A simple yet delicious recipe for Creme Patissiere (Vanilla Pastry Cream)– a rich, creamy custard used in many types of dessert! This recipe is gluten free, and also dairy free friendly. If you’re looking for chocolate pastry cream, you can find that recipe right here.
Learn how to make rich, creamy Vanilla Pastry Cream from scratch!
Pastry Cream (or Creme Patissiere) is a quintessential part of pastry making, so it’s an essential skill to learn if you love baking, pastries, and dessert. Creme patissiere is basically a delicious, rich, creamy custard thickened with starch and eggs. It’s an important component for many desserts.
What is pastry cream (creme patissiere) used for?
- It’s used to fill classic profiteroles and sometimes cream puffs
- To fill chocolate eclairs
- As filling for cakes, like Boston cream pie
- Filling for fruit tarts
- To make mille feuille
- To make vanilla pudding or chocolate pudding
If you’ve never made creme patissiere (vanilla pastry cream) before, you should definitely try it. It’s such an easy and delicious recipe with a lot of great uses.
Types of custards
There is some confusion about custard-based desserts and their terminology, so I’m going to clear that up before I get into the pastry cream recipe.
Creme Anglaise is a pouring custard. A runny version of pastry cream. It isn’t typically thickened with a starch (although some use a little cornstarch to avoid scrambling), and usually only uses eggs/egg yolks. It’s like a thick sauce that can be poured over desserts. This custard isn’t heated to a boil to avoid the eggs from curdling.
Creme Chantilly is lightly whipped cream sweetened with sugar and (usually) flavored with vanilla.
Creme Patissiere is a thicker custard. It’s thickened using starch and eggs/egg yolks and can be piped. It’s mostly used to fill pastries and other desserts. Pastry cream is heated to a boil, so that it thickens well. Because of the starch, the eggs don’t curdle readily.
Creme Legere is pastry cream (creme patissiere) with sweetened and flavored whipped cream (chantilly) added. Most people call this creme diplomat as well.
Creme Diplomat is creme patissiere mixed with chantilly, gelatine and any extra flavorings (optional). It’s basically creme legere made with stabilized whipped cream.
Creme Bavarois is a dessert on its own. It’s like panna cotta, but made with creme patissiere. It’s creme patissiere mixed with chantilly, but with extra gelatine (so that it sets like a pudding) and extra flavorings.
Creme Patisserie is the base for all these pastry essentials, so I hope you give this recipe a go!
Frequently asked questions about this recipe
This pastry cream recipe is gluten free, because I use cornstarch instead of flour to thicken it. Some pastry cream recipes use flour, or both flour and cornstarch, but that’s not necessary. I also find that using cornstarch alone makes the pastry cream less likely to taste floury, which is a problem you encounter with pastry cream made with flour.
Yes! As stated above, some recipe make pastry cream with flour. Theoretically you will need to increase the flour 3 fold to get the same thickening effect. I personally have not made this recipe with flour, so it will take some experimenting to make sure how much flour is needed.
If you’d like to make this recipe dairy free, substitute the milk with a plant-based milk like almond milk, coconut milk, cashew milk or even soy milk. And substitute the butter with a dairy free or vegan butter.
Since vanilla is the key flavoring in this pastry cream recipe, PLEASE make sure you use good quality vanilla. It’s the one flavoring that I never skimp out on. Use a good vanilla extract and try to avoid vanilla essence (usually imitation flavor), and if you can use vanilla bean paste or vanilla beans, even better.
The importance of eggs
Eggs play two roles in creme patissiere (pastry cream). It adds richness (especially the yolks), and also thickens the custard as well. I use large eggs in this recipe, where an egg weighs 2 oz / 57 g on average. So if you’re using different sized eggs, you can adjust accordingly. But a little extra egg (or egg yolk) won’t mess up your pastry cream.
