How to Make Vegan Pastry Cream

As a French, I grew up eating desserts featuring pastry cream. From éclairs to mille-feuille and fresh fruit tarts, I’ve probably eaten my weight in pastry cream! Although pastry cream is simple in its concept – a cooked custard flavored with vanilla – there are a few key elements that must be respected to reach a pâtisserie-quality.

First, the texture: It’s supposed to be creamy and thick at the same time while leaving a rich, buttery mouthfeel. In my vegan version, that is done by using a combination of two thickeners as well as butter to add richness.

Second, the vanilla: There is no good pastry cream without high-quality vanilla. And if you want to make the absolute best pastry cream, supermarket vanilla extract won’t cut it. You need to use fresh vanilla bean pods. Those are pricey, but I can assure you that it will take your cream to another level!

With that being said, let me guide you on how to make a vegan version of the traditional pastry cream!

⭐️ Why You Should Try It

Rich and silky smooth.

My vegan pastry cream packs plenty of vanilla flavor, is not overly sweet, and has a delicate buttery taste. And if you are wondering, pastry cream without eggs tastes just as good as the traditional version!

Just 6 ingredients and 15 minutes are required.

You will only need easy-to-find ingredients and less than fifteen minutes to prepare this recipe. It’s easy to make and keeps very well in the refrigerator.

Versatile.

You can use this cream as a base to prepare many desserts! From filling vegan eclairs to using it as a layer for fruit tarts or making parfaits, it’s incredibly versatile!

📘 What Is Pastry Cream

Pastry cream, also called custard or “Crème Pâtissière,” is a French preparation used in many desserts.

Traditionally, it is made using milk, eggs, sugar, cornstarch, or flour and is flavored with vanilla. It has a thick yet rich and creamy consistency and is often used as a filling in mille-feuille, éclairs, strawberry tarts, layer cakes, and more.

🧈 Ingredient Notes

This recipe requires basic ingredients you most probably already have in your pantry:

Milk

The base consists of plant-based milk. You can use almond, cashew, or soy milk. Just make sure to use the unsweetened kind, preferably one with no gums or thickeners.

Recommendation: I personally think soy milk works best for this recipe as it is richer than most of the other plant-based milk and thickens very well.

Starches

I use a combination of potato starch and cornstarch to thicken the milk. During my first tests, I realized that using only cornstarch was giving the pastry cream a slimy texture. To fix that, I added potato starch to create a thick yet rich and creamy texture without the sliminess.

Sugar

Now, let’s talk about sugar. I highly recommend using granulated white sugar for this recipe for a simple reason: it won’t overpower the vanilla flavor.

Substitute: If you want your pastry cream to be naturally sweetened, you can definitely use coconut sugar or maple syrup. However, I found these types of sugar tend to overpower the vanilla aroma.

Butter

To replace the fat from the eggs, I incorporate vegan butter toward the end of cooking. Not only does it add richness, but it also gives the pastry cream a golden color.

Brand recommendations: When it comes to vegan butter brands, I recommend either Earth Balance, Country Crock, or Violife. Butter from these brands stays hard when chilled, yielding a slightly firmer cream.

Vanilla bean

Finally, the vanilla. You can use seeds from one vanilla bean, one teaspoon of vanilla extract, or half of a teaspoon of vanilla bean paste.

Note: As I explained earlier, fresh vanilla bean is obviously the best choice, bringing more freshness and aroma.

🥣 How to Make It

1. Combine all the ingredients together. Add the dairy-free milk, sugar, potato starch, cornstarch, and seeds from the vanilla bean (slice the vanilla pod in half lengthwise and scrape the seeds). Tip: Don’t discard the vanilla bean pod – use it to make vanilla sugar!
2. Whisk. Next, give it a whisk to dissolve the starches in the milk. Add the vegan butter.

3. Heat over medium heat. Heat the mixture over medium heat, constantly whisking, until it comes to a boil and thickens. This step will take about 5 minutes.
4. Transfer to a bowl. Next, transfer the thickened custard to a bowl or deep plate and immediately cover it with plastic wrap touching the top of the cream to prevent it from forming a crust. Let it cool down for about 1 hour at room temperature.
5. Chill. Before using, I recommend letting the pastry cream cool in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours. It will not only allow it to thicken more but also allow the vanilla to infuse the cream.

Tip: If your pastry cream is too thick after chilling, whip it in a stand mixer for a few seconds. This step is optional, but it helps give the cream the perfect texture: smooth and creamy!

💬 FAQ

I hope you are going to love this vegan pastry cream recipe! It’s easy to make, and the fresh vanilla flavor gives it a fantastic aroma! Plus, this recipe is suitable for many diets as it is gluten-free, dairy-free, and egg-free!

🍰 More French-Inspired Recipes

Vegan Creme Caramel (Flan)

Vegan Madeleines

The Best Vegan Crepes

French Rum Baba

⭐️ Did you like this recipe? Let us know in the comments below, and tag us on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!

Note: This recipe was originally published in April 2021 and was updated in January 2025 with new photos, process shots, and more tips.