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Home » Frostings & Fillings » How to Make Pastry Cream (Creme Patissiere Recipe)

How to Make Pastry Cream (Creme Patissiere Recipe)

By Olivia, 54 Comments

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This easy Pastry Cream (Creme Patissiere) recipe is simple and delicious. A rich and creamy vanilla custard you can use in a variety of decadent desserts.

Pastry cream in a bowl with a gold spoon beside it.

Pastry cream is one of those recipes that you’ll want to have in your repertoire. It’s super easy to make and very versatile.

Today, I’m going to walk you through the process using the recipe I learned in Pastry School. I’ve been using it ever since as a filling for various desserts like this Banana Pudding Cake….

Cross section of Banana Pudding Cake.

…and these Vanilla Custard Cookie Cups.

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What is Pastry Cream?

Pastry cream, also known as creme patissiere, is a thickened vanilla custard made with eggs, milk, sugar, cornstarch (or flour), and vanilla.

It is used to fill desserts like cream puffs, eclairs, donuts, tarts, and cakes. It is also often used as a cake filling, specifically for the Boston Cream Pie.

You can eat it straight up, like a pudding, but one of my favourite ways to use it is in a Diplomat Cream. It’s a lightened-up version where equal parts of pastry cream and whipped cream are folded together. 

Picture of the ingredients needed to make vanilla custard.

How to Make the Perfect Pastry Cream (Creme Patissiere)

I’m going to walk you through step-by-step on how to make creme patissiere yourself at home. It only takes a few simple ingredients, about 20 minutes, and some patience while it cools and sets.

I use egg yolks in my recipe (vs whole eggs) and today I used vanilla extract instead of vanilla bean paste which is what I usually use. You can also use a whole vanilla bean pod sliced in half which will get strained out at the end.

Let’s get to it!

A spoon dipping into the bowl of pastry cream.

Step #1 – Simmer the Milk & Vanilla

Place 1 1/2 cups milk and the vanilla (or vanilla bean paste) into a medium saucepan. Cook over high heat, stirring constantly until it just starts to simmer. Remove from heat.

Milk and vanilla in a pot on the stove.

Step #2 – Whisk Remaining Ingredients

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk the remaining milk, egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch. Make sure the cornstarch is completely dissolved.

Eggs, cornstarch, and milk in a bowl. Eggs, milk, and cornstarch whisked together.

Step #3 – Temper the Egg Mixture

While whisking the egg mixture vigorously, slowly pour in the hot milk – in a thin, steady stream. Whisk constantly and quickly until all of the milk is incorporated. Pour slowly, whisk quickly.

Egg mixture being tempered with hot milk.

Step #4 – Return to Heat & Boil

Return the mixture to the pot and cook over high heat, whisking constantly, until it thickens and comes to a boil.

Tempered custard back in the pot on the stove. Pastry cream brought to a boil.

Step #5 – Strain & Cover

Strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve to remove any cooked bits of egg and to ensure it is completely smooth. This is also where you’d strain out the vanilla pod if you used one.

Passing the custard through a strainer.

Place plastic wrap directly on top of the custard to prevent a skin from forming.

Creme patissiere in a bowl. Creme Patissiere in a bowl with plastic wrap directly on top.

Step #6 – Chill

Cool to room temperature and then place in the refrigerator for a couple of hours to set. The pastry cream will have thickened and look curdled with you try to stir it.

Curdled creme patissiere that needs to be whisked.

Rewhip by hand for a perfectly smooth and silky custard.

Perfectly smooth whisked pastry cream.

How to Store Pastry Cream

Pastry cream is perishable and needs to be refrigerated. It does not keep for a long time. You can store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.

Unfortunately, creme patissiere does not freeze well. The starch will break down during freezing/thawing and the custard will separate.

If you absolutely must freeze it, you can try restoring it to its former glory by using this method. I haven’t tried it myself, but I would give it a go!

Spoonful of creme patissiere close up.