I use 3 large egg yolks, plus 1 large egg for this recipe. This pastry cream is delicious and spreadable and pipeable (isn’t too stiff). If you want a RICHER tasting pastry cream then I like to use 6 large egg yolks instead. This version is slightly thicker because of the extra egg yolks.
I personally don’t like my pastry cream to be too sweet. So I only add 6 tbsp (1/4 cup + 2 tbsp) of sugar for every 2 cups of milk. Feel free to adjust the sweetness to your taste.
Cooking tips to make sure you get perfect creme patissiere (pastry cream) each time.
The first step is to heat the milk.
Some recipes call to scald the milk, which isn’t necessary if you’re using pasteurized milk. However, if you’re using fresh vanilla beans, scalding the milk with the vanilla and letting it cool down a little will allow the vanilla to infuse into the milk. I heat the milk until almost to a boil, so that it speeds up the process of dissolving the sugar and thickening.
Make sure to mix the eggs, cornstarch and sugar together in a separate bowl until you have a nice smooth paste.
This ensures that you have NO LUMPS in the cornstarch, and the sugar and eggs will form a thick paste which will mix in better with the milk. But don’t do this ahead of time. Only mix it together a few minutes before adding the milk. Otherwise the eggs will cook in the sugar.
Be careful when tempering the eggs with the hot milk.
If you’re a beginner, you could get someone to help you whisk the egg mix, while you pour the hot milk in a thin stream to temper the eggs. Another way to temper the eggs is to keep the bowl with the egg-sugar mix on a tea towel (to prevent slipping), and pour the hot milk from a light and small measuring cup (light enough to control with one hand). This makes it easier to whisk the egg mix with one hand and pour hot milk with the other.
Keep whisking and mixing the pastry cream while cooking.
It’s important to keep the milk-egg mix moving while it’s being heated. The milk will curdle when it comes closer to the boiling point, and we do NOT want that! Use a whisk and a spatula to make sure the pastry cream stays smooth. If you feel that the creme patissiere is heating up too fast, remove it from the heat periodically while stirring.
Bring the vanilla pastry cream to a boil.
Unlike other custards, pastry cream needs to be brought to a boil. The cornstarch will cook well, and you won’t be left with a starchy flavor too. The heat allows the eggs to form strong protein bonds, and the starch in the cornstarch expands, forming starch bonds that really thicken and stabilize the pastry cream. While stirring, allow the pastry cream to come to a boil and then let it cook further for about 1 – 2 minute at low-medium heat.
Strain the pastry cream.
It’s not necessary to strain the creme patissiere unless it’s lumpy. BUT it’s still a good extra measure to make sure the creme patissiere is silky smooth.
Cooling down the pastry cream.
Once the pastry cream is cooked, it needs to cool down completely. To allow the pastry cream to cool down quickly, spread it in a large bowl or shallow pan, so that the custard layer is fairly shallow. Make sure to cover the ENTIRE SURFACE with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming on the surface too.
Common creme patissiere mistakes
My pastry cream is lumpy
This happens if you’ve heated the pastry cream at too high of a temperature or you didn’t stir it well when it was coming to a boil. Don’t worry though, whisk it REALLY well to get rid of the lumps (off the heat), or if that doesn’t work, pass it through a sieve as soon as you’ve cooked it.
My pastry cream is too thin.
This happens if you haven’t cooked the pastry cream properly. This recipe makes a pastry cream that is spreadable and pipeable, but it’s not stiff enough to hold its shape. If you did want a stiffer and thicker vanilla pastry cream, you can increase the amount of cornstarch.
My pastry cream is too thick.
Chances are you added too much cornstarch. If you really compacted the cornstarch into your measuring spoon, or used an incorrect measuring spoon, this can happen. You can fold in a little stabilized chantilly cream to loosen up the pastry cream to make it the right consistency – like a creme diplomat.
