Homemade Butterscotch Pudding

Butterscotch pudding is indulgent comfort food that's simple, yet sophisticated, with rich butterscotch flavor and a silky smooth texture. Only needing a few minutes of hands-on work, you can make this easy pudding recipe and banish the box mix!

Single serving of butterscotch pudding topped with whipped cream on a light brown napkin next to a spoon.

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Why this recipe works
Recipe ingredients
How to make butterscotch pudding
Storage Instructions
Tips for butterscotch pudding success
Questions asked and answered
More custard & sauce recipes to try
Recipe
Comments

Why this recipe works

Simple ingredients yield deep butterscotch flavor and a silky smooth texture
Only takes about 15 minutes of hands-on work
Can be used to make a delicious no-bake Butterscotch Pudding Pie filling

Butterscotch pudding is indulgent comfort food that's simple, yet sophisticated, with rich butterscotch flavor and a silky smooth texture. It's a real treat, since it's not often thought of when the topic of pudding comes up.

Rich caramel notes, molasses undertones, and buttery creaminess flavor this butterscotch pudding from the combination of dark brown sugar and butter, all suspended in a dairy custard with a silky smooth texture and mouthfeel.

Along with chocolate pudding, vanilla pudding, and maple pudding, this homemade butterscotch pudding has a depth of flavor that will make your taste buds sing!

Recipe ingredients

To make this easy butterscotch pudding recipe from scratch, you only need a few simple ingredients:

Ingredients for butterscotch pudding portioned into glass bowls.

Ingredient Notes

Brown sugar & butter: These are the two components that make up butterscotch flavor. Using dark brown sugar will give the deepest flavor, plus the butter adds shine to the pudding recipe.

Milk: Provides the basis for the dairy custard. You can also make a non dairy pudding by using your favorite dairy-free milk alternative.

Heavy Cream: Adds richness to the pudding, especially if you're using a lower fat milk product as the major dairy component.

Thickener: Cornstarch picks up the job of thickening from the yolks, taking it beyond a custard sauce to that of a sturdier pudding with body. While some pudding recipes might contain or exclusively use flour, cornstarch does the job without masking the taste of the butterscotch flavor. Plus, using cornstarch makes this a gluten-free pudding recipe.

Flavorings: Vanilla extract and salt help to buoy and balance the sweetness and creaminess of the finished pudding.

See the recipe card for a full list of ingredients and measurements.

How to make butterscotch pudding

Step 1: Prepare the yolk mixture

In a medium bowl, combine the egg yolks and cornstarch. Whisk until the mixture is smooth and the cornstarch has dissolved (photo 1). Set aside.

Note: In the video, I didn't have the yolk mixture mixed well, and it clung to my whisk. I should have fixed the issue by adding a tablespoon or 2 of water to get the mixture to smooth out. Live and learn.

Egg yolks and cornstarch in a glass bowl from overhead. — Whisk the egg yolks and cornstarch, adding a small amount of water if needed

Step 2: Warm the milk mixture

In a 3-quart saucepan, whisk together the milk, heavy cream, dark brown sugar, and salt (photo 2). Heat on medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until small bubbles form and it starts to steam. This takes about 6 to 7 minutes, and the temperature will be about 130°F on a digital thermometer.

Combining the milk, heavy cream, brown sugar, and salt in a saucepan on a hot plate. — Warming the milk, heavy cream, brown sugar, and salt

Step 3: Cook the pudding

Gently heat the egg mixture by slowly adding ½ cup of the warmed milk mixture to the egg mixture while continuously whisking. Add another ½ cup of the milk mixture and whisk again. This process is called tempering the eggs, and its purpose is to heat the eggs slowly, preventing them from curdling while the pudding cooks.

Pour the warmed egg mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk mixture (photo 3).

Collage of tempering the yolk mixture with the hot milk. — Tempering the yolk mixture into the milk mixture

Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat (don't let it boil). Cook, stirring constantly, until the pudding has thickened and is bubbling, about 4 to 6 minutes (about 195°F). The whisk will start leaving a trail when the pudding has thickened.

Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the butter and vanilla extract (photo 4).

Collage of thickened cooked pudding and adding butter and vanilla. — Cooking the pudding until thickened, then adding in the vanilla and butter

Step 4: Strain and portion the pudding

Strain the pudding through a fine mesh strainer into a clean bowl. If the pudding boiled during cooking, straining it out will help remove any curdled bits of egg (photo 5).

Straining the hot pudding through a fine mesh sieve. — Straining the cooked pudding

Pour about ½ cup (113 grams) of the warm pudding into eight 6-ounce ramekins (photo 6).

Refrigerate until the pudding is completely chilled, about 2 to 3 hours. If desired, place plastic wrap directly onto the pudding after it has cooled off - this will prevent a skin from forming.

To serve, top each pudding with a dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream. Serve and enjoy!

Collage of portioning the pudding into glass serving dishes. — Portioning the pudding

Storage Instructions

Butterscotch pudding will keep in the refrigerator, covered with plastic wrap, for 3 to 5 days.

Yield Notes

This recipe makes about 4 cups of butterscotch pudding, or about 6 to 8 individual servings.

Tips for butterscotch pudding success

If the egg yolks and cornstarch are too thick when you try to whisk them, you can fix the issue by adding a tablespoon or 2 of water to get the mixture to smooth out.

For an additional garnish, consider drizzling some Salted Caramel Sauce on top of the whipped cream. Just prepare a Basic Caramel Sauce and add 1 teaspoon of salt after you remove the caramel from the heat. Allow to cool, then store in a pint canning jar in the refrigerator. Reheat gently (on LOW in the microwave for 30 seconds or in a pan of simmering water) before using.

You can also make a great no-bake Butterscotch Pudding Pie filling. Just pour into a 9-inch pie pan lined with a graham cracker crust. Chill for at least 4 hours. Note, Butterscotch Pudding Pie should not be confused with Butterscotch Pie, which is something entirely different but just as yummy!

Questions asked and answered

Here are some questions you might have...

What is butterscotch pudding made of?

This pudding is essentially a butterscotch custard. That is, it's a cooked egg custard similar to pastry cream that's flavored with dark brown sugar and butter.

What makes butterscotch different from caramel?

Caramel is granulated sugar that has been melted and cooked until it's a deep amber color, like when making caramel sauce. Butterscotch is made by heating brown sugar and butter (like with this butterscotch sauce), giving the flavor profile over to molasses notes supported with buttery creaminess.

Should you cover pudding in the refrigerator?

That's a question of personal preference. Initially you should let the pudding chill uncovered so that you don't have condensation dripping back into the pudding. After that, the answer lies with whether or not you mind the pudding developing a skin (a thickened dry layer on top). Covering the pudding will keep it from drying out, and make it last longer.