Eggless Vanilla Pastry Cream – Perfect Base for Many Desserts
Vanilla Pastry Cream is usually made with eggs and is a perfect base for many desserts such as fruit tarts, mousses, Bavarian Creams, ice-cream. This simple, easy and effortless recipe for eggless vanilla pastry cream opens a whole new world of desserts for people who can’t have eggs. Compared to the classic vanilla pastry cream made with egg yolks this one is also less on the calories and more healthy to indulge in without losing any of the silky smooth goodness.
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Have you looked at a dessert and said wow wish I could make that but it has eggs.
Well, you can if you replace the regular egg-based Vanilla Pastry Cream with this eggless Vanilla pastry cream. It’s easy and it’s…
Healthier?
We eat eggs at home but often for dessert I will substitute or omit things I can just to be a bit less indulgent. Classic French Vanilla Pastry Cream is wow..! So creamy so velvety so smooth so dreamy. But also so heavy with all the egg yolks.
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Many people also know this as custard – yup I grew up saying custard!
As I said the Classic French Vanilla Pastry Cream or Custard is usually made with eggs but you can make it without eggs too.  It does the same thing that most custard recipes do. And the secret ingredient is cornstarch.
Eggless Vanilla Pastry Cream, Vanilla Pastry Cream Recipe, Best Eggless Pastry Cream Recipe, Eggless Custard Recipe
So often I will make my Fruit Tart base an Eggless Vanilla Pastry Cream instead of a Classic French Vanilla Pastry Cream.
Is the taste different? I think the professionals know the difference but to my kids, these are both the same.
You can make endless recipes with this custard base. Â See I have this egg-less version here, now all I have to do is top it with some whipped cream and fresh fruit or just fruits really and I would have a delicious dessert ready to eat.
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Ah, the color?
The custard starts off in white of course and I add egg yellow gel food color to make it yellow so now my egg-less version does not look any different from the regular classic vanilla pastry cream.
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Recipe- Eggless Vanilla Pastry Cream (Save/Pin)
Ingredients
- Milk – 500 ml (2 cups) ( one cup milk and one cup cream)
- Sugar – 50 grams (1/4 cup)
- Vanilla – 2 tsp
- Cornstarch – 3 tbsp
- Pinch of salt
Eggless Vanilla Pastry Cream, Vanilla Pastry Cream Recipe, Best Eggless Pastry Cream Recipe, Eggless Custard Recipe
Method
- Combine milk, sugar, cornstarch, and vanilla.
- Stir well until cornflour is well combined.
- Heat on medium heat stirring constantly.
- Once the milk is hot – low the heat to medium-low to prevent the bottom from burning.
- Continue to cook stirring constantly until the milk thickens and coats the back of a wooden spoon.
- The more you cook – the thicker the pastry cream will become.
- Pour into a bowl and cover with cling /plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming at the top.
- This can be chilled and enjoyed as vanilla pastry cream or used in any desserts as an ingredient.
Don’t forget to save this recipe on Pinterest for later.
You can find a collection of my tutorials and recipes here on Pinterest.
Eggless Vanilla Pastry Cream, Vanilla Pastry Cream Recipe, Best Eggless Pastry Cream Recipe, Eggless Custard Recipe
What can you use it for?
Well, since strawberries are in season now try it as a base for Fruit Tarts like this Strawberry Tart or my Strawberry Bavarian Cream. Just replace the Classic French Vanilla Pastry Cream with this Eggless Vanilla Pastry Cream. Mousses, Ice-creams – anything that calls for Vanilla Pastry Cream. You can eat it on it own of course as a dessert! It’s my kids favorite!
Eggless Vanilla Pastry Cream Recipe
Eggless Vanilla Pastry Cream is a perfect base for many desserts such as fruit tarts, mousses, Bavarian Creams Ice-cream etc. Compared to the Classic made with egg yolks this one is less on the calories and more healthy to indulge in without losing any of the silky smooth goodness.