Flavour Variations

One of my favourite versions of this custard is the coconut one I did for this Raffaello Cake by using canned (liquid) coconut milk instead of regular milk. 

You’ll be eating that straight up with a spoon for SURE.

Slice of Raffaello Cake on a plate.

You can experiment with other milk alternatives as well, though I suspect they won’t have as much of a flavour impact as the coconut.

You can also infuse the milk with various flavours during step #1. Do this by adding tea bags or leaves to the milk, or herbs like lavender and thyme to the milk.

You can strain them out before tempering the hot milk into the eggs, or at the very end when you’re straining the custard.

I would recommend straining them out after step #1 though for ease as the custard will be thick and you’ll need to press it through the strainer.

Instant coffee or espresso powder would be a delicious addition too, or cocoa powder for a chocolate version! 

You can also add liqueur to it — whisk it in right at the end (or before the final boil if you want to burn some of the alcohol off).

A spoon in a bowl of Creme Patissiere.

If you’ve never tried making your own pastry cream, I hope you give it a go. It’s a simple and delicious way to elevate your desserts to another level.

The flavour variations and uses are seemingly endless. Be sure to let me know in the comments if you try it! 

Vanilla custard on a spoon.

Looking for more tutorials?

  • How to Make Lemon Curd
  • How to Make Caramel Sauce
  • How to Make Simple Syrup
  • How to Make Swiss Meringue Buttercream
  • How to Bake Flat Cake Layers

Tips for Success

  • Don’t boil your milk, just bring it barely to a simmer.
  • Ensure the cornstarch is completely dissolved and incorporated into the egg mixture.
  • Whisk quickly and pour slowly when tempering the egg mixture with the hot milk.
  • Be sure to bring the mixture back to a boil, while whisking the whole time.
  • Strain the pastry cream to ensure it is completely smooth.
  • Once chilled, it will be somewhat gelatinous – rewhip by hand until smooth and creamy.
  • Refrigerate for up to one week. Do not freeze.
A cup of ice pastry cream
Print Pin Rate
5 from 7 votes

Pastry Cream (Creme Patissiere)

This easy Pastry Cream (Creme Patissiere) recipe is simple and delicious. A rich and creamy vanilla custard you can use in a variety of decadent desserts.
Course Dessert
Cuisine French
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Chilling Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 20 minutes
Servings 16 (makes 2 cups)
Calories 50kcal
Author Olivia

Ingredients

Pastry Cream (Creme Patissiere):

  • 2 cups milk divided
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla or vanilla bean paste
  • 1/4 cup cornstartch
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large egg yolks
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Pastry Cream (Creme Patissiere):

  • Place 1 1/2 cups milk and the vanilla into a medium saucepan. Cook over high heat, stirring often until it just starts to simmer. Remove from heat.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk remaining 1/2 cup milk, egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch.
  • While whisking vigorously, slowly pour the hot milk into the egg mixture.
  • Return mixture to saucepan and cook over high heat, whisking constantly, until it thickens and comes to a boil.
  • Pass through a strainer and into a bowl. Place plastic wrap directly on top of custard to prevent a skin from forming.
  • Cool to room temperature then place in the refrigerator for a couple of hours to set. Whip before use.
  • Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. Do not freeze.

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Calories: 50kcalCarbohydrates: 8gProtein: 1gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 26mgSodium: 14mgPotassium: 43mgFiber: 1gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 80IUCalcium: 37mgIron: 1mg
The nutritional information and metric conversions are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee the accuracy of this data. If this important to you, please verify with your favourite nutrition calculator and/or metric conversion tool.

