How to Freeze Custard and Restore It
Freeze custard and restore it in just 5 minutes – it’s so quick and simple! Normally, freezing custard/creme patissiere is an absolute NO-NO in the baking and pastry world. All info online clearly states that you cannot freeze custard/creme patissiere because it splits into oblivion. And it does.
But I’m here to tell you that you can FULLY restore thawed/defrosted watery custard! YAY! ๐
Context
I’ve been developing a recipe for a super exciting brownie (which I will share in the future) which requires creme patissiere. Not knowing how much custard ย I would need, I made the whole recipe and ended up with about 2,5 cups of it. After using only half a cup for my experimental brownies, I still had 2 cups left!
Of course I wouldn’t let the rest just sit in the fridge and go to waste. Without googling at all (which is quite unlike me) or thinking twice, I just popped the custard in the freezer.
Current Info on Freezing Custard
According to the whole web (cooking.stackexchange.com, thekitchn.com, nigella.com, chowhound.com,ย forums.egullet.orgย just to name 5) homemade custard should never be frozen as is and used again later. Apparently the best method to at least avoid waste is to make “frozen custard” aka ice cream! This requires a bit of effort though.
Once in the freezer, you need to whisk the custard every 30 minutes for 3 hours. This aerates the custard and keeps it smooth during the freezing process. The result is beautifully smooth frozen custard.
BUT, they all say you cannot freeze custard, thaw/defrost the custard and then use it again as custard due to the severe separation that cannot be rectified.
Unfortunately I only read all this info after my custard had been in the freezer for 3 weeks already! I left it on the counter to defrost for a few hours. It was a watery MESSSSS. I really did not expect this, but since I hate wasting, I was not going to throw it away.
Although it may not always seem so, I suffer from selective, slightly-above-moderate laziness. I go to extreme and labour intensive measures to achieve a “yum-high” in my cooking and baking, but for some things I just cannot be bothered.
I’m definitely not going to make creme patissiere 3 times a week. I’m also definitely not going to divide a single egg yolk in 3 so that I can make 100 ml of creme pat! There had to be a way to freeze custard and restore it.
My dad has this incredible line I’ve been quoting for years: “If you want to be lazy, you have to be clever.” So I put on my thinking cap…
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The Science of Freezing Custard
I did a post a while back on how to fix and prevent chocolate ganache that has split. Both ganache and custard split when frozen. The ingredients are still 100% tasty, but the texture has transmuted completely. In one case it is the fat that separates and in the other case it is water.
Although ganache and custard are completely different, I firmly believed that their restoration processes would be very similar.
I decided to apply the same process I use on thawed ganache. Step one was to heat it on the lowest possible heat in a saucepan while stirring occasionally with a balloon whisk. It became looser, but was still very much grainy with a watery residue.
At that point I realized that custard is typically cooked at a much higher (boiling in fact) temperature. I upped the heat one setting higher. It started looking much better.
Another trick that works to re-emulsify split ganache, is adding warm milk. I heated 1 tablespoon of milk in the microwave and proceeded to whisk it into the warm custard.
After whisking a bit more vigorously (still with a balloon whisk) for about 10-15 seconds it smoothed out TO PERFECTION!!! SO rad! ๐
I got so excited! There was still a big concern that it just looked smooth, but upon tasting it I would end up writing that “the restored custard is 95% smooth!”. Not the case. At all. It is seriously 100% smooth! It tastes, looks and feels freshly made. Can’t believe it!
Method Recap
How to Freeze Custard
>> Put your left over creme patissiere / custard in a freezable cotainer.
>> Place in freezer.
Have some coffee, you’ve worked hard.
How to Thaw/Defrost Custard
>> Remove custard from the freezer and leave out on the counter to defrost for 3-4 hours.
Have some coffee, you’ve worked hard.
I wouldn’t recommend defrosting in a microwave for longer than 2 minutes. You may do that to get it going, but longer than that will start overcooking some parts of the custard. You can also place the sealed container in some warm water to speed up the process if you are in a hurry.
How to RESTORE Thawed/Defrosted Custard
>> Place the split custard in a heavy based saucepan (all of it, including the separated water).
>> Turn on the stove to the lowest possible setting. Stir the custard with a balloon whisk every 30 seconds so that it heats evenly and doesn’t catch on the bottom.
>> When the custard is warm to the touch, turn up the heat a bit more. Stir occasionally for about 2 minutes while it keeps heating up.
>> Heat 1 Tbsp Milk (I used 4,5% fat whole milk) in the microwave for 20 seconds. Use 1 Tbsp Milk for every 200 g of thawed custard.
>> Add the warm milk to the saucepan. Keep whisking the custard on the stove for another minute till it smooths out and comes together again. Take it off the heat before it starts to simmer/boil. Taste a tiny bit to make sure it is fully smooth.
Now you should have coffee AND a pastry covered in your amazing freshly made (thawed) custard ๐
Please let me know if you give this hack a go. Save yourself a mountain of effort and waste! Freeze custard and restore it because now you CAN!
Thanks for reading!
Chat soon!
Aurelia ๐
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Got a question? Something to add? Letโs chat in the comments section down below! (I respond to every single comment)
Worked like a charm, thanks so much! As a little extra insurance, I added a little bit of cornstarch to the room temperature milk to make a slurry and whisked it in to the warm pastry cream. I brought the whole thing back to a gentle simmer (a few bubbles breaking the surface) and everything was super smooth. Great save!