Ingredients - Choose (Metric or US Customary) below
- 500 ml Milk
- 50 grams Sugar
- 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 3 tbsp Cornstarch
- 1 pinch Salt
Instructions
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Combine milk, sugar, cornstarch and vanilla.
-
Stir well until cornflour is well combined
-
Heat on medium heat stirring constantly
-
Once the milk is hot - low the heat to medium-low to prevent the bottom from burning.Â
-
Continue to cook stirring constantly until the milk thickens and coats the back of a wooden spoon.Â
-
The more you cook - the thicker the pastry cream will become.Â
-
Pour into a bowl and cover with cling /plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming at the top.
-
This can be chilled and enjoyed as vanilla pastry cream or used in any desserts as an ingredient.Â
Recipe Video - full version (detailed)
If you need to make the classic French Vanilla Pastry Cream you will find that recipe and video here.
Love Desserts? Take a quick look at my huge selection of Desserts from quick and easy to fun and exotic.
Or take a peek at my Recipe Index or Tutorial index to see a list of all recipes and tutorials available on this blog.
Exotic Dessert Collection by Veena Azmanov
Do you bake only Eggless Recipes?
You may like to check out some of my eggless recipe collections on this blog – eggless recipes from simple eggless chocolate chip cookies to the best eggless chocolate mousse or eggless vanilla pastry cream.
Alternatively, you may also like to see my Recipe Index to see a full list of all recipes on this blog
A Collection of Eggless Recipes by Veena Azmanov on veenaazmanov.com
I never knew there was something called eggless vanilla pastry cream. I just usually never made any dessert that called for vanilla pastry cream. You just opened a whole new world of desserts for me with this recipe. It was so easy to make and it tasted so delicious on its own. The kids could not tell the difference. Thank you
Thank you, Phil. Yes, I know what you mean. This opens a whole new world of possibilities. So glad you found my recipe. Enjoy! Thank you for coming back to write this feedback.
Hi this looks gooood! Can you please tell me if I can use this along with fruits(like canned pineapple pieces) to fill cakes?
Thanks!
Yes you can definitely try it with fresh or canned fruits. Just drain the fruit well so it wont’ dilute the pastry cream too much. You can also substitute some of the milk for the juice to add more flavor. Enjoy!
Once again you have amazed me. Time and time again I return to your site and find exactly what I need to know to make something eggless and delish. I made this eggless pastry cream and created a delicious mixed berry tart to satisfy my husband’s raging sweet tooth! The pastry cream was soft, creamy and so delicious I nearly couldn’t stop myself from eating! Thank you so much for your wonderful recipes and all the delight you bring to me and my family! Life long visitor here now!
Aww so happy to hear that Diana. You just made my day. I love when people have success with my recipes!! Thank you so much for coming back to write this feedback. I have no problem with eggs but I still often make the eggless version. It’s so simple and easy. Happy you like my recipes. Thanks for the lovely comment.
Could I use turmeric to color it? Only a bit because I wouldn’t want the custard to taste like turmeric.
Hey Simona, I have never tried turmeric!! So not sure how it will taste. Turmeric does have a strong flavor though. I prefer to use edible food color which is tasteless and flavorless. Thanks
Hi Veena,
I’m making an 11 inch tart and I wanted to know if this would make enough pastry cream for that?
Thank you!
This makes about 2 cups of pastry cream so yeah it will make a good filling for a 9-inch tart – a scant filling of an 11 inch – perhaps make double the amount – save the extra for chefs treat. I usually make 4 cups at a time and the kids are still cleaning the bowl… it’s so good.
Made this last week and it was wonderful. Just like putting velvet in the mouth. Smooth and creamy. Thank you
Thank you Vergie – Happy to hear you have great success with this recipe. Thank you so much for coming back to write this feedback, appreciate it very much.
I made an eggless vanilla pastry cream for the first time. I didn’t even know you could make it eggless. I was looking for a substitute for the classic and came across this. So delicious and so low in fat!!
