Make a vegan pastry cream (custard) within 10 minutes with this very easy recipe! It includes only 4 ingredients that you probably already have on hand and it makes for the BEST sweet vanilla-flavored sauce to serve with a fruit tart, vegan rhubarb crumble, zesty vegan chocolate cake and vegan apple cinnamon donuts!
I have been making lots of crumble-type desserts recently, such as this cherry apple crisp and this vegan pear crumble, and every time I wished I had a vegan pastry cream to serve them with. So I made one!
It is truly an amazing recipe: comes together in minutes, made using only 4 basic ingredients you probably already have and it is healthier than a classic custard recipe.
As a side note, pastry cream is a French classic recipe that's known for its silky dreamy texture. It is a thicker type of custard sauce and is made typically with milk, eggs, sugar and butter, but it is very easy to make a vegan version of a pastry cream using plant-based milk and cornstarch to thicken the mixture. Such a delicious fuss-free and quick dessert topping idea you can whip up in minutes without much effort.
Let me know if you gave it a try! ❤️
Jump to:
❤️Why you will love this recipe
- Such an easy and quick dairy-free custard recipe
- Filled with vanilla flavors and is not overly sweet
- Done within 10 minutes and can be made ahead
- Perfect sweet cream for topping dessert recipes
- Healthy and low-in-fat
- Egg-less, dairy-free and completely plant-based
🗒 Ingredients you will need
- Non-dairy milk: I used full-fat oat milk from Oatly to make it, which worked out well. I think that soy milk would also be a great choice as it is thicker and higher in protein. Almond milk and cashew milk should be good too.
- Maple syrup: I avoid granulated white sugar when I can, so I made it with maple syrup and it worked out great. That being said, you can also make this recipe using regular white sugar!
- Cornstarch: a traditional custard or pastry cream is thickened using egg yolks. In this vegan custard alternative, the sweet cream sauce uses cornstarch as the thickening agent.
- Vanilla: I used vanilla extract for convenience, but if you have real vanilla pods, then you can use this instead. You will need a ½ tablespoon of the extract to get some good flavor into the sweet cream sauce.
- Turmeric powder: this is completely optional, but I like adding a small pinch of turmeric to create a subtle yellow tint typical of a custard. Don't worry, you won't taste it!
⭐️ See below in the recipe card for the complete list with measurements
📝 Recipe variations
I find this vegan custard recipe to be pretty forgiving. You can adjust the consistency slightly for a thin vs thick sauce and add more flavorful ingredients depending on how you want to serve it.
Here are some ideas to try:
- Vegan chocolate pastry cream: add about 2-3 tablespoons of cacao powder to the saucepan and an extra 1-2 tablespoons of sweetener. If the cacao makes your custard too thick, then thin it out with a little extra milk.
- Lemon custard: you can flavor the custard with a hint of lemon zest to lift up the sweetness and give it more brightness.
- Ultra-rich custard: feel free to add some vegan butter for a silky-rich sauce. In that case, I recommend adding 1-2 tablespoons once the custard is done but still warm so that it can melt. If you want to avoid using vegan butter, then a coconut cream would add more fats too.
- Coconut custard: you can also use full-fat coconut milk to make it!
- Coffee custard: add 2 tablespoons of Instant coffee to the saucepan when making the custard.
🍽 How to make vegan pastry cream
Step 1: Add the oat milk, cornstarch, sweetener and vanilla (+ turmeric if using) to a small saucepan.
Step 2: Whisk vigorously until smooth with no clumps visible anymore (before warming up the sauce).
Step 3: Turn on the heat and warm up while whisking almost constantly until thicker. Keep whisking for 30-60 seconds once it starts to simmer.
Step 4: Serve right away for a thinner sauce or chill first for a thicker pastry cream.
⭐️ See below in the recipe card for the complete recipe
💡 Cooking tips
- This vegan vanilla custard is not ultra sweet, perfect to accompany a sweet dessert. But, if you would like to make your custard sweeter, then simply add 1-2 extra tablespoons of sweetener and whisk (as a side note, the sweetness is enhanced once cold).
- Whisking the mixture thoroughly before turning the heat on is a crucial step! Make sure you remove all the lumps before warming the custard.
- And once it is warming up, keep stirring almost constantly. This will prevent the formation of lumps, plus milk tends to overflow easily.
➡️ Adjust consistency
1- My custard is lumpy or grainy
This is a common problem that also occurs with a regular custard recipe. First, make sure to whisk well before heating the custard. If you end up having some lumps anyway and would like to get rid of them, then you can strain the sauce using a fine mesh colander (push it with a large spoon) or give your custard a quick blend (use an immersion blender or regular stand blender).