Pastry Cream (Creme Patissiere) photo collage

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February 6, 2020

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    Recipe Rating




  1. cill says

    February 16, 2021 at 6:45 AM

    hi liv! i’m trying to make a chai cake w an eggnog german buttercream for my birthday in a couple days and was wondering if i could substitute the milk for eggnog in this custard? or should i do equal parts milk/eggnog? thank you!! 🙂

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      February 17, 2021 at 9:28 AM

      Hi Cill! I think it would probably work fine. Eggnog is thicker than milk so it might lead to a thicker custard overall though. If you want to be safe I’d use half milk and half eggnog and add a pinch of nutmeg 🙂

      Reply
  2. Taylar says

    February 14, 2021 at 5:30 PM

    5 stars
    Love this recipe! I lost this recipe and went with another one (which was not as good) thankfully I found this one again! It’s quick, simple and always turns out perfect!

    Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      February 15, 2021 at 3:39 PM

      Hi Taylar! So glad you love it 🙂

      Reply
  3. Mary Perugini says

    January 24, 2021 at 2:03 PM

    5 stars
    Easy, delicious recipe… the only change I made was to temper the egg mixture. It was perfect!!

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      January 25, 2021 at 10:14 AM

      Hi Mary! So glad you liked it 🙂 Tempering the egg mixture is part of the instructions I just didn’t call it that because most people wouldn’t know what that means. Definitely need to add that hot milk slowly!

      Reply
  4. Dianne Henry says

    January 24, 2021 at 10:17 AM

    Hello

    Looks great.

    How do I make this into a chocolate version please?

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      January 25, 2021 at 10:13 AM

      Hi Dianne! I’d have to experiment a bit but I’d probably do some combo of cocoa powder and melted chocolate. You could try it with 1/4 cup cocoa powder with the hot milk mixture and then add some melted chocolate (or finely chopped chocolate) at the very end when bringing it back to a boil if you feel like it needs a bit more. Let me know what you try!

      Reply
      • Dianne says

        February 9, 2021 at 12:44 AM

        Thank you for the advice. I will let you know how it turns out x

        Reply
  5. Grace says

    December 30, 2020 at 5:31 PM

    5 stars
    Excellent! Easy and Delicious!

    Reply
  6. Grace Calabrese says

    December 30, 2020 at 5:29 PM

    5 stars
    Excellent! Easy and Delicious!

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      December 31, 2020 at 9:10 AM

      Thanks so much Grace!

      Reply
  7. Tisa says

    November 28, 2020 at 4:32 PM

    I want to try your recipe. It looks yummy. But can I skip the egg?

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      November 29, 2020 at 4:10 PM

      Hi Tisa! No, the eggs are a critical component of this recipe.

      Reply
  8. Jen says

    November 15, 2020 at 3:07 AM

    My Mother made this custard for her trifles, everyone loved her trifles.
    This was her “secret recipe” she told us when we were young.
    She did pass on this recipe to me, but unfortunatley I lost it & wasnt sure of all the ingredients until seeing this recipe. Thankyou so much.

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      November 16, 2020 at 9:31 AM

      Hi Jen! I’m so happy you were able to find a recipe that is reminiscent of your moms. I hope you love it 🙂

      Reply
  9. Pat says

    September 3, 2020 at 8:58 AM

    Hi Liv! I love your blog and every recipe from your page has been a success so far. You make an amateur baker like me look like a professional! Can you please tell me how to modify this recipe to make almond cream filling(preferably with extract and not liquor)?

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      September 3, 2020 at 5:55 PM

      Hi Pat! Thank you! All you need to do is replace the vanilla with almond extract. Or just add almond extract with the vanilla (I like to do that). Almond extract is very strong though, and a little goes a long way. I would start with 1/4 tsp (at most, maybe less). Once the pastry cream is done you can taste it and add more if you like.

      Reply
  10. Kirsten A. says

    August 22, 2020 at 10:10 AM

    Made the custard for my cream puff the other day and it was BEAUTIFUL! Wanted to ask how much of instant coffee or coco powder should one add to the batch to change flavoring?

