This gorgeously rich pastry cream tastes like pistachio gelato. It's silky smooth, rich and creamy, and bursting with pistachio flavor.
This tried-and-true pistachio pastry cream is simple to make, remarkably stable, and comes out perfect every time. It's rich and thick enough to use as a filling for cream pies and layer cakes (hello, pistachio cream cake), or use it to make a pistachio version of the classic Napoleon dessert.
It's also creamy enough to easily pipe into pastries like eclairs and cream puffs.
Thanks to a bit of gelatin, this pastry cream will hold its own at room temperature for hours without breaking down and can even be frozen.
Ingredients needed to prepare this recipe
This recipe begins with my favorite tried-and-true pastry cream recipe. I've been making this pastry cream for decades and it's a key ingredient in over 16 recipes on this website alone!
Pastry cream is simply a cooked custard thickened with cornstarch and, in this recipe, a bit of gelatin.
For this pistachio version, I simply added a generous amount of pistachio paste, which is made from super find ground pistachios. This is the brand I use:
How to freeze pastry cream
According to the entire internet, you cannot freeze pastry cream. But, friends, I am here to tell you that you CAN, in fact, freeze this pastry cream because of one superstar ingredient: gelatin.
Yes, the recipe also includes cornstarch and freezing things thickened with cornstarch generally results in a gloppy, gluey mess. But, simply add some gelatin and you can freeze the pastry cream with abandon. The consistency after it has thawed will still be perfectly creamy and delicious. It's magical.
- Freeze the filling BEFORE adding the pistachio paste or whipped cream (if using). Let the pastry cream cool in the refrigerator completely. Then, make sure it's in an air-tight container or a bowl that's well wrapped and put it in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Allow the frozen pastry cream to thaw in the refrigerator overnight or at room temperature for about 3-4 hours. Once thawed, follow the recipe instructions to add the pistachio past and whipped cream (if using).
Use pistachio pastry cream to make a pistachio cream cake
This pistachio cream cake is like an actual mic drop for your next dinner party or birthday party or anything party. It's what we like to call a show stopper and so good it's guaranteed to impress everyone you choose to share it with.
Get the recipe: Pistachio Cream Cake
More pastry cream filled recipes
- Chocolate Cream Pie
- Coconut Cream Cake with Coconut Pastry Cream
- Olive Oil Cake with Lemon Mascarpone Pastry Cream
- Perfect Chocolate Eclairs {Filled with Pastry Cream}
- Napoleon Dessert | Mille Feuille Cream Pastry
- Banana Cream Cake
- Black Bottom Banana Cream Pie with Vanilla Wafer Crust
- How to Make Profiteroles {French Cream Puffs}
Pistachio pastry cream is a building block recipe
Building block recipes are tried-and-true recipes that I consider foundational to great home baking. They are the kind of recipes I come back to over and over again, sometimes baking them as is, but often using them as a jumping off point to create something new. > Scroll through all Building Block recipes.
If you give this recipe a try, let me know! Scroll down to rate this recipe and leave a comment for me.
Happy baking!
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📖 Recipe
Pistachio Pastry Cream
This gorgeously rich pastry cream tastes like pistachio gelato. It's silky smooth, rich and creamy, and bursting with pistachio flavor.
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ teaspoons (6.9 grams) unflavored powdered gelatin
- 1 tablespoon cold water
- 9 large egg yolks (*See note below for ideas about what to do with the egg whites.)
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons (45 grams) cornstarch
- 3 cups (681 grams) whole milk
- ¾ cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt, OR ¼ teaspoon table salt
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons almond extract
- 12 ounces pistachio paste
- 1 cup (227 grams) heavy whipping cream, *optional - see note below
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Instructions
- In a small dish, stir the gelatin and water together to combine. There should be just enough water to moisten the gelatin, creating a rubbery paste. Set aside.
- Add the egg yolks and cornstarch to a medium size bowl and beat with a wire whisk to combine. Set the bowl on a kitchen towel somewhere close to the stovetop. (This will keep the bowl from sliding around on the counter when you whisk in the hot milk.)
- Set a 1 or 2 cup heat proof measuring cup next to the stovetop, preferably one with a pour spout.
- Add the milk, sugar, and salt to a 3-quart or larger heavy bottomed saucepan and stir to combine. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, just until it barely begins to boil. Remove the pan from the heat.
- Pour at least one cup of the hot milk into the measuring cup. Slowly pour the hot milk from the measuring cup into the egg yolks; pour slowly and whisk constantly. Then, slowly pour everything back into the saucepan and set it over low heat. (You want to continue to heat the eggs slowly so they won’t scramble.)
- Cook, stirring constantly, until the custard is thick. As soon as thickens to the consistency of pudding, remove from the heat and whisk for about 20 seconds longer. Pour the pastry cream into a bowl.
- Break the gelatin into small pieces, dropping them onto the hot pastry cream. Let stand for about 20 seconds to let the gelatin to melt, then stir until the gelatin is completely incorporated. Stir in the vanilla and almond extract.
- Cover with plastic wrap, pressing the wrap over the surface of the pastry cream. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours and up to 48 hours. (*At this point, the pastry cream can be frozen for up to 3 months. Scroll up for instructions about how to freeze pastry cream.)
- Remove the pastry cream from the refrigerator and add the pistachio paste. Use an electric mixer to blend the pistachio paste into the pastry cream, beating on low to medium speed until it's completely blended in.
- If using whipped cream:Using an electric mixer, whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Add the pistachio pastry cream to the whipped cream and beat on medium speed with an electric mixer to combine, about 1 minute.
Notes
Use the leftover egg whites to make:
Egg whites can also be frozen. For easy portioning, freeze egg whites in an ice cube tray, then transfer to a freezer bag once frozen.
When to add heavy whipping cream to pastry cream:
Folding whipped cream into pastry cream lightens it and creates a fluffy, mousse-like texture. Add it when using pistachio pastry cream to fill pastries like cream puffs, eclairs, or to make a pistachio napoleon. In general, you don't want to add whipped cream when using pistachio pastry cream as a filling for cakes (like in this pistachio cream cake) because the pastry cream will not be thick and sturdy enough to hold its own in between layers of cake.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 9 Serving Size: ½ cupAmount Per Serving: Calories: 510Total Fat: 34gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 21gCholesterol: 243mgSodium: 351mgCarbohydrates: 37gFiber: 4gSugar: 25gProtein: 18g
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