Luxurious Vegan Pastry Cream: Easy, Egg-Free & Dairy-Free Crème Pâtissière

Discover the secret to a rich, smooth, and utterly delicious vegan pastry cream that comes together in under 10 minutes. Crafted with just 6 essential ingredients, this remarkable recipe eliminates eggs, dairy, and coconut, making it a perfect indulgence for anyone with dietary restrictions or those simply seeking a plant-based alternative.

Our vegan crème pâtissière boasts a sumptuously creamy texture, a balanced sweetness, and an exquisite vanilla flavor that will elevate any dessert. It’s designed to hold its shape beautifully, making it ideal for piping into tarts, cakes, pies, doughnuts, choux buns, or any sweet treat requiring a luscious, stable filling.

Understanding Pastry Cream (Crème Pâtissière)

Pastry cream, universally known in French as *crème pâtissière* or simply *crème pât*, is a foundational component of classic French desserts. It’s a luscious, thick, and creamy vanilla custard renowned for its versatility and delectable flavor. Traditionally, its unique texture and stability are achieved through a combination of egg yolks and starches, typically cornstarch and sometimes flour, which give it a much firmer set than regular pouring custard.

This beloved custard is a staple in a myriad of confections, gracing everything from delicate fruit tarts and elegant mille-feuille to airy choux buns, elaborate cakes, and comforting doughnuts. Its ability to hold its shape when piped makes it an indispensable tool for pastry chefs and home bakers alike.

Our innovative vegan rendition skillfully replaces the traditional egg yolks with an increased amount of cornstarch, ensuring that signature thick and stable consistency. The addition of a high-quality vegan butter provides the rich, luxurious mouthfeel that is typically associated with dairy-based pastry cream, without any animal products. The result is a dairy-free, egg-free pastry cream that is not only thick, smooth, and incredibly creamy but also bursting with a buttery vanilla flavor. It pipes effortlessly and serves as the perfect filling for a wide array of sweet creations, all prepared quickly and easily in about 10 minutes with just a few basic ingredients.

Essential Ingredient Insights for Perfect Vegan Pastry Cream

Achieving the perfect texture and flavor in your vegan pastry cream starts with understanding the role of each ingredient. Here’s a deeper dive into what you’ll need and why:

Non-Dairy Milk: For the most consistent and neutral-flavored result, unsweetened soy milk is highly recommended. Its protein and fat content contribute to a creamy texture that closely mimics dairy milk. If soy milk isn’t an option, opt for richer alternatives like cashew milk or a barista-style oat milk, which are formulated to be creamier. Avoid thinner milks such as rice, almond, or standard drinking coconut milk, as they lack the necessary body and fat content to create a robust pastry cream. If your chosen milk is sweetened, remember to slightly reduce the sugar amount in the recipe and adjust to taste after cooking.

Non-Dairy Cream: While you can certainly use an equivalent amount of non-dairy milk in place of the cream, incorporating a vegan single cream significantly enhances the pastry cream’s richness, creaminess, and overall depth of flavor. Products like Alpro soy cream work wonderfully. Alternatively, a homemade cashew cream (thinned to a pourable consistency) or Oatly Creamy Oat can provide similar results. Full-fat canned coconut milk can also be used, though be mindful it may impart a subtle coconut flavor. Using only milk will still yield a delicious pastry cream, but its texture may be slightly softer and less luxurious.

Cornflour (Cornstarch): This is the star thickener in our vegan pastry cream, acting as a direct replacement for egg yolks. Cornstarch provides a smooth, stable, and clear-setting consistency that is crucial for achieving the classic pastry cream texture. It’s vital to stick to cornstarch for this recipe; substituting it with other starches or flours (like wheat flour or arrowroot) can drastically alter the texture, potentially resulting in a gummy or slimy consistency that won’t hold its shape effectively.

Sugar: The choice of sugar primarily affects the flavor profile and appearance. White caster sugar or granulated sugar are ideal for a classic taste and a bright, appealing color. While other sugars like brown sugar or coconut sugar can be used, they will introduce their own distinct flavors and a darker hue. The recipe provides a balanced sweetness, but you have the flexibility to adjust it to your preference, making it slightly sweeter or less sweet based on your taste buds.

Vanilla: Vanilla is paramount for that signature pastry cream flavor. For the most profound and aromatic vanilla essence, prioritize using vanilla bean paste or the scraped seeds from a fresh vanilla pod. These options deliver speckled beauty and unparalleled depth. In a pinch, a high-quality vanilla extract can be used, but be aware that the flavor will be less intense and complex.

Vegan Butter: The inclusion of vegan block butter is key for boosting the pastry cream’s richness, contributing to its silky mouthfeel, and aiding in its final set. It helps create a more robust and pipeable texture. It’s crucial to use a block-style vegan butter rather than a spreadable variety, as block butters have a higher fat content and a firmer consistency, which is essential for the structure of the pastry cream.

Step-by-Step Guide: How To Make Vegan Pastry Cream

(Full measurements and detailed instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the page)

Step 1: Begin by placing the cornstarch in a medium-sized saucepan. Gradually add the cold non-dairy milk, whisking continuously as you pour. This crucial step ensures the cornstarch dissolves completely without forming any lumps, which are much harder to eliminate once heat is applied. Once smooth, whisk in the non-dairy cream, sugar, and vanilla until all ingredients are well combined.

