Gluten Free Pistachio Pastry Cream Recipe
Updated Mar 30, 2020, Published May 22, 2011
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Pastry cream is a good recipe to master for making really knock-it-out-of-the-park fantastic gluten-free desserts! It also happens to be so versatile. It can be used as filling for cream puffs, tarts and pies and can be flavored in almost endless ways. In my cookbook, Simply Gluten Free Desserts I give a basic recipe for pastry cream as well as 7 other variations, including a dairy-free one.
I recently made another version, Gluten Free Pistachio Pastry Cream, not included in my cookbook and may I just say – Oh! My! Goodness! What was I waiting for? Rich, silky and oh….so pistachio-y!
You can easily also make this dairy free and even low fat, just by changing up the type of milk you use in the recipe. The butter can be substituted for dairy free or even omitted if you really want to cut back on fat and calories – but it won’t be as rich and silky – just saying!
Here is a step by step on how to do this yourself. And for an AMAZING dessert, why not make some gluten-free pate choux and a little caramel and treat yourself and friends to some amazing Pistachio Cream Puffs?
Take a cup and a half of unsalted pistachios and place in a food processor or grinder.
Grind until fine.
Place in a sucepan with your milk of choice and some salt. Bring to a boil. If you let it sit a few minutes it will intensify the flavor – 10 minutes is good.
Strain out the nut solids. You should have 2 cups of liquid, if not add a little more milk.
Place the egg yolks and sugar (I used organic sugar, use what you like) in the mixer and beat until light yellow and fluffy – about 3 minutes.
Like this. Beat in the cornstarch and then…
…slowly add the pistachio milk.
Return the mixture to the pan and heat while whisking until thick.
Take off the heat and whisk in the butter and vanilla.
Cover with plastic wrap, placing the plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pastry cream. Refrigerate until cold, about 2 hours. Before serving whisk either by hand or with a handheld mixer until smooth.
Use as a filling for tarts, pies or cream puffs or whatever else you can imagine!
Gluten Free Pistachio Pastry Cream Recipe
Ingredients
- 1½ cups unsalted pistachios, - finely ground
- 3 cups milk, - (can use low fat or dairy free)
- ¼ teaspoon kosher or fine sea salt
- 6 large egg yolks
- ½ cup sugar
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, - (or dairy free substitute)
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a large sauce pan combine the pistachios, milk and salt and bring just to a boil. Let sit for about 15 minutes. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer and discard the solids. Measure the liquid, you need 2 cups. If you don’t have 2 cups add more milk. Rinse and wipe out the saucepan.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the egg yolks and sugar until the mixture is thick and light yellow, about 3 minutes. Turn the mixer to low and slowly add the cornstarch. Slowly pour in the pistachio milk and mix until well combined. Pour the mixture into the saucepan.
- Cook the mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly with a whisk or wooden spoon until the mixture starts to boil gently. Continue cooking, stirring constantly for 1 or 2 minutes until the mixture is thick. Remove from the heat and stir in the cold butter and vanilla. If the mixture starts to look curdled, just whisk the daylights out of it, it will come together again. Strain the mixture through a fine strainer into a clean bowl. Cover with a piece of plastic wrap, pressed directly onto the surface of the pastry cream to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until cold, about 2 hours.
- Pastry cream can be made 2 to 3 days ahead. Whisk the pastry cream by hand or with a handheld mixture until smooth before using.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Love pistachios! Want that cream puff right now!!!
Ha ha, thanks Laura!
I don’t think I’ve had the pleasure of trying pistachio cream – not even ice cream! – but this looks very good. :) I’m really liking these step-by-step posts of yours.
P.S. I adopted you for this month’s round of Adopt a Gluten-Free Blogger, which I am also hosting. https://zscupoftea.com/2011/05/16/hosting-adopt-a-gf-blogger-may-2011/
Thanks Zoe and I am so honorred you are adopting me! I know I will be in good hands.
Looks so very decadent indeed! Yummm….
Decadent is a good word! Thank you.
Ooooh, the last two photos are my favorites! :-) Oh, to have one of those delectable treats right now!
xo,
Shirley
Thanks Shirley!
Mmmm this looks so delicious! AND no heavy cream to boot!! I love how this gets a lot of healthy fats from the pistachios, and I’ll bet the flavor is JUST AMAZING with the caramel like you suggested, or even a warm hot fudge sauce too! Love it!
Thanks Olivia. Yes you can use even non-fat milk and it will get so rich from the good fat of the pistachios.
Okay, this is incredible! I must try playing with pistachios like this! My kids love to eat them, I think it’s because they have fun cracking open the shell! Thanks for the detailed instructions. I love them.
Thanks Maggie!
This is extremely random, but I just noticed that you have a badge for pistachios and you have this recipe…I just did a presentation on peanuts in school, and in my research, found out that pistachios are one of the highest antioxidant nuts, higher than almonds and peanuts, and only surpassed by walnuts and pecans. Thought that was interesting since I rarely hear anyone touting them as a healthy food.
Yep, AND you get more nuts per serving than with any other nut making them pretty good diet food as well – I always like it when I can eat more of something! :)