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Homemade Custard Recipe (Pastry Cream) – quick and easy to make, foolproof custard recipe that can be served on its own, or used as a cake, pie, tart and pastry filling.

Homemade custard in a white bowl topped with berries



If you have been following me for a while, you may know I love baking and making pastry.

Even though I try to follow low-carb diet now, this old custard recipe that I originally shared back in June 2014 desperately needed new pictures.

This is by far my favorite way to make pastry cream.

It produces the thickest, most yellow and perfectly sweet custard that does not release water and works well as a filling in pastry, cakes, tarts or donuts. This egg custard is the best!

No more store bought powdered pudding mixes.

This is a homemade pudding made from scratch.

 

What is custard?

Custard is generally referred to as a dessert or sweet sauce made with milk, eggs, and sugar.

Custard is a variety of culinary preparations, based on cooked mixture of milk (cream) and egg yolk.

Some other pastry cream variations I’ve shared with you are: Bavarian Cream and Lightened Up Pastry Cream.

Most popular custards are used as desserts or dessert sauces and include sugar and vanilla.

This custard is not cooked over a double boiler. It is cooked in a saucepan on the stove top at medium-low temperature.

What ingredients do I need to make this custard?

  • egg yolks
  • sugar
  • cornstarch
  • vanilla extract or vanilla bean
  • whole milk
  • butter
Custard in a bowl topped with berries

How to make this homemade Custard (Pastry Cream)?

  1. In a large pot pour milk and half of the sugar and bring to just below boil. Reduce heat to medium.
  2. Keep the milk at low simmer. In a bowl whisk egg yolks.

    In a separate bowl combine the remaining sugar and cornstarch.

    Add egg yolks to the sugar and cornstarch mixture and whisk to combine.

    !!! DO NOT MIX THE sugar, egg yolks and cornstarch too far in advance(no more than 2-3 minutes), do it when the milk is starting to boil and you are ready to add them to it.

    Add 1 cup from the warm milk and carefully mix, then add mixture to the remaining warm milk and heat gently (on low heat), stirring with a wooden spoon or a whisk.

    Keep stirring until custard thickens, or for 3-5 minutes.

  3. Turn off heat and add butter, which will thicken the custard even more, after it cools down.

    Add vanilla.Stir again and remove from heat.

    You can strain custard to get rid of any lumps.

  4. Transfer to a bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap on top.

    Cool to room temperature.

  5. Serve at room temperature or cold.

    Homemade custard in a small cup

Why is my egg custard watery?

There are many reasons why custard could turn into a watery, unusable (but not inedible) thing.

I can say that if you follow my instructions you shouldn’t run into the watery custard problem.

Here are a few reasons why egg custard might not set properly and be watery:

  1. The recipe and ratio of ingredients definitely can be the main reason.
  2. Custard made with whole eggs vs egg yolks might be more watery, because egg whites can thin it.
  3. Not using the correct amount of cornstarch may result in a egg custard that is not thick enough.
  4. Mixing the egg yolks, sugar and cornstarch too far in advance may cause the custard to become watery when cooked.
  5. The amount of milk is too much and the custard can not thicken.
  6. Not cooking the custard long enough. This homemade pastry cream needs to be cooked until thickened and it should coat the back of the spatula you are stirring it with.
  7. Bubbles should start to appear in the custard when done, make sure you stir constantly.
  8. Then you cook for 1 extra minute after you get the desired thickness, stirring constantly so it does not burn.

What temperature does egg custard set at?

This is for cornstarch thickened custards.

If you are not sure whether your custard is done, you may want to use a pastry thermometer.

Custard making is a delicate operation. A temperature increase of 3–6 °C (5–10 °F) leads to overcooking and curdling. Generally, the 

temperature of a fully cooked starch thickened custard should be around 185 °F, it begins setting at 70 °C(~160 °F).

Make sure you cook at 185 F for a minute, but not more than this, since custard will overcook and become watery.

Cornstarch Based Custard Not Thickening, a Troubleshooting guide:

I’ve received some questions and concerns from readers stating that this egg yolk and cornstarch is not thickening.

