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Matcha pastry cream is a simple twist on the classic vanilla pastry cream. Add matcha powder to the milk before boiling it, and do the rest as if making vanilla pastry cream. Voila, you end up with matcha pastry cream.

Recipe Info

This recipe:

Is as simple as it gets. Matcha pastry cream is just a tiny twist on vanilla pastry cream. The only difference? You stir in a bit of matcha tea into the milk.
Comes together quickly. All you need is 15 to 20 minutes to prep the cream. After that, you let it cool and it’s ready to use.
Is easy to adjust to your taste. After boiling the milk mixture, simply taste test and add more matcha if needed. This way, you can get the flavor just right, no matter the brand or how strong you prefer your matcha desserts to taste.

Making matcha pastry cream for the first time? Check out the ingredient notes, step-by-step instructions, and tips. If you’re familiar with the recipe, feel free to jump straight to the recipe card.

Extra Learning

Before we jump in, here’s a few handy resources to help you nail this recipe:

How to Temper Eggs. My quick guide to tempering eggs—a handy technique you’ll use when making this pastry cream. If you’ve never heard of it or never tried it before, be sure to give this a read.
How to Make Pastry Cream. Your go-to guide for everything pastry cream. Learn the methods, uses, tips, and more. New to pastry creams? Start here.

Ingredients and Substitutes

Milk: Whole milk works best, but skim milk should work fine, too.
Matcha powder: Culinary grade is fine. Use whatever matcha you have on hand.
Egg yolks.
Cornstarch: You could also use potato starch (half the amount), but it’s a bit trickier. Check out my article on cornstarch versus potato starch if you want to use potato starch.
White sugar: White sugar is the default and my go-to, but if you like your matcha with brown sugar, coconut sugar, or any other sweetener, feel free to use it.
Vanilla extract: Vanilla extract enhances the flavor, but it’s optional.
Unsalted butter: Plain unsalted butter is all you need.

Step-by-Step: How to Make Matcha Pastry Cream

Boil the milk mixture. In a pot, combine the milk, matcha powder, vanilla extract, and sugar, then whisk until smooth. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally. Carefully taste test if there’s enough matcha for your liking.

Whisk together milk, matcha powder
vanilla extract, and sugar until smooth

Prep the yolks. While the milk heats, whisk the yolks, cornstarch, and about 2 tablespoons of the milk mixture (while it’s still lukewarm) in a large heatproof bowl. The addition of the milk mixture loosens the yolks and cornstarch, so exact measurements aren’t critical here. Set the bowl aside.

Whisk yolks and cornstarch in a bowl
Add 2 tablespoons of milk mixture to loosen if needed

Temper eggs. When the milk mixture starts to bubble, remove it from the heat. Gradually pour a few tablespoons of the hot liquid into the yolk mixture, whisking constantly to avoid curdling. Repeat this 3 to 4 times until you’ve incorporated most or all of the milk, keeping the whisk moving throughout.

Slowly add hot liquid
to the yolk mixture and
whisk to prevent curdling

Cook until thick and bubbly. Return the combined mixture to the pot and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it noticeably thickens and begins to bubble. Depending on your pot and heat intensity, this typically takes 2 to 4 minutes. Don’t rush it—this helps prevent the yolks from curdling.
Take off the heat and whisk. Once thickened, remove the pot from the heat and continue whisking for about a minute to bring the mixture just past its point of maximum thickness.

Cook until thick
then whisk off heat

Stir in butter. Add the butter and stir until it’s fully melted and incorporated.

Add the unsalted butter
and stir until melted

Taste test. Sample the cream (be careful, it’s hot) and adjust with more sugar or matcha powder if needed.
Strain if needed. If you see bits of cooked egg or want a silky-smooth consistency, press the cream through a mesh strainer to catch any lumps.
Cover and chill. Place plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pastry cream to prevent a crust from forming. Let it cool at room temperature for at least 30 minutes, then refrigerate until ready to use.

Covering with plastic wrap — Cover with plastic wrap and chill

Whisk and use. After chilling, the pastry cream will have a stiff, pudding-like texture. Don’t worry—this is normal. Break it up with a fork, then whisk for a minute or so until it’s smooth. It’s now ready for piping.

Whisking the chilled pastry cream — Whisk the chilled pastry cream until smooth

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How Much Matcha Should I Add?

I’ve found that 1 tablespoon of matcha per 1 cup of milk works well, and that’s what I suggest in this recipe.

However, matcha can vary greatly in flavor strength and profile, so 1 tablespoon of your matcha might end up too strong—or not strong enough.

A delightful bowl of matcha pastry cream — A bowl of matcha pastry cream for filling

To be safe, I recommend starting with ½ tablespoon of matcha per cup of milk for your first batch. After the milk, sugar, and matcha mixture boils, carefully taste it, and if you want a stronger flavor, sift in a bit more matcha and stir. Repeat if needed, then continue with the recipe.

It’d be great if this recipe worked perfectly right off the bat, but with matcha, it’s a balancing act. Think of it as a way to practice your “taste as you cook” skills.

Tips

Chill on a plate. To cool the cream faster, spread it onto a large plate or bowl (or a couple). A larger surface area speeds up chilling. Cover with plastic wrap to avoid a crust forming.
Make it in advance. This pastry cream keeps in the fridge for 3 to 4 days, so you can easily prepare it ahead of time. I usually make all my pastry creams the day before assembling the desserts.
Keep whisking. Once you start working with hot yolks, you need to keep whisking until the cream is off the heat and then for an extra minute after that. This prevents curdling. Think of it as your arm workout for the day.

Make it lighter. This cream is delicious but might be a bit rich if used in large quantities, like when filling cream puffs. To lighten it, fold in whipped cream and stabilize with gelatin. This setup is called diplomat cream, and I got a big guide on making diplomat cream.
Make it richer and sturdier. While this pastry cream pipes nicely, it’s not nearly as sturdy as buttercream. If you need a richer, more stable version that holds its shape well, and you don’t want to work with gelatin, turn it into cream mousseline. The linked article explains the whole process.

Luscious matcha pastry cream smoothly swirled in a glass

Storage

You can store this matcha pastry cream in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Make sure the container is sealed tightly so it doesn’t absorb any smells or dry out after removing the plastic wrap.

Other Recipes to Try

Looking for more? Check out the following recipes:

Matcha financiers. Super simple matcha-flavored mini cakes you can bake in a muffin tin. Plus, they are a great way to use up extra egg whites leftover from making this pastry cream.
Matcha madeleines. Beautiful French mini cakes made with pantry staples and flavored with matcha. Highly recommended, even if you skip the white chocolate shell.
Pastry cream flavors. Want to test out other pastry creams? Here’s a list of 12+ flavors I already covered.