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.
Nutrition Information:
“This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.”
RJ says
Turned out great! Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Karina says
So I am planning to bake this in a dough. If it’s baked is it ok to be left out or would it still need to be refrigerated? I typically do a cream cheese filling with an egg yolk and bake.
Dini says
Hi Karina
I usually don’t leave out baked goods that have eggs and dairy out in the open for more than 1 day, because dairy and eggs can spoil faster.
To use this pastry cream as a filling, you may need to use the thicker version as well, as the softer version may not hold it’s shape.
I hope that helps!
Sheryl says
I love this recipe! I am thinking about matcha pastry cream, may I add some matcha powder to the vanilla custard?
Dini says
Hi Sheryl
You can add matcha powder! Also please note that there will some extra thickening of the pastry cream because of the matcha powder (depending on how much you add).
Hope that helps!
Sheryl says
Thank you for your reply 🙂
I tried and I added some whipped cream into the matcha pastry cream. Is that okay or should I use less corn starch?
Nicole says
First time making creme patissiere and it turned out great. Thanks for the recipe and all the instructions. They were incredibly helpful!
Ellise says
Used the all egg yolk version and it turned out perfect. Also, it was very easy to make. Thank you!
I made puff pastries and used this recipe as a thin-ish bottom layer, a pretty sturdy whipped cream on that, and topped with fruit. Smiles and happy bellies all around.
Michelle7 says
Easy and delicious pastry cream!
I made this for my zeppole’s.
Stacy says
I loved this recipe. Very easy to make. However after chilling it, I realized that the pastry cream is a bit thinner than I wanted. Is there a way to correct this or I have to make a new batch?
Laurie says
I have never made cooked pudding recipes that turned out exactly right. BUT this Creme Patissiere was perfect and delectable. THANK you so much! I’m putting this one in my permanent file. It’s the new best thing <3 <3
Dini says
That’s fantastic, I’m so glad to hear that Laurie! 🙂 Thank you so much for letting me know!
Karen says
Hi Dini, I love how detailed you are and all your tips. I am planning to use the vanilla pastry cream recipe for your eclairs recipe but would like to make them a creme diplomat. How much whipping cream should I whip to add to the pastry cream and at what point should I add it (when it is chilled or before chilling)? Any tips would help. Thank you
Dini says
Hi Karen
I would use the thicker and richer version of the pastry cream to make diplomat cream. The base pastry cream needs to be thicker, so that it won’t be too “soupy” when mixed with stabilized whipped cream.
The whipped cream will be added AFTER the pastry is chilled, otherwise it will melt into the warm pastry cream. You can check out my recipe here, where I make stabilized whipped cream for diplomat cream for eclairs. The recipe details how I make the stabilized whipped cream and how I incorporate it into the pastry cream as well.
I hope that helps.
Lisa says
Thank you for the recipe and all your knowledge! I made this and LOVE the taste, but the texture turned out grainy. I wonder if,I,cooked it a little too long?? Do younhave any idea?
Dini says
Hi Lisa!
If the pastry cream turned out grainy, it’s because the eggs were starting to curdle. This happens if it was cooked too long. You can pass it through a sieve which could help, depending on how much of the pastry cream has curdled.
I hope that helps!
Diane says
Hi 🙂 Im planning to use the pastry cream for fruit tarts, do you recommend to do the richer version, or sticking to the 3 egg yolks + 1 egg version? is there much difference in the flavour profile? I usually make pastry cream with only 3 egg yolks but I make it to a diplomat cream instead so I haven’t really tried pastry cream on its own before. hope you can guide me on it . thanks 🙂
Dini says
Hi Diane
I would go with the richer and thicker version, because it would be thick enough to hold up fruits.
I also do have a separate pastry cream that I use for fruit tarts, that you can find here. It uses more cornstarch so it is thicker and the extra butter makes it buttery and sets the custard well too. It holds up to having a heavy fruit layer on the surface as well.
I hope that helps!
Vc says
Hi! I only have nonstick pans, can I use that for whisking? Or should I do a double boiler or any other suggestions?
Dini says
Hi Vc
You can use a silicone whisk with a non stick pot.
A double boiler can be used as well, but it may take alot longer to make the pastry cream, as you have to allow the pastry cream to boil.