Here are the main reasons why custard may not thicken:

  • Make sure you mix the sugar and cornstarch together with the egg yolks no more than 3-4 minutes, before you add them to the hot milk.
  • While I have not had issues with this, some readers are pointing out that if you mix them together too far in advance, custard may turn watery, due to the cornstarch looking its custard setting power.
  • Don’t overcook the custard.
  • It needs to be cooked to 185 F-190 F but only for 1 minute, then remove from the heat. Reaching temperatures beyond 190 F will cause watery, overcooked custard.
  • Egg yolks have a starch digesting enzyme called alpha-amylase. In order for a successful thickening of the custard in the recipe, the enzyme has to be killed by cooking the custard almost to1850190 F).
  • Otherwise the left-over enzymes digest all of the nice firm starch gel and your custard is nothing but liquid. (All other custard cooking methods without starch can curdle if cooked beyond 185 degrees.)

Some reputable sources on that issue:

https://joepastry.com/2013/egg-yolks-the-enzyme-problem/
https://www.craftybaking.com/learn/baked-goods/custard/problems-and-solutions/

Is custard made with eggs?

There are many variations of the traditional custard recipes and every single one of them uses different amounts and ratios of ingredients.

Some recipes call for whole eggs, others for egg yolks only.

If you are looking for thick, foolproof homemade custard recipe, I recommend using egg yolks only.

Feel free to check out my Bulgarian Funiiki Cookies Recipe, where I fill the cream horns with homemade custard made with whole eggs.

Can it be frozen?

I personally would not freeze a batch of custard, because it does not freeze well and has a tendency to separate, once defrosted.

If you make donuts for example and fill them with custard, you can freeze them.

But I don’t recommend freezing custard cakes and tarts.

Making a custard ice cream is a different story.

Most of the time (of not all) you ned to use an ice cream machine to churn the ice cream.

Baked Custard

This is not a baked custard recipe.

Baked custard usually contains whole eggs.

Creme caramel or Flan is a variation of baked custard.

When preparing baked custard, you make the egg, milk and sugar mixture, place in oven safe cups (or bowls) and bake at 300-350 F in a water bath until he custard thickens.

 How to serve custard?

I enjoy eating it by the spoon full topped with some fresh berries.

You can always drizzle some chocolate sauce or sprinkle some nuts or shredded coconut on top.

Egg yolk Custard in a bowl with a spoon

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Homemade custard in a white bowl topped with berries
5 from 53 votes

Homemade Custard Recipe (Pastry Cream)

By Lyubomira L
Homemade Custard Recipe
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Total: 25 minutes
Servings: 8

Ingredients 

  • 4 large egg yolks
  • 1 2/3 cups whole milk
  • 1/2 cup sugar, divided
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3 tbsp cornstarch, (can use cornflour) TABLESPOONS
  • 1 oz soft butter, unsalted

Instructions 

  • In a large pot pour milk and half of the sugar and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium.
  • Keep the milk at low simmer. In a bowl whisk egg yolks. In a separate bowl combine the remaining sugar and cornstarch. Add egg yolks to the sugar and cornstarch mixture and whisk to combine.
    DO NOT MIX THE sugar, egg yolks and cornstarch too far in advance, do it when the milk is starting to boil and you are ready to add them to it.
    Add 1 cup from the warm milk and carefully mix, then add mixture to the remaining warm milk and heat gently (on low heat), stirring with a wooden spoon or a whisk. Keep stirring until custard thickens, or for 3-5 minutes. This custard needs to be cooked to 185 F in order for it to become thick and not turn wattery in the fridge.
  • Turn off heat and add butter, which will thicken the custard even more, after it cools down. Add vanilla.Stir again and remove from heat. You can strain custard to get rid of any lumps.
  • Transfer to a bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap on top. Cool to room temperature.
  • Serve at room temperature or cold.

Nutrition

Calories: 415kcal, Carbohydrates: 33g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 29g, Saturated Fat: 17g, Cholesterol: 170mg, Sodium: 259mg, Potassium: 177mg, Sugar: 31g, Vitamin A: 1035IU, Calcium: 156mg, Iron: 0.4mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Tried this recipe?Mention @cookinglsl or tag #cookinglsl!

