Go Back Email Link
–+ servings
Pastry cream in a glass dish topped with whipped cream with a spoon on a towel behind.

Easy Pastry Cream (Crème Pâtissière)

By Tammy Spencer
Pastry cream (Crème Pâtissière, or "creme pat") is a thick, creamy French vanilla custard made with milk, egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch that's surprisingly easy to make. It's sturdy enough for filling éclairs, cream puffs, cakes, and fruit tarts, or just grab a spoon and enjoy it as a rich vanilla pudding!
5 from 6 votes
Prep Time3 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Chilling Time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 18 minutes
Servings: 16 ounces
Calories: 90kcal

Special Equipment

Ingredients

  • 4 (56 grams) large egg yolks, at room temperature
  • ⅔ cup (132 grams) granulated sugar, divided, see Recipe Notes
  • 3 tablespoons (24 grams) cornstarch
  • 2 cup (480 grams) milk, see Recipe Notes
  • 1 (1) whole vanilla bean, split, or 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste, see Recipe Notes
  • 3 tablespoons (44 grams) unsalted butter, optional

Instructions

  • In a small bowl, whisk 4 large egg yolks briefly. Add ⅓ cup granulated sugar and 3 tablespoons cornstarch and whisk to combine. Set aside.
  • Whisk 2 cup milk and the remaining ⅓ cup granulated sugar together in a medium saucepan. Using the tip of a sharp knife, split 1 whole vanilla bean and scrape the seeds into the milk mixture (if using), then add the vanilla bean pods.
  • Heat the milk mixture over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until small bubbles form and it starts to steam, about 3 to 5 minutes.
  • Gently heat the yolk mixture by slowly adding ¼ cup of the warmed milk mixture to the yolk mixture while continuously whisking. Add another ¼ cup of the milk and whisk again. This process is called tempering the eggs, and its purpose is to prevent the yolks from curdling while the custard cooks.
  • Add the yolk mixture to the saucepan and cook, whisking constantly, until the custard is bubbling and thickened, and the whisk leaves visible trails that don't immediately disappear.
    Allow the custard to boil approximately 1 minute longer, stirring constantly. Don't overcook the custard to avoid curdling the eggs.
  • Remove the custard from the heat and strain it through a fine mesh strainer into a clean bowl, removing the spent vanilla bean. If the custard boiled during thickening, straining it out will help remove any curdled bits of egg.
  • If you are using 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste instead of a vanilla bean, stir it in now along with 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, if using. Stir until the butter melts, but don't over-mix, as this will thin the custard.
  • Cool the custard using an ice bath (half ice cubes mixed with half water), reaching halfway up the sides of the bowl. Stir until it's cooled to room temperature (a digital thermometer should read about 80 °F to 85 °F).
  • Once cooled, place a piece of plastic wrap on the surface of the custard and chill until completely cold and set before using as a pastry or cake filling.
  • Storage information: Pastry cream can be kept in the refrigerator in an airtight container with plastic wrap pressed onto the surface, for up to 5 days. If tit starts to separate, just stir it until it's smooth.
    This pastry cream should not be frozen because the cornstarch will break down during thawing, ruining the texture.
  • This recipe makes about 2 cups (615 grams) of pastry cream, enough to fill a full-sized Boston Cream Pie or a 10-inch fruit tart.

Recipe Notes

You can reduce the amount of sugar by up to a half if you want less sweetness.
If you want an even richer product, you can substitute up to ½ cup of heavy cream for some of the milk.
Don’t toss that vanilla bean - instead rinse the bean, then place it in a jar and cover with vodka to make your own vanilla extract.

Nutrition

Serving: 1ounce | Calories: 90kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 58mg | Sodium: 14mg | Potassium: 51mg | Fiber: 0.01g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 180IU | Calcium: 44mg | Iron: 0.1mg