It doesn’t happen often, but every once in awhile I really crave pudding. And not the little Jello-O pudding cups, but real, homemade vanilla pudding. When the craving hits, I need pudding and there’s nothing else that could fill that need. The best way to make homemade vanilla pudding is with real vanilla bean and whole milk. Top the finished product with some fresh berries and a sprig of mint, and you’re good to go!
how to make vanilla pudding
This recipe is super easy as long as you follow the steps correctly. If you don’t read this section first, and you’ve never made custard before, you’re in danger of ending up with lumpy pudding—and nobody wants that!
The first thing you’re going to do is whisk together the sugar, salt, cornstarch, and just 1/2 cup of the milk in a medium saucepan. You can whisk this by hand, but make sure to beat it hard and quick so you’re left with a smooth paste without any starch lumps.
Then, turning the heat on low, you’re going to add the egg yolks and the rest of the milk. Here is where you have to be very careful with the heat. The best method is to add the milk first and allow it to heat up, and beat the eggs yolks in a separate bowl. Once the milk is steaming, add the yolks in slowly, stirring the whole time. This is called tempering, as it slowly brings the eggs to a higher temperature without cooking too much. Adding a lot of heat too quickly can force the eggs to scramble into chunks.
While the mixture thickens, make sure to stir it slowly and constantly with a wooden spoon or whisk. Once it has a nice, custardy consistency and bubbles begin to form on the top, remove your pudding from the heat. If any chunks did form during the cooking process, you can strain them out with a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth (being very careful not to burn your hands!).
Now, you can stir in the butter, vanilla extract, and vanilla bean. The vanilla bean paste is removed by cutting the pod open longways with a very sharp knife, and then scraping out the black paste with the edge of the knife. It will results in some pretty black vanilla bean flecks in the pudding, and it will taste incredible.
At this point, allow the pudding to cool to room temperature, cover it with plastic wrap, and let it set in the fridge for a couple hours at least.
what you'll need
Get these ingredients today and have them on hand for whenever the pudding craving hits you next!
Sugar I guess a no-brainer for this sweet dessert
Whole milk While I recommend using whole milk for the best possible flavor and texture, you can lighten this up with reduced fat milk or even substitute a dairy-free milk alternative.
Cornstarch This is a thickening agent that helps pudding get its bouncy texture. You can skip this ingredient if you so desire, but keep in mind your pudding could end up slightly runny
Egg yolks These also help thicken up the pudding and give it some extra richness. Separate the eggs before hand, and refrigerate the whites for another use
Butter This will make the pudding extra creamy. You don’t even need a lot of it!
Vanilla extract and bean pod If you can’t find it or don’t want to spend the extra money, you can double the amount of extract and skip the bean pod. If highly recommend it, though, for the best possible flavor
As you can see, it’s a simple ingredient list! Finally, make sure you have some fresh berries on hand to top the pudding for a delicious and highly presentable dessert.
⟶ the recipe
vanilla bean pudding with fresh berries
ingredients
½ cup sugar
2 cups whole milk
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 egg yolks
¼ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon butter
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 vanilla bean pod, seeds scraped out
Fresh berries
Prep time
10 minutes
Cook time
2 hours
Total time
2 hours 10 minutes
4 servings
instructions
Whisk together the sugar, salt, cornstarch, and ½ cup of the milk in a medium saucepan to form a smooth paste. Add the egg yolks and the rest of the milk, and turn on the heat to low.
Stir constantly with a wooden spoon, until the mixture has thickened to form a custard. If there are any lumps that have formed, you can strain the custard through a fine mesh sieve.
Remove custard from the heat, and stir in the butter, vanilla extract, and vanilla bean seeds. Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and chill in the fridge for at least two hours.
Serve by spooning the pudding into cups and topping with the fresh berries.
⟶ recipe notes
- When you cover the pudding and place in the fridge, make sure to place the plastic wrap so it’s touching the top of the pudding. If you don’t do that, a film may form on the top (If that does happen, though, no biggie. Just scrape it off with a knife!)
- If you don’t have fresh berries (or don’t want them), you can top the pudding with a myriad of different things like a dollop of whipped cream, chocolate, chips, lemon zest—you get the picture
⟶ modifications
- As I mentioned above, you can totally swap out the whole milk for a reduced fat milk or a plant-based alternative. Just know, it will decrease the richness of the pudding and change the flavor slightly, but I’m sure it will still be amazing!
⟶ make it ahead & store it
- You can get the egg yolks ready and prep the cornstarch paste ahead of time if you wish. And definitely allow a few hours for the pudding to set in the fridge. I would recommend making this either the day before or the morning before serving
- The pudding will keep in the fridge for 3-5 days after making
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