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–+ servings
Vanilla pudding in a glass mug with raspberries in front of another glass bowl of pudding with a vanilla bean.

Homemade Vanilla Pudding (No Eggs)

By Tammy Spencer
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!
4.84 from 18 votes
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time6 minutes
Cooling Time3 hours
Total Time3 hours 11 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 297kcal

Special Equipment

Ingredients

  • ½ to ⅔ cup (100 grams) granulated sugar, or to taste, see Recipe Notes
  • 6 tablespoons (48 grams) cornstarch
  • ½ teaspoon (½ teaspoon) kosher salt
  • 4 cups (960 grams) half and half, see Recipe Notes
  • 2 tablespoons (28 grams) unsalted butter, see Recipe Notes
  • 2 teaspoons (2 teaspoons) pure vanilla extract, see Recipe Notes

Instructions

  • In a large saucepan, whisk together ½ to ⅔ cup granulated sugar (or to taste), 6 tablespoons cornstarch, and ½ teaspoon kosher salt. Slowly whisk in the 4 cups half and half, stirring to minimize any lumps forming.
  • Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat, making sure the pudding doesn't boil. Cook until the pudding is thickened and bubbling, stirring constantly. Overall this will take about 4 to 6 minutes.
  • Remove the pudding from the heat and whisk in 2 tablespoons unsalted butter and 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract. If desired, you can strain the pudding through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl (preferably one with a pouring spout) to eliminate any lumps.
  • You can decide if you want to serve the pudding in individual servings or from a large bowl.
    For individual servings: Pour ½ cup (114 grams) of the warm pudding into 8 individual bowls.
    For serving from a bowl: Transfer the pudding to a large bowl. Put the bowl in an ice bath (half ice/half water). Stir the pudding occasionally until it's just warm to the touch, about 95°F on a digital thermometer. An ice bath cools the pudding quickly so there's no chance of potential bacteria for food-born illness contaminating it.
  • If desired, place plastic wrap directly onto pudding to prevent a skin from forming. 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.
  • Yield Notes: The full recipe makes about 4 cups of pudding.

Recipe Notes

The amount of sugar you use is a matter of taste - adjust it to your liking.
Use half and half for rich flavor, or you can substitute whole milk 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.
Pure vanilla extract gives this pudding its incredible flavor. For even more vanilla flavor, you can substitute one fresh vanilla bean. Put the seeds and the scraped bean in the mixture 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 its rich vanilla flavor.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 297kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 52mg | Sodium: 196mg | Potassium: 160mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 25g | Vitamin A: 516IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 128mg | Iron: 1mg