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Vanilla Pudding

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By Betty Crocker Kitchens
Updated Oct 10, 2024
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Pudding is a sweet, devourable dessert that’s delicious on its own or can be used to make other amazing desserts. Dating back centuries, some say puddings got their start in recipes like plum pottage, which was a thin porridge thickened with breadcrumbs, raisins or other dried fruits and wine. Others say it originated from hasty pudding (also known as Indian pudding), which when brought to America, was thickened with cornmeal instead of English flour.

Sweet puddings are typically thickened with cornstarch, eggs, or flour and have a yogurt-like consistency. Custards are always thickened with eggs which gives them an eggier flavor and their characteristically light texture. If a custard recipe doesn’t contain an egg, it’s technically not a custard.

If your sweet tooth is calling but you don’t want to make a trip to the store, pudding to the rescue! It’s made from just a few ingredients that you probably already have in your kitchen and needs only 10 minutes of prep. Best enjoyed it chilled, as refrigeration brings out the flavors as well as helps it to set up.

Homemade vanilla pudding has a fresh flavor that can’t be beat. Serve it alone or top with fresh berries. It’s great as the base of other amazing desserts like parfaits or a trifle. Or while it’s still warm, spoon it over a piece of chocolate cake. It’s like the dessert cart of a high-end restaurant made a delivery right to your door.

How To Make Vanilla Pudding

Here are the general steps to show you how to make vanilla pudding. Follow the recipe for all the specifics:

Separate the Eggs

For this recipe, you’ll use only the egg yolks.
They give pudding it’s velvety texture and richness. To easily
separate the eggs, it’s best to use an inexpensive egg separator to prevent shells from getting into the yolks or whites. If you do find yourself with pieces of shell in the eggs, use a clean fork or spoon to scoop them out. A simple way to use up the whites is to throw them in with your whole eggs to make scrambled eggs.

Thicken the Milk

Mix sugar, cornstarch, and the salt in a saucepan. This sets up the pudding for success by dispersing the cornstarch evenly throughout the pudding mixture. Slowly add milk. As the milk is added and mixes with the starch it will begin to thicken. Heat while stirring constantly until it boils. Boil and keep stirring for another minute to continue to thicken the milk while cooking off the starch flavor. At this point, the milk will be slightly thickened, but not pudding like, yet.

Make a Silky, Smooth Pudding

Pour at least half of the hot milk mixture into the beaten egg yolks and then stir all of that back into the remaining milk mixture. Stir in the butter and vanilla now after the cooking, for added richness and flavor. The pudding mixture will be slightly thicker than the milk at this point, but it still won’t be thick like pudding yet.

Set and Chill the Pudding

Pour the liquid pudding into dessert dishes. Cover them to prevent a skin from forming on the surface. They need about an hour in the fridge to set up to a thick pudding texture as well as to get chilled, which brings out the fresh vanilla flavor.

How To Store Vanilla Pudding

This easy vanilla pudding recipe can be whipped up before you make dinner so it will be perfectly chilled and ready for dessert! Or you can make it to enjoy later. Store it in the refrigerator up to 5 days and have as a sweet snack or dessert on the fly.

Pudding is not a dessert that can be made ahead and frozen, as it will break down and become watery going through the freeze and thaw cycles. You’ll also get the same results if you try to reheat chilled pudding. If you want it warm, skip step 3 and enjoy right after cooking. Perfect for those chilly days. 

Pudding Variations

Once you have the easy techniques down for making pudding, you’ll never go back to the boxed kind! Need to satisfy your chocolate craving?

Ultimate Chocolate Pudding for an amazing chocolate taste in every spoonful.  

Sticky Toffee Pudding is a baked pudding, like a cross between regular pudding and bread pudding, for a delightful texture and rich, buttery flavor.

Or use this delicious pudding as the start to other amazing desserts.

Quick and Tasty Banana Pudding makes a delicious snack, after school treat or easy dessert everyone will love.

Chocolate-Orange Punch Bowl Cake for those times you need a crowd-size dessert.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why Does my Pudding have Tiny Lumps in it?

There are two reasons your pudding may have lumps. If the milk in step 1 was added all at once, it may not dissolve properly. It’s best to gradually add it to the cornstarch mixture for it to dissolve properly.

Also, it’s possible the lumps are pieces of egg that cooked while making the pudding. To avoid this, start with beaten eggs in a bowl. Pour only half of the thickened milk mixture into the beaten eggs, whisking constantly to prevent them from cooking. Add the egg mixture back to the remaining milk mixture in the pan, whisking the entire time you are mixing and cooking the pudding.

If you find yourself with tiny pieces of egg in your pudding, don’t throw it out! Simply strain the pudding using a fine-mesh strainer, as you pour it into serving bowls.

Vanilla Pudding

  • Prep Time 10 min
  • Total 1 hr 20 min
  • Servings 4
  • Ingredients 7
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Ingredients

  • 2 large egg yolks
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups milk
  • 2 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla

Instructions

  • Step 
    1
    Place egg yolks in medium heatproof bowl; beat slightly with a fork. Set aside. In 2-quart saucepan, mix sugar, cornstarch and salt. Gradually stir in milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils. Boil and stir 1 minute.
  • Step 
    2
    Gradually stir at least half of the hot mixture into egg yolks, then stir back into hot mixture in saucepan. Boil and stir 1 minute; remove from heat. Stir in butter and vanilla.
  • Step 
    3
    Pour pudding into dessert dishes. Cover and refrigerate about 1 hour or until chilled. Store covered in refrigerator.

Nutrition

220 Calories
11g Total Fat
5g Protein
26g Total Carbohydrate
23g Sugars

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1/4 of Recipe
Calories
220
Calories from Fat
100
Total Fat
11g
16%
Saturated Fat
5g
24%
Trans Fat
0g
Cholesterol
130mg
44%
Sodium
170mg
7%
Potassium
180mg
5%
Total Carbohydrate
26g
9%
Dietary Fiber
0g
0%
Sugars
23g
Protein
5g
% Daily Value*:
Vitamin A
10%
10%
Vitamin C
0%
0%
Calcium
15%
15%
Iron
2%
2%
Exchanges:
0 Starch; 0 Fruit; 1 1/2 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Skim Milk; 1 Low-Fat Milk; 0 Milk; 0 Vegetable; 0 Very Lean Meat; 0 Lean Meat; 0 High-Fat Meat; 2 Fat;
Carbohydrate Choice
2
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

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