French Pastry Cream Recipe

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5 from 5 votes
10 Comments

This easy to make French Pastry Cream, also known as also known as crème pâtissière, is a thick, rich French custard recipe packed full of real vanilla beans. It’s silky, not overly sweet and is an iconic custard that can be used to fill French Fruit Tarts, Chocolate Eclairs or just eaten with a spoon! Did I mention it’s all made in one pot?

Close up show of vanilla custard pudding in a bowl looking all ripply and wavy

Hey team! I’m so excited to share my Pastry Cream recipe. It’s a rich and creamy French cream that is often used in cakes and tarts, or my favorite filling Chocolate Eclairs! It’s really easy to make, and uses simple ingredients like eggs, milk, sugar and butter. But I think the ingredient that really finishes it off is using Vanilla bean paste which speckles it with little vanilla beans and gives it a burst of vanilla flavor.

My secret to getting and ultra-smooth pastry cream filling is actually using a whisk when you’re mixing it. It helps all the ingredients mix really nicely and lessens the chance of lumps.

I’ve made this recipe countless times as a filling in my French Fruit Tart, it can even be used as a filling for cakes like I did in my Boston Cream Pie Cake. It’s soft and silky, yet still thick enough to hold it’s shape when you slice into it. I’m excited to guide you through every step in this post with photos to show you how to get a silky smooth, rich French custard!

This is just one of my fabulous recipes in my homemade frostings and sweet sauces collection on the blog. If you’re after a light frosting recipe try my from-scratch Chantilly Cream recipe or my homemade chocolate pastry cream!

I love French Pastry Cream because…

Pastry Cream is so delicious and is one of those recipes that everyone should know how to make. It’s so good that sometimes all you need to enjoy it is a spoon!

A spoon taking out some vanilla custard pudding from a glass

What makes this French Pastry Cream Recipe so good?

Pastry cream is rich! But it only requires a few basic ingredients to make. My recipe custard is made by whisking together milk, egg yolks, sugar, corn starch sugar and the main star of the show, vanilla beans! They all come together to help make it a thick enough to use in between cake layers or adjusted to be thin enough to be a sauce.

Close up shot of vanilla custard pudding sitting in a glass

Let’s talk Vanilla Beans!

Vanilla Beans against white backgroundIf you’ve never used a vanilla bean, you’re in for a treat. Although, I should say, if you don’t have access to vanilla beans, you can use vanilla bean paste, which will still give you that speckled vanilla bean look throughout the pastry cream, You can also use a good quality, Pure Vanilla Extract.

Preparing them is easy, I’ve got photo instructions in the step by step section below. But in short:

  1. Slice your vanilla bean in half.
  2. Scrape out the seeds
  3. Add to your milk and warm up
  4. Run through a sieve to get rid of any stringy bits and the vanilla beans.

I used Madagascan vanilla Beans, but any type will work. They just vary in strength of flavor.

There are so many wonderful things you can use Pastry Cream for including:

What can I use this French Pastry Cream Recipe in?

What do I do with the leftover egg whites?

Loads of things! Make another dessert. Can I suggest these Angel Food Cupcakes? Or maybe some Macarons? Can’t say no to my Fool-Proof Pavlova either!

Ingredients to make French Pastry Cream Recipe

  • Milk – you want to use whole milk in this recipe, not skim milk. You could use skim, but it will look a little translucent and won’t be as rich.
  • Vanilla – I used Madagascan vanilla beans. You’ll need to split them in half using a knife to get to the pods. That’s where all the flavor is.
  • Corn starch – this is used to help thicken the pastry cream. In some countries it may be known as corn flour.
  • Sugar – I used granulated sugar. There’s no need to add more sugar in this recipe because it’s often sued as a creamy element in dessert that are already sweet.
  • Egg yolks – I used large eggs. Make sure you don’t cook your pastry cream on too high a heat otherwise it will scramble the eggs and result in a grainy pastry cream.
  • Butter – I used unsalted butter. Make sure your butter is cold and add it slowly to the hot custard to prevent it from splitting.

How to prepare your vanilla bean (if using)

Use a sharp knife to cut the bean in half lengthwise.
Then, use the sharp end of the knife to scrape out the vanilla pods from inside the bean.

Add the milk, bean halves and scraped out seeds into a medium sized heavy bottomed stainless-steel pot. Heat on medium heat until warm, not hot. When you’re ready to use it, run it through a sieve as you pour it into the rest of the ingredients.

How to Make Pastry Cream At Home!

Add the dry ingredients to a heavy bottomed pot and whisk to combine.
Add the egg yolks and whisk until well combined.

