Learn how to make silky, smooth vanilla pastry cream—a versatile custard that’s perfect on its own or used to fill eclairs, frost cakes, and more. A must-have recipe for any baker!
Every home cook should have a solid recipe for pastry cream in their collection, and trust me—this one will quickly become a go-to. Think of it as a vanilla custard, but with a richer, creamier texture that takes everything it touches to the next level. Whether you use it to fill delicate cream puffs, frost a beautiful cake, or simply enjoy it as its own indulgent treat, this pastry cream is the key to so many delicious desserts. It’s smooth, velvety, and just plain luscious—you’ll want to spread it on just about everything!
Pastry cream is one of those classic recipes that every baker should have in their repertoire because it's so versatile. It’s the foundation of countless desserts, from the French eclair to fruit tarts, yet it’s also absolutely divine when enjoyed on its own. You could serve it as a simple but elegant pudding, topped with a few fresh berries or a sprinkle of cinnamon, and it’ll feel like a luxurious treat. And if you're looking for a creamy filling for cakes or pastries, this is your perfect solution. It's like homemade vanilla pudding, but with a depth of flavor and texture that will leave you coming back for more.
Once you master pastry cream, the possibilities are endless. It’s a must-try recipe that will elevate your baking, whether you’re creating show-stopping desserts or enjoying a quiet moment with a simple, silky spoonful.
This recipe is from my most trusted source, Cook's Illustrated.
Ingredients:
2 cups half and half
⅓-1/2 cup sugar, plus 2 Tablespoons sugar
⅛ teaspoon salt
5 egg yolks
3 Tablespoons cornstarch
4 Tablespoons butter
1 vanilla bean or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1-2 teaspoons cognac, optional
How To Make Vanilla Pastry Cream
I usually make a double batch of pastry cream, since I'm either making it for a large cake, or if I don't use all the pastry cream, it's a great dessert to have on hand to use in fruit salads, or to eat as a custard. Just warning you so you're not misled by the pictures. I was making a double portion:).
Pour the half and half into a small/medium saucepan. It's important to uses a saucepan with a good, solid bottom, or your custard will burn easily. If you don't have a good quality saucepan, use a pot with a nonstick finish.
Add the ⅓-1/2 cups of sugar and salt. I'll be honest; I add about ¼ cup of sugar. What can I say? I don't like my desserts to be too sweet.
If you're using a vanilla bean, split it in half with a knife and scrape out the seeds. 
Add the seeds to the half and half. (Don't forget to use up the scraped out vanilla bean by making Vanilla Sugar, which, if you have some on hand, you can use in this recipe instead of regular sugar. It will taste phenomenal.) If you're using vanilla extract, don't pour it in yet.
Bring the mixture to a simmer on medium low heat, just until the sugar dissolves and you see tiny bubbles begin to appear on the surface of the half and half.
Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks with the remaining 2 Tablespoons of sugar in a large bowl, until the sugar dissolves. 
Add the cornstarch and keep whisking until it's completely incorporated into the egg yolks. 
As soon as the half and half comes to a simmer, ladle in a small amount of the hot liquid into the egg yolk mixture, whisking it all together at the same time, to make sure your eggs don't scramble. 
Gradually add more of the hot liquid, until you have all of it mixed together. 
Pour the mixture back into the saucepan, return it to the stove and cook on low heat, whisking constantly, until the custard thickens. 
You can make sure it's thick enough by dipping a wooden spoon into the custard and when you run your finger down the center, the line should remain there and not run together. Another sign to look for is that as soon as the custard thickens, you will see bubbles start to rise from the very bottom of the saucepan and burst at the top. Turn off the heat immediately.
At this point, check the insistency of your custard. If there are any lumps, tiny or big, it's very easy to fix this. Pour the custard through a fine mesh sieve and you'll have beautiful, smooth pastry cream. 
While it's still hot, add the butter and mix it all together until the butter melts. If you're using vanilla extract, add it to the pastry cream now, along with the cognac, if you're using it. 
Cool the pastry cream before using it. To prevent a skin from forming on the very top of the pastry cream, place a piece of plastic wrap or a bit or parchment paper directly on the surface of the pastry cream.
You can make the pastry cream/custard DAYS in advance, which is such a huge plus. Keep it refrigerated and tightly covered.
Vanilla Pastry Cream
Ingredients
- 2 cups half and half
- ⅓-1/2 cup sugar plus 2 Tablespoons sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 5 egg yolks
- 3 Tablespoons cornstarch
- 4 Tablespoons butter
- 1 vanilla bean or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1-2 teaspoons cognac optional
Instructions
- I usually make a double batch of pastry cream, since I'm either making it for a large cake, or if I don't use all the pastry cream, it's a great dessert to have on hand to use in fruit salads, or to eat as a custard.
- Pour the half and half into a small/medium saucepan. It's important to uses a saucepan with a solid bottom, or your custard will burn easily. If you don't have a good quality saucepan, use a pot with a nonstick finish.
- Add the ⅓-1/2 cups of sugar and salt. I'll be honest; I add about ¼ cup of sugar. What can I say? I don't like my desserts to be too sweet.
- If you're using a vanilla bean, split it in half with a knife and scrape out the seeds. Add the seeds to the half and half. (Don't forget to use up the scraped out vanilla bean by making Vanilla Sugar, which, if you have some on hand, you can use in this recipe instead of regular sugar. It will taste phenomenal.) If you're using vanilla extract, don't pour it in yet.
