi Liv! I love your blog and every recipe from your page has been a success so far. You make an amateur baker like me look like a professional! Can you please tell me how to modify this recipe to make almond cream filling(preferably with extract and not liquor)?
Olivia says
Hi Pat! Thank you! All you need to do is replace the vanilla with almond extract. Or just add almond extract with the vanilla (I like to do that). Almond extract is very strong though, and a little goes a long way. I would start with 1/4 tsp (at most, maybe less). Once the pastry cream is done you can taste it and add more if you like.
Kirsten A. says
Made the custard for my cream puff the other day and it was BEAUTIFUL! Wanted to ask how much of instant coffee or coco powder should one add to the batch to change flavoring?
Olivia says
Hi Kristen! So glad you loved it! 🙂 For the coffee I would add about 1 Tbsp of instant espresso to the hot milk mixture. For the chocolate, I’d have to experiment a bit but I’d probably do some combo of cocoa powder and melted chocolate. You could try it with 1/4 cup cocoa powder with the hot milk mixture and add some melted chocolate (or finely chopped chocolate) at the very end when bringing it back to a boil if you feel like it needs a bit more. Let me know what you try!
Zhanna says
Hi can I substitute milk with plant based milk? I tried it before it was off
Olivia says
Hi Zhanna! Yes, that will be fine, I talk about that a bit in my post. What kind did you try and how was it off?
Daniela says
Do you think substituting flavored yogurt (kefir) as the milk make a difference flavor wise for like Betty like pastry creams?
Olivia says
Hi Daniela! It will make a difference in flavour for sure, but if you like the slight tang it will be fine 🙂
Mariana says
Hi! I’ve got a question… why does mine taste too eggy? I followed the recipe to a T and the egg didn’t cook (I didn’t found any egg bits in it) so… any tips?
Olivia says
Hi Mariana! You can try adding more vanilla or sugar if you find it to taste too eggy.
Jaimie says
Used up some yolks from vanilla SMBC. Mixed with lemon curd to make a creamy lemon filling for Liv’s vanilla cake. So good!
Olivia says
Hi Jaimie! Omg I love this idea. I’m going to have to try to mix the two. Delicious!
Darina Panicharova says
Is this recipe good for pastries which are filled with cream and then baked?
Olivia says
Hi Darina! I’ve actually never tried that so I can’t say for sure… I worry it would change the texture of the pastry cream or dry it out.
Lubna says
Is it alright if I use a keto sweetner (lakanto golden) as a substitute for the sugar? Would it affect the thickness of the cream? Also, is it okay to use 1-2% milk because I’ve seen most pastry cream recipes and they usually require heavy cream. Thank you!
Olivia says
Hi Lubna! I’ve never tried the alternative sweetner, so I can’t say for sure, but my gut says it should be ok since it’s the eggs and cornstarch that controls the thickness. And yes, I use 2% milk! 🙂
Becky Buskey says
I made the cream for cream puff. It is so good, the flavour is amazing. I used half almond milk, half regular. Thank you!
Olivia says
Hi Becky! Thanks so much for the feedback, I’m glad you loved it 🙂
Terry says
If I double the recipe should I double the cornstarch also, 1/2 cup instead of 1/4? Wondering if doubling would make it too pasty?
Olivia says
Hi Terry! Yes, I would double everything.
Faith says
Thank you so much for this. The chocolate version which stage do I add cocoa powder or, espresso
Olivia says
Hi Faith! I would add it to the cornstarch mixture. You could also add melted chocolate right at the end before straining 🙂
Annie says
Hello! I used your pastry cream recipe to make profiteroles and it was amazing! I’m not a good cook and It was my first time making it but it was surprisingly easy.
Thank you for a wonderful recipe. Now I need to find other desserts which use pastry cream.
Olivia says
Hi Annie! I’m so happy you liked it and found it easy 🙂
Jacquie says
Looks so good! I’m just curious if this is what would be used as the filling for a fruit tart? Or is that different? Thank you!
Olivia says
Hi Jacquie! Yes! There are a variety of fillings you can use but I believe pastry cream is the traditional one.
Iris says
I just discovered your website and I love it! I will be baking many cakes this year, that’s for sure. I was wondering if you could do a champagne/white chocolate cake sometime?
Olivia says
Hi Iris! I have one of each of those, or did you mean a combo of both? 🙂 https://livforcake.com/pink-champagne-cake/, https://livforcake.com/white-chocolate-cake/
Debbie Chapman says
What a beautiful, smoot silky looking custard. I usually make a creme patisserie that contains a little flour. It can’t curdle and it DOES freeze well. Liv’s cream here would be wonderful mixed with all kinds of things: curd or a gelatin- thickened fruit purée come to mind — and how beautiful it would be in a cake lined or ladyfingers lined pan. I feel inspired.
Olivia says
Hi Debbie! Interesting about the flour version being freezable — I’m going to have to try that! It would be very handy. Thank you for your sweet comment <3
Sasanna Samarin says
Hi there! This looks delicious! I was curious when i would add the cocoa powder for a chocolate version. Sorry if this is a dumb question or if i somehow missed it in your article. I’m new to baking. Thank you so much.
Olivia says
Hi Sasanna! Not a dumb question, I should elaborate in my post! I would heat the cocoa powder with the milk right at the beginning — to make sure it dissolves properly 🙂
Sue says
Going to make some today! Thanks for responding. ♥️
Olivia says
Yay! I hope you love it 🙂
Erin says
I love making homemade pastry cream; it tastes SO good! Love the silky smooth texture. I could easily throw this in a bowl and eat it as is and call it a favorite dessert! I most often use it in trifles and as cake fillings, but it’s so versatile, you can do so much with it. One of my personal favourite things to do with pastry creme is ladle it over vanilla ice cream. Yes, items essentially custard on custard, but it really does taste amazing! A few flavour options I’ve seen/used for pastry cream are: stirring finely chopped chocolate into the warm cream after it’s been strained to create chocolate pastry cream, doing the same thing but with caramel sauce instead of chopped chocolate, and making a coconut using coconut milk in place of milk and adding coconut extract and shredded coconut.
Olivia says
I love the coconut version the best!! SO good with coconut milk. Love your tips for other flavours, I need to try those — the caramel! And I need to try it over ice cream… mind blown 😮
Chloe says
Hi! I am a preteen baker (11 years old) and I enjoy making cream puffs. So far I have filled them with homemade whipped cream. I love this pastry cream! It has a distinct flavor and texture. I also have one question. What types of milk can I use in this recipe? I used 2% the first time I made it. Are there any other kinds I can use? Thank you!
Olivia says
Hi Chloe! So happy to hear you’re adventuring in baking! You can use any kind of milk for this actually. It’s heavenly with coconut milk (the canned, liquid kind). I often use 1% for the plain pastry cream as that’s what we have on hand. Let me know what else you try!