Homemade vanilla pudding is easy to make, using only 6 ingredients and no eggs. Serve with whipped cream and berries, or use in a classic banana pudding recipe or a trifle. Banish instant pudding from a box and make vanilla pudding from scratch!
Why this recipe works
- Homemade vanilla pudding has pure vanilla flavor, with no artificial taste
- Only needs 6 ingredients and 10 minutes of active work on the stove
- Can be served solo or as an ingredient for banana pudding or trifle
Vanilla pudding is one of those desserts that I don't generally think of at first. But when I taste it, I wonder why I don't have it more often.
Vanilla is a simple and pure flavor, and pudding is perfect to showcase its taste and texture.
Notice I said pure vanilla flavor. Vanilla instant pudding mix just doesn't cut it, with all its artificial ingredients, stabilizers, and preservatives. When you make a vanilla pudding recipe from scratch, you know that what you'll make will be way better than anything from a box.
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What you need
Vanilla pudding recipes with milk need no fancy ingredients (and certainly nothing artificial!).
Key ingredients
Milk: Here I'm using half & half for rich flavor, but you can substitute whole milk for the half & half for a less rich vanilla pudding. If you prefer a dairy-free pudding, use your favorite non-dairy cream product instead of the half & half
Sugar: Adds that lovely sweetness to the pudding.
Butter: Adds to the rich flavor and creamy texture of the vanilla pudding. If you prefer, you can use a non-dairy butter substitute instead.
Thickener: Since we're not making a custard that's thickened with egg yolks, cornstarch is used to thicken the pudding. While some pudding recipes include or exclusively use flour, cornstarch does the job without masking the taste of the finished product. Plus, using cornstarch makes this a gluten-free recipe.
Flavorings: Vanilla extract and salt provides flavor and balance to this homemade pudding recipe.
For even more vanilla flavor, substitute a fresh vanilla bean for the extract. Put the seeds and the scraped bean in the half & half while it’s heating, then strain out the spent bean after the pudding has thickened. You’ll have those wonderful specks of vanilla bean seeds in additional to rich vanilla flavor.
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How to make homemade vanilla pudding
Step 1: Combine the dry ingredients
In a small bowl, whisk the sugar, cornstarch, and salt together (photo 1).
Step 2: Cook the pudding
In a medium saucepan, heat the half & half over medium heat until small bubbles form and it starts to steam, about 5 minutes. Slowly add the sugar mixture into the hot half & half, whisking constantly. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, making sure the pudding doesn't boil (photo 2).
Step 3: Test for doneness
Cook until thickened, stirring constantly, about 4 to 6 minutes. It should coat the back of a spoon and leave a trail when you draw your finger through it (photo 3).
Step 4: Add the vanilla and butter
Remove the pudding from the heat and whisk in the vanilla extract and butter (photo 4).
Step 5: Cool the pudding
Strain the pudding through a fine mesh strainer into a clean bowl.
Put the bowl in an ice bath (half ice/half water). Stir occasionally until just warm to the touch, about 95°F on an infrared temperature gun or digital thermometer (photo 5). An ice bath cools the pudding quickly so there's no chance of potential bacteria for food-born illness contaminating it.
Place plastic wrap directly onto pudding (to prevent skin from forming), and refrigerate until the pudding is completely chilled, about 2 to 3 hours (photo 6).
Storage instructions
Homemade vanilla pudding will keep in the refrigerator, covered with plastic wrap, for 3 to 5 days.
Questions asked and answered
Here are some questions you might have...
The method for making both pudding and custard (and also flan) is similar, basically cooking a sweetened dairy product until it has thickened. The main difference is which thickening ingredient is used.
Pudding is thickened by cooking cornstarch, tapioca, or arrowroot in the heated milk mixture, like in a chocolate pudding recipe. With custard recipes, like for egg nog or the base for vanilla ice cream, egg yolks are whisked in slowly into the heated cream. Using eggs for thickening provides the silky texture that custards are known for.
Pastry cream (aka crème pâtissière if you want to get fancy), is a hybrid between vanilla custard and vanilla pudding. The base is made like a standard custard recipe using eggs, then thickened further with cornstarch. The reason is that pastry cream needs to have a bit more body so it can be used in éclairs or as the filling for cakes, like Boston Cream Pie.
Pro Tip: Ways to use pudding
Vanilla pudding is a delicious stand-alone dessert, especially when it's garnished with whipped cream and fruit or chocolate sauce. You can also use it in homemade banana pudding recipes.
Another idea is to layer it in a trifle. Pictured here is my Orange Cinnamon Pecan Trifle, made with my homemade vanilla pudding, pound cake and a cinnamon streusel crumb topping. It's absolutely delicious!
Creamy vanilla goodness
This vanilla pudding has a clean, pure vanilla flavor that doesn't taste artificial, and a smooth creamy texture that just glides over the tongue.
Banish the box mix and make your vanilla pudding from scratch. You'll be glad you did!
Slainté! L’chaim! Cheers!
Tammy
Related Recipes
Custards come in many forms, but the method is similar across the board. Luckily, the technique is easy to master, and you'll be able to make a whole range of treats!
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Recipe
Homemade Vanilla Pudding (No Eggs)
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 cups half and half, see Recipe Notes
- 1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract, see Recipe Notes
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, see Recipe Notes
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk the sugar, cornstarch, and salt together.
- In a medium saucepan, heat the half and half over medium heat until small bubbles form and it starts to steam, about 5 minutes. Slowly add the sugar mixture into the hot half & half, whisking constantly. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, making sure the pudding doesn't boil.
- Cook until thickened, stirring constantly, about 4 to 6 minutes. It should coat the back of a spoon and leave a trail when you draw your finger through it.
- Remove the pudding from the heat and whisk in the vanilla extract and butter.
- Strain the pudding through a fine mesh strainer into a clean bowl. Put the bowl in an ice bath (½ ice and ½ water). Stir occasionally until just warm, about 95 °F on an infrared temperature gun or digital thermometer.
- Place plastic wrap directly onto pudding (to prevent a skin from forming), and refrigerate until the pudding is completely chilled, about 2 to 3 hours.
- Storage instructions: Homemade pudding will keep in the refrigerator, covered with plastic wrap, for 3 to 5 days.
Naina says
Yesterday I made this recipe but my pudding never thickened, because the corn starch got cooked into lumps the moment it hit the hot milk. Then I fixed it with my usual method of using corn starch - by stirring it into cold milk and then adding it to hot liquid. That worked.
Tammy Spencer says
Hi Naina, I’m sorry the recipe didn’t work for you initially. Adding in the dry mixture slowly with lots of whisking did the trick for me, and I’m glad you were able to save it with your method. Thanks for sharing your experience.