You will love Dule de Leche Pastry Cream!! Pastry Cream (Creme Patissiere) is a delicious creamy filling for napoleons, profiteroles, tarts, cakes and more! This easy recipe for dulce de leche pastry cream has step-by-step photos so you can succeed in cooking pastry cream!
I was always scared of pastry cream, the thought of making it made me stay away. Now you can't get me to stop making it. Check out my recipes for coffee pastry cream, chocolate pastry cream, and classic vanilla bean pastry cream.
Let's get to the recipe.
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What is pastry cream
Pastry cream is just a thick creamy custard. Made by cooking egg yolks and milk. It is commonly used to fill cakes, tarts, and French pastries
What ingredients do you need to make dulce de leche pastry cream
- Large Egg, yolks only save the egg whites for meringue cookies
- Granulated Sugar or Caster Sugar
- Cornstarch/ Cornflour
- Whole Milk
- Salt
- Butter, cold
- Pure Vanilla Extract
- Dulce de Leche
How do you make Dulce de Leche Pastry Cream
In a medium bowl add the egg yolks, corn starch and 3 tablespoons of sugar. Whisk for two minutes, the mixture should be much lighter in color.
If you want a thicker/ sturdier pastry cream use the full 3 tablespoons of cornstarch/ cornflour. If you prefer a looser/ runnier pastry cream use 1 ½ Tablespoons.
Over low-medium heat cook whole milk, salt, and remaining 1 Tablespoon of sugar in a medium saucepan. Let the mixture cook for a couple of minutes to warm it up - do not boil the milk.
Once the milk mixture is warmed slowly add a little bit to the egg mixture and whisk to combine. This is tempering the eggs, which prevents them from scrambling! Once the eggs have been warmed by the small addition of milk add all of the milk slowly and whisk to combine.
Add the whole mixture back to the pot. Whisking constantly cook over low-medium heat for another couple of minutes. The mixture will slowly, then quickly thicken up. Watch for the mixture to "burp" bubbles- they will pop on the surface. Once this happens take the pot off the heat immediately.
Add the cold cubed butter to help cool the mixture and stop the cooking process. Next, add the vanilla extract and dulce de leche, whisk vigorously to combine.
Let the mixture cool then pour into an air-tight container and place plastic wrap on top and push directly on top of the cream- this helps prevent a thick skin from forming. Place the container in the fridge to chill for at least two hours or up to three days.
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★★★★★ Please let me know if you make this recipe by leaving a star rating and comment below!
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Dulce De Leche Pastry Cream
You will love Dule de Leche Pastry Cream!! Pastry Cream (Creme Patissiere) is a delicious creamy filling for napoleons, profiteroles, tarts, cakes and more! This easy recipe for dulce de leche pastry cream has step-by-step photos so you can succeed in cooking pastry cream!
- Total Time: 2 Hours 20 Minutes
- Yield: 10oz (1 ¼ Cups) 1x
Ingredients
- 3 Large Egg yolks
- 3 Tablespoons Granulated Sugar + 1 Tablespoon Granulated Sugar
- 3 Tablespoon Cornstarch/ Cornflour
- 8oz (1 Cup) Whole Milk
- ¼ Teaspoon Salt
- 2 Tablespoons Butter, cold and diced
- 1 Teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
- 2oz Dulce de Leche, store-bought is fine
Instructions
- In a medium bowl whisk together the egg yolks, corn starch and 3 tablespoons of sugar. Whisk for two minutes, the mixture should be much lighter in color.
- In a medium saucepan over low-medium heat add the whole milk, salt, and remaining 1 Tablespoon of sugar. Let cook for a couple of minutes to warm it up - do not boil the milk.
- Once the milk mixture is warmed slowly add a little bit to the egg mixture and whisk to combine. Then add all of the milk slowly and whisk to combine.
- Add mixture back to the pot and cook over low-medium heat for another couple of minutes, whisking constantly. The mixture will thicken up. You want it quite thick, the mixture will "burp" bubbles will pop on the surface- this shows it is done.
- Take off the heat and immediately add the cold butter to help cool the mixture and stop cooking. Add vanilla extract and dulce de leche. Then pour into an air-tight container, place plastic wrap on top and push directly on top this helps prevent a thick skin from forming. Let chill in the fridge for at least two hours or up to three days.
Equipment
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Notes
If you want a thicker/ sturdier pastry cream use the full 3 tablespoons of cornstarch/ cornflour. If you prefer a looser/ runnier pastry cream use 1 ½ Tablespoons.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 10
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Cook
- Cuisine: French
Keywords: Pastry cream, dulce de leche,
Aja Anderson says
Well this was probably one of the most delicious things I’ve ever made or eaten. Wow! It was so easy and I can’t wait to force everyone to try it 🙂 I did add probably whole cup of dulce de leche. Thanks for the recipe!
★★★★★
Elizabeth Waterson says
Thanks for the feedback Aja, this is probably my favorite flavor pastry cream I use it in eclairs and napoleons! So happy you loved it as much as me!
Connie Knapp says
Where do you purchase dulce de Leche? Is it caned or a solid? I’ve heard of it, but I’ve only seen it in the caned milk section of the store.
Elizabeth Waterson says
Hi Connie, thanks for reaching out. I buy it at most major supermarkets- Ralphs, Walmart, Target, Stater Brothers. You could also make it from a can of sweetened condensed milk as I do in my Banoffee Pie Recipe. Please let me know if I can help with anything else!! XX Liz
Bola says
Thank you
Bles says
Hi i would like to make this as a filling for a boston pie cake for a potluck.Do you think it will be fine to keep it for a few hours outside. thanx
Elizabeth Waterson says
Hi Bles, thank you for reaching out. It depends, if it's hot outside I probably wouldn't but if it is cool that should be okay for an hour or two, I would make sure the ckae has been properly chilled before tho, if it hasn't the custard, will slide. Make sure you make the pastry cream thick, you might want to increase the cornstarch by 1/2-1 more tablespoons, you can always add a bit of milk to thin it out if it's too thick but you can't thicken it after it's made. I've never made a Boston cream cake but I know it usually doesn't have frosting holding the filling in-so assuming you would need a thicker pastry cream/ custard filling. Sorry, I don't have a better answer for you. Please let me know how you get on! XX Liz