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      August 24, 2020 at 10:42 AM

      Hi Kristen! So glad you loved it! 🙂 For the coffee I would add about 1 Tbsp of instant espresso to the hot milk mixture. For the chocolate, I’d have to experiment a bit but I’d probably do some combo of cocoa powder and melted chocolate. You could try it with 1/4 cup cocoa powder with the hot milk mixture and add some melted chocolate (or finely chopped chocolate) at the very end when bringing it back to a boil if you feel like it needs a bit more. Let me know what you try!

      Reply
  11. Zhanna says

    July 7, 2020 at 7:38 AM

    Hi can I substitute milk with plant based milk? I tried it before it was off

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      July 7, 2020 at 9:43 AM

      Hi Zhanna! Yes, that will be fine, I talk about that a bit in my post. What kind did you try and how was it off?

      Reply
  12. Daniela says

    July 2, 2020 at 11:22 PM

    Do you think substituting flavored yogurt (kefir) as the milk make a difference flavor wise for like Betty like pastry creams?

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      July 3, 2020 at 9:57 AM

      Hi Daniela! It will make a difference in flavour for sure, but if you like the slight tang it will be fine 🙂

      Reply
  13. Mariana says

    June 18, 2020 at 5:14 PM

    Hi! I’ve got a question… why does mine taste too eggy? I followed the recipe to a T and the egg didn’t cook (I didn’t found any egg bits in it) so… any tips?

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      June 19, 2020 at 9:40 AM

      Hi Mariana! You can try adding more vanilla or sugar if you find it to taste too eggy.

      Reply
  14. Jaimie says

    June 8, 2020 at 12:15 PM

    5 stars
    Used up some yolks from vanilla SMBC. Mixed with lemon curd to make a creamy lemon filling for Liv’s vanilla cake. So good!

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      June 8, 2020 at 2:43 PM

      Hi Jaimie! Omg I love this idea. I’m going to have to try to mix the two. Delicious!

      Reply
  15. Darina Panicharova says

    June 8, 2020 at 2:01 AM

    Is this recipe good for pastries which are filled with cream and then baked?

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      June 8, 2020 at 11:03 AM

      Hi Darina! I’ve actually never tried that so I can’t say for sure… I worry it would change the texture of the pastry cream or dry it out.

      Reply
  16. Lubna says

    May 19, 2020 at 12:38 AM

    Is it alright if I use a keto sweetner (lakanto golden) as a substitute for the sugar? Would it affect the thickness of the cream? Also, is it okay to use 1-2% milk because I’ve seen most pastry cream recipes and they usually require heavy cream. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      May 19, 2020 at 10:19 AM

      Hi Lubna! I’ve never tried the alternative sweetner, so I can’t say for sure, but my gut says it should be ok since it’s the eggs and cornstarch that controls the thickness. And yes, I use 2% milk! 🙂

      Reply
  17. Becky Buskey says

    May 16, 2020 at 2:42 PM

    I made the cream for cream puff. It is so good, the flavour is amazing. I used half almond milk, half regular. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      May 16, 2020 at 3:56 PM

      Hi Becky! Thanks so much for the feedback, I’m glad you loved it 🙂

      Reply
  18. Terry says

    April 2, 2020 at 6:19 AM

    If I double the recipe should I double the cornstarch also, 1/2 cup instead of 1/4? Wondering if doubling would make it too pasty?

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      April 2, 2020 at 3:02 PM

      Hi Terry! Yes, I would double everything.

      Reply
  19. Faith says

    March 21, 2020 at 5:09 AM

    Thank you so much for this. The chocolate version which stage do I add cocoa powder or, espresso

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      March 23, 2020 at 1:41 PM

      Hi Faith! I would add it to the cornstarch mixture. You could also add melted chocolate right at the end before straining 🙂

      Reply
  20. Annie says

    March 5, 2020 at 7:06 AM

    5 stars
    Hello! I used your pastry cream recipe to make profiteroles and it was amazing! I’m not a good cook and It was my first time making it but it was surprisingly easy.
    Thank you for a wonderful recipe. Now I need to find other desserts which use pastry cream.