My pastry cream has discolored (looks grey)
If you used an aluminium pot to make the custard, chances are that some of that aluminium can get into the pastry cream. Use a stainless steel pot, a copper pot or a non-stick pot.
Storing pastry cream
Never keep the vanilla pastry cream outside. It’s made with milk and eggs that go bad when un-refrigerated. The pastry cream will go bad if stored at room temperature.
Pastry cream cannot be frozen for later. The reason is that the starch and protein bonds that thicken the creme patissiere will break down when frozen. And as the pastry cream thaws out, it will weep and create too much moisture, making it runny, ruining the consistency.
The best way to store pastry cream is in the fridge, in an air-tight container, with a piece of plastic wrap covering the entire surface of the pastry cream. Pastry cream will last about 3 – 4 days in the fridge. This means you can make vanilla pastry cream ahead of time for your recipes too.
Other pastry cream variations
You can now make the chocolate pastry cream too!
Or a lighter, sweeter salted caramel diplomat cream instead.
EQUIPMENT & TOOLS I USED FOR THIS RECIPE
Whisks and Silicone spatula – to stir the pastry cream
Pyrex glass containers with lids – to store the pastry cream (remember to cover the surface with plastic wrap as well.
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Creme Patissiere (Vanilla Pastry Cream)
Ingredients:
- 2 cups milk
- 6 tbsp sugar
- Pinch salt
- 2 ½ tbsp cornstarch (cornflour) (3 tbsp / 30 g for a stiffer pastry cream)
- 1 tbsp vanilla bean paste / extract / 1 vanilla bean pod
- 3 large egg yolks
- 1 large egg (please see notes)
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter softened
Instructions:
- If using vanilla bean pods, split the bean and scrape the vanilla seeds/caviar out of the beans.
- Add the bean and caviar with the milk into a saucepan. Heat the milk over medium high heat and bring it to a simmer, almost to a boil.
- While the milk is being heated, place the sugar, egg and yolks, cornstarch and salt in a bowl. Whisk until you have a thick, smooth mix. (If you are using vanilla bean paste or extract, add it to the egg mix too). Place the bowl with the egg mix on a towel or napkin (to prevent the bowl from slipping while whisking, in the next step), and set aside until the milk comes to a boil.
- As soon as the milk starts to bubble, remove it from the heat. Slowly pour about a half of the hot milk in a thin stream, into the egg mix, WHILE WHISKING CONSTANTLY to temper the egg mix. When the eggs have been tempered, add the egg mix back into the hot milk in the saucepan.
- Heat the custard base, over medium heat, while whisking vigorously until it starts to thicken – this should take about 1 – 2 minutes.
- While whisking, let the custard come to a boil (the custard will release bubbles). Lower the heat and cook for a further 1-2 minutes after you see the first bubbles break the surface. Remove from the heat and add the butter. Whisk in the butter, until it’s completely mixed in.
- Pour the custard into a bowl and immediately cover the surface with plastic wrap, making sure the plastic wrap is touching the whole surface. This is to prevent a custard skin from forming on top.
- Let the custard cool down to room temperature and then let it chill in the fridge for a few hours, until it’s completely chilled.
- Use as needed after the pastry cream has been chilled.
Tips & Tricks
- For a thicker and richer vanilla creme patissiere, you can substitute the whole egg with 3 egg yolks (6 egg yolks in total).
- For a dairy-free version, substitute the milk and butter with a plant-based milk like almond milk, coconut milk, cashew milk or even soy milk and a plant based butter.
Nina says
This recipe gave me such good results!! In making choux au craquelin, do you still recommend using this or a creme diplomat recipe?
Dini says
Thank you so much Nina!
I’m so glad that you got great results. 🙂
For the filling, you can use either! I do prefer creme diplomat because it has an airy texture and lighter, whereas pastry cream is richer and heavier. I have had readers who have done both and loved all the results – so I think it depends on what your preference is.
I use a salted caramel diplomat cream for my craquelin recipe and absolutely love it.
