This oh-so-simple recipe for homemade vanilla pudding is one of the easiest things you’ll ever make, and a definite must for your recipe collection. I’ve made vanilla pudding this way hundreds of times– and for so many different ways to serve it!
If you’re looking for an easy, homemade vanilla pudding that’s smooth, rich, and thick, well; I do believe you have found it.
How to make vanilla pudding from scratch
Making vanilla pudding from scratch is a very simple process, and you can make it in a few different ways. For this recipe, here are the basic steps:
- Melt the butter, remove it from the heat, and add the thickener (flour or cornstarch)
- Slowly add milk until you have a smooth paste. Then add the remaining milk.
- Cook on medium heat until the milk is hot and starts to thicken, and then add beaten egg.
- Cook for an extra few minutes, whisking all the while to prevent the pudding from burning.
- Remove from the heat, stir in some butter and vanilla, and cool in the fridge until it is thick and set.
That’s it! Obviously, scroll down the for the recipe if you want more clear instructions and specific measurements- but that’s the basic idea. Not too hard, right?
“If you stir it long enough, it will become pudding”
I remember one time as a teenager, we had some friends over, and I had everything in a pot to make vanilla pudding. I was stirring it with a whisk and telling my friend, “If you just keep stirring, eventually it will become pudding!” He liked to tease me afterward that I told him “anything” — if you stir it long enough, will turn into pudding.
Well, it doesn’t quite work like that my friends; however, I often get a chuckle, stirring anything on the stovetop, thinking back to that time. “Careful not to overcook the soup; it just might become pudding!”
Great ways to use vanilla pudding
There are so many great ways to use vanilla pudding, and I’m sure I haven’t nearly exhausted all of the options! Here are a few of my favourites:
- Custard topping for waffles (with fresh fruit or fruit sauce)
- Creamy crêpe filling
- A dessert on its own (topped with whipped cream and fresh fruit!)
- Trifle layer/filling
- Donut filling (as in Boston cream donuts)
- Profiterole/cream puff/eclair filling
- Cake/cupcake filling
Recipe variations & substitutes
You can make vanilla pudding with pretty much any type of milk or any type of starch, bearing in mind that different ingredients will affect the quality/texture of the finished product.
Milk substitutes:
- Using nut milks such as coconut or almond milk will work for making pudding, but bear in mind that it will affect the flavour of the finished product substantially. (Ie, coconut milk will taste like coconut pudding, and other nut or oat milks will have a more watery, nutty flavour.)
- Higher fat milk will yield a smoother, more flavourful pudding with a thicker texture (2% or higher fat will make a better pudding than using skim milk).
Starch substitutes:
- Flour will give the pudding a thick, slightly grainy texture.
- Cornstarch will give the pudding a smoother texture (this is usually what I prefer).
- Other thickeners, such as tapioca starch or rice flour, would also work (although rice flour will definitely yield a more grainy texture, and tapioca needs to be carefully thinned out with milk – as in the recipe – to prevent lumps). I would not use potato starch for this recipe.
Fat substitutes:
- The egg in this recipe should not be substituted (the fat in the yolk is essential for the right texture and flavour of this pudding recipe)
- Butter can be substituted for vegan butter or margarine; however, butter is by far the best fat for this recipe. Do not substitute any type of oil for the fat in this recipe.
You will need:
- Ingredients (see recipe card)
- Small heavy bottomed saucepan
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Whisk
- Heat proof spatula
- Glass bowl
- Plastic wrap
Easy Homemade Vanilla Pudding
This easy homemade vanilla pudding recipe is wonderful served on its own, as a custard topping for waffles or crêpes, or as a delicious pastry cream for profiteroles, donuts, and eclairs.
Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp. butter
- 4-1/2 Tbsp cornstarch*
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 pinch salt
- 3 cups whole milk or 2% milk
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 Tbsp. vanilla extract
Instructions
-
In a medium, heavy bottomed saucepan, melt the butter and remove from heat. Stir in the flour, sugar, and salt (I like to mix them together ahead of time), and stir to combine. Add about 1 to 1-1/2 cups of the milk and stir until the mixture makes a smooth paste; then add the rest of the milk and stir to combine.
-
Return to medium heat and whisk until the mixture is hot and starts steaming. Beat the egg until frothy, and add to the hot milk mixture, stirring all the while. Continue whisking until the mixture begins to thicken. Whisk a couple minutes longer to cook through, remove from the heat, and stir in the vanilla.
-
Once the mixture is done, pour it into a glass bowl, cover it with plastic*, and refrigerate overnight.
*Make sure the plastic sits directly on top of the filling; this will prevent it from forming a "skin."
Recipe Notes
*Cornstarch can be substituted for flour in this recipe; however, if you do this, the recipe will no longer be gluten free.
How to prevent a “skin” from forming on the surface of homemade vanilla pudding:
Cover the hot pudding with plastic wrap, directly on top of the pudding itself.
Pictured: Vanilla pudding in homemade profiteroles.
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That’s it! At some point, I hope to update this post with better photos, but for now I hope it serves you well! Let me know in the comments what you think, or if you have any questions. I’d love to help if I can!
Thanks for dropping in! I’ll be back soon,
Naomi
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