{"id":166121,"title":"Gluten-Free Vegan Pastry Cream","modified":"2026-08-25T19:14:08+02:00","plain":"Looking for a clean, vanilla-forward pastry cream that sets without eggs or milk? This version keeps things simple: whisk everything together first, then let the saucepan do the rest.\n\n\n\nThe result is a smooth, supple cream that's ready for \u00e9clairs, cream puffs, tarts, or cakes. You'll find the rest of my gluten-free basics in the same category.\n\n\n\nFor a chocolate version, try the chocolate pastry cream.\n\n\n\nWhat is gluten-free vegan pastry cream?\n\n\n\nPastry cream, in the classic sense, is used to fill \u00e9clairs, cream puffs, tarts, and all kinds of cakes. Here, it's made without dairy, eggs, or wheat flour, so it's entirely gluten-free. The goal is the same as with a traditional version: a cream with the flavor and structure of real pastry cream.\n\n\n\nVanilla is at the heart of this recipe. It's essential to a good pastry cream and provides most of the flavor. This base also works for a vegan mousseline, as long as you let it come back to room temperature before using it.\n\n\n\nThe main ingredients\n\n\n\nBarista-style oat milk is the best choice here. It has more fat than standard oat milk and performs well in both cooking and baking. For texture, the recipe relies on two thickeners: a small amount of powdered agar-agar and cornstarch, which takes over the thickening role usually played by eggs.\n\n\n\nVanilla plays a central role. If you have a whole vanilla bean, the result will be better than with artificial extract. Vanilla powder made from dried, ground beans is also a great alternative.\n\n\n\nVegan butter is added at the end to soften the cream and give it a fuller texture. The sugar simply balances the flavor. For accuracy, stick to weight measurements.\n\n\n\nIt's right at home in this gluten-free vegan entremets.\n\n\n\nTechnical tips and pitfalls to avoid\n\n\n\nThe method is simpler than classic pastry cream. Add all the ingredients except the vegan butter to a saucepan, then whisk from the start until smooth. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the cream thickens; that change in texture is your sign that it's ready.\n\n\n\nOnce the saucepan is off the heat, let the cream rest for about 5 minutes. The vegan butter should be cold, but it should be incorporated while the cream is still hot. Whisk until fully absorbed, then blend with an immersion blender if you want an even smoother texture.\n\n\n\nThis is the time to add any flavorings, once the butter has been incorporated. This base works beautifully with chocolate, coffee, or nut pastes. For a pistachio version, stir pistachio paste into the cream. For a coffee version, add instant coffee or a concentrated coffee extract to the vanilla cream. For a chocolate version, add chocolate chips or chopped chocolate to the hot, but not boiling, vanilla cream so it melts properly.\n\n\n\nThis cream also works as a base for other preparations. For a vegan frangipane, mix 20% of this pastry cream into the almond cream. If you're using it for a vegan mousseline, let it come back to room temperature before continuing.\n\n\n\nStorage\n\n\n\nPour the finished cream into a clean, dry container. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface, then refrigerate for 1 hour before using.\n\n\n\nUse it in this vegan chocolate cake with mango.\n\n\n\nFor more animal-free baking, check out my vegan recipes.\n\n\n\nRecipe developed by Chef Rommel Reyes. Discover his work on Instagram, his Substack newsletter, and his YouTube channel.\n\n\n\n\n\n\tGluten-Free Vegan Pastry Cream\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t500 g barista-style oat milk (gluten-free)100 g sugar55 g cornstarch2 g agar-agar powder2 g vanilla powder or 10 ml of vanilla extract60 g vegan butter (preferably Violife vegan butter)\t\n\t\n\t\tPreparationCombine all the ingredients except the vegan butter in a saucepan.Whisk until the mixture is smooth and uniform.Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened.Remove from the heat.Let the cream cool for about five minutes.Add the cold vegan butter while the cream is still warm.Whisk until the butter is fully incorporated.Blend with an immersion blender for an even smoother texture.At this stage, add any ingredients for the variations.If using chocolate, add it at this stage so it melts into the hot, but not boiling, cream.Transfer to a clean, dry container.Cover the surface with plastic wrap.Refrigerate for 1 hour before using.Let it cool to room temperature if you're using the pastry cream to make a vegan mousseline.","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/166121","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=166121"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/166121\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/165001"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=166121"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=166121"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marcwiner.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=166121"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}