Awesome Wendy, thank you so much for letting me know. This will be helpful to all! ๐
Would this work if the Crรจme Pat contained flour and cornflour?
Yes, the method should work even if the Crรจme Pat contains flour and cornflour. The key factor is that the custard can be heated gently to re-emulsify, which helps it return to a smooth texture. The addition of flour and cornflour doesn’t seem to hinder this process. You can follow the same steps to restore it after freezing. Thanks for your question!
Omg thank you sooo much this absolutely worked for my fresh custard that separated!
Yay! I’m so happy to hear that Kristen! ๐
After reading your article I decided to have a go and freeze my unused creme pat. I defrosted it and, because I was a bit impatient, before it was quite defrosted but fairly soft, I stirred it up to help it on its way. It was slightly grainy but not split. So I heated for just a couple of minutes, beating it occasionally. It was perfect! ๐
YAY! I am so happy to hear it, thank you for letting me know!
Hello – Honestly I did not expect this to work. I had some broken vanilla custard that I threw in the freezer out of panic and frustration (right before a dinner party). Two weeks later I finally took it out of the freezer again to see if it could be rescued. I whisked over low heat as you suggested – also threw in some mashed, overripe bananas that I had sitting around – and it has indeed been fixed to a creamy rather than split state. Thanks for the no-big-deal approach to this!
That’s awesome! You’re so welcome Marilyn! ๐
Can you do this if the Crรจme pat is made with both flour and cornflour? X
It totally worked!!! I accidentally froze my pastry cream and was actually stunned to discover that was a no no. I was googling to confirm that it was because of the freezing that it broke when I came across your page. I tried it and after much stirring, my pastry cream is restored! So happy! Thank you, thank you, thank you!
I’m SO happy to hear that Lorraine! You’re most welcome ๐
Would this restoration method remain effective still considering the comment made (elsewhere) that creme made with cornstarch won’t freeze successfully whereas that made with plain flour will?
Hi John! It doesn’t matter which type of flour you use in your creme pat – it will still split when you freeze it. BUT this method will restore it completely to its former, smooth glory ๐ It really doesn’t matter which flour you use in your recipe.
This is exactly the info I needed as our family has to make everything gluten free and cornstarch is our flour replacement of choice.
Hey Brandy, awesome I am so happy to hear that this was helpful for you and your family!
My favorite part about this whole article is “have some coffee, you deserve it” ๐
Lol! Glad you enjoyed it Jennifer ๐
I am making an icebox banana pudding cake that calls for layers of pudding made from milk, box pudding mix that has softened cream cheese and whip cream folded into it. Then layering wafers and bananas with pudding mixture in a springform pan, it is to be frozen then. And then let it thaw for about 30 minutes before slicing and serve. I do not use boxed pudding mix because I have chickens so love making homemade custards. So if I was to make a homemade custard like your recipe, (instead of using the boxed pudding mix and milk) then after it has cooled, fold in softened cream cheese and whip cream and then made dessert with the bananas etc. and frozen, do you think the desert with then turn out fine? I was thinking the cream cheese and whipped cream will prevent the custard part from separating.
Hey Michele! I’m so sorry for only getting back to you now… It’s important to note that boxed pudding mix is VASTLY different from home made custard. It typically contains: Sugar, Modified Starch, Stabilisers, Maltodextrin, Colourants, Salt, Emulsifier. Many of these ingredients enable the pudding to be frozen and not split – which is not the case with homemade custard. I encourage you to rather follow the recipe so you can freeze the cake without the pudding/custard layers splitting into a grainy mess. Good luck!
Can you freeze pastry cream that is in a tart?
Hey Janet! Unfortunately not because you need to be able to vigorously whisk the custard to re-emulsify it. Sadly you can’t do that inside a pastry shell.
Hi Aurelia! What recipes do you recommend I bake with my newly-thawed custard? I too hate waste so I froze the leftover custard from doughnuts I made, but I donโt have the patience for something so labor intensive again.
Hey Talia! Gosh, the possibilities are quite vast… you could make trifle or Malva Pudding (which you serve with custard). For more ideas you can search on Google ๐
Thanks so much for this valuable information!!
You’re welcome Lucinia! Glad it was helpful ๐
I cook, grind/puree food then pipe the puree into pouches and freeze, for my disabled husband.Then I thaw the pouches in warm water. I have currently made pot roast and pumpkin pie. I want to make him custard pouches any suggested recipe modifications?
Hey Robin ๐ So sweet of you to make such yummy food pouches for your husband! In order to restore custard to its smooth glory, you’ll need to be able to whisk it vigorously, which you unfortunately can’t do inside a food pouch. It’ll fist need to be squeezed out into a sauce pan.
How long can I freeze the custard? Cause I’ve been storing a large batch in my freezer for over 20 days, I’m afraid that it might have gone bad. ๐
Hey! I’m sure it will still be fine! You might as well TRY it? I reckon you could leave it in the freezer for 1 month max.
I tried it today, which already have passed it’s one month and the verdict is… it tasted exactly the same as when I made, no off odours . Also I didn’t find any textural differences, the outhfeel is still smooth and velvety. Thank you so much for this sharing this method. ๐ฅฐ