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Known in French as “crème de marrons”, chestnut cream is the ultimate Christmas comfort food in France. Sweet, creamy and nutty, kids and adults enjoy this golden spread on toasts, waffles, crêpes, or stirred into yogurts. It is also the star ingredients of some classic French desserts, like the fancy Mont Blanc or simpler Gâteau Ardéchois (Chestnut Cream Cake).
Chestnut cream is sold in tubes or cans in France and can be found in most grocery stores. But for those in the US or Canada who can’t find it that easily, here is are simple instructions for you to make your own at home. But beware… it is addictive!
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52 comments
Hi, What does one jar mean? Pint? Can you freeze this? I saw some chestnuts at the market, but did not know what to do with them. I only know from the song, (Chestnuts roasting on an open fire.) 🙂
Hi! Sorry i forgot to specify this recipe fills a 500ml jar – or you can divide it into several smaller jars if you prefer. And yes you can freeze it (in a freezer proof container, not a glass jar). If you make it, let me know how it turns out 🙂
Hello! Is there a way to jar this so that it can be given as a gift and shelf-stable? Thanks!
Hi Janet! Yes, if you use sterilized jars and lids, you can definitely gift them (great gift idea by the way!).
To sterilize your jars – here are some good instructions (from epicurious.com):
1.Wash jars in hot suds and rinse in scalding water. Put jars in a water-bath canner or on a rack set in a deep pot and cover with hot water.
2. Bring water to a boil and boil jars, covered, 15 minutes from time steam emerges from pot. Turn off heat and let jars stand in hot water.
3. Just before filling them, invert jars onto a kitchen towel to dry. (Jars should be filled while still hot.) Sterilize lids in boiling water 5 minutes.
Once you fill your jars with the chestnut cream, close them tightly, turn them upside down (to let the air escape) and let them cool to room temperature (upside down). Prepared this way, the jars can be kept for up to 1 year at room temperature.
Note: If you do not sterilize your jars, I would recommend to keep the chestnut cream in the fridge for up to 5 days – which I usually do, because it does not last more than 5 days in my house 🙂
Hi, I’m really looking forward to making this recipe but I have chestnuts that are already shelled. How can I judge the proportions of sugar and water? Do you you have a weight for shelled nuts?
Hi Eli, that is a good question! According to The Spruce Eats, 1 1/2 pounds in shell = 1 pound shelled chestnuts (here is the link: https://www.thespruceeats.com/chestnut-measures-equivalents-and-substitutions-1807465). So for this recipe, 2 pounds in shell = 1 1/3 pounds shelled chestnuts. I hope this helps!
Thank you so much! Helps a lot.
You’re welcome!
Came out delicious! I found a place by my house that does u-pick chestnuts and I hadn’t cooked with them in a while so I grabbed some. I accidentally forgot about them with the original boil and left them in too long so I skipped the second boiling and went straight to the processing. I only had ~1.5 pounds so I attempted to change my proportions to match. I used truvia (erythritol and sugar blend) which also calls for less than regular sugar so I used 1/4c + 1TBS truvia and 1/4c water. It thickened properly and has a nice bit of texture left from the chestnuts. I have never had the storebought but I think it’s good and will hopefully work well with a recipe I found for pumpkin and chestnut pie!
Oh, and I used ~1/3 vanilla bean and salt w/vanilla bean scraps to scent it instead of the extract and regular salt. Sorry, I can never seem to make things directly based on the recipe, lol.
Thanks Alex, I am glad the recipe came out delicious! I have a great recipe for chestnut cream cake on the blog, if you are searching for a way to use it: https://www.pardonyourfrench.com/chestnut-cream-cake-gateau-ardechois/ Happy Baking!
Hi.. Is it possible to can this? Water bath?
Hi Theresa, yes, it is possible to can this chestnut cream, here are the instructions:
To sterilize your jars – here are some good instructions (from epicurious.com):
1.Wash jars in hot suds and rinse in scalding water. Put jars in a water-bath canner or on a rack set in a deep pot and cover with hot water.
2. Bring water to a boil and boil jars, covered, 15 minutes from time steam emerges from pot. Turn off heat and let jars stand in hot water.
3. Just before filling them, invert jars onto a kitchen towel to dry. (Jars should be filled while still hot.) Sterilize lids in boiling water 5 minutes.
Once you fill your jars with the chestnut cream, close them tightly, turn them upside down (to let the air escape) and let them cool to room temperature (upside down). Prepared this way, the jars can be kept for up to 1 year at room temperature.