Thank you Marilyn – Happy to hear you have great success with this recipe. I know that feeling too..!Thank you so much for coming back to write this feedback, appreciate it very much.
Made this yesterday and it was so tasty. My first time making eggless vanilla pastry cream. didnt’ know it was possible. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you Ralph – So happy to hear you had success with this recipe and enjoyed it. Thanks for coming back to write this feedback – appreciate it very much.
This was a perfect recipe for my tart this week. Thank you for sharing. I love custard and this turned out perfectly. Now I will make it all the time.
Thank you Nadia. Yes, this works great as a base for many desserts especially tarts. Happy to hear you are enjoying it.
Thank you for this recipe. I didn’t know that you could make eggless vanilla pastry cream. Going to try this soon. You have a wonderful blog. Thank you
Thank you Merry. Yes, many people don’t know it’s possible to make an eggless version but it’s so good that you barely miss the classic.
Hi, what is the shelf life of this? Also how to store it?
Hey Payal. Pastry cream is made with milk so it has to be stored in the fridge at all times. I will last in the fridge for 3 to 4 days thanks
Hi veena,
I love your recipes.just wanted to know if I can use it to fill cake which I will be using under fondant.thanks in advance
Thank you Shenaz…!! Yes you can fill a cake with vanilla pastry cream that will be covered with fondant. But since it has milk it will need to be kept in the fridge not on the counter. Also take note if you live in a hot and humid place the fondant will have condensation when you take it out of the fridge. Thanks
Thank you for this recipe. I made eggless vanilla pastry cream for the first time. I wanted to make a french dessert but had no clue what to substitute the classic vanilla pastry cream. Finally I found your blog. I have book marked your blog as I want to try some of your recipes like the Bavarian Cream and the Chocolate Mousse.
Thank you so much Elouise. So happy to hear that you enjoyed this recipe. I know what you mean often I substitute eggless for the classic too! Thank you for coming back to write this feedback. Appreciate it very much. Always feels good to get positive feedback.
Thank you so much for this recipe. It turned out perfect. Really could not tell that is was eggless. Looked the same as the classic vanilla pastry cream. And tasted great too! Thanks
Thank you so much Simon – SO happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe. I do often switch eggless for the classic too and my kids dont’ know the difference. Thanks for taking the time to come back and write this feedback. Appreciate it very much
Can this be used to fill cakes? If not, please direct me on how to make cake filling.
Thank you!
Yes you can use it to fill cakes but you just have to make it more thicker. Which means you cook it longer or you add more cornstarch so it get thicker.
Do you have any suggestions on how much cornstarch to add and how long to cook? Or what consistency it should be?
By the way, we have allergies to eggs and love all you eggless recipes!!
Depends on how much you making. For this batch I’d say one tablespoon more cornstarch – cook for a few minutes more until really thicker than just coats the back the spoons.
I will try it out.
Thank you!!
Sure – let me know
Can this be made with coconut milk? I need diary free.
Yes Nisi. You can use Coconut Milk and Margarine instead of butter to make it dairy free.
Do you have a recipe for eggless creme mousseline. With normal pastry cream if you add butter it gives it a richer taste also known as creme mousseline, but in you recipe I’m not sure how it would taste if I added the butter?
Sneha – I use whipped cream for my creme mousseline not butter. I find butter too rich. I like the lighter taste of whipped cream instead. So I make the pastry cream – chill it – then whip the cream and add my cold pastry cream. Having said that – if you beat the butter until light and fluffy then add the chilled pastry cream – it should work.
just tried it out now, and honestly I really didn’t expect it to turn out well…but it tastes great and it was so easy to make and didnt even take much time! thank u so much for sharing this recipe 😀
Great to hear that.. Thank you!
Hello ,
I would like to use this recipe to fill in some cream puff dessert , Is it pipe-able recipe or Not ? I mean can i pipe it like the whipped cream
That depends on the consistency you cook it. If you cook it longer it is thick so when it cools its good to pipe