Homemade Pastry Cream Recipe (Créme Patissiére)
Learn how to make Homemade Pastry Cream, or créme patissiére as it’s known in France! This rich, creamy custard is bursting with vanilla flavor and is thickened with cornstarch instead of flour, so it’s gluten-free. It’s a great filling for pies, tarts, eclairs and so much more!
I learned how to make this Homemade Pastry Cream Recipe (also known as créme påtissiére in France) years ago in cooking school, and I’ve been making it regularly ever since.
It’s the star of my banana cream pie with graham cracker crust, and it is a sweet, creamy surprise in my fruit tart vanilla cupcakes.
It involves a few steps, but this rich, creamy French custard is easy to make and includes just a few simple ingredients.
Hot milk is used to temper the egg yolk – sugar mixture, then the mixture is cooked until thickened in a sauce pan.
From there, it’s strained through a sieve for an extra smooth texture, then vanilla and a bit of butter is stirred in for flavor and added richness.
Once cooled, it’s ready to use as a filling for pies and cakes, trifles, and so much more.
Or you can simply eat it with a spoon — there is no judgment here. 🙂
Why you’ll love this recipe
- This vanilla pastry cream is rich, creamy and bursting with vanilla bean flavor.
- It comes together in about 15 minutes with just a few basic ingredients.
- It’s great for filling pies, cakes and eclairs, or layering in trifles or parfaits with fresh fruit.
- It’s thickened with cornstarch so it’s gluten-free!
Recipe ingredients
This French pastry cream includes just a few ingredients that you more than likely have on hand.
- Milk. Use whole milk for the richest flavor. Sub with full fat canned coconut milk to make it dairy-free.
- Egg yolks. You’ll need 4 large egg yolks, which create the rich, custard texture. Use your leftover egg whites for coconut macaroons!
- Sugar. You’ll need just a small amount to sweeten the custard.
- Cornstarch. Essential for thickening, and provides a smooth, light texture and glossy finish. Use 4 tablespoons for a thicker custard that’s suitable for a filling, or 3 tablespoons for a creamier, looser pudding-like consistency. If you wish to substitute the cornstarch with flour, you need to use twice the amount of cornstarch (example: 4 tablespoons cornstarch is equivalent to 8 tablespoons of flour).
- Vanilla. Use 1/2 a vanilla bean or 1 teaspoon of vanilla bean paste for those beautiful flecks of vanilla bean. 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract is also a great option for great vanilla flavor.
- Butter. A couple of tablespoons of unsalted butter is added to the pastry cream at the end for rich, buttery flavor.
See the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and quantities.
How to make pastry cream
This easy pastry cream comes together in about 10 minutes with just a few basic ingredients, and it’s guaranteed to impress everyone that tries it!
Pro tip: Strain the cream through a fine mesh sieve for the smoothest texture, preferably into a bowl set over an ice bath to cool it as quickly as possible so that it can be refrigerated.
See the recipe card below for full instructions.
Recipe FAQs
It’s best to make this up to a day in advance to give it optimal time to chill. Once it’s chilled, it’s ready to spread between cake layers, fill pies and tarts and more!
Cornstarch or flour can be used to thicken pastry cream. It’s important to note that cornstarch and flour thicken differently, so the texture will vary depending on which one you use.
I prefer to use cornstarch as it lends a smooth, light and glossy texture to the custard, while flour produces a thicker, denser and opaque finished product.
If you wish to substitute the cornstarch in this recipe with flour, you’ll need to double the amount of flour (example: 4 tablespoons cornstarch is equivalent to 8 tablespoons of flour).
Yes! Simply sub the whole milk with full fat canned coconut milk. Either omit the butter, or substitute it with a vegan butter.
It will keep for up to 5 days in the refrigerator. I don’t recommend freezing it as it will adversely affect the texture.
Serving suggestions
You may want to eat this vanilla pastry cream by the spoonful, which is totally fine, but I’ve listed some other delicious ways to enjoy it below.
- Use it as a pie filling. Prepare my flaky pie crust recipe or graham cracker crust in my banana cream pie, fill the cooled crust with the pastry cream and top with your favorite fresh fruit.
- Use it as filling for your favorite layer cakes or in cupcakes like my fruit tart vanilla cupcakes.
- Créme patissiére was made for eclairs! See this classic eclair recipe by Natasha’s Kitchen if you want to try it.
- It’s great for trifles or for layering in parfaits with your favorite fruit and homemade whipped cream.
Recipe notes
- Pro tip: Strain the cream through a fine mesh sieve for the smoothest texture, preferably into a bowl set over an ice bath to cool it as quickly as possible so that it can be refrigerated.
- Be sure that you don’t boil the milk as it can scald and lend a burnt flavor to the custard.
- 4 tablespoons of cornstarch results in a fairly firm creme patissiere, which is great for pie, cake and eclair fillings. If you’d like more of a pudding like consistency, reduce the cornstarch to 3 tablespoons.
- If you make the pastry cream in advance, it will need to be whisked well to loosen it up before using it as a filling.
More no bake recipes you’ll love
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Homemade Pastry Cream Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole milk sub with full fat canned coconut milk for dairy-free
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 4 large egg yolks
- 4 tablespoons cornstarch see notes 1 and 2
- 1/2 vanilla bean seeds scraped; or use 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter sub with vegan butter for dairy-free
Instructions
- Fill a large bowl with ice, and add enough water to fill the bowl halfway. Place a medium bowl in it with a fine mesh strainer nearby along with a piece of buttered wax paper. Set aside.
- Place the sugar and egg yolks in a medium bowl and whisk until well incorporated. Add the cornstarch and and whisk vigorously until smooth.1/3 cup granulated sugar, 4 large egg yolks, 4 tablespoons cornstarch
- Place the milk in a medium saucepan and heat over medium low heat until just before it begins to boil (it will start smoking). When the milk is hot enough, add 1/3 of it to the egg mixture in a slow steady stream while whisking constantly to temper the eggs. Once 1/3 has been added, add the rest while whisking constantly until combined.2 cups whole milk
- Place the mixture back in the saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly to prevent lumps, until the mixture begins to boil. Continue to cook for another minute until very thick, whisking constantly. Remove from heat and whisk in the vanilla and softened butter.1/2 vanilla bean, 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Strain the pastry cream through the sieve into the bowl over the ice bath using a rubber scraper to gently press it through as needed.
- Cover the pastry cream with the buttered wax paper to prevent a skin from forming and allow to cool at room temperature. Once cooled, place in the refrigerator for a minimum of 1 hour and up to 2 days in advance.
Notes
- Pro tip: 4 tablespoons of cornstarch results in a fairly firm creme patissiere, which is great for pie, cake and eclair fillings. If you’d like more of a pudding like consistency, reduce the cornstarch to 3 tablespoons.
- If you wish to use flour, you will have to use TWICE the amount of flour as you do cornstarch. (Example, 8 tablespoons of flour is equivalent to 4 tablespoons of cornstarch).
- The pastry cream will solidify quite a bit once it’s been in the refrigerator for a while. Simply whisk it until smooth then use it in your recipes.
- Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. I don’t recommend freezing it as the texture can vary.
Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.