- Bring the mixture to a simmer on medium low heat, just until the sugar dissolves and you see tiny bubbles begin to appear on the surface of the half and half.
- Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks with the remaining 2 Tablespoons of sugar in a large bowl, until the sugar dissolves.
- Add the cornstarch and keep whisking until it's completely incorporated into the egg yolks.
- As soon as the half and half comes to a simmer, ladle in a small amount of the hot liquid into the egg yolk mixture, whisking it all together at the same time, to make sure your eggs don't scramble. Gradually add more of the hot liquid, until you have all of it mixed together.
- Pour the mixture back into the saucepan, return it to the stove and cook on low heat, whisking constantly, until the custard thickens. You can make sure it's thick enough by dipping a wooden spoon into the custard and when you run your finger down the center, the line should remain there and not run together. Another sign to look for is that as soon as the custard thickens, you will see bubbles start to rise from the very bottom of the saucepan and burst at the top. Turn off the heat immediately.
- At this point, check the insistency of your custard. If there are any lumps, tiny or big, it's very easy to fix this. Pour the custard through a fine mesh sieve and you'll have beautiful, smooth pastry cream.
- While it's still hot, add the butter and mix it all together until the butter melts.
- If you're using vanilla extract, add it to the pastry cream now, along with the cognac, if you're using it. Cool the pastry cream before using it.
- To prevent a skin from forming on the very top of the pastry cream, place a piece of plastic wrap or a bit or parchment paper directly on the surface of the pastry cream.
- You can make the pastry cream/custard DAYS in advance, which is such a huge plus. Keep it refrigerated and tightly covered.
I’m making Napoléon Cake, using these pastry cream directions as directed. Took special care about the room temp directions, but it looks slightly curdled. I cannot waste Henny Penny’s 10 yolks, so grand daughter will have to accept slightly curdled pastry cream.
It will still taste delicious, Dianne:).
Hi Olga,
I only recently discovered your blog and I can’t rave enough about your recipes!! I’m Russian and love love love Russian food but it’s so hard to find good, authentic recipes (even on Russian sites bc nowadays they use substitutes and all that). Anyway, thank you for all your amazing and delicious recipes! They really are a taste of childhood for me! Often times when I make one of them, people tell me that thats the best chicken, soup, dessert, etc. they’ve ever had! So thank you 🙂
I do have a question about this pastry cream though...can I put in into a fruit tart. You know like корзиночки?
Thanks again,
Irina
Hi Olga, could I use arrowroot startch instead of cornstarch?
Hi Lida,
I have never used arrowroot starch for this recipe, so I can't guarantee that it will work in this recipe.
Hi
Can you please explain what is this half and half ? Is this milk brand ? Not sure what to use. ( I live in the UK )
Half and half is half milk and half cream, so you can just use half of the amount of milk and half heavy cream.
my pastry cream never thickened, did i do something wrong ?
Hi Olga. Thank you for the recipe. I love all things cream! So in the interest of my ever expanding waistline can I freeze the leftovers?
I've never tried freezing pastry cream, Terrie. Sorry I can't be more helpful.
Hi Olga, thank you for sharing your recipes, everything looks great.
Could you please tell me if I can substitute regular flour with almond flour for crepes? Have you ever try to use any other flour for this cake?
Thank you.
Hi Natalia,
I have never made crepes with any other flour except all purpose flour, so I can't really help you. I'm sure there are many recipes that you can find online. You can most likely make the crepes with other flour and use this pastry cream with them.
I have some whipping cream that I meant to use for another recipe but didn't, if I swapped it for the half and half, would my pastry cream end up too thick?
Whipping cream and heavy cream are basically the same thing, Michelle. Heavy cream contains 36 percent or more milk fat. Whipping cream is a bit lighter, with only 30 percent milk fat.
I want to double this recipe, so I will end up needing 10 egg yolks. I dislike throwing away anything that I know can be put to good use (e.g. the egg whites). What can I make out of 10 egg whites? (other than scrambled egg whites lol)
Hi Luda.
You can make many things from egg whites, such as tarts with merge filling, or meringue cookies, Kiev cake.
I try to use up as much food as I possibly can, but in the long run, if you would throw out the egg whites, you would throw out less than $1, and if you use it up, you will need to spend a lot more money for more ingredients for a different recipe, so keep that in mind as well.
Can i use homegenized milk??/:) thanks Olichik
Almost all milk that you can buy at the store is homogenized. Yes, you can use homogenized milk.
Some people call whole milk homogenized milk, I learned when working at a grocery store. :*) I think it's because of how prominent the word homogenized is labeled on many brands of whole milk cartons.
Made this cream just now. Looooooove it!!!
The best recipe ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That's awesome, Lea:).
Can I replace the cognac with rum? Or anything else?
Yes, you may, Inessa. Replace it with whatever you like.
Pastry creme turned out perfect! (i didnt have any half and half so I just used regular 2% milk) still so rich and thick.
Yay! I'm glad to hear that, Malvina:).
awesome thanks for the recipe
Looks amazing! I'm with you on not liking overly sweet desserts! Thats why I love your blog! It caters to my taste buds. Don't know how many times I've made recipes from other russian food blogs and ended up with an entire cake going to waste cause it was way too sweet. Keep your god taste in recipes coming!!!
I know, right?! In my opinion, you can't enjoy desserts when they are too sweet, because you can only eat a spoonful. That's how it is for me, anyway.
Hi Olga! To make the crepe cak, i need to double this pastry creme recipe, for example from 2 cup half and half To 4 cups?