Patricia Robertson says
This is the perfect filling for my cream puffs. Very easy to make. Just the right sweetness. I’m throwing out all my other recipes for creme pâtissière. This one is the best!
Mara says
Hi! I’d like to make half of the actual serving it will yield. Can you recommend measurements for the ingredients? Thank you in advance
Dini says
Hi Mara
You can easily halve the recipe by changing the servings to 7 in the recipe card.
For the eggs, I recommend using 3 egg yolks only (halving from 6 egg yolks needed for the full recipe).
Amanda Biller says
This recipe is SO forgiving. I found I was out of vanilla when it was too late to shop, so instead I put a third of a bag of lemon pudding mix in with the eggs and sugar (I reduced the cornstarch by half a tablespoon.) Lovely light lemon flavor, and thickened up beautifully in the fridge!
Cindy says
We love this recipe, works a treat every time, although we only use 2 tablespoons of sugar !
Erika says
I’ve read most of the comments and while I have not tried it yet, it seems your recipe is great! I would like to make this with a mango taste but I’m not very experienced. What would you recommend? Thanks 🙂
Dini says
Hi Erika
I haven’t tried making mango pastry cream before, so I can’t be certain. However, my experience with mango is that when it’s cooked, it does lose some of it’s fresh flavor. So the mango flavor can be lost in a pastry cream that needs to be made with milk. You could try making this with half mango pulp and half milk and see how it comes out if you like.
Or if you want a stronger mango flavor, you could follow this passion fruit curd recipe instead. Substitute the passion fruit pulp with mango pulp and halve the amount of sugar (since mango is sweet to begin with). I haven’t tried that recipe mango pulp either, but the mango flavor can be more prominent in that recipe, rather than with the pastry cream recipe.
I hope that helps!
Margie Call says
I was given a bag of pastry cream. A large bag. How do i use it?
Dini says
Hi Margie
It will depend on the pastry cream. If you like the taste of it, you can eat it straight, because pastry cream is essentially a thicker version of vanilla pudding.
It can also be used to fill choux buns or eclairs.
If it’s thick, then you can also use it to fill sponge cakes. It can also be used to fill baked tart shells to make fruit tarts.
I hope that helps!
Thea says
Great recipe. I made a dairy-free version of this recipe, but it did not go right the first time around, but after some tweaks, it is a favorite. This recipe is so good, I have it bookmarked on browser.
If you are going the dairy-free route, my suggestion is to add an additional tablespoon of cornstarch. I used full-fat canned coconut milk, and it came out too thin in consistency. But adding the extra cornstarch fixes this issue.
Another change I made was to add another tablespoon of vanilla extract to really get that rich flavor, which enhances my non-dairy milk of choice: coconut milk.
Besides that, I observed no difference in using a non-dairy butter stick in comparison to a buttery spread in the container for this recipe. Both work equally as well.
I have used this recipe three times already. One for my boyfriend’s birthday, Mother’s Day, and my birthday cake. What a hit, it’s simply not the same without this in a gluten-free cake. If you plan to make a gluten-free cake, ignore conventional baking with adding a buttercream frosting for your crumble layer. Use this pastry cream and freeze it. The next day, THEN add that buttercream frosting or chocolate ganache on top. You’ll have the best, moist gluten-free cake, and you can’t buy it prepackaged.
Alyssa says
Hello there! This is such a great article it makes me want to try this 🙂 Do you think I can make this as filling for macarons?:) Thank you in advance!
Dini says
Hi Alyssa
I prefer ganache or buttercream fillings for macarons, because they can harden up more. This won’t stiffen up enough to be sandwiched between macaron shells.
You could pipe a buttercream or ganache ring on the macaron half, and fill the middle with pastry cream if you like.
Lucia says
What a great tutorial thank you for what you do.
