Crème pâtissière (pastry cream)
Contains egg (no meat or fish)
Crème pâtissière
Thick, glossy vanilla custard set with cornflour and egg yolks — the filling for éclairs, fruit tarts, mille-feuille and doughnuts.
Crème pâtissière (pastry cream) is a French sauce from France, ready in about 2 hours 15 minutes and made with milk, egg yolk and vanilla extract. It serves 8 and is rated intermediate to cook.
No licensed photograph of this dish yet.
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- 10 min
- Rest
- 2 h
- Total
- 2 h 15 min
- Serves
- 8
- Level
- Intermediate
- Calories
- 171
Method
Step 1
Heat the milk (opens in a new tab) (with the vanilla (opens in a new tab) pod, if using) until steaming.
- 4 min
- medium heat
- Saucepan (opens in a new tab)
Step 2
Whisk (opens in a new tab) the yolks and sugar (opens in a new tab) until pale, then whisk in the cornflour (opens in a new tab) until smooth. Pour on a third of the hot milk (opens in a new tab) while whisking, then return everything to the pan.
How it looks · Photo: Kampus Production on Pexels Step 3
Whisk (opens in a new tab) constantly over medium heat until it thickens and comes to the boil, then keep it bubbling for 2–3 minutes, whisking all the time, so the starch cooks through and loses its floury taste and the yolk enzyme that would otherwise thin the cream as it stands is destroyed.
- 6 min
- medium heat
It goes lumpy just before it thickens — keep whisking and it turns smooth.
Step 4
Off the heat whisk (opens in a new tab) in the butter and vanilla extract (opens in a new tab). Sieve into a shallow dish and, ideally, set it over a bowl of iced water, stirring now and then, until cool. Press clingfilm onto the surface and chill for at least 2 hours. Beat smooth before using.
About this dish
- Origin
- France · Commonly attributedAlso popular in Italy, United KingdomMore food from France
- Dish
- Dessert · Sauces · Desserts
- Cooking method
- Simmered
- Taste
- sweet, creamy, aromatic / warmly spiced
- Diet
- Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · No gluten ingredients · No nut ingredientsWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
All labels
Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · No gluten ingredients · No nut ingredients · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-sodium - Good for
- Make-ahead
- Cook more with
- Milk · Egg yolk · Vanilla extract · Sugar · Cornstarch · Unsalted butter
- Techniques
- Simmering · Emulsification
Allergens
- Contains: Milkfrom milk, unsalted butter
- Contains: Eggsfrom egg yolk
Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.
Nutrition
171 kcal per serving
Calculated1 serving ≈ 81 g · recipe makes 8
Where the energy comes from
- Protein 9%
- Carbohydrate 49%
- Fat 42%
| Nutrient | Per serving | Per 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 171 kcal | 210 kcal |
| Protein | 3.8 g | 4.6 g |
| Carbohydrate | 20.7 g | 25.4 g |
| Net carbohydrate | 20.6 g | 25.4 g |
| Sugars | 15.9 g | 19.6 g |
| Added sugars | 12.5 g | 15.4 g |
| Fibre | 0 g | 0.1 g |
| Fat | 8 g | 9.8 g |
| Saturated fat | 4.1 g | 5.1 g |
| Trans fat | — | — |
| Cholesterol | 130 mg | 160 mg |
| Sodium | 34 mg | 42 mg |
| Salt equivalent | 0.1 g | 0.1 g |
Vitamins & minerals per serving
- Potassium
- 99 mg
- Calcium
- 88 mg
- Iron
- 0.3 mg
- Magnesium
- 7 mg
- Vitamin A (RAE)
- 96 µg
- Vitamin C
- 0 mg
- Vitamin D
- 1.4 µg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.5 µg
- Folate (DFE)
- 19 µg
How these numbers were made
- Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
- “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
- Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.
Good to know
Food safety
- Cool quickly (an ice bath is best) and keep refrigerated; 2–3 minutes at a steady boil cooks the yolks fully.
Storage
- Keeps 3 days in the fridge with clingfilm on the surface. Do not freeze.
Variations
- Chocolate pastry cream: Whisk 80 g chopped dark chocolate into the hot cream with the butter.
- Crème diplomate: Fold 200 ml whipped cream into the chilled pastry cream for a lighter filling.
Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated
Sauces, chutneys & dips for this dish
Recipe DNA
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