Chocolate Pastry Cream (Italian Recipe)

Italian Chocolate Pastry Cream (Crema Pasticcera)—Chocolaty, creamy, smooth, and rich, this Chocolate Italian Pastry Cream is the best filling for crostata, pastries, cakes, and more! It’s an easy 15-minute recipe and 100% delicious.

Crema pasticcera al ciocolato (aka chocolate crème patisserie) or chocolate crème patisserie cream is a standard and most common ingredient in zeppole di San Giuseppe, Italian crostata di frutta, and Italian cream crumb cake.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

It’s the creamy, custardy filling in common Italian tarts, layer cakes, and pastries. Once you make this you will be hooked! You can even use it to fill these Authentic Sicilian Cannoli Recipe!

You can make this chocolate version or the original vanilla recipe with a hint of lemon- Italian Pastry Cream. Also, this variation is- Best Italian Pistachio Cream!

Simple Ingredients

All you need are six ingredients and a relatively simple process to perfect chocolate creme patisserie every single time!

• Egg yolks – Provide richness and help thicken the cream for a velvety, spoonable texture.
• Granulated sugar – Sweetens the custard and balances the intensity of the chocolate.
• Cornstarch – Gently thickens the cream without making it heavy; essential for that smooth, pudding-like consistency.
• Dark chocolate, broken into chunks or small pieces – The star ingredient that melts into the hot cream for deep, intense chocolate flavor. Choose a good-quality bar (60–70%).
• Milk – Forms the base of the cream and keeps it light while still rich and luscious.
• Vanilla bean – Adds beautiful aroma and depth; scraping the seeds directly into the milk makes it extra luxurious. You can also use 1 tsp of high-quality vanilla extract.
• Cocoa powder – Just 1 tablespoon intensifies the chocolate flavor and gives the cream an even deeper, darker color.

See the recipe card for quantities and the full recipe. Leftover egg whites? Make Soft Italian Amaretti Cookies (Sardinian Recipe)!

Variations

• You can add extra flavor to this delicious chocolate pastry cream with the likes of cinnamon, alcohol like rum or bourbon, grand marnier, espresso for a mocha twist, and extracts such as mint or orange, etc. Try my Creme Caramel (Italian Flan Recipe).
• For less sugar content, use some of the sugar with a granulated sweetener like erythritol/stevia. I don’t recommend substituting entire amount.
• Add a little espresso powder to enhance the chocolate flavor without making this pastry cream taste like coffee. If using add it to the milk/cream right from the very beginning when heating it. You’ll love my authentic tiramisu recipe.
• For a dairy-free version of this recipe, you can use plant-based milk.

How to Make Chocolate Pastry Cream

This chocolate pastry cream (crema pasticcera) or crème patissière is perfect served with profiteroles and Napoleons, inside a pie crust, or as a cake filling. The options are endless!

Step #1: In a medium mixing bowl, whip the egg yolks and sugar with an electric mixer until light and foamy, about 5 minutes.

Step #2: Heat the milk on low heat in a saucepan. Add the vanilla bean (or extract). Stir to combine. When the milk is hot, remove it from the heat.

Step #3: Add the cornstarch and cocoa powder to the egg yolk and sugar mixture and beat to combine.

Step #4: Beat for a few minutes to fully incorporate.

Step #5: Using a whisk, start adding the beaten egg, sugar, and cornstarch mixture, a little bit at a time, to the milk.

Keep cooking on very low heat until the chocolate cream is thickened.

Step #6: When the cream is well thickened (it will stick to the back of a spoon and not drip off), remove from heat and add the chocolate. Stir until the chocolate is melted and smooth with the cream.

Step #7: Stir to combine the chocolate into the pastry cream.

Step #8: Immediately pour it into a cold glass container.

While cooling, cover the cream with plastic wrap, keeping it in contact with the cream. This step is to avoid forming a skin on the cream’s surface. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours for it to set.

What Is The Best Chocolate For Pastry Cream?

Use semisweet or dark chocolate with 50–75% cocoa for a rich, deep chocolate flavor. I personally love 70% dark chocolate—it creates a beautifully balanced cream that’s not too sweet.

Not sure which cocoa percentage to pick? Use this quick guide:

• Prefer milk chocolate? Choose 50–60% cocoa.
• Love dark chocolate? Go for 65% and up—even 80% if you’re into bold, intense flavor.

