Pastry Cream (Cream Patissiere)
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Pastry Cream or Cream Patissiere is a creamy custard that is thickened with cornstarch and egg yolks. This cream is very delicious and used in many desserts. If you like to bake you need to know how to make this cream. I am sharing this recipe with you and you can make this cream at home.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- This is a basic cream and is used in many desserts, like Eclairs, Puffs, or Laduree Basic Ganache for Macarons.
- It can be adapted to many different flavors. Add Homemade Pistachio Paste, Gingerbread Mix, or Amoretti.
- Made with basic ingredients that can be found in every pantry.
Ingredients Note
- Milk. Use whole milk for this recipe. This gives the cream richness and creaminess.
- Vanilla. Use reall vanilla or vanilla bean paste.
- Egg yoolks. Room temperature.
- Sugar. White granulated sugar.
- Cornstarch. This will help to thicken the pastry cream.
- Butter. Unsalted butter room temperature.
How to make Pastry Cream (Cream Patissiere)
In the saucepan, add milk and vanilla bean paste. If you are using real vanilla string, then cut and scrape seeds into milk. Cook the milk over medium heat until it only just comes to a boil. While the milk is heating, whisk the egg yolks and sugar together in a mixing bowl until pale. Add the cornstarch to the egg mixture and whisk well until combined. Pour the hot milk in a slow and thin stream into the egg mixture, whisking constantly. Return the mixture to the saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, with constant whisking, until thickened, and it comes to a boil. This will take 1-2 minutes. When the mixture comes to a boil, cook for about 1 minute more. This helps the cornstarch to achieve its full thickening power.
Remove the pastry cream from the heat and add the butter. Stir until the butter has melted and fully incorporated into the cream. Transfer the cream to a heat-proof bowl and cover it with plastic wrap “to contact.” Allow the cream to cool completely to room temperature. Refrigerate the pastry cream until needed.
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Common Pastry Cream mistakes
- The cream is lumpy. That means egg yolks are scrambled during cooking. You can stain cream through a fine mesh sieve to remove lumps.
- The cream is runny and thin. This happens if you do not cook enough or do not add enough cornstarch. Cook cream a few minutes longer.
- The cream is too thick. You added too much cornstarch. Use a digital kitchen scale to weight ingredients.
Types of pastry creams
- Cream Patissiere is the base for all these creams. Recipe below.
- Cream Anglaise is a pouring custard. This this a runny version of pastry cream.
- Cream Chantilly is lightly whipped cream with sugar and flavored with vanilla.
- Cream Legere is pastry cream (cream Patissiere) with sweetened and flavored whipped cream (chantilly) added.
- Cream Diplomat is cream Patissiere mixed with chantilly and gelatine.
- Cream Bavarois is cream patissiere mixed with chantilly, but with extra gelatine. This cream sets like pudding and served as separate dessert.
Recipe FAQs
Use pastry cream in eclairs, choux pastries, pies, or tarts. This is a basic cream in the pastry world and is used in many desserts. You can also add different flavors to this cream, like pistachio paste, coffee, hazelnut, or chocolate.
Store pastry cream in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. This cream can not be frozen. When frozen, it will lose thickness and become runny. It is always better to make fresh cream and use it in desserts.
More Recipes You’ll Love
If you make this Pastry Cream, please make sure to tag me on social media and make sure to leave a rating down below. I would love to see your creations.
Recipe
Pastry Cream (Cream Patissiere)
Equipment
- 1 saucepan
- 1 whisk
- 1 spatula
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole milk 480 gr
- 2 tsp vanilla bean paste
- 6 egg yolks room remperature
- ¾ cup granulated sugar 150 gr
- 6 Tbsp cornstarch 45 gr
- ¼ cup unsalted butter 55 gr
Instructions
- In the saucepan, add milk and vanilla bean paste. If you are using real vanilla string, then cut and scrape seeds into milk.
- Cook the milk over medium heat until it only just comes to a boil.
- While the milk is heating, whisk the egg yolks and sugar together in a mixing bowl until pale.
- Add the cornstarch to the egg mixture and whisk well until combined.
- Pour the hot milk in a slow and thin stream into the egg mixture, whisking constantly.
- Return the mixture to the saucepan.
- Cook over medium-low heat, with constant whisking, until thickened, and it comes to a boil. This will take 1-2 minutes. When the mixture comes to a boil, cook for about 1 minute more. This helps the cornstarch to achieve its full thickening power.
- Remove the pastry cream from the heat and add the butter. Stir until the butter has melted and fully incorporated into the cream.
- Transfer the cream to a heat-proof bowl and cover it with plastic wrap "to contact." Allow the cream to cool completely to room temperature.
- Refrigerate the pastry cream until needed.