Name: Dulce De Leche Pastry Cream
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 2 h 20 min
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 3 Large Egg yolks; 3 Tablespoons Granulated Sugar + 1 Tablespoon Granulated Sugar; 3 Tablespoon Cornstarch/ Cornflour; 8oz (1 Cup) Whole Milk; 1/4 Teaspoon Salt; 2 Tablespoons Butter, cold and diced; 1 Teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract; 2oz Dulce de Leche, store-bought is fine

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!

dulce de leche pastry cream in a glass bowl with a metal whisk on a grey background

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.

Jump to:

What is pastry cream
What ingredients do you need to make dulce de leche pastry cream
How do you make Dulce de Leche Pastry Cream
Craving more Dulce de Leche? Try my:
Recipe Card
Recipe Ratings & Comments

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 such profiteroles, eclairs, napoleons.

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.

egg yolks and cornstarch in a small glass bowl

egg and cornstarch mixture whisked in a small glass bowl

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.

milk in a small saucepan on a grey background with a blue linen

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.

pastry cream in a small glass bowl before cooking

pastry cream mixture before cooking in a small metal saucepan

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.

butter, vanilla extract, and dulce de leche added to pastry cream in a small saucepan on a grey background with a blue linen

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.

dulce de leche pastry cream in a small metal pot on a grey background with a blue linen

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.

plastic wrap on top of dulce de leche pastry cream in a plastic container on a grey background

Craving more Dulce de Leche? Try my:

★★★★★ Please let me know if you make this recipe by leaving a star rating and comment below!

Make sure to join our Newsletter and follow us on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, & Twitter.

Recipe Card