My go-to brands for high-quality chocolate:

• Ghirardelli (bars or chips)
• Guittard
• Godiva

My Pro Tip

Recipe Tips

• Use room temperature, high-quality eggs — Only the yolks are used for richness and color.
• Whip the egg yolks and sugar — Beat until thick, pale, and creamy using an electric mixer for best results.
• Temper the eggs — Slowly whisk hot milk into the yolks before combining everything to prevent curdling.
• Use whole milk — It gives the cream body and flavor without being too heavy.
• Choose cornstarch over flour — It creates a lighter, silkier texture.
• Whisk constantly while cooking — Don’t stop stirring! It prevents lumps and ensures even thickening.
• Stick to the recipe exactly — Pastry cream is all about technique. A few seconds can make a difference!
• Look for the right consistency — The final cream should be smooth, glossy, and thick—never eggy or grainy.
• Flavor matters — Use good-quality dark chocolate and real vanilla (bean or pure extract) for rich, balanced flavor.

More Italian Dessert Recipes

Penne Pomodoro (Tomato Pasta Recipe)

Homemade Pizza Margherita (Authentic Italian)

Italian Sausage Sandwich

Homemade Pistachio Butter

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5 from 3 votes

Chocolate Pastry Cream Recipe

By: Elena Davis

Servings: 4 -6 servings

Prep: 5 minutes mins

Cook: 10 minutes mins

Total: 15 minutes mins

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Chocolaty, creamy, smooth, and rich this Chocolate Italian Pastry Cream is the best filling for crostata, pastries, cakes, and more! Easy and 100% delicious. 

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 4 medium egg yolks, yolks ONLY
• ▢ 80 g granulated sugar, ½ cup
• ▢ 40 g cornstarch, ⅓ cup
• ▢ 100 g chocolate, 3.5 oz , broken into chunks or small pieces
• ▢ ½ liter whole milk, 2 cups
• ▢ ½ teaspoon vanilla bean, scrape the inside of a vanilla bean pod you can also use 1 tsp of good quality pure vanilla extract
• ▢ 1 tablespoon cocoa powder, optional for added chocolate richness

Instructions 

• In a medium mixing bowl whip the egg yolks and sugar with an electric mixer until light and foamy, about 5 minutes. Add the corn starch (and cocoa powder if using) and mix again for 1-2  minutes until smooth and combined.
• In a sauce pan heat the milk on low heat. Add vanilla bean (or extract). Stir to combine. Now, turn heat to medium and heat milk until a soft boil (little bubbles on the sides and steam starts to form). When the milk is hot, remove from heat. Using a whisk- start adding the beaten egg mixture a little at a time into the milk. It’s very important to stir constantly until you achieve a unified mixture.
• Put the saucepan back on low heat and continue whisking. Simmer for about 3-4 minutes until the cream begins to thicken. It’s very important that the cream NEVER BOILS. In this way you have a smooth cream without lumps and without chunks of cooked egg.
• If you have a cooking thermometer you can check that the temperature never exceeds 85°C (185 F). Otherwise, as soon as you see that bubbles begin to form in the cream, lower the heat. You can even remove it from the heat for a few seconds and put it back. This step is the only difficult step in the Pastry Cream recipe.
• Keep cooking on very low heat until cream is thickened. When the cream is well thickened (it will stick to the back of a wooden spoon or spatula and not drip off), remove from heat and add the chopped chocolate. Stir until the chocolate is melted and smooth with the cream.
• Immediately pour the hot pastry cream into a cold glass container. Important to remove the cream immediately from hot saucepan to prevent it from cooking longer.
• While cooling, cover the cream with plastic wrap. Keep it in contact with the cream. This step is to avoid forming a skin on the cream surface. Refrigerate at least 3 hours for it to set.

Notes

Storage

Allow the pastry cream to chill in the fridge for up to 3 days before using it. Store in an airtight container. Make sure to whisk/beat the mixture so that it’s silky smooth right before using.

Nutrition

Calories: 381kcalCarbohydrates: 52gProtein: 8gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 210mgSodium: 63mgPotassium: 305mgFiber: 2gSugar: 39gVitamin A: 468IUCalcium: 190mgIron: 1mg

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

Additional Info

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Italian

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