2- My custard is too thin
This can happen if the cornstarch isn't measured properly or depending on the type of milk you use. In any case, DO NOT add cornstarch to the custard, it would lump. Instead, whisk 1-2 tablespoons extra cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of milk in a small bowl until fully combined. Then, heat the custard and pour the cornstarch slurry into the saucepan while cooking it. Whisk vigorously right away. It should do the trick!
3- My custard is too thick
That's an easy one, just add an extra splash of milk and whisk. Repeat until it reaches the desired consistency!
How to use vegan pastry cream
This sweet vanilla sauce is so versatile and can be used in so many ways!
1- When the custard is still warm or at room temperature, it should be still pourable and perfect to drizzle or dollop over desserts.
2- Once it has cooled down (in the fridge), it turns into more of a pastry cream texture that's thicker and even pipable. Perfect to use as a stuffing cream!
So, depending on how you want to serve it, you might want to plan ahead so you can first cool it down before using it if looking for a thick pipable cream.
Here are a few ways to serve vegan custard:
- Stuffed in donuts (Boston cream-style)
- Cream filling to layer in cakes (like in a vegan strawberry trifle)
- Vegan fruit tart
- Fruit crumbles or crisps
- Eclairs
- Mille-feuilles
- Cream puffs
- Shortcakes
❗️Storage tips and how to use leftovers
If you want to use this vegan custard as a filling cream that holds better for cakes, donuts, eclairs or mille-feuilles, then be sure to make the custard ahead and keep it in the fridge overnight before using, the texture will thicken while storing.
To store it, transfer the warm custard to an airtight container and place a plastic film right over its surface (touching the custard). This will prevent the formation of a film that develops while cooling down.
When ready to use: give it a good whisk and check on consistency. Sometimes, mini lumps can develop while storing (the same thing happens for non-vegan custards too), but you can easily restore the smooth texture by vigorously whisking the custard or blending it.
FAQs
Yes, this recipe is naturally gluten-free!
Scrape the inside of the vanilla pod and add to the milk with the other ingredients.
I do not recommend freezing this recipe. The custard is made primarily with plant milk, which usually does not freeze well (it creates separation).
Usually, you can use arrowroot powder instead of cornstarch in recipes. In that case, I would use a little more, maybe 1-2 tablespoons extra, as I find arrowroot powder to be less efficient at thickening sauces.
Similar recipes to try
I hope you like this vegan pastry cream recipe as much as we do! If you try it, please leave a comment below and rate the recipe to let me know how it was. Your feedback is so helpful!
Let's stay in touch with Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook. Also, don't forget to subscribe to my newsletter to be sure not to miss anything.
📖 Recipe
Vegan Pastry Cream (Custard)
Ingredients
- 2 cups plant-based milk - I used oat milk
- ⅓ cup cornstarch
- ¼ cup sweetener - I used maple syrup (sugar works too)
- ½ tbsp vanilla extract
- pinch of turmeric - optional, for color
Instructions
- To a small saucepan, add all the ingredients and use a whisk to combine (while the milk is still cold). You want to make sure to break all the lumps before heating up, which can take 30 seconds.
- Then, turn the heat to medium and warm up the custard while stirring often (almost constantly to prevent lumps). Once it starts to bubble, keep warming and whisking for another 30 seconds and then remove from the heat.
- You can serve the warm custard right away or cool it down first. Setting it aside for 1-2 hours before serving will help thicken the custard a little more. To prevent the formation of lumps while cooling down, place a plastic wrap right over the custard touching its surface.
Video
Notes
- Storage tips: the custard keeps well in the fridge for 3-4 days. Whisk well before serving and if you notice some lumps or want to recreate a smooth texture after storing it, then you can give it a quick blend.
- For a thicker pastry cream to stuff in donuts or layer in a cake-like trifle, then you can make the custard the day before so it has time to cool down and thicken further.
- Whisking vigorously to break all lumps before warming up the custard mixture is essential to avoid lumps in your cream.
- See the blog post for more cooking tips and ideas on how to serve it!
- Nutrition: please note that the nutritional information is an estimate per serving provided for informational purposes only (calculated by software) and accuracy is not guaranteed. Consult with your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if you need precise nutrition calculations for health reasons.
This was so good and very easy!!
Glad you liked it! 😊
Great sauce! Used it in a layered cake, was perfect.
Is this pastry cream good for using in eclairs?
Hi Angela! Yes, I think it would work. In this case, I would consider making it a little thicker by adding less liquid or a little more cornstarch. I have a few tips in the post on how to adjust consistency that might help. Let me know if you have more questions! 😊