Put down the instant pudding mix. This creamy and flavorful Homemade Vanilla Pudding couldn’t be easier or more delicious! Serve this pudding on its own or with cookies, berries or whipped cream. VIDEO below.
It’s time homemade pudding gets the attention it deserves. Pudding has to be the most underrated dessert ever. It’s not as fancy or decadent as a pot de crème, mousse, or crème brûlée. It’s comforting, nostalgic, and uncomplicated, and that’s what I love about it!
If you have only ever had boxed/store-bought pudding, you are missing out. Yes, this takes a little more effort than peeling back the foil on a plastic cup, but once you taste this, you will never go back to that stuff again. You probably have most (or all?) of these ingredients in your kitchen right now. Check out how easy it is.
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Homemade Vanilla Pudding
- Milk: Whole milk is the base of the pudding. Feel free to swap up to ½ cup milk for half-and-half for a richer pudding.
- Sugar: Regular granulated sugar sweetens the pudding. Nothing fancy here!
- Thickener: Egg yolks and cornstarch thicken up the pudding. It will thicken as it cooks on the stovetop, and it will continue to thicken as it cools in the fridge.
- Vanilla extract: This is what makes our pudding taste like vanilla. Use the best extract you can get – its flavor is coming through in every bite.
- Butter: Just a touch of butter is whisked into the hot pudding. This adds a touch of richness that takes this pudding over the top. Don’t skip it!
The pudding ingredients get whisked together and cooked on the stovetop for about 10 minutes. Then strain it and place it in the fridge to chill. Easy peasy!
One of the fabulous things about homemade pudding is its versatility. You can serve it on its own, or you can pair it with berries, whipped cream, cookies, or sliced bananas. It’s great layered in a trifle, or topped with fruit sauce. Note: you can also just place a huge bowl of pudding in your fridge and steal a bite (or two) every time you open the fridge door. ← Not a bad idea.
This is a classic, comforting dessert that I come back to time and time again – and I hope you will too!
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Recipe
Easy Homemade Vanilla Pudding
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 2-¼ cups whole milk
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1-½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan whisk together sugar, cornstarch, salt, milk, and egg yolks. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking occasionally (every minute or two), until the mixture is bubbling all throughout (this took 7-8 minutes for mine). Once bubbling, continue cooking for one to two additional minutes, whisking once or twice, but not too vigorously (this can break down the binding properties). At this point the pudding should be thickened but still pourable, it will thicken more as it cools.
- Remove from heat and whisk in butter and vanilla extract. OPTIONAL, to remove lumps: Place a fine mesh strainer over a large heatproof bowl. Pour the mixture through the strainer and into the bowl. Skip this step if you don't notice any lumps in your pudding.
- Transfer the pudding into a large bowl or into individual serving bowls. Cool until it is lukewarm, then cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for several hours or until chilled.
Video
Nutrition
Nutritional Information is an estimate based on third-party calculations and may vary based on products used and serving sizes.
Tried this recipe?Leave a comment and rating below!
Sandy
I used one cup of skim milk and one and one fourth cup of half and half and it is delicious!
Allison
I’m glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for stopping by. 🙂
Spl
Delish, quick and easy!
Allison
I’m glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for stopping by. 🙂
Heath
I doubled the recipe because I have 3 kids lol I added another teaspoon of vanilla because it didn’t have enough of a vanilla taste for me. But overall it was great!! Will definitely make this again!
Bella
Quick and easy .My first time making Pudding.
Allison
I’m glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for stopping by!
BigRed
Simple & delicious.
I’ve made this a number of times, sometimes doubling the recipe, and it has been perfect every time.
Next time I may share.
marna
so good…and we LOVE pudding….and so so easy…next time, I might try with 1/4 cup sugar….see how that goes…
Allison
I’m glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for taking the time to comment. 🙂
Ro
Delish but mine didn’t firm up, soupy
Allison
Did you make any ingredient substitutions? Did you follow the instructions closely regarding whisking? Over-whisking can break down the binding properties of the cornstarch.
Ren
I want to add less sugar, but cannot do fake sugars (even stevia and monk fruit) in it’s place. Other than it being less sweet, would it throw off the consistency too much or anything of that nature? I want to try to half it.
Allison
You can try a little bit less sugar, but I wouldn’t reduce the sugar too much or it might not set up properly.
CDubHow
I double this recipe and use it as the base for my homemade banana pudding. Perfect!
Allison
Perfect! Thanks for taking the time to comment. 🙂
Hal
Hi,
My daughter had a craving for pudding and I decided to attempt it from scratch. I took about 15 minutes and made a delicious pudding that far exceeded my expectations. Thanks a lot. I’ll never buy boxed pudding again.
Allison
I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks for taking the time to comment. 🙂
HoJoMo
Delicious! I use half and half and Splenda. My family loves it!
Allison
I’m glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for stopping by. 🙂