homemade vanilla pudding beats “the box” hands down!

I’d never made my own, but this easy, delicious, homemade vanilla pudding has made me a believer!

I was team “box pudding” for YEARS!

Like most people of a certain age, I grew up with the belief that pudding came from a box. Whether it was vanilla, butterscotch or chocolate pudding, it always started with the ubiquitous box of mix that was a staple in my childhood home.

And even when I moved out on my own, and became an avid baker, it never occurred to me to even look for (or try) a homemade pudding recipe.

pudding is NOT custard!

That said, I did become an expert custard maker, courtesy of my obsession with making the perfect creme brulee.

So when I set about developing a recipe for my creme brulee hamantaschen I took a look at the custard recipe I’d always used. And after giving it some thought I decided that a custard filling was not the way to go with these cookies. A pudding filling was going to be the answer.

did you know that there is a difference between pudding and custard?

Though they look similar, there are two main differences. The first is that pudding is thickened with a starch such as cornstarch or flour, while custards are typically thickened with egg yolks. The second is in texture. Pudding is lighter, with more of a whipped appearance, with custards tending to be thicker.

I went with pudding for my creme brulee hamantaschen!

I ultimately went with pudding because I was concerned that the short baking time wouldn’t cook the eggs in the custard sufficiently. And I’m so glad that I did, because the hamantaschen came out just perfectly, and there was plenty of pudding left over to enjoy!

what ingredients do you need for this vanilla pudding recipe?

Homemade pudding requires just a few simple ingredients:

granulated sugar
cornstarch
kosher salt
heavy cream
whole milk
vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
unsalted butter
vanilla bean

how do you make it?

Making your own pudding from scratch is actually no more complicated that using the boxed mix. The key to success is adding ingredients gradually, and whisking constantly, to prevent scorching. Here’s what you do:

Whisk sugar, cornstarch and salt in a medium bowl, and slowly pour in some of the heavy cream, while whisking continuously. Slowly whisk in the remaining cream.

Then slowly add the milk, whisking continuously. Pour the mixture into a saucepan and clean and wipe the bowl.

Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon and scraping along the sides and bottom. When the mixture comes to a simmer, reduce the heat to low and continue stirring. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla, butter and vanilla bean seeds.

Pour the mixture back into your now-clean bowl, place plastic wrap directly onto the surface and refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours before serving.

how do you serve vanilla pudding?

Vanilla goes with pretty much any flavor, so the sky’s the limit! I had fresh raspberries on hand so I used them to garnish the puddings. But whipped cream, mini chocolate chips, nilla wafers or toasted coconut would all be delicious!

Pudding is such a classic dessert, and now that I’ve tried it I want to keep going with more pudding recipes! Banana pudding! Butterscotch! Homemade chocolate pudding! Let me know if you try it!

Homemade Vanilla Pudding

sherisilver

Homemade vanilla pudding kicks the boxed mix to the curb!

5 from 3 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Servings 4

Calories 346 kcal

Equipment

• small saucepan
• whisk
• wooden spoon
• small glass ramekins

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• pinch kosher salt
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 1/4 cups whole milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 vanilla bean, halved and scraped

Instructions

 

• Whisk the sugar, cornstarch and salt in a medium bowl. Slowly pour in 1/4 cup of the heavy cream while whisking continuously. Slowly whisk in the remaining 1/4 cup.
• Slowly pour the milk into the bowl, whisking continuously. Pour the mixture into a saucepan and clean and wipe the bowl.
• Heat the mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon and scraping along the sides and bottom. When the mixture comes to a simmer, reduce the heat to low and continue stirring for 1 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla, butter and vanilla bean seeds.
• Pour the mixture back into your now-clean bowl, place plastic wrap directly onto the surface and refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours before serving.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 346kcalCarbohydrates: 30gProtein: 9gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 13gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 69mgSodium: 229mgPotassium: 58mgFiber: 0.04gSugar: 26gVitamin A: 761IUVitamin C: 0.2mgCalcium: 198mgIron: 0.2mg

Keywords gluten free, pudding, vanilla pudding

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About the author

Sheri Silver

Sheri Silver is a New York-based food photographer and recipe developer who has been cooking and baking for over 30 years. She works with brands, authors and restaurants to create recipes that are as beautiful as they are foolproof - and every recipe on this blog has been made, tweaked and eaten in her own kitchen.

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