How to Make Vegan Pastry Cream

Learn how to make delicious vanilla-infused vegan pastry cream! It’s plant-based, super creamy, and requires just 6 ingredients. Perfect for fruit tarts, donuts, shortcakes, and more!

Pastry cream can be used in so many desserts that I thought it deserved its own recipe!

⭐️ Why You Should Try This Recipe

Rich and silky smooth. This 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. Pastry cream can be used 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, 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.

📙 Types of French Custards

Before diving into the recipe, let’s take a look at the different types of custards. This list is non-exhaustive as there are over 10 different types of pastry cream.

Crème Pâtissière

Crème Pâtissière is the most famous type of custard. It is a cooked custard with a thick consistency, which is usually flavored with vanilla, although it can also be flavored with chocolate, lime, or coffee. It makes the base for many other types of custards.

Crème Anglaise

Crème anglaise is a very thin and pourable vanilla cream. Think of it as the liquid version of crème pâtissière. We usually pour it over desserts like brownies, chocolate cakes, île flottante, or use it as a base to make ice cream.

Crème Diplomat

Diplomat cream, also called “crème madame,” is crème pâtissière mixed with chantilly (whipped cream) and gelatin to stabilize it. It is softer and lighter than crème pâtissière.

Crème Mousseline

Crème mousseline is basically crème pâtissière whisked with butter in two times. First, half of the butter is incorporated when the custard is still warm. Then the remaining butter is whisked into the custard once cold. This process gives the custard a light and airy texture.

🧈 Ingredient Notes

Preparing this vegan pastry cream 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.
Starch – Then, to thicken, we use a combination of potato starch and cornstarch. After testing, it seemed that using only cornstarch gives the pastry cream a slimy texture. By adding potato starch, we get a thick yet rich and creamy texture without the sliminess.
Sugar – Now, let’s talk about sugar. I recommend using white sugar for this recipe. If you want your pastry cream to be naturally sweetened, you can definitely use coconut sugar or maple syrup. However, I found these tend to overpower the vanilla flavor.
Butter – To replace the fat from the eggs, we add vegan butter that also gives the pastry cream a golden color.
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. Fresh vanilla bean is obviously the best, bringing more freshness and aroma.

🥣 How to Make Eggless Pastry Cream

Here is the process of making vegan creme patissiere:

Combine all the ingredients together. Add the dairy-free milk, sugar, cornstarch, and vanilla to a saucepan. If using a vanilla bean, slice it in half lengthwise and scrape the seeds.
Whisk. Dissolve the cornstarch in the milk by whisking for a few seconds. Next, add the vegan butter.
Heat over medium heat. Heat the mixture, constantly whisking, until it thickens. This step will take about 5 minutes.
Transfer to a bowl. Next, transfer the thickened custard to a bowl or deep plate and immediately cover it with plastic film to the touch to prevent the cream from forming a crust.
Let cool. Before using, I recommend letting the pastry cream cool for at least 6 hours in the refrigerator. Not only will it allow it to thicken more, but it will also allow the vanilla to infuse the cream.

Once your pastry cream is chilled, you can whip it for a few seconds in a stand mixer. This step is optional, but it helps give the cream the perfect texture: smooth and creamy!

🍩 Where to use Vegan Pastry Cream

As a layer in fruit tarts: spread or pipe a thick layer of pastry cream on the bottom of a baked tartlet shell and top with fresh fruits. It’s perfect for Boston cream pie, strawberry tart, or any berry tart!
In layer cakes, strawberry shortcakes, or in pastries such as Mille-feuille, crêpe cake, or even yule log.
In vegan crêpes, spread a generous layer of pastry cream on a crêpe, top with sliced strawberries, and roll!
As a filling for Boston cream donuts, croissants, brioches, and more. It’s also great to fill vegan eclairs (cream puffs) or profiteroles.

📔 Tips

Adjust the sweetness to taste. This recipe yields a pastry cream that is not overly sweet. If you have a sweet tooth, you may want to add an extra tablespoon of sugar.
Use high-quality vanilla. For the best flavor, use fresh vanilla beans or a high-quality vanilla extract. Alternatively, vanilla bean paste works great as well!
For a thicker cream: The consistency of this cream is thick but spreadable. If you want a cream that can be piped and keep its shape, add an extra tablespoon of potato starch.
Cover with plastic film to the touch. To prevent the cream from forming a crust on top, make sure the plastic wrap is touching the cream.

💬 FAQ

Is crème pâtissière the same as custard?

Crème pâtissière is a type of custard. You can learn more about the different types of custard above.

How long can I keep this pastry cream?

egan pastry cream will keep for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.

What is the best way to store pastry cream?

Store the pastry cream in a container or a bowl covered with plastic film to touch. This will prevent the top of the cream from drying.

Can I freeze this pastry cream?

You can freeze it. However, you will have to do one extra step before using it. After freezing, thaw it on the counter for a few hours. Once the pastry cream is no longer frozen, transfer it to a saucepan and heat it over medium heat for a few minutes, constantly whisking. This will allow the cream to emulsify again and regain its thick consistency.

My pastry cream is grainy. How to fix it?

Simply pass it through a fine-sieve mesh, and you will end up with a silky-smooth pastry cream!

I hope you are going to love this vegan custard 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 Sweet Recipes

Let me know in the comments if you try this recipe!

Note: This recipe was originally published on April 2021 and has been updated with new photos, process shots, and more tips.

Recipe