Hello! What is the quantity of the peeled chestnuts? If one was to use boiled and peeled for instance.
Hi! According to The Spruce Eats, 1 1/2 pounds in shell = 1 pound shelled chestnuts (here is the link: https://www.thespruceeats.com/chestnut-measures-equivalents-and-substitutions-1807465). So for this recipe, 2 pounds in shell = 1 1/3 pounds shelled chestnuts. I hope this helps!
At the moment there are chestnuts everywhere, so i,m of to pick some. Natures food that is free. I,m going to freeze some for christmas.
Jane x
Excellent to hear! Unfortunately haven’t found any trees around me yet, but I’m keeping an eye out. Hope you enjoy!
Hi! I am interested in preserving this chestnut cream but in a water bath instead of the jar flipping method. Do you think that’s possible? Thanks!
As long as the jar seals properly and becomes air tight, there should be no issues whatsoever. I’d love to hear how it worked out for you.
This is something I never heard of.. I am looking forward to making this.
It’s a favourite of mine that takes me back to childhood here in France. Especially during the holiday season.
making this for the second time right now, the first was a huge hit. thank you!
Awesome! So happy it turned out well for you. It’s such a delicious and unexpected taste and texture. I love it!
Hello! This looks wonderful. I have many bags of “Gefen Whole Organic Chestnuts, Roasted & Peeled.” They are sealed in a bag. Can I use these to make the cream as I do not have fresh chestnuts nor anywhere to purchase them. There is 5.2 ounces in each bag. I did the calculations, and I believe 4 bags should be plenty, correct? Thanks so much!
I absolutely don’t see why not, so long as they’re not flavored at all (or soaked in liquid). They should work perfectly well!
Sorry if this is in duplicate. I do not see my first attempt waiting for moderation.I have post holiday Gefen ‘s Chestnut ‘Syndrome’…I have several 5+ oz pkgs. 🙂 Gotta’ love Costco!
Audrey, thank you for answering questions. I came directly to blog saw the recipe and didn’t know what I was going to do. But then I found the answers in the comments. I needed to know how and if I could convert these Giffen packets to the recipe.
I just made the creme with them and it is absolutely delicious. I can’t tell that they are from packaged chestnuts. I’m sure a side-by-side my ears are different opinion. But right now, I’ve got pretty good results.
It would be great to turn them into Mont Blanc desserts…yes?
So glad these chestnuts from Costco turned out! No doubt they’re as good as preparing them yourself, minus all the hard work. And believe me, I’ve “cheated” as well and done it this way. The results are always great.
And yes, this chestnut cream is perfect for Mont Blanc!
I have the exact same thing: post holiday Gefen ‘Syndrome’. LOL. Got to love Costco!
These comment and your attention to replying to questions helps. I needed to know what amount if already shelled chestnuts to use and your thoughts about using prepackaged chestnuts.
Thanks to all!
I don’t see how 1/4 of the liquid will be enough for the blender. I used 3/4s of sugar water to get thecrrsukts abive.
Hello. I know the liquid doesn’t seem like much, but it’s what works for me using a powerful vitamix blender. The texture of this recipe is VERY thick. Think a Nutella texture, but perhaps even a bit thicker. If you need more liquid, by all means, use it!
Thanks. I also used a Vitamix. But it’s not an apples-to-apples comparison. I was using peeled & packaged chestnuts. i Piet here cuz it may be useful for others to know of the nuances experienced with minor recipe changes. And I agree: use the amount that works. I look forward to starting from whole chestnuts next fall.
Ah yes, of course. Sorry for the confusion. When using different ingredients (of the same type) there is often a slight changes that have to be made for the recipe to work. Good for others to know that using pre-packed chestnuts should require more liquid.
Would love to know if you think there are any noticable differences if/when you make a batch of your own boiled chestnuts!
What works for me to sterilise the jars when I’m preserving I wash the jars in the dishwasher then when I’m preparing the food for the preserving I heat them in the oven for 20 minutes @ 120c. The jars lids are washed then while the jars are heating are put in to a basin of boiling water
That’s actually very clever, thank you! I will have to try this and hope some readers find this helpful as well.
My dishwasher has a very high temperature setting, that’d work perfectly!
Last comment: do you think leftover chestnut flour can be made into a creme? Or do you suggest a better use for it?
I have unfortunately never tried using Chestnut flour to make a cream, and I honestly am not sure it would work at all. It could, maybe, but I have no idea what would need to be done to the flour to make it suitable for a cream. I’d stick to using it for cakes.
