Pumpkin Pastry Cream

By
Rebecca Franklin
Rebecca Franklin
Rebecca Franklin is a freelance lifestyle writer and recipe developer. Her expertise is in French cuisine, which she writes about and teaches.
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Updated on 03/8/22
Pumpkin pie

Steve@Colorado / Getty Images
Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 10 mins
Chill: 60 mins
Total: 75 mins
Servings: 50 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
16 Calories
1g Fat
2g Carbs
1g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 50
Amount per serving
Calories 16
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 1g 1%
Saturated Fat 0g 1%
Cholesterol 15mg 5%
Sodium 7mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 2g 1%
Dietary Fiber 0g 0%
Total Sugars 1g
Protein 1g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 8mg 1%
Iron 0mg 1%
Potassium 14mg 0%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

This pumpkin pastry cream recipe, a truly delicious replica of spiced pumpkin pie custard, can be used in profiteroles, Napoleons, éclairs, tarts, and Génoise cake. The use of crème patisserie is limited only by your imagination; grace a simple or an elaborate French dessert recipe with it. The results will be equally delicious.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup whole milk

  • 3 large egg yolks

  • 1/4 cup pumpkin puree

  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar

  • 1/8 cup all-purpose flour

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  • 1 pinch grated nutmeg

  • 1 pinch ground cloves

  • 2 tablespoons, plus 2 teaspoons cornstarch

  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Steps to Make It

  1. In a small saucepan, warm the milk over low heat until it is just hot enough to steam. While the milk is warming, whisk together the egg yolks, pumpkin, sugar, flour, spices, and cornstarch until the mixture is completely smooth.

  2. Once the milk is steaming, add half of it, whisking constantly, to the pumpkin mixture. Add the milk and pumpkin back into the hot milk, continue stirring, and heat it for 1 to 2 minutes, until the custard reaches 170 F on a digital thermometer and is very thick. Remove from the heat, stir in the vanilla extract, and chill the pumpkin pastry cream before using it.

  3. This pumpkin pastry cream recipe makes enough pastry cream to fill 1 standard pastry or cake recipe.