Add about 1/4 of the milk and vanilla bean paste (if using) and whisk in. Then add the remaining milk and whisk.
Cook the mixture on medium heat and whisk continuously until the mixture thickens. It’ll take about 4-5 minutes. Once it thickens and begins to bubble, set a timer for 3 minutes and continue whisking on medium heat. Take off the heat.

Add 1/4 of the butter and whisk in until melted.
Continue doing this until it’s all been added.

Run through a fine mesh sieve into a medium mixing bowl to get rid of any lumps.
Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for 5 hours. Overnight is best.

Using a whisk to smoothen out set vanilla custard pudding

Once chilled, use a whisk to mix until smooth.

TIP: The key with this recipe is to make it using a whisk. It’ll help everything mix together really smoothly. And make sure you cook on medium heat. Nothing higher than that.

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. Use a whisk instead of a
  • 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.

Why is my pastry cream grainy?

The most common reason this happens is because your pastry cream was cooked on too high a heat. Cook it on medium heat to prevent the eggs from curdling. It can also happen if you added the hot milk to the eggs too quickly and they curdled. Unfortunately, there’s no fixing grainy pastry cream.

Commonly asked questions when making French Pastry Cream

Can I use heavy cream to make milk Pastry Cream?

You could, but it’s not necessary. Whole milk will result in an ultra-rich pastry cream.

How do I fix lumpy Pastry Cream?

If your pastry cream is lumpy (not grainy), it could be because you cooked it on too high a heat or because you didn’t mix the corn starch well enough. To fix this, run the cooked custard through a sieve before chilling to get rid of lumps.

What to do if your Pastry Cream is too thin?

If your pastry cream was too thin you wither didn’t cook it long enough or you measured wrong. To thicken the pastry cream, add more corn starch next time.

What to do if your Pastry Cream is too thick?

Chances are you measured wrong and added too much corn starch. Add a little bit of milk to thin out the hot custard before letting it chill.

How do I thicken Pastry Cream?

This recipe uses egg yolks and corn starch to make it thick enough to pipe but not to hold it’s shape. The recipe is thick enough to pipe and hold the weight of a sponge cake. To make it even thicker, add 10g of extra corn starch.

Pastry Cream Recipe - piped on a bench

Why is my Pastry Cream grey?

If you made your pastry cream in an aluminum pot your pastry cream can look grey. Use a stainless steel, copped or non-stick pot. It’s also important to use a rubber silicone lined whisk.

How do I store Pastry Cream?

Store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Never store your pastry cream outside of the fridge as it the eggs and milk will cause spoil and can cause severe food poisoning. Pastry cream can not be frozen, but the good news is, it’s so quick and easy to make you may as well make it fresh anyway!

Can I use skim milk instead of whole milk in Pastry Cream?

It is possible, but it’s best to use whole milk because it helps make the pastry cream rich. Skim milk can often lead to a translucent looking pastry cream.

How do you make Pastry Cream dairy free?

To make Pastry Cream dairy free, simply replace the milk with plant based milk and leave out the butter.

Loved this French Pastry Cream Recipe? Here are some other recipes you might like!

Gave this a go? Don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below! Hungry for more? Join me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and TikTok for more great recipes!

Close up shot of vanilla custard pudding sitting in a glass

Thick and Rich Homemade French Pastry Cream

Whip up homemade French pastry cream like a pro with my step-by-step guide! It’s perfect for using in pies, tarts, eclairs and more!

Serves 2 cups

5 from 5 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep: 2 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Cool: 5 hours
Total: 5 hours 12 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: French
Calories: 725kcal

Ingredients

French Pastry Cream

  • 500 g whole milk, not skim, warmed
  • 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or Pure Vanilla Extract
  • 40 g corn starch, corn flour
  • 60 g caster sugar, superfine sugar
  • Pinch of fine salt
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 80 g unsalted butter, cubed and cold

Learn How To Make it! [VIDEO]


Instructions

How to prepare a vanilla bean (if using)

  • Use a sharp knife to cut the bean in half lengthwise. Then, use the sharp end of the knife to scrape out the vanilla pods from inside the bean. Add the milk, bean halves and scraped out seeds into a medium sized heavy bottomed stainless-steel pot. Heat on medium heat until warm, not hot. When you’re ready to use it, run it through a sieve as you pour it into the rest of the ingredients.

