Homemade Vanilla Pudding Recipe – Step By Step Guide!

Pudding mix what?!? You’ll forget all of the pudding mixes with this super easy homemade vanilla pudding recipe. Rich vanilla flavour and a creamy, melt-in-the-mouth texture will surely make your day. Follow our step by step recipe to get the most out of your vanilla pudding.

Let us know how the pudding turned out in the comments below!!

Why We Love Making This Homemade Vanilla Pudding Recipe?

Apart from it being one of our favourite classic desserts, it’s a light and easy version of a custard or cream pastry. The consistency can be changed and altered according to preference, whether you like it creamy, thick, set or runny. Here is a list of reasons why this is the best homemade vanilla pudding;

• It’s super easy to make
• It’s made with every day easily available ingredients! So if you crave something sweet it can be whipped up in no time!
• This is a gluten-free recipe! We can even turn it into a dairy-free recipe without disturbing the rich vanilla flavour.
• It can easily be altered to your preference.
• It’s perfect to serve with cake or cookies or just with chocolate!

 

Ingredients You’ll Need For This Homemade Vanilla Pudding Recipe

• 2 cups whole milk
• 2 tablespoons dry milk powder (optional)
• ¾ cup white sugar, (add only ½ cup for a less sweet pudding)
• ¼ teaspoon of sea salt
• 2 egg yolks
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch (2 tablespoons for a thinner homemade vanilla pudding)
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Tools You’ll Need

• Medium saucepan
• Whisk
• Mesh strainer
• Pudding bowls

 

Substitutes For A Dairy-Free Homemade Vanilla Pudding

This recipe is already gluten-free it uses cornstarch. Now here are a few substitutes to help enhance flavour or make this dairy-free. To make this dairy-free use plank based milk like oat milk, almond milk or coconut milk and dairy-free butter/Ghee instead of the regular one.

• Substitute brown sugar in for white sugar and get a butterscotch pudding.
• Add 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder and cocoa extract for an easy chocolate pudding.
• Chop ripe bananas and add to the pudding mix for a classic banana pudding.
• Mix in some espresso powder to make a coffee flavoured pudding instead.
• Use coconut milk and garnish with toasted coconut for a decedent coconut pudding.

 

How To Make Homemade Vanilla Pudding

Step 1: Prep The Yolk Mixture

Start by placing the egg yolks in a large bowl, add the cornstarch and ¼ of the milk into the yolks and whisk till a smooth paste is formed. Set this mixture aside.

Step 2: Prepare The Milk Mix

Next in a medium saucepan, pour the rest of the milk and milk powder (if using), add the sugar and salt. Heat this over medium heat and keep whisking this mixture until the sugar and salt dissolves. Keep the heat on until the milk starts to steam and remove the milk from the heat once done.

Step 3: Tempering Eggs

On a non-slip surface (a cloth or napkin) place the egg yolk mixture. Slowly pour about ½ of the hot milk mixture into the egg yolk bowl, while whisking this consistently. Here you are adding just enough milk to heat the yolk mixture.

Step 4: Heat And Mix To Get The Right Consistency

Pour the warm egg yolk mixture back into the saucepan with the rest of the hot milk mixture. Heat the pudding mixture on medium heat while whisking constantly. It will start to thicken in about 2-4 minutes.

Make sure to reach the edges and bottom of the saucepan as well or else the pudding will stick to the bottom resulting in a lumpy and burnt mess. Consistently whisk the mixture until a few bubbles break the surface.

Step 5: Add Vanilla And Butter

Now remove the pudding from the stove and mix in the vanilla extract and softened butter. Whisk these until the butter completely melts and mixes in with the pudding giving a smooth texture.

Step 6: Caramel Glaze

You can make a caramel glaze-like mine before you pour the pudding in individual bowls add the caramelized sugar to the bottom of the bowl and let it set. Slowly pour the hot pudding mixture on top of the caramel and let it set in the fridge. (optional).

Step 7: Transfer And Chill

Transfer your homemade vanilla pudding into pudding bowls and cover with plastic wrap, making sure the plastic wrap is airtight. This will prevent the pudding from forming skin. Let it cool in the fridge for a few hours, or until the pudding is completely chilled and set.

Step 8: Serve And Enjoy

When ready to eat take it out and remove plastic wrap and serve! When serving just put a plate on top of the ramekin and turn upside down! Enjoy!!

Tips For The Best Homemade Vanilla Pudding Recipe:

Keep Stirring:

Our homemade vanilla pudding recipe is not hard at all to follow! Actually, you just have to keep in mind that when making a pudding, you need to keep stirring it to prevent any lumps from forming in it which would ruin the texture. This is why to take help from your family/kids and ask them to stir the pudding until it’s completely smooth while you take it off the heat.

Avoid any boxed puddings:

Making homemade vanilla pudding is not difficult at all, just don’t waste money on those readymade pudding mixes. All you need is cornstarch and little ingredients that you probably would have in your pantry! So chill out and try attempting it from scratch!

Vanilla should be added at the end:

Vanilla flavouring should be added at the end of the cooking process. This ensures that it retains its taste. As adding it too soon will make the pudding lose its original taste and aroma because of the heat from the stove.

Make sure to use cold milk:

Cold milk will help avoid getting lumps in your pudding and ensure a smooth and creamy pudding.

Add-Ons To Your Homemade Vanilla Pudding

Nutella Or Chocolate Syrup:

This homemade vanilla pudding will give you a chance to enjoy it with Nutella or Chocolate syrup drizzled on top. If you enjoy the choco-vanilla combo this is the best way to do it!

Vanilla Or Chocolate Flavored Cookies:

Vanilla or chocolate flavoured cookies add some much-needed crunch to the rich creamy pudding and make it a complete dessert. Any flavoured cookies would work. We like to add leftover cookies from our easy sugar cookie and best chocolate chip cookie recipes.

Meringues:

Meringues can also add crunch to your pudding while providing a decadent marshmallow texture when it melts in your mouth.

Jelly:

Jellies can add a fruity flavour to your homemade vanilla pudding. Strawberry, orange or lemon flavoured jellies can go extremely well with this recipe without overpowering the vanilla flavour.

How To Store This Homemade Vanilla Pudding

Homemade vanilla pudding can last for 5-7 days in the refrigerator safely. You can tell when the pudding has gone bad when cloudy water like substance starts to separate from the rest of the ingredients of the pudding. It kind of looks like a curd.

When you see dark coloured moulds forming on the surface of the pudding, you’ll know it’s bad. Keep in mind that the ingredient that is likely to expire the quickest which is milk. Milk can serve as a clue to figure out how long the pudding will last.

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