Hope that helps!
Arlene says
It couldn’t have been any easier. It turned out perfect!
Elizabeth James says
It is ok, not really very rich
Dini says
Hi Elizabeth,
The richer version (which is already included in the recipe) uses 6 egg yolks. Did you follow the instructions for the richer pastry cream recipe with 6 egg yolks? I don’t think a pastry cream can be any richer than that.
Abby says
I made this with almond milk and it turned out too thin. What could be the problem? I did use tapioca starch.
Dini says
Hi Abby
I haven’t made this with tapioca starch. Usually tapioca starch doesn’t have the same thickening ability as cornstarch, so you may need to add more.
I’m not entirely sure how much more you need to add to get the same amount of thickening as cornstarch though.
MAG says
Delicious & easy! Your directions are right o too. Yum!
Cindy says
Hi, I am excited to try to recipe to fill a chocolate cake with. Is there a way to do both vanilla and chocolate without making the recipes separately?
Dini says
Hi Cindy
You could just add chocolate to half of the vanilla pastry cream. However, this will result in two things.
Depending on how much and what kind of chocolate you use, the flavor of chocolate will vary.
The chocolate will also thicken the pastry cream, therefore making it thicker than the vanilla pastry cream.
Hope that helps
Shannon Cull says
Could I use this creme inside of a dough that is then rolled (like cinnamon rolls) and then baked?
Dini says
Hi Shannon
I haven’t tried that before unfortunately.
You would have to make a really thick pastry cream so that it stays in place as you roll up the dough. There is also the risk of pastry cream being squeezed out, if you roll the dough too tightly as well.
Kary says
Did you end up trying it? I’m looking for something to fill a king cake, I think this cream may work as it has a nice thick consistency!
Deborah Allison says
This is a perfect recipe. Very easy to make (even for a beginner like me) and the steps are explained very well. And it is absolutely delicious! My son asked if this would be the same as instant vanilla pudding, but there is NO comparison. Whereas instant pudding is sickly sweet and very artificial tasting, this is creamy beyond belief and rich but not too sweet. It is the perfect taste and consistency.
Jessica E Draper says
Thank you for the explanation of the different types of cremes, how to make them, and what they’re used for! I’ve been watching the Great British Baking Show and feeling a little lost. 🙂
Bridget Plekavic says
Which dairy free milk would work the best?
Dini says
Hi Bridget
I haven’t tried all the plant based milk types to make this unfortunately. I have used soy milk and coconut milk. They both work well. Other plant based milk should work as well, but I haven’t tasted them, so I don’t know how well the results would turn out.
Hope that helps!
Boadicea Bjorn says
So good it should be illegal!! I love all the tips, tricks, and helpful information you provide. Thank you!!!
Jon Lai says
What happens if you put it in the fridge right away instead of letting it cool down to room temperature?
Dini says
Hi Jon
Nothing will happen to the custard IF you have covered the custard the right way. However I don’t generally like to put really hot items in the fridge as it raises the temperature inside the fridge. This might affect the other items you have in the fridge.
Hope that helps
Reynolds says
Great recipe its easier than my dear Mother’s recipe. It’s a Christmas eve tradition since childhood to have chocolate eclairs.
Michael says
Great recipe! I use it all the time – thank you!
Sofia R Ramirez says
Hey! I’m making a chocolate raspberry cake and was wondering if I could add the raspberry puree to this? If I could what stage do I add this is and will it separate?
Dini says
Hi Sofia
I haven’t tried making this with raspberry puree unfortunately. You could add freeze dried raspberry powder to the custard.
However if you only have raspberry puree, you would have to replace some of the milk with the raspberry puree. I’m not sure how well it would work, because I haven’t tried it. But it would be the best option.
DO NOT fold in the raspberries at the end, this will make the pastry cream less thick. So it will be difficult to use it as a filling. You can however, make a thicker pastry cream (by adding more cornstarch) and then fold in the pastry at the end.
I hope that helps.
Cara says
My 1st time making Pastry Cream and this recipe was stellar. Now I did get a little adventurous and substituted heavy cream for the milk but the end result was perfect for my Baked Banana Pudding. This will absolutely be a staple in my arsenal of recipes!
M. says
I almost ate it by spoonfuls after making this. Yeah, it was *that* good
Sarit says
So easy and quick!
