Custard Pastries (vegan & eggless)
These custard pastries combine flaky puff pastry with thick and creamy custard! They're an easy yet delightful dessert for gatherings or if you just feel like a fancy treat. No eggs, egg yolks or dairy needed!
Ingredients
Custard (or use a thick store-bought custard, note 2)
- ½ cup (60g) custard powder
- ¼ cup (50g) sugar
- 1 ½ cups (360g) dairy-free milk
- ⅓ cup (75g) vegan block or spreadable butter chilled
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- ⅛ teaspoon salt if using unsalted butter
Pastry
- 2 sheets frozen puff pastry defrosted but cold
- 1 tablespoon (20g) maple syrup for brushing as needed
To decorate (or as desired)
- ⅓ cup (115g) raspberry jam or preserves or jam of choice (optional)
- fresh berries such as raspberries and blueberries, or fresh fruit of choice
- powdered sugar and dried rose petals (optional)
Instructions
Prepare the custard:
- In a large saucepan, whisk the custard powder and the sugar until combined. Pour in around half of the milk and whisk until smooth. Add the rest of the milk and mix well.
- Over medium-high heat, cook the mixture while whisking constantly. The mixture should thicken up a lot.
- Remove the custard mixture from the heat and stir in the butter and vanilla until smooth. Cool slightly and transfer to a heat-proof container or bowl. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours to overnight. The mixture will firm up significantly - whisk or blend the custard until it's runny and smooth again.
Prepare the puff pastries:
- Preheat oven to 200°C (390°F) and line 1-2 baking trays with parchment paper.
- Lightly brush one sheet of puff pastry with maple syrup and place the other sheet on top. Cut the pastry into squares (or rectangles) with a sharp knife or pastry cutter.
- Arrange the pastry squares on your baking trays. Using a small knife, gently score a smaller square inside each square to form a border. Brush the tops with maple syrup.
- Bake the puff pastry squares for 15-20 minutes or until puffed and golden. Cool completely.
- Use a small serrated knife to cut along the scored lines and press down the pastry in the middle.
To assemble (1-2 hours before serving):
- Dollop 1-2 teaspoons of jam in the middle of each pastry and spread to fill the middle. Use a piping bag or small spoon to fill each pastry with the cooled custard. Top with fresh berries, a dusting of powdered sugar and sprinkle with rose petals. Enjoy!
Notes
- Make ahead instructions: The custard and pastry can be made 1-2 days in advance. Make the custard following the recipe and store it in the fridge for up to 2 days. The pastry can be fully baked and stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. For extra freshness, carefully wrap the pastry in plastic wrap then store it in your container. The puff pastry softens once it touches the custard so. for the best texture, I recommend assembling them 1-2 hours before serving.
- A thinner store-bought custard won't work for this recipe as they'll drip out of the pastries and make them soft very quickly. If you use store-bought custard, ideally it should be a thick spoonable consistency almost like pudding.