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Audrey, I’m enjoying the last of my first try at baking your Gateau Ardechois using Clement Faugier chestnut cream and it is wonderful! Microwaving the (thawed) slice for about 10 seconds brings out the unique flavor.
At the time I also bought a 439g can of Clement Faugier unsweetened chestnut purée. It lists only chestnuts and water. Do you think that this 439g can is equivalent to using 2 Kg chestnuts with shells to make your chestnut cream recipe? I was thinking of using approximately the same amount of sugar but perhaps less water since water is listed as an ingredient on the can, plus adding vanilla and a pinch of salt.
I appreciate your advice and as always I love your website!
Mary
Hello, Mary! Truly sorry if I misunderstand your question, please write back if I am.
2kg of chestnuts is a pretty good amount. The shells, once removed, will weigh very little (they’re surprisingly light) so you’ll still have pretty close to 2kg of whole chestnut remaining after removing the shells. I would say that with 2kg of chestnuts, you’ll be able to make around 5-6 439g “cans”… Especially after adding the sugar and water.
If that’s what you’re after, then you’re good to go. I would basically double my recipe and go from there. If you’re blender works with less water than listed, by all means… But you may find that your blender needs that extra water. I had the luxury of using a Vitamix, which really helped.
Thanks for your response Audrey. That is very helpful to know – next year I might try to make the chestnut cream from scratch.
My question is whether I can make the sweetened chestnut cream (needed for the gateau Ardechois) using a Clement Faugier unsweetened chestnut puree (weight 439g) and adding sugar, vanilla, salt and some more water, per your recipe here? The label lists only chestnuts and water.
I have one of these unsweetened chestnut purée containers in my pantry and wondered if I could use it for the cake by doing this. Sorry for the confusion!
Mary
Oh, I see now! Hmmm, good question. I’ve never done it myself, but it would make sense that by adding some sugar and perhaps slowly adding some water (if required) you would end up with regular chestbut cream. I don’t think there would be a difference, so you SHOULD be good to go. Will taste a little “taste and error” until you find the right taste for your liking, but I think it’ll work out. Would love to hear back if you do get it to work and what your measurements were.
I made this recipe, but ran into some problems, mostly with the amount of chestnuts. Based on the recipe making 500ml of chestnut cream (a little more than 2 cups or one pint), I decided to try to make a half recipe. I started with 10.4 oz (300g) of Gefen packaged peeled chestnuts. Halved the water, sugar and vanilla. Made the simple syrup and added it to the chestnuts in the blender. Needed the full amount of water. Scraped it back into the pan and heated until thick. This made a little over two cups of finished cream. I can’t imagine how much your 2 lbs of chestnuts would make! Certainly more than 500ml.
Hi, Kathy! Glad you tried the recipe and even happier you were able to think so quickly on your toes to get this to work. I think there are some nuances to the recipe that make it different for each person. The 2 pound weight of the chestnuts is the weight with the skins on. The cream is also extremely thick. I am not sure whether or not you’ve ever had the cream here, but if you haven’t, it’s almost like wet cement – super thick! A powerful vitamix (or other powerful tool) is necessary to use that amount of water to chestnut.
That all said, if you need more water for yours to get it to a useable texture, please do so! As mentioned, you were quick thinking and obviously made the right decision to get your cream made. Enjoy it!
I found your recipe for Crème de marrons and it turned out like a dream, smooth and creamy. Very good flavour
Oh, Katrina, I am so glad to hear this! It’s the “season” for marrons over here, and I’ve been roasting them 1-2x per week. Soon, I’ll stat baking with the crème also. I hope you’ll get to enjoy as much of it as possible thorughout the season – I know I will!
Interesting recipes
Merci, Kim! I try my best to bring the well-known and lesser known French recipes to readers. I hope you’ll enjoy.
Good afternoon, Audrey. I love your blogs, gazettes and IG posts. I was wondering if there is a chestnut creme/chocolate ganache tart recipes that you know of? I have a knack for blending and mixing recipes and coming up with ones on my own, but lately I’ve been craving to master some French recipes instead of making things up on my own as I go. Any advice? Thank you
Hello Ellen! Great question, and just to clarify before I try to give a response – do you mean a chestnut creme AND ganache tart (both together in a tart) or do you mean a chestnut creme tart OR a chocolate ganache tart?
Thanks and I’ll try my best to asisst 🙂
Hi Audrey, Yes, chestnut cream AND ganache tart. That would be fantastic! If not, then I will take either recipe. Thank you!
I don’t have anything with both, but let me snoop around some cookbooks and magazines of mine to see if I can find something that matches 🙂