I did whisk it in an ice bath because it’s so hot today and I wanted to get it in the fridge quicker…
I’m planning on using this to fill doughnuts.
I’m going to try flavouring it with cinnamon, cardamom and nutmeg next 🙂
Sarit says
Same!!
I need to make more now
BRE says
Excellent recipe. I followed it exactly and it was so delicious on the Napoleon dessert
Kathryn Kolar says
First time making this and it turned out great! I’ll be making it again
Jade says
Hi! I’d love to make this recipe for a Christmas dessert- rustic Mille Feuille. Is it possible to add a flavoring such as mascarpone or lemon zest and if so, at which stage will this be done?
Dini says
Hi Jade
You can add lemon zest when you add the egg and cornstarch mix. If you are adding macarpone, I recommend folding it in at the end, but the custard will have to be thick so that the mascarpone won’t make the custard too runny.
I hope that helps
Angela Lemire says
Hello! I am looking forward to trying this recipe. I was wondering before I start if I am really supposed to use 1 tbsp of vanilla extract. It seems like a lot but I am not a baker/chef/cook,etc. I mean no offence, just clarifying. Thanks!
Dini says
Hi Angela
I use 1 tbsp of good quality vanilla, because I want a strong vanilla flavor. If you want to use less, you can. 1 tbsp = 1 vanilla bean.
Marike says
Hi Dini, could this pastry cream also be used in baking (with that I mean it goes into the oven) or can it only be added to an already baked product?
Faridah Begum says
This is great!
Nancy says
Is there a way to make a peanut butter version of this cream?
Dini says
Hi Nancy
You could add peanut butter to the mixture, but peanut butter will thicken the pastry cream more, so you will have a thicker custard.
You can add a little extra milk to compensate if you prefer. However, since I haven’t made this with peanut butter I’m unsure how much peanut butter and extra milk needs to be added to keep the right consistency.
Glynna says
This recipe is absolutely brilliant, it worked well both times, and I would just add to go incredibly sparingly on the sugar. The full article helped so much, it cleared up why it hadn’t worked before and this is a recipe I’m saving and will return to time and time again.
Roraito says
Hello. Can you also give the grams?
Dini says
Hi Roraito
The metric measurements are provided as well. Just use the metric / US measurement toggle button below the ingredients list.
I hope that helps!
kristia aningat says
Hi! Is this recipe enoigh for you perfect choux pastry recipe? Or if not, how many 2 inch choux cases is this recipe good for? Thanks so much!
Dini says
Hi Kristia
As mentioned in my profiterole recipe here, I usually make 1 1/2 batches of pastry cream to fill 1 batch of choux pastry. This is about 20 – 26 choux pastry cases.
I always recommend making extra, as the amount of pastry cream per pastry can vary depending on height and width of the cases.
I hope that helps.
Sharon Crozier says
This recipe turns out perfectly every time. It is just the right consistency for my cream puffs! Thank you!!!
Dini says
I’m so glad you like the recipe Sharon, thank you so much! 🙂
Marilyn says
Easy to follow and great outcome
Chloe Edmunson says
Hi I’m trying to win a baking competition and was wondering will this work as a filling for cupcakes?
Dini says
Hi Chloe
The thicker version of the pastry cream can be used as a filling for cupcakes.
I hope that helps!
farah says
To fill in the choux au craquelin, do i have to make it diplomat cream or just use the pastry cream itsef? if diplomate cream, what is the measurement of the chantilly cream for this recipe? Really need your reply. Thank you
Dini says
Hi Farah
You can use pastry cream or diplomat cream depending on what you like. Pastry cream is richer and heavier, and diplomat cream is lighter.
The amount of chantilly cream can vary depending on how light you want the mixture to be. I usually whisk about 1 cup of cream with 1 tsp of melted bloomed gelatin, and add as much as I like (depending on how rich or light I want it to be).
You can check this recipe for reference if you like.
I hope that helps
Angela Nguyen says
The only thing I changed about this recipe was steeping two bags of earl grey tea in the milk! Everything else was kept the same and it was delicious. My friends didn’t think it was too sweet which is a plus. I did even up whisking for 10 minutes rather than 2! I panicked a little but relaxed as soon as it got thicker haha.