Dini says
Thanks so much Lucia, I’m glad the post was helpful! 🙂
Allegra says
Great recipe! We kept recipe as it is and worked perfectly for vanilla slice.
Marianne says
Great tasting Creme! Your directions are so explicit and easy to follow! I followed your recipe and used 6 large egg yolks and 3 Tbspns if corn starch. The custard is smooth without lumps but it’s very thick and it never really came to a boil. I stirred it constantly with my spatula, swiping the sides and bottom of the pan and let it cook for 3 minutes after it thickened. So i think i should have either used app egg yolks with only 2.5Tbsp of corn starch or else 3 egg yolks and 1 while egg with 3 Tbsps corn starch…. what do you think??
Marianne says
I also measured everything precisely in grams!!
Dini says
Hi Marianne
While you do have to keep the pastry cream moving in the saucepan, you also have to stop for a few seconds at a time to check if the mixture is boiling.
The bubbles break through the surface, but you won’t see that unless you stop whisking for a little bit. It sounds like you may have over-thickened the pastry cream (nothing wrong with that, if you still like the extra thick texture), because more water evaporated after reaching the boiling point.
I hope that helps!
Annabel says
Really great instructions – the pastry cream turned out great! It tasted a little eggy in its own but was delicious inside the eclairs. I chilled it in the fridge overnight and there was a lot of condensed water on top of the custard in the morning. I gently absorbed it with a paper towel which fixed it!
Dini says
Hi Annabel, condensation after refrigeration is normal, unless you covered the pastry cream with plastic wrap, while making sure the plastic wrap was touching the whole surface of the custard. This prevents the condensation from ending up on top of the custard. I hope that helps!
Jessica says
My first time ever making creme patisserie, and it turned out really well! This recipe was clear and easy to follow. I will definitely be adding this to my personal recipe book. Thanks!
Karyn Xiong says
Just wanted to know for the milk, can I use skim or 2% milk or should I use whole milk?
Dini says
Hi Karyn
Either one will work for this recipe and I have used both to make pastry cream with great results!
Di says
Hi Dini
I love this recipe ! It’s delicious. I make the thicker version as I’ve also been enjoying making Profiteroles and Eclairs. This custard is the perfect filling.
But more importantly It also reminded me of spending time with my Mum as a child, our kitchen warm and me watching her make the egg mix, boiling the milk, smelling that delicious vanilla custard knowing it would be pored over a slice of the yummiest apple and rhubarb pie..
Thank you for bringing those memories back for me.
Take care and stay safe
Dini says
Thanks so much for letting me know Di! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe, and it worked well for your profiteroles and eclairs. And I’m also very happy for all the memories it brought back for you, that’s just one of the best things about food in general! 🙂 Hope you’re staying safe and healthy too.
Emma Miller says
The pastry cream was perfect. Could it be possible to replace the 3 egg yolks and 1 large eggs with 2 large eggs??
Dini says
Hi Emma
I wouldn’t recommend that if you want to have a nice, thick pastry cream. If you’re going for something like vanilla pudding then 2 large eggs would be enough.
Egg yolks help thicken the pastry cream, as well as making it rich, so replacing 3 egg yolks with just 1 egg is going to make it runny.
I hope that helps!
Cg says
Hi, I would like to make this recipe, it sounds delicious! I was just a little confused with the vanilla. If I will be using vanilla extract, then when do I put it in? With the milk or with the egg and cornstarch?
Thank you!!
Dini says
Hi Cg
You can add the extract at any stage, as there is no need for it to “infuse” into the milk.
I either add extract to the egg and cornstarch mix, or I add it at the end with the butter.
I hope that helps!
Catherine says
This recipe is SO forgiving!! I accidentally overwhisked (handmixer problems) the egg mixture when tempering the eggs and it became REALLY foamy. I stirred the foam back into the hot milk and stirred until the foam dissolved. The custard came out perfect! I’m also the type to cut down on the sugar for any recipe I find online – but 6 tbsp of sugar was perfect for me. I started with 4 tbsp of sugar and ended up adding 1-1.5 tbsp when the custard was done.
