This chocolate pastry cream is easier than you think and more delicious than you’d expect! Learn to flavor classic pastry cream using cocoa powder and melted chocolate chips.
If you’ve already made my classic vanilla pastry cream (aka creme patissiere), you know how transformative a good custard can be. It’s the kind of recipe that turns simple ingredients into an elevated product.
Now, meet its equally impressive family member: chocolate pastry cream! Same silky, spoonable base. Same foolproof technique. But, with the addition of cocoa powder and chocolate chips, you get a deeply rich, luscious filling.
This is the kind of filling that belongs inside éclairs, layered into cakes, piped into cream puffs, or just eaten straight from the bowl with a spoon. No judgment here!
Ingredients
- 2 cups Milk :: This works with whole milk or 2% milk
- ¾ cup Granulated Sugar
- 4 Large Egg Yolks
- 2 Tbsp Unsweetened Cocoa Powder (dutch processed or natural)
- 2 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
- 2 oz Chocolate Chips (I recommend dark or semi-sweet)
- ¼ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- ¼ cup Cornstarch
How to Make Chocolate Pastry Cream
Step 1: Warm the milk
In a medium heavy bottomed saucepan, heat up milk and some of the sugar until it starts simmering. Meanwhile, as you wait, whisk together egg yolks, cornstarch, cocoa powder, and remaining sugar in a separate bowl.
Step 2: Temper the Eggs
This part is important! Slowly pour a little of the hot milk in to the egg mixture (about 1/4 cup at a time) while constantly whisking together ensure eggs don’t scramble!
Once most of the milk has been poured into the egg mixture, pour the egg-milk mixture back into the saucepan.
Step 3: Heat Until Thickened
Heat mixture over medium heat. Stir often to ensure mixture does not burn along the sides of the pan. The mixture will thicken as it cooks. Let boil for about 15 seconds to cook out starchy taste from the cornstarch.
Step 4: Add Butter and Chocolate
Remove pan from heat. Add butter, chocolate chips, and salt. Stir until butter and chocolate are fully melted and incorporated.
Step 5: Chill
The hot chocolate pastry cream needs to cooled immediately! This is for two reasons: 1) it will thicken to the proper texture as it cools and 2) cool down the cream ASAP to inhibit the growth of bacteria.
There are two ways to cool the cream down:
- Traditionally, it is cooled using an ice water bath. The method is effective, but quite wasteful. This method was highly frowned upon by restaurants I worked at. Not everyone has access to lots of ice.
- Second method that I high recommended- quickly chill shock the cream using the freezer. Pour pastry cream into the plastic wrap prepared baking sheet. Spread into an even layer. Cover the surface directly with plastic wrap.
- Pop in the freezer for 15 minutes until cream has cooled to room temperature. Remove from freezer and transfer pastry cream into an airtight container. Keep chilled in the fridge until ready to use.
Notes and Tips for Success
Use a stainless steel sauce pan or pot to cook the pastry cream. Do not use an aluminum pan. The aluminum pan will react with the cooked cream causing it to turn slightly green or gray in color.
Cook egg based recipes “low and slow.” This is to prevent the eggs from curdling. But, also to prevent unwanted “eggy” flavor that comes from high heat.
Have your mis en place ready! French for “everything in its place.” This means have all your ingredients portioned out and your all tools/equipment ready before you begin. Pastry cream cooks very quickly and it can burn!
Whisk before using. After chilling, the cream will be quite firm. Give it a good whisk (or a few pulses in a stand mixer) to loosen it up and restore that smooth, creamy texture before piping.
Make Ahead and Storage
Chocolate pastry cream can be made up to 3 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator, tightly covered with plastic wrap pressed directly against the surface.
How to Use Chocolate Pastry Cream
Once your chocolate pastry cream is chilled and ready, grab a spoon and dig in! Or, try it in these recipes:
- Eclairs, cream puffs and choux au craquelin
- Tarts – spoon into a tart shell
- Layer Cake – use a filling between cake layers for a decadent dessert
- Crepes – stack a Gâteau de Crêpes or fill brunch crepes
- Donuts – fill yeast donuts for a sweet surprise!
Chocolate Pastry Cream
Ingredients
- 30 g cornstarch (¼ cup)
- 150 g granulated sugar (¾ cup), divided
- 10 g unsweetened cocoa powder (2 Tablespoons), sift if clumpy before using
- 4 large egg yolks
- 454 g whole milk (2 cups or 475 ml), divided
- 28 g unsalted butter (2 Tablespoons)
- 58 g chocolate chips (2 oz or about ⅓ cup)
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt or fine sea salt
Instructions
- Line a half-sheet baking pan with plastic wrap, ensuring the sides of the pan are also covered. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together cornstarch, about ½ cup of sugar, and cocoa powder. Add in egg yolks and about ½ cup of milk. Whisk until smooth. Set aside.
- Pour remaining milk into a heavy bottomed sauce pot. Add remaining sugar. Set over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally to ensure the milk does not burn along the sides or bottom of the pan.
- When the milk has boiled, slowly add about ¼ cup of hot milk into the egg mixture. Whisk constantly to distribute the heat. Continue to pour more milk until a couple tablespoons are left in the saucepan. Then pour the egg-milk mixture back into the saucepan.
- Reduce to medium heat. Switch to a spatula. Stir constantly until the custard has thickened. To cook the cornstarch out, heat the custard until it boils for about 10-15 seconds. Remove from heat.
- Stir in butter, chocolate chips, and salt until smooth.
- Pour pastry cream into a plastic wrapped sheet pan. Spread evenly. Cover surface directly with plastic wrap and freeze for 15 minutes* until pastry cream has cooled to room temperature
- Remove from freezer. Transfer to another container. Cover surface directly with plastic wrap. Keep chilled in the fridge until ready to use.
Revive Chilled Pastry Cream:
- Remove from fridge. Place in a large mixing bowl. Loosen the chilled pastry cream using a sturdy whisk. Or, place in a stand mixer and beat with whisk or paddle attachment. (Also works with beaters of an electric hand mixer.) Beat until smooth and creamy.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!FAQs
Yes. Just keep in mind that milk chocolate chips will result in a sweeter pastry cream. You could even use peanut butter chips to make a chocolate peanut butter combo.
The chocolate pastry cream will be rather stiff directly chilled from the fridge. Give it a good whisk or quick beat with a hand mixer to loosen it to a pipe-able consistency.