Step 2: Place the pan over a low to medium heat. It’s essential to stir the mixture constantly with a whisk to prevent scorching and ensure even thickening. Continue stirring until the mixture comes to a full boil and visibly thickens. Once it starts to thicken, increase your whisking vigor for approximately one minute, paying special attention to scraping the edges and bottom of the pan to prevent sticking. You’ll know it’s ready when, if you pause stirring for a few seconds, a few large bubbles rise to the surface and pop. Remove the pan from the heat immediately, add the vegan block butter, and stir until it has completely melted and is fully incorporated, making the cream extra smooth and glossy.

Step 3: Carefully scrape the hot pastry cream into a clean bowl. To prevent a “skin” from forming on the surface as it cools, cover the cream immediately. Place a piece of baking paper or clingfilm directly onto the surface of the pastry cream, ensuring it makes full contact. This creates an airtight seal. Refrigerate the covered pastry cream for at least a couple of hours, or until it is thoroughly chilled and set. This cooling process is essential for it to reach its desired thick, pipeable consistency.

Expert Tips for Vegan Pastry Cream Perfection

Mastering vegan pastry cream is straightforward with these crucial tips:

• Precision with Measurements: For baking, especially with recipes relying on thickeners, metric measurements using a digital scale are far superior to cup conversions. Cups can be wildly inaccurate, leading to inconsistent results. A scale ensures precision, better consistency, and often, less mess!
• Cold Liquid is Key: Always incorporate cornstarch into cold liquid, never warm or hot. Adding it to hot liquid will cause the starch granules to clump instantly, creating stubborn lumps that are difficult, if not impossible, to smooth out.
• Avoid Double-Dipping: Once the pastry cream is cooked, avoid tasting it with a spoon and then reinserting the same spoon. The enzymes present in your saliva (amylase) can break down the cornstarch, causing the cream to thin out and become runny again.
• Stick to Cornstarch: While other thickeners like arrowroot or wheat flour might seem like alternatives, they are not recommended for this recipe. Cornstarch provides a clean, smooth set. Arrowroot can sometimes result in a slightly slimy texture, and flour can make the cream cloudy and taste starchy.
• Adjust Sweetness: This recipe is designed for a balanced sweetness, but your preference may vary. Feel free to slightly reduce or increase the sugar to taste. A tiny pinch of salt can also help to balance and enhance the overall flavor.
• Constant Stirring and Moderate Heat: To prevent lumps and scorching, stir the pastry cream constantly while it cooks, especially as it begins to thicken. Keep the heat on low to medium; high heat can cause the bottom to burn before the rest of the cream has thickened evenly.
• Achieving Firmer Consistency: For applications requiring a very firm pastry cream, such as filling between cake layers, you can adjust the recipe. Increase both the cornstarch and the vegan block butter to 70g each. This will yield a robust cream that can withstand the weight of cake layers.
• Whisk After Chilling: After refrigeration, your pastry cream will be very firm, possibly appearing rubbery or jelly-like. This is completely normal! Before using, give it a vigorous whisk with a balloon whisk, electric mixer, or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. This will transform it back into a wonderfully smooth, pipeable, and creamy consistency.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s) about Vegan Pastry Cream

Creative Ways To Use Your Vegan Pastry Cream

This versatile vegan pastry cream is a dream come true for enhancing a multitude of desserts. Here are some inspiring ideas:

• Decadent Fruit Tarts: Fill a perfectly baked tart shell with a generous layer of this vegan pastry cream, then top with an assortment of fresh, vibrant fruits like ripe strawberries, juicy raspberries, or sliced kiwi. For a seasonal treat, try my incredible vegan rhubarb tart recipe.
• Elegant Layer Cakes: Utilize this firm-setting cream as a delightful filling for layer cakes, such as a classic vegan Boston cream pie, adding a rich and moist element between cake layers. Remember to use the firmer pastry cream variation for this application.
• Classic Mille-Feuille: Create stunning mille-feuille by layering crisp sheets of puff pastry with generous dollops of vegan pastry cream, offering a sophisticated dessert with contrasting textures.
• Sweet Baked Fillings: This cream makes an exceptional filling for homemade doughnuts, fluffy brioche buns, or flaky croissants, infusing them with a creamy, vanilla-infused center.
• Vegan Crêpes & Crêpe Cakes: Serve it alongside light and delicate vegan crêpes, either rolled up as a simple filling or layered to construct an impressive crêpe cake.
• Simple Indulgence: Don’t limit yourself to complex desserts! This pastry cream is so delicious that you can simply serve it in place of whipped cream with your favorite puddings or fruit salads, or enjoy it straight from the bowl with a spoon for a satisfying sweet treat.

If you tried this recipe let me know how it went! Rate it, leave a comment or tag @domestic_gothess on Instagram and hashtag it #domesticgothess

All images and content on Domestic Gothess are copyright protected. If you want to share this recipe then please do so by using the share buttons provided. Do not screenshot or post the recipe or content in full, instead include a link to this post for the recipe.