Desserts Frosting & Sweet Sauces Chocolate French Pastry Cream Sauce

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This silky smooth and dreamy Chocolate Pastry Cream recipe is decadent, rich in chocolate flavor and is so easy to make. My favorite thing is how perfectly pipeable it is. Making it perfect for filling cakes, cupcakes or even thew classic éclair!

Chocolate Pastry Cream - being taken out by a spoon in a cup

Note: the whole recipe, including the ingredient quantities, can be found at the bottom of this page – just scroll down to the bottom, or click the ‘Jump to Recipe’ button at the top of this post.

This recipe uses both corn starch and all-purpose flour to make it slightly thicker than most pastry creams so that it’s able to hold it’s shape making it super versatile.

By the way, if you’re looking for a great vanilla pastry cream recipe, give my recipe here a go!

Chocolate Pastry Cream - close up piped in a cup

Table of Contents

What is Pastry Cream?

It’s a French custard that is made using good quality, simple ingredients. This one is dressed up with chocolate which makes it the perfect chocolate lovers treat! Let’s break down what makes it amazing!

Rich chocolate flavor – this pastry cream has a really rich chocolate flavor and that because we use cocoa powder and chopped semi-sweet (dark) chocolate. It results in a chocolate flavor that is not overly sweet and helps compliment whatever dessert you add this pastry cream to. Whilst at the same time working well on it’s own.
Silky smooth texture – the pastry cream thick enough to pipe but also soft and silky when eating it. That’s because I use flour and corn starch, also known as corn flour. This pastry cream can also be thinned out by taking out the flour.

Ingredients You Need To Make Chocolate Pastry Cream

Milk – use whole milk for this recipe. I used cows milk. You can use plant based milk like almond or oat to make this recipe.
Vanilla Extract – Always use good quality vanilla extract when baking, it makes a huge difference. I have a great recipe here for it if you’d like to try your own!
Flour – I used all-purpose flour. This helps thicken the pastry cream enough to the point where it’s pipeable. If you want a thinner pastry cream, leave out the flour. If you want to make this gluten free but thick enough to pipe, leave out the flour and add 1 tablespoon of corn starch.
Corn starch – also known as corn flour this helps thicken the pastry cream.
Sugar – I used granulated white sugar. I only used 2 tbsp of sugar which means this pastry cream isn’t too thick.
Cocoa powder – I used a good quality cocoa powder. Dutch or regular will work.
Salt – I used fine salt. It helps elevate the chocolate flavor.
Egg yolks – I used large eggs for this recipe. You will only need the egg yolks. Separating your eggs when they’re cold is much easier to do.
Dark chocolate – Using good quality chocolate is important in this recipe. I used semi-sweet chocolate with at least 70% cocoa. You can find cooking chocolate in the baking isle of your supermarket.
Butter – I used unsalted butter for this recipe. You want to make sure the butter is cold.

How to Make Chocolate Pastry Cream!

Gently warm milk and vanilla extract
Add dry ingredients to a bowl and mix

Add egg yolks and mix
Slowly add milk and whisk

Add back to pot
Add chocolate

Mix until thickened
Add butter and mix

Cover and chill
Mix and use!

Troubleshooting: How to avoid disaster!

Go slow! You’re cooking eggs and they need a slow and low heat.

Lumpy – ingredients not measured properly or not sieved at the end before chilling.
Split – butter added too quickly, keep whisking, ti will eventually come together!
Too runny – ingredients not measured properly, not cooked long enough. If you’re 100% sure you measured properly, put it back on the stove and cook until it thickens. If this doesn’t work, you haven’t measured properly.
Eggs curdled – there’s no fixing this! This happened because the milk was either too hot or added too quickly to the egg mixture.

Tips and Tricks For Recipe Success!

Make this thinner by adding a little extra milk!
Make sure you add the warm milk into the egg paste mixture slowly to avoid it cooking the eggs too quickly.
You can flavor this using fruit reductions.
Run the mixture through a sieve to make sure you get rid of any lumps that may be in the pastry cream.
Using cold butter is key in this recipe means It melts slower in the hot custard slower, preventing your pastry cream from splitting as you mix it in.

Frequently Asked Questions about Chocolate Pastry Cream

What does it taste like?

This Chocolate Pastry Cream is silky smooth, decadent, and perfectly pipeable. It has a rich chocolate flavor and it simply superb!

How do I store this?

You can store this in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 7 days.

How much pastry cream does this recipe make?

I’m going to call this one batch of Chocolate Pastry Cream. It makes 2 1/2 cups of pastry cream. So if you see me refer to this referenced in other recipes as 1/2 a batch, you’ll need to make half of this recipe.

Can I make this gluten free?

Yep! Simply leave out to the all-purpose flour and replace it with an extra tablespoon of corn starch.

How can I make this thinner?

This pastry cream can be turned into a sauce like substance for pouring on all kind of desserts. Simply leave out the flour in the ingredients. Make it as thin as you like by adding a little extra milk.

Why is my pastry cream rubbery after chilling?

Totally normal. Once chilled, your pastry cream sets. You can bring it back to a smooth and delicious consistency.

What do I do with leftover egg whites?

I have some great recipe options to use up left over egg whites. Give these a go!

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