French Pastry Cream

  • Combine dry ingredients and eggs – To a medium sized heavy bottomed stainless-steel pot, add the corn starch, sugar and salt and use a whisk to combine. Add the egg yolks and whisk until smooth.
  • Add the milk – Slowly add the warmed milk, about 1/4 cup at a time, and whisk each time until all of the milk has been added. It’s at this point you can add the vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste if using.
  • Cook pastry cream – Cook in the pot on medium heat. Use a whisk to mix continuously. Do not stop mixing or the pastry cream will become grainy. After about 3-4 minutes the mixture will begin to thicken. Continue whisking until the mixture begins to bubble. When it bubbles, stir for 3 minutes, then take off the heat.
  • Add butter – Add 1/4 of the butter and whisk until it’s melted and well combined. Repeat until all the butter has been added. You want to do this slowly, so the pastry cream doesn’t split.
  • Run through a sieve – Run the thickened pastry cream through a fine mesh sieve into a medium sized mixing bowl to get rid of any lumps.
  • Chill to set – Cover the surface of the pastry cream with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 5 hours. Overnight is best.
  • Once set – Give the pastry cream a whisk before using to smoothen it out again. This can be used to fill pastries like eclairs, cupcakes and depending on how long it was cooked for can be used in between cake layers or to fill tarts.

Notes

Storage – This Vanilla Pastry cream can be stored in an airtight container, in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Nutrition – This recipe makes about 2 cups of pastry cream. Nutrition is an approximate and is based on per 1 cup (250ml).
How to make dairy free: To make this pastry cream dairy free, simply replace the milk with plant-based milk and the butter with dairy free butter, not margarine.
A note on measurements – this recipe is offered in weight measurements. This is in an effort to offer the most accurate way to get the best results. Cup measurements simply aren’t accurate enough for a recipe that needs precision and cup sizes differ depending on where you are in the world. Here is where you can learn more about how to measure ingredients using digital kitchen scales!

Nutrition

Calories : 725kcal
Carbonhydrates: 37g
Protein: 14g
Fat: 50g
Saturated Fat: 29g
Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g
Monounsaturated Fat : 14g
Trans Fat : 1g
Cholesterol: 505mg
Sodium: 121mg
Potassium : 469mg
Fiber: 0.2g
Sugar : 18g
Vitamin A: 1924IU
Calcium: 367mg
Iron: 1mg
Nutrition Disclosure
Gave this recipe a go?Mention @thescranline or tag #thescranline!

10 comments

Hamish August 28, 2024 - 5:30 am

Hey Nick, love your recipes, although this recipe calls for “Dark Chocolate”, just wanted to let you know in case it’s a typo.

Reply
Nick Makrides August 28, 2024 - 11:00 pm

Hi Hamish! Sorry about that, looks like I uplaoded the chocolate pastry cream when I updated the recipe! Have gone in and fixed that, thanks so much for letting me know!

Reply
Suzanne September 28, 2024 - 4:59 am

Just wondering whether this can be used in vanilla slices (I am aware that you have a vanilla slice recipe) and also regarding the nutritional notes – is this for per serving or for the full amount? Many thanks.

Reply
Nick Makrides October 1, 2024 - 7:41 am

Hey Suzanne! This pastry cream would actually be a little too soft for vanilla slices. The custard in my vanilla slice recipe is designed to set firmer, which is better for slicing. As for the nutritional notes, they’re based on per cup (250ml). Hope that helps! N x

Reply
Leslie September 29, 2024 - 12:03 am

Hi, Nick
This recipes says 500g milk. Milk is usually weighed in mls or litres which i am used to using. To be accurate for this recipe, do you mean 500ml milk?

Reply
Nick Makrides October 1, 2024 - 4:36 am

Hey Leslie! Great question! Yep, 500g of milk is the same as 500ml, since 1g of milk equals 1ml. I’m actually slowly converting all my recipes, including liquids, to grams for simplicity. Since most ingredients are weighed in grams, it’s just easier to measure everything on a kitchen scale—plus, in my experience, unless you bend down to eye level, it’s easy to mismeasure liquids in a cup. And the best part? Grams are the same no matter where you are in the world! Hope this helps, and happy baking! N x

Reply
Leslie October 3, 2024 - 11:02 am

5 stars
Hi, Nick.
I made this recipe last night, & ate it tonight. It was thick, creamy & delicious! Thanks for clarifying the milk quantity!
Regards,
Leslie

Reply
Nick Makrides October 4, 2024 - 9:54 am

Hey Leslie! So happy to hear you loved it! Thick and creamy is exactly what we want with this recipe! Glad the milk clarification helped. Thanks for coming back to let me know you loved it! N x

Reply
Laly October 22, 2024 - 5:55 pm

5 stars
Lovely cream, work well with a sponge cake

Reply
Nick Makrides October 25, 2024 - 10:57 pm

Hey Laly! So glad you enjoyed the pastry cream, and I love the idea of pairing it with sponge cake! Thanks for sharing your take on it. Happy baking! N x

Reply
5 from 5 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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