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Hi! I'm Mira.

I share simple, mostly low-carb and Keto recipes, that don't take a lot of time to make and use mostly seasonal, easy to find ingredients. I'm a supporter of healthy eating, but you'll also find some indulgent treats too.

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148 Comments

  1. Wow, amazing blog!!! I really love your recipes and the photos are just perfect!!! Thanks for sharing ♥

  2. So, I dont know if I goofed somewhere, but my custard turned out super liquidy. It is still really good and I’ve stuck it in the freezer so I can have frozen custard.

    I’m curious as to what I did wrong so I can fix it next time.

    1. Just made this about 2 minutes ago. I used half 2% and half whipping cream and added salt because I wanted a little more depth. I didnt strain it because I like lumpy pudding …no idea why. Good lord this stuff is incredible!!!!! I’ll be making it again for sure !

  3. If by “custard” you want “yellow colored water”, then use this recipe. Otherwise, skip it.

    1. It is impossible to get a “yellow colored water” if you used my recipe. There was obviously something that was done wrong.The amount of cornstarch and sugar and if you only use egg yolks will not result in a watery custard and I stand by my recipe.

    2. Jordan: I’m pretty confident that you mis-measured  something. Perhaps the cornstarch was measured in teaspoons and not tablespoons. 

    3. I use this recipe all the time and never once has it failed me. A very simple recipe to follow and absolutely delicious ? !!! 

  4. Mine turned out so perfect and firm.

    This recipe is right on !!

    Sorry to hear comments about liquidity because that is not the case ,..

    1. Thank you Julia! So glad that it worked for you, it is my goal to provide foolproof recipes, I have background in desserts and pastry and it was hard to believe that it was liquid. Have a great day!

  5. Mine turned out extremely watery as well. I even cooked it for longer than the recipe said, but nothing helped. I followed it exactly. I have no idea where I went wrong.

    1. Sorry, for some reason I can not recreate the issue. If you use the exact amount of cornstarch it should not be watery. If you cook on a very high heat, it may curdle. This is basically like a cooked pudding recipe, the amount of cornstarch to liquid should not produce a watery custard. I’ve tested it so many times.

  6. I made two batches of this, and both turned out perfectly! It has a great consistency (and taste!). Everyone in my family loves it, even those who don’t normally like custard that much. As long as you follow the instructions and proportions, you’ll end up with a beautiful dessert. Thank you for sharing this great recipe!

  7. So delicious. Can not understand why some people are getting watery custard. I didn’t even use cornstarch/flour. I used all purpose flour and it had the exact effect. Love this recipes!

    1. Hi Kirra,
      Glad it worked for you! It is my favorite custard recipe. I still can’t figure out why people get watery custard…

  8. Your instructions do not include adding the 3 1/2 tablespoons of cornstarch. Following your instructions perfectly will result in watery custard every time. Most of the folks who are getting perfect custard know how to cook and how to add cornstarch to a hot liquid to thicken it up. Novice cooks will get watery custard… because they followed your instructions perfectly.

    1. The instructions did include flour which can be used instead of cornstarch. Also there is a video showing step by step how to make the custard. Thanks for pointing out.

  9. Hi this sounds great. I cannot have sugar. Do you think this will work without sugar?
    Thanks. I so miss thick custard!!

    1. Thanks! You do need to use a granulated sugar substitute (like splenda or erythritol), otherwise it will not work.

  10. Quite liquid compared to other custards I have made. Can cornstarch go inactive? Will be having my 4 egg whites for breakfast tomorrow.

    1. Hi,
      It is very strange that it is liquid, but yes, cornstarch can get inactive if it was opened for a long time in humid environment. Please look at the video above the recipe, this is how I make it every single time and it is thick.Sounds like under or overcooked custard… In both cases it can turn liquid. Cook until thickened and it coats the spoon you are stirring with. (can use a silicone whisk to stir while cooking, make sure you do it constantly). Please let me know if any questions.