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!
Cynthia
Can this recipe be made in an Instant Pot?
Thanks,
Cynthia
Celebrating Sweets
Hi, Cynthia. I’m not sure. I would guess that maybe you could use the “saute” function, as a substitute for simmering on the stovetop, but I haven’t tried it. This is a quick and easy stovetop recipe, so speeding it along by “pressure cooking” is unnecessary. I hope it works out for you. Thanks for stopping by!
Pam
This pudding turned out great! And very easy to make. Thank you for your recipe!
Celebrating Sweets
I’m happy to hear that! Thanks for taking the time to comment.
Lisa
Just made this after looking for a quick, delicious treat. It’s REALLY good. I cut the recipe in half AND I added cinnamon at the very end. Nice little bowl of warm sweetness. Thanks!
Celebrating Sweets
I’m so happy to hear that. Thanks for taking the time to comment. 🙂
Jake
Was good at first but separated overnight when I didn’t whisk it while chilling
jocelyn worrall
yeeeeeeeeeeee
Hallie
I substituted a can of sweetened condensed milk for one cup of the whole milk, and omitted the white sugar, came out very creamy and tasted great
Celebrating Sweets
That sounds great! Thanks for taking the time to comment. Enjoy!
Libby Esther Berman
I thought custard had egg, not puddings.?
Celebrating Sweets
Pudding can be thickened with eggs, flour, cornstarch or a combination of those. It is often cooked on the stovetop, while custard is usually baked and it’s also a bit more firm. I like using egg yolks in this vanilla pudding recipe because the color from the yolks creates a nice pale yellow color for the pudding. Enjoy!
NoniB
Just finished making a batch of this easy-sounding (but tasty) recipe. Being me, I just had to tweak it by adding a third yolk because though my eggs are marked as ‘large’ they always seem a lot more ‘medium’ to me. The pudding is in the refrig, all in a glass bowl to cool, but of course I licked the whisk and then wiped the pan clean with my finger eh! It is wonderful. No chemical taste, not overly sweet, and enough body to hold up to the blueberry topping I’ll be making for it. Maybe a simple sponge cake and make a Midwestern ‘victoria sandwich’…Thanks for the great recipe that relieved me of having to do all those steps with tempering the eggs, curdling, etc.
NoniB
Easy, tasty, and wholesome. No chemical taste, no having to temper eggs as in some recipes I tried. Thanks!
Celebrating Sweets
I’m glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for taking the time to comment. 🙂
MEGHANN FOLEY
This was such an easy recipe and delicious too! I love using homemade vanilla pudding to make my homemade banana pudding (that my husband LOVES at least once every 2 weeks!) and this recipe will be my go to from now on! Thanks for the wonderful recipe!
Celebrating Sweets
You’re welcome, Meghann. Thanks for taking the time to comment. Enjoy!
Lauren Dickerson
If you dissolve the cornstarch in 1/3c of milk, and then whisk in the egg yolks into that mixture before adding to the milk and sugar, there will be no lumps to strain.