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Did you know there are TONS of versatile dessert fillings that can be used for so many different sweet treats? Here, you’ll find 11 versatile dessert fillings you can use for your next party or with your morning pancakes!
Versatile Dessert Fillings:
1. Custard
Custard, also known as Crème Anglaise, is a combination of milk or cream, eggs, and sugar. Typically, vanilla is also added. A custard is a cooked filling that is usually baked or stirred over the stovetop. Desserts like baked tarts and creme brulee are examples of custard. When cooked on the stovetop, it becomes a silky and beautiful filling or topping. For all the info on custard and a recipe, click here!
2. Fruit
Fruit is one of the most simple fillings. There are many ways it can be used. Cut it up and use it fresh, or cook it down with sugar and make a sauce (compote). Variations include candied fruit, fruit syrups, jams, and jellies (more on that later!). For more info on how to use fruit in desserts, check out 5 Easy Fruit Dessert Ideas that Wow.
3. Pastry Cream
Pastry cream, also called Crème Pâtissière, is a custard that is cooked on a stovetop and thickened with cornstarch or flour. You will usually see this thick custard in cream puffs, donuts, and fruit tart
4. Chocolate Ganache
This is the chocolate lover’s dream. Chocolate ganache is made by mixing chocolate with warm cream. It is important to use quality chocolate. The process is specific. You chop the chocolate, then pour the hot cream over the top and let the cream melt the chocolate. As you mix them, this beautifully smooth mixture appears, ready to add to whatever you desire.
5. Buttercream Frosting
This is a classic. There are a few different types of buttercream. The most common are Swiss meringue, Italian, and American. For a full guide to buttercream frosting and recipes, click here.
American buttercream is made by creaming together butter, powdered sugar, and flavorings like vanilla or milk.
Swiss meringue buttercream is made by heating egg whites and sugar over a double boiler, and then whipping them into stiff peaks. The final step is adding in butter as it whips together.
Italian Meringue Buttercream is similar, but you add hot sugar syrup to whipped egg whites and then add the butter.
The Swiss and Italian are less sweet, lighter, and more silky in texture. All three are a delight.
6. Whipped Cream
This option is timeless and by far the easiest filling. Take some heavy cream and whip air into it, add some sugar for sweetener, and you have a beautiful, light, and fluffy treat you can add to literally anything.
7. Fruit Curd
Fruit curd is a silky and rich filling made with fruit juice or zest, sugar, and eggs. The most well-known curd is probably lemon curd. This is a great way to get a fruit flavor, but a smooth and velvety texture.
8. Cheese Fillings
This one may seem off-putting when you first see it on this list. Weren’t you reading about dessert fillings? Of course, your mind could have also gone straight to one of the most heavenly dessert cheeses: cream cheese.
Cheese can seem wrong in a dessert but can be very right if done correctly. Of course, there’s cream cheese; it’s the heart of the beloved cheesecake.
Many other cheeses are used in desserts as well. Two more common ones are mascarpone and ricotta. Mascarpone is a primary ingredient in the creamy filling inside of Tiramisu, an Italian coffee dessert. Sweetened ricotta is a traditional filling for cannolis.
9. Sweet Mousse
Sweet Mousse is made with whipped cream or egg whites, sugar, and flavoring. Common flavors are chocolate, vanilla, fruit, or coffee.
The texture of mousse is light and airy with a foamy texture. You can almost see all the air whipped in when you eat it. It is light, but also holds its shape and can be a stand-alone dessert or a filling.
10. Jam or Jelly
These are both fruit spreads with some sort of thickener, most commonly pectin. Jelly is made with fruit juice and does not contain fruit pieces or pulp. It has a smooth consistency.
Jam is made from crushed fruit, fruit puree, or fruit juice and has a thick and chunky consistency. Jams typically have a stronger fruit flavor than jelly.
11. Caramel
Caramel is one of the most fun and scientific fillings to make. It can also be one of the harder ones to achieve correctly. It’s pure magic how simple granulated sugar can become this decadent dessert.
Caramel is created through a process called caramelization. It involves heating sugar to a specific temperature, causing it to break down and go through a series of chemical reactions. As the sugar breaks down, it creates the rich and nutty flavor that is attributed to caramel.
There are a variety of caramel consistencies from syrup to a crunchy hard candy.
Here’s where the ‘versatile dessert fillings’ really shine.
The BEST part about these fillings is that not only do they stand on their own as amazing luxuries, but they can be combined in any number of ways! YOU get to be creative and mix and match flavors.
This is where we all get to bring our unique preferences and make something amazing. You can mix whipped cream and pastry cream to create a light and thick diplomat cream. You can mix a curd or a jelly with buttercream or pastry cream for a flavor punch.
You can top a mousse with a creamy caramel sauce or a rich chocolate ganache. You can add a jam or jelly to a cheese filling (think of your fruit-swirled cheesecake!). You can mix fresh fruit in curd for a stronger flavor and additional textures. These are just a few possibilities to inspire you!
Conclusion:
As you may notice, many of these versatile dessert fillings start with the same simple pantry staple ingredients. What’s amazing is the result can be so many different wonderful things. I have always loved the science behind baking and how taking a few simple things can create so many options. I hope you will try some of these and find joy in the process and the result!