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!
Catherine S - Weatherford Tx
Delicious! Simple, not too sweet, good balance. I lined bowl with Maria’s Gamesa cookies, sliced bananas, and poured pudding on top. Yummy!
Allison
That sounds delicious! I’m glad you enjoyed it. 🙂
Irene
Easy and delicious Who knew pudding from scratch was so simple and quick. Definitely a keeper
Allison
I’m glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Natalie
Hi! I’d like to use this recipe in place of using boxed instant banana cream pudding. Would you recommend me still adding the vanilla extract, along with the banana extract? Also, any idea on how much banana extract I should add? Thanks!
Allison
I’ve never used banana extract, but I would start with a little (maybe 1/4 teaspoon), taste it and go from there. You should be able to use a little vanilla, too (maybe half of what the recipe calls for). I like the flavor of vanilla and banana together. Enjoy!
FFT4
Hey. So I altered this to make a lemon pudding. I just substituted lemon extract for vanilla 1 to 1 and then added half a teaspoon of vanilla extract, then half a cup lemon juice. It came out pretty good. I’ve got no idea if banana extract is as bananay as lemon extract is lemony though. You might also consider adding mashed banana to it. I’ve done that with boxed vanilla pudding mix before and it came out great.
Cindy
Yummy and so easy little sweet but just decreased sugar slightly. Best one .yum yum
Allison
I’m glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for stopping by! 🙂
Shane
Simple, delicious, and made with fresh ingredients! The small amount of butter at the end definitely makes a difference! Add some fresh berries and small amount of whipping cream for a simple but elegant dessert! Thank you!
Allison
You’re welcome! I’m glad you enjoyed it. 🙂
Pamela Sample Moshier
This makes just the right size pudding for a couple….plus it’s DELISH!
FFT4
So I’ve made this three times now, the first two I found it tasted great but the consistency was too loose and runny for my tastes. I don’t know if it’s supposed to be gloppy or if I didn’t cook mine right. However the third time I added a little gelatine to cheat and firm it up a bit. Perfect. So if your’s is turning out too runny, I found half a pack of gelatin to double the above recipe gave it the right amount of firmness.
Also, adding a cinnamon sticks a few cloves and grated nutmeg during the cooking added a great flavor! Just remember to strain .
Allison
Thanks for sharing your experience. I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Maryann
This is second time I have made this recipe. Both times came out perfect. I thought pudding was more complicated. Will continue using. So much better than store bought cups.
Allison
I’m glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for stopping by. 🙂
Nicholas
Hello, I wanted to try this recipe because it looks so yummy! I do not eat dairy I was wondering I could substitute the milk for oat milk, soy milk, or almond milk? And the butter for vegan butter?
Allison
That should work. Best of luck playing around with it.
Robyn Shannon
This Vanilla pudding was so easy and so good
Allison
Thanks, Robyn! I’m glad you enjoyed it. 🙂