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!
Deborah
So easy and delicious, I’m using this recipe here on out for my banana pudding desert. Yummy
Sophia
Could I use almond milk
Allison
That should work. If you check the comments there might be some other readers who have mentioned using other milk products. Enjoy!
Nancy P
Can this recipe be easily quadrupled? I am trying to make small blueberry parfaits for a crowd–pudding, blueberries, dollop of whipped cream in small clear cups for around 20.
Allison
I haven’t tried it. I think doubling would be ok, you could try making two batches. Enjoy!
Jake
Amazing. Love it. The best pudding in the world!
Allison
I’m happy to hear that! Thanks for stopping by. 🙂
Stephhie
I’m using this for my eclair cake, how many days can it be stored in the fridge?
Allison
I usually use it within 2-3 days. Enjoy!
Val
Super easy and delicious!
Allison
I’m glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Wendy
Simply amazing. It is still warm but amazing.
I will be using it for Banana Pudding.
Peggy webb
Can you use any other thickening agent besides corn starch?
Allison
I’ve only made the recipe as written, so I can’t say for sure, but you can try using all purpose flour. Typically you would need double the amount of flour as cornstarch.
Julie DuVal
This is my go to recipe for perfect vanilla pudding. After it looks ready to add the butter and vanilla, before doing so, I’ll even add leftover cooked rice to it, and then some extra cream as the rice thickens it heavily. I’ll just keep stirring, and adding more cream if it needs it, until it boils again. If it needs a little more sweetness, I’ll add a bit more sugar. It turns out beautifully every time.
Allison
That sounds great! Thanks for sharing your experience. 🙂
eric
This was easy to make and worth the efforts. We made pudding to poyr over sliced bananas and coconut cookies & topped with whipped cream. Only thing I’d want to change is to lower the sweetness. Maybe add salt, but salt can curtle the milk so here’s a puzzle to solve. This was really good,sweet but good.