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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 creme patisserie) or chocolate patisserie cream is a standard and most common ingredient in Italian pastries, zeppoles, and cakes.
Table of Contents
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 BEST Authentic Sicilian Cannoli Recipe!
It’s the creamy, custardy filling in tarts, layer cakes, or pastries such as millefoglie; it’s also the cream filling you find in morning pastries such as cornetti (Italian-style croissants). Chocolate patisserie cream is not difficult to make, though it does require care and attention so that it doesn’t curdle.
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
- Granulated sugar
- Cornstarch
- Dark chocolate, broken into chunks or small pieces
- Milk
- Vanilla bean (scrape the inside of a vanilla bean pod). You can also use 1 tsp of good quality pure vanilla extract
- (optional) 1 tablespoon cocoa powder for added chocolate richness
See the recipe card for quantities and the full recipe.
Leftover egg whites? Make Soft Italian Amaretti Cookies (Sardinian Recipe)!
How to Make Chocolate Pastry Cream
This chocolate pastry cream (crema pasticcera) or creme patisserie is perfect served with profiteroles and Napoleons, inside a pie crust, or as a cake filling. The options are endless!
In a medium mixing bowl, whip the egg yolks and sugar with an electric mixer until light and foamy, about 5 minutes.
In a saucepan, heat the milk on low heat. Add the vanilla bean (or extract). Stir to combine. When the milk is hot, remove it from the heat.
Add the cornstarch and cocoa powder to the egg yolk and sugar mixture and beat to combine.
Beat for a few minutes to fully incorporate.
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.
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.
Stir to combine the chocolate into the pastry cream.
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.
Best Chocolate For This Recipe
Since there are only a few ingredients in this recipe, it is important to use good-quality chocolate. You can use a chocolate bar and chop the chocolate or use chocolate morsels.
For this chocolate cream, I recommend semisweet or dark chocolate with a cocoa content between 50%-75% for a deep chocolate flavor.
A higher level of intensity is my favorite; in that way there is a nice balance between milk and dark, so I use these 70% dark chocolate morsels, which makes for a perfectly sweet cream without it being too sweet.
If you prefer a sweeter-tasting chocolate, then go with lower cocoa content, something around 50%-60%.
Here is a test for you to decide which chocolate is best for your taste:
- If you generally like milk chocolate, go with a 50-60% cocoa
- If you generally prefer dark chocolate, go with 65% and above, even up to 80% if you are a really intense dark chocolate lover!
It is your preference but here are some of my favorite brands:
- Ghirardelli chocolate bar or chips
- Guittard
- Godiva
Once you start making homemade chocolate pastry cream like this you will be hooked! It is an indulgent chocolatey drink every household needs. Try my vanilla pastry cream recipe and pistachio pastry cream for different variations!
Expert Tips
All it takes is a few ingredients and the right method to make this delicious crema pasticcera (crème pâtissière).
Crema pasticcera is not difficult to make, though it does require care and attention so that it doesn’t curdle.
- Room temperature eggs
- High-quality eggs and only use the egg yolk
- Whip egg yolks and sugar until thick and creamy using an electric mixer
- Temper the egg before adding to the hot milk
- Whole Milk
- Corn starch instead of flour (makes it even lighter!)
- Whisking constantly while it is cooking is SO important.
- Follow the instruction in the recipe exactly, and you will achieve a great cream!
The result must be a smooth and shiny cream with a balanced firmness. The flavor must not recall the cooked egg.
Chocolate Italian Pastry Cream is flavored with vanilla and good quality chocolate to give it a rich chocolaty taste.
If you need a new electric mixer BUY THIS ONE
When making custard in a medium or large sauce pan I recommend using a FLAT WHISK. Use a flat whisk for whisking sauces, like roux or gravy.
It’s also good for custards and dishes that require frequent stirring. BUY THIS ONE.
What Is The Difference Between Italian Pastry Cream, Creme Patissiere, And Custard?
The two are very similar with only a few differences. Pastry cream is thicker than custard because there’s more starch inside and it is better for tarts and fillings.
This decadent chocolate pastry cream can easily be enjoyed with a spoonful or with a side of biscotti or inside cream puffs.
Custard cream, which in Italy is called “Crema Inglese”, is often served hot, and it’s more runny than Italian Pastry Cream.
What To Serve With This Recipe
- Put it in these Puff Pastries
- Serve with berries and a dollop of whipped cream
- As a topping for crepes, waffles, or pancakes
- Serve with Brioche Bun Recipe (Italian Style)
- Use as a filling for cake such as: Italian Crumble Cake Pastry Cream Filling or Italian Crostata Recipe (Jam filled Tart)
- Blind bake a pie crust and make a chocolate cream pie: Ultimate All Butter Pie Crust or Easy Tried and True Crisco Pie Crust
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.
- 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.
- For a dairy-free version of this recipe, you can use plant-based milk.
- If the cream is too thick once chilled then whisk the mixture, adding a little extra milk as you go until you get your perfect creamy texture.
- If the cream is too thin once chilled then you can place it back on the stove, add a little extra cornstarch (around 1/2tbsp at a time), and heat until thickened.
Storage
Allow the pastry cream to chill in the fridge for up to 3 days before using it. Store in an airtight container. Whisk/beat the mixture until it’s silky smooth just before using it.
This pastry cream is not freezer-friendly.
Traditional Italian Tiramisù Recipe
You will love this Chocolate Italian pastry cream and want to make it time and time again. It is a true Italian classic!
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Chocolate Pastry Cream Recipe
Ingredients
- 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
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Excellent, love the flavor! Perfect recipe
Thank you! So happy you loved it, Maria!
I’m getting this info off the web… confused…
How many tablespoons is 40 grams of cornstarch?
corn starch
Volume Grams Ounces
4 tablespoons or 1/4 cup 40 grams 1.41 oz
5 tablespoons 50 grams 1.76 oz
5 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon or 1/3 cup 54 grams 1.88 oz
6 tablespoons 60 grams 2.12 oz
Yes, about 4 tablespoons. Enjoy the recipe.
We love this chocolate pastry cream and use it for so many desserts!
this looks great- cant wait to try it
It is so silky smooth and chocolaty! I hope you love it as much as we do!