How to Make Vegan Pastry Cream
Infused with vanilla, not too sweet and so creamy! This vegan pastry cream is perfect to use as a filling in tarts, shortcakes, millefeuille, and more!
Ingredients
- 2 cups unsweetened almond milk (or soy milk)
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 3 tbsp potato starch
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 vanilla bean or 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp vegan butter
Instructions
- 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!
- Whisk. Next, give it a whisk to dissolve the starches in the milk. Add the vegan butter.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- You can now use it to make your favorite desserts! Keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
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.
I really want to insist on this point: you must absolutely use fresh vanilla beans or a high-quality vanilla extract for optimal flavor. Alternatively, vanilla bean paste works great as well!Adjust the consistency
The consistency of this cream is thick but spreadable. For a thicker pastry cream that can be piped, add an extra tablespoon of potato starch.Immediately cover with plastic wrap.
To avoid a crust from forming on the cream, ensure the plastic wrap is in direct contact with the surface. It’s best to cover the pastry cream immediately after cooking it (do not wait for it to cool).Nutrition
Serving: 0.25 cup | Calories: 79 kcal | Carbohydrates: 11.7 g | Protein: 0.3 g | Fat: 3.8 g | Fiber: 0.3 g | Sugar: 6.3 g