Delicious From-Scratch Pastry Cream

Pastry cream, or crème pâtissière, is a rich, silky custard used in a variety of European desserts–from French éclairs to Danish sweet pastries. Made by cooking milk, sugar, egg yolks, and flour until thickened, it has a smooth, velvety texture that can be a stable layer in cakes and pastries. Today I’m sharing with you my family’s original Danish pastry cream recipe, which has been passed down from my grandmother. It’s easy to make, has the most wonderful silky texture and the most delicious vanilla flavor to elevate any dessert!

Not to be confused with pudding or custard

While similar, pastry cream is thicker than American pudding and custard, specifically designed to be stable as it’s filled in desserts like eclairs, tarts, and layer cakes. Unlike custard, it’s cooked on the stovetop and thickened with cornstarch, not just eggs.

Homemade Pastry Cream is Easier Than You Think

I grew up in a family where we would always cook everything from scratch, so I learned the magic of home baking early on! From freshly baked bread to chewy cookies, there were no box mixes or store-bought shortcuts in our kitchen. That’s why, from a young age, I was taught how to make many of the essential staples of the sweet kitchen–like this delicious pastry cream!

Homemade pastry cream is a completely different tasting experience from the store-bought kind or the powdered mixes you just add milk to. And the best part? It’s actually really simple to make using standard ingredients that you likely already have in your kitchen. When you make pastry cream from scratch, you’re using fresh ingredients that taste richer and more vibrant. Plus, you can control the texture and sweetness, which can really make or break your dessert.

Pastry cream is used in countless European desserts—like fresh fruit tarts, Danish strawberry cake or even as filling in number cakes. If you love European pastries and cakes, you really should master how to make your own. Below I’m sharing our pastry cream recipe that I have made more times than I can count.

Tips for Making the Best Pastry Cream:

• Cook your pastry cream over medium to high heat. If the heat is too high, the cream can scorch or turn lumpy.
• When heating the pastry cream, add the milk gradually while whisking constantly. This helps prevent burning and keeps the texture smooth.
• Once the pastry cream starts to boil, cook until it thickens to a yoghurt-like consistency, then remove it from the heat. It will continue to thicken as it cools.
• Transfer the pastry cream to a bowl or airtight container to cool, and press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the cream to prevent a skin from forming.
• If you do see any lumps in your cream, you can pour it through a sieve to get it perfectly smooth before chilling it.

Frequently Asked Questions

My pastry cream turned out lumpy. What went wrong?
If your pastry cream is lumpy, it’s likely because it was cooked over too high heat. High temperatures can cause the eggs to scramble, resulting in lumps. Unfortunately, once this happens, it’s hard to fix, but you can try straining out the lumps or picking them out with a spoon.

My pastry cream is runny even after cooling. What happened?
If you are sure you used the correct ingredient measurements, the issue is probably that the cream wasn’t cooked long enough. It needs to come to a bubbling boil and cook until it reaches a yoghurt-like consistency before removing it from the heat.

Can I make a lactose-free or dairy-free version?
Yes! You can substitute lactose-free milk or neutral flavored soy milk in a 1:1 ratio. If you’re using soy milk, I recommend adding a bit more vanilla to adjust the flavor—to taste!

Can I make pastry cream ahead?
Although pastry cream thickens during cooking, it doesn’t stabilize completely until it is chilled. I recommend chilling your pastry cream for at least 4 hours before using it and you can easily make it a day in advance. It will keep well for up to 3 days in the fridge.

Recipe

Vanilla Pastry Cream (Crème Pâtissière)

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The most delicious pastry cream recipe! Once you’ve tried this rich vanilla cream, you’ll never go back to store-bought mixes. Perfect for filling cream puffs, cakes, and desserts.

Time: 3 hours hrs

Difficulty: Beginner

Yield: 1 batch (see notes)

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Ingredients

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• 3 egg yolks
• 1 whole egg
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 1 vanilla bean
• 3 tsp flour
• 400 ml milk

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Instructions

• Add egg yolks, whole egg, sugar, seeds scraped from vanilla bean, and flour to a small saucepan. Whisk together briefly.
  3 egg yolks, 1 whole egg, 3 tbsp sugar, 1 vanilla bean, 3 tsp flour
• Heat the mixture over medium-high heat, adding milk a little at a time while whisking constantly at a steady pace to prevent the bottom from burning.
  400 ml milk
• As the mixture nears boiling, it will begin to thicken. Let it come to a gentle boil, and cook for about 30 seconds while whisking continuously until it thickens further (note that it will continue to thicken as it cools).
• Remove the saucepan from the heat and pour into a bowl or plastic container (use a sieve if you see any lumps, but you should have a smooth cream).
• Place plastic wrap directly down onto the surface of the pastry cream to prevent skin from forming, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours. The pastry cream will reach its final thick consistency once it’s fully chilled.

Notes

*1 batch makes 500 ml (2 cups) pastry cream.

Make ahead: This pastry cream can be made 1 day in advance before filling it in cakes or pastries. Store the pastry cream in the fridge with plastic wrap pressed down on the surface. 

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