Chocolate Pastry Cream
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Think of this chocolate pastry cream recipe as your go-to for any dessert that needs a creamy, dreamy, chocolatey filling—perfect for layering into cakes, piping into pastries, or just eating with a spoon.
Chocolate pastry cream—or crème pâtissière au chocolat in French—is a rich, chocolatey twist on classic vanilla pastry cream, and one every baker should have in their back pocket. Like the vanilla version, it’s a staple in French pastry and shows up in all kinds of desserts, from cream puffs and éclairs to tarts and trifles.
This version follows the traditional method, using egg yolks, milk, and cornstarch, but it’s enriched with dark chocolate for a deep, bittersweet flavor. I like to add a splash of rum or coffee liqueur—it’s optional, but it brings a little warmth and depth, and a little goes a long way. For a lighter texture, you can fold in whipped cream to make chocolate diplomat cream (whip 1 cup of heavy cream to yield about 2 cups whipped cream). It’s perfect for layering into trifles or as a rich filling for cakes or even cream pie.
What You’ll Need To Make Chocolate Pastry Cream
- Whole Milk: Forms the creamy base of the pastry cream, providing richness and a smooth texture.
- Sugar: Sweetens the pastry cream and balances the deep chocolate flavor.
- Cornstarch: Thickens the mixture, giving the pastry cream its signature consistency.
- Egg Yolks: Contribute richness and structure, creating a silky, custard-like texture.
- Semisweet Or Bittersweet Chocolate: The key ingredient that adds deep, rich chocolate flavor to the pastry cream.
- Butter: Gives the pastry cream a glossy finish and adds extra richness.
- Vanilla Extract: Enhances the chocolate flavor with warm, aromatic notes.
- Rum Or Coffee Liqueur (Optional): Adds a subtle depth of flavor that complements the chocolate. Highly recommend!
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1: Warm the milk and temper the eggs. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, warm the milk until it’s steaming—but don’t let it boil. Stir in the vanilla. In a separate bowl, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, salt, and egg yolks until smooth and pale. Slowly whisk in about ½ cup of the hot milk to start tempering the eggs—that’s just a way of gently raising their temperature so they don’t scramble when you add them to the rest of the hot milk.
Step 2: Cook and thicken the custard. Pour the mixture into the saucepan, and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until thickened to a pudding-like consistency, 2 to 3 minutes. Continuous whisking ensures even cooking and keeps the mixture from getting lumpy.
Step 3: Finish the pastry cream. Take the pan off the heat and whisk in the butter, chocolate and rum/coffee liqueur (if you’re using it) until the mixture is smooth.
Step 3: Chill the pastry cream. Pour the chocolate pastry cream into a bowl and press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface—that helps prevent a skin from forming, which can cause lumps later on. Refrigerate until fully chilled, 2 to 3 hours. Before using, give it a quick whisk to bring back that silky, creamy texture.
Pro Tip: Short on time? You can speed up the chilling process by spreading the pastry cream in a wide, shallow dish or setting the bowl over an ice bath. Stir occasionally until it cools down—about 30 minutes—then transfer to the fridge.
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Chocolate Pastry Cream
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole milk
- ½ cup sugar
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 large egg yolks
- 4 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon rum or coffee liqueur (optional)
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, heat the milk over medium heat until steaming (do not boil).
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, salt, and egg yolks until smooth and pale.
- Slowly pour about ½ cup of the hot milk into the egg mixture, whisking constantly to temper the eggs.
- Pour the tempered mixture into the saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens to a pudding-like consistency, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Remove from heat and whisk in the chopped chocolate, butter, and vanilla extract (plus rum or coffee liqueur, if using), stirring until smooth.
- Transfer the pastry cream to a bowl and press plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming.
- Refrigerate until fully chilled before using, 2 to 3 hours. Whisk before using to restore its creamy texture.
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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