Keto Crema Pasticcera (Pastry Cream, Crème Pâtissière, Patisserie Cream). 1.5g carbs per serving.
Pastry Cream usually needs a starch to thicken it. However, all starches, even the ones deemed more suitable for a clean keto recipe, like tapioca, are extremely high in carbs (about 90g per 100g of starch).
So, knowing that Italians sometimes make pastry cream with plain wheat flour as an alternative to cornflour, I set about finding a way to make my own keto version, without any type of starch.
And I got there in the end!
The Difference Between Pastry Cream and Crème Anglaise
It’s easy enough to make Crème Anglaise (Custard), with or without adding gelatine. And it’s perfectly fine for filling pastries after baking them, as in Choux Buns, for example.
But it is not stable enough to fill pastry dough prior to baking. If you’ve tried, you undoubtedly ended up with a runny filling, a very soggy base, or a pool of eggy liquid around your bakes.
Crema Pasticcera, on the other hand, remains structurally intact during the baking process, so it’s what you need if you intend to fill your pastry dough before it goes in the oven.
How to Make Keto Crema Pasticcera (Pastry Cream, Crème Pâtissière, Patisserie Cream)
The Holy Grail turned out to be Lupin Flour.
But its wasn’t a straight-forward experiment. And it didn’t work out at first: my Crema Pasticcera was very grainy and tasted kind of weird.
Then it dawned on me that I wasn’t cooking the lupin long enough. By simply continuing to cook it, slowly, over low heat, without it reaching boiling point, I finally obtained the flavour and consistency I had been looking for. Granted – it’s not quite as smooth as a starch-based patisserie cream, but it’s not that far off.
To make my Keto Cream Pasticcera you’ll need lupin flour, egg yolks, dairy milk*, sweeteners, lemon zest, a cinnamon stick and vanilla extract.
The trick is to use your nose: at first you will be able to detect the somewhat acrid, earthy aroma of the lupin flour, but as it cooks and thickens, this will dissipate completely and your Crema Pasticcera will be ready. If you can still smell it, carry on cooking it a bit longer.
So here it is. Don’t rush (slow + low is key). Follow my recipe instructions exactly. And if you want a Chocolate version, check out the recipe Notes.
Enjoy!
*This recipe will not succeed with plant-based ‘milks’.
UK READERS: Arla have started feeding Bovaer (3-Nitrooxypropanol) to their dairy cows in an eco-crazy attempt to interfere with nature, so I’ve completely moved away from ALL Arla products and un-branded products with code WQ108 on the packaging, which includes my once-favourite milk (Lactose Free Whole Milk) and most own-label milk. I now only use RAW MILK from a nearby farm in support of ethical dairy farming.
Keto Crema Pasticcera (Pastry Cream)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 150 g whole dairy milk
- 1 lemon zest strips only - from an organic, unwaxed lemon
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 egg yolks large, about 35g net weight
- 20 allulose (U.S. option HERE)
- 25 g lupin flour (U.S. option HERE)
- ½ tsp vanilla extract (U.S. option HERE)
Instructions
- cut lemon zest strips using a vegetable peeler (if you prefer to use a knife, make sure you don’t catch the white, bitter pith), and drop them in a non-stick milk pot together with the cinnamon stick and milk.1 lemon, 1 cinnamon stick, 150 g whole dairy milk
- place the milk pot over low heat - you don’t want it to to heat up fast, as it needs to be infused with the lemon and cinnamon - this will take about 7-8 minutes.
- stir the milk often, to stop a skin forming at the top and to avoid it catching on the bottom of the pan and - a flexible silicone spatula is better for this than a whisk, as it allows you to reach the inside edge where the base meets the sides.
- meanwhile, use an electric whisk to beat your egg yolks and sweetener in a medium size bowl, until pale, fluffy and doubled in volume; add the lupin flour and whip again, until you have a smooth paste.2 egg yolks, 25 g lupin flour, 20 allulose
- when the milk is about to reach boiling point, strain it into a Pyrex jug and discard the lemon peels and cinnamon stick.
- detach the balloon whisk, pour a little of the hot milk into the thick yolks mixture and vigorously whip by hand; keep adding the hot milk a little at a time, whipping between each addition.
- pour the runny mixture back into the pot you used earlier and set it over low heat.
- keep stirring and scraping the bottom as the mixture thickens - it will begin to do so after a few minutes.
- don’t let the mixture come to a boil - keep stirring and heating for 5-10 minutes until you obtain the desired density.
- remove from heat and transfer back to the Pyrex jug.
- stir in the vanilla extract and leave the pastry cream to cool a bit before putting it in the fridge.½ tsp vanilla extract
Notes
Nutrition
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Luscious, thick and heat-stable, this pastry cream is perfect if you need to fill your pastries before baking them.