DIY Pastry Cream Recipe
Prep Time:
2 hours, 10 minutes
Cook Time:
6 minutes
Servings:
12 servings
Ingredients
  • 4 large egg yolks
  • ½ cup granulated sugar, divided
  • ¼ cup cornstarch
  • 2 ¼ cups whole milk, divided
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or extract
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Directions
  1. Place a kitchen towel under a medium bowl then whisk the egg yolks, ¼ cup of sugar, ¼ cup of cornstarch, and ¼ cup of milk until smooth. Set the bowl aside.
  2. Stir ¼ cup of sugar, 2 cups of milk, and vanilla in a small pot over low heat.
  3. Cook, stirring occasionally until the mixture is lightly simmering, then remove it from the heat.
  4. Slowly pour a bit of hot liquid at a time into the egg yolk mixture, whisking to combine as you pour. Continue until about half of the liquid has been added.
  5. Add this mixture back to the pot and cook over low heat, whisking constantly for 1 to 2 minutes until it thickens to a pudding-like consistency. When the mixture starts to bubble up, remove it from the heat.
  6. Strain it into a clean bowl.
  7. Add the cubed butter and salt and whisk until smooth.
  8. Place plastic wrap on the surface of the pastry cream and refrigerate it for at least 2 hours until cold.
  9. Store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.