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      March 7, 2020 at 2:41 AM

      Hi Annie! I’m so happy you liked it and found it easy 🙂

      Reply
  21. Jacquie says

    February 10, 2020 at 5:31 PM

    Looks so good! I’m just curious if this is what would be used as the filling for a fruit tart? Or is that different? Thank you!

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      February 12, 2020 at 9:36 AM

      Hi Jacquie! Yes! There are a variety of fillings you can use but I believe pastry cream is the traditional one.

      Reply
  22. Iris says

    February 9, 2020 at 1:50 AM

    I just discovered your website and I love it! I will be baking many cakes this year, that’s for sure. I was wondering if you could do a champagne/white chocolate cake sometime?

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      February 9, 2020 at 3:03 PM

      Hi Iris! I have one of each of those, or did you mean a combo of both? 🙂 https://livforcake.com/pink-champagne-cake/, https://livforcake.com/white-chocolate-cake/

      Reply
  23. Debbie Chapman says

    February 7, 2020 at 11:27 AM

    What a beautiful, smoot silky looking custard. I usually make a creme patisserie that contains a little flour. It can’t curdle and it DOES freeze well. Liv’s cream here would be wonderful mixed with all kinds of things: curd or a gelatin- thickened fruit purée come to mind — and how beautiful it would be in a cake lined or ladyfingers lined pan. I feel inspired.

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      February 7, 2020 at 3:56 PM

      Hi Debbie! Interesting about the flour version being freezable — I’m going to have to try that! It would be very handy. Thank you for your sweet comment <3

      Reply
  24. Sasanna Samarin says

    February 7, 2020 at 10:54 AM

    Hi there! This looks delicious! I was curious when i would add the cocoa powder for a chocolate version. Sorry if this is a dumb question or if i somehow missed it in your article. I’m new to baking. Thank you so much.

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      February 7, 2020 at 3:54 PM

      Hi Sasanna! Not a dumb question, I should elaborate in my post! I would heat the cocoa powder with the milk right at the beginning — to make sure it dissolves properly 🙂

      Reply
      • Sue says

        February 14, 2020 at 12:41 PM

        Going to make some today! Thanks for responding. ♥️

        Reply
        • Olivia says

          February 14, 2020 at 2:56 PM

          Yay! I hope you love it 🙂

          Reply
  25. Erin says

    February 7, 2020 at 9:05 AM

    I love making homemade pastry cream; it tastes SO good! Love the silky smooth texture. I could easily throw this in a bowl and eat it as is and call it a favorite dessert! I most often use it in trifles and as cake fillings, but it’s so versatile, you can do so much with it. One of my personal favourite things to do with pastry creme is ladle it over vanilla ice cream. Yes, items essentially custard on custard, but it really does taste amazing! A few flavour options I’ve seen/used for pastry cream are: stirring finely chopped chocolate into the warm cream after it’s been strained to create chocolate pastry cream, doing the same thing but with caramel sauce instead of chopped chocolate, and making a coconut using coconut milk in place of milk and adding coconut extract and shredded coconut.

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      February 7, 2020 at 9:16 AM

      I love the coconut version the best!! SO good with coconut milk. Love your tips for other flavours, I need to try those — the caramel! And I need to try it over ice cream… mind blown 😮

      Reply
      • Chloe says

        February 19, 2021 at 6:17 PM

        5 stars
        Hi! I am a preteen baker (11 years old) and I enjoy making cream puffs. So far I have filled them with homemade whipped cream. I love this pastry cream! It has a distinct flavor and texture. I also have one question. What types of milk can I use in this recipe? I used 2% the first time I made it. Are there any other kinds I can use? Thank you!

        Reply
        • Olivia says

          February 22, 2021 at 9:51 AM

          Hi Chloe! So happy to hear you’re adventuring in baking! You can use any kind of milk for this actually. It’s heavenly with coconut milk (the canned, liquid kind). I often use 1% for the plain pastry cream as that’s what we have on hand. Let me know what else you try!

          Reply
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