Tea says
I was really nervous to make this but it turned out perfectly! I couldn’t resist trying some and it is delicious. Thank you so much for this recipe!
Shannon Rodriguez says
Recipe quick and easy. Definitely helps to have everything measured and ready to go. Saving this recipe!
Lynelle says
Your website is a delightful find! I made the pastry cream for cream puffs this weekend, and they were delicious. My cream seemed to have a subtle texture that I find hard to describe — no lumps, custardy, smooth yet almost like evenly distributed microscopic curdling? Any thoughts?
Dina says
This is an excellent recipe! I’m not at all an experienced dessert maker, I followed all the stages exactly and it came out amazing. I make a crem-snidt (not dure how it spelt) cake for husby bday. I also used a vanilla extract and it was super tasty.
Dini says
Thanks so much for letting me know Dina, I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe! 🙂
Debby Walton says
Perfect recipe! Easy and so accurate. I will use it for a base for a fresh mango tart. Thank you!
Bij says
Hi, thank you for sharing your recipe. I am trying to make this but I was wondering what type of sugar you used, granulated or confectioners?
I apologize in advance if I missed it in your detailed passage above the recipe.
Dini says
Hi Bij
I use regular granulated sugar in this recipe. I usually do specify if I’m using confectioner’s sugar in a recipe because it is different from granulated sugar. Granulated sugar is pure 100% sugar, whereas confectioner’s sugar has cornstarch added to it.
Hope that helps
Kate says
Hi, I would like to flavor this with dulce de leche, I have alot of leftovers. How much and when should I add it? Thanks!
Dini says
Hi Kate
I haven’t added dulce de leche to this recipe before, so I can’t be sure how much needs to be added to retain the same consistency. I may start off with 1/2 cup instead of the sugar, and hope that it comes out well. I would also use 6 egg yolks to make sure if comes out thick too. I would add it along with the milk or whisk it with the egg yolks.
Sorry I can’t give you a specific answer for how much to use.
Jeffrey says
Why it has a bitter after taste?
Dini says
Hi Jeffrey
I haven’t had this issue before.
The only reason I can think of that can cause a bitter taste is if the milk was burnt when heating up.
Ash says
I am going to make eclairs tomorrow, would you recommend making the pastry cream today or tomorrow?
And also, to fill eclairs do I need to add extra egg yolks ?
Dini says
Hi Ash
I do prefer to make the pastry cream the day before. Pastry cream needs to be completely chilled, so letting it chill overnight is easier for me personally.
I do use the extra egg yolks for the pastry cream (6 egg yolks in total). This gives a richer, thicker consistency that’s perfect for eclairs and profiteroles.
Ash says
I have absolutely failed at creme patissiere in the past but this was perfect! I let it cool to room temp for about 1-2 hours, then 1-2 hours in the fridge and it was ready! I had to cook it for about 15-20 minutes though, not sure why, but I just kept going and it was great! I also put the vanilla caviar into the egg because I find cooking it too much can take away the flavour.
Michael Hester says
This is the first time I ever tried to make my own custard from scratch. It was fun to make and easier than I thought.
I used this recipe to make tompouce.
Took you’re advice and went the 6 egg yolk route.
Can’t say enough about how perfect that custard is. Delicious.
Jo says
I used almond milk and arrowroot powder (my husband can not have corn products) and it turned out super weird. It was like jello. I mixed it up again, so that I could have something to put in eclairs, and it’s now liquid. I let it sit in the fridge to form up, but it is just liquid.
Dini says
Hi Jo
The substitutions you have made likely made a difference in how this turned out. Arrowroot is similar to cornstarch, but may not have the same texture as cornstarch. I recommend following a pastry cream recipe that is made to be dairy free and corn free.
I hope that helps!