Homemade Vanilla Pudding recipe that is easy to make and tastes so much better than the kind from a box! Just a few simple ingredients in this easy vanilla pudding recipe that can be served as a snack or dessert.
Homemade Vanilla Pudding is something that I just recently discovered and I’m not sure why it took me so long! For some reason it was one of those foods that just comes in a box or already made in a little container. It never even occurred to me that I could make it from scratch.
Obviously it takes a little more effort than just buying a package of instant pudding mix and adding milk, but it really isn’t very complicated and the ingredients are all very basic ones that I generally keep stocked in my kitchen. This homemade version makes the best vanilla pudding ever!
I love vanilla pudding and so do my kids, but lately I have been trying to avoid pre-packaged foods as much as possible and have been trying to find great recipes for some of our favorite foods that we normally buy in a box! I had never made pudding before and although it does take quite a bit of stirring and a little bit of time for the cooking process, the effort is completely worth it!
This pudding is AMAZING and so much better than any of the pre-packaged varieties that I have tried. I love this creamy homemade vanilla pudding! It makes a wonderful snack or a deliciously simple dessert.
Homemade Vanilla Pudding Recipe Ingredients
- Sugar – You just use regular granulated sugar to make this pudding.
- Cornstarch – Cornstarch is what thickens the pudding, so don’t leave it out!
- Half and half – Using half and half will yield a nice, thick pudding, but you can use regular milk if you prefer. The cornstarch will still thicken the pudding, but the consistency will be slightly different, especially if you use skim milk or other lower fat varieties.
- Egg Yolks – The yolks need to be slightly beaten before being added to the pudding. This can be done in a small bowl with a whisk or a fork.
- Butter – You add the butter at the end after the pudding has been removed from the heat, so it is helpful if the butter is softened a little bit so that it can melt and incorporate into the pudding more quickly.
- Pure Vanilla Extract – The higher the quality of your vanilla, the richer the vanilla flavor of the pudding will be!
- Salt – You just need a fourth of a teaspoon of salt, but it really helps to bring out the other flavors in the pudding.
How to Make Pudding from Scratch
- In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar and cornstarch and then add the half-and-half. Gently stir over medium heat until bubbling. Once the mixture starts bubbling, cook and stir for 2 more minutes.
- Remove from heat and add one cup of the mixture to the egg yolks. Slowly whisk the egg mixture into the rest of the half-and-half mixture in the saucepan. Bring to a gentle boil and reduce heat to low. Cook and stir 2 minutes more.
- Remove from heat and add the butter, vanilla and salt. Mix the pudding mixture until well combined and then pour into six individual dishes or one larger container. Cover the top with plastic wrap and let the pudding stand for about 45 minutes. You can either serve it warm at this point or chill in the refrigerator before serving.
- It takes at least a few hours to get really cold and I prefer it that way, but it really is delicious at any temperature. I love to serve the pudding with fresh berries on top!
Homemade Vanilla Pudding from Scratch
Ingredients
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 Tbsp. cornstarch
- 3 cups half-and-half
- 4 egg yolks lightly beaten
- 1 Tbsp. butter
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar and cornstarch and then add the half-and-half. Gently stir over medium heat until bubbling. Once the mixture starts bubbling, cook and stir for 2 more minutes.
- Remove from heat and add one cup of the mixture to the egg yolks. Slowly whisk the egg yolk mixture into the rest of the half-and-half mixture in the saucepan. Bring to a gentle boil and reduce heat to low. Cook and stir 2 minutes more.
- Remove from heat and add the butter, vanilla and salt. Mix until well combined and then pour into six individual dishes or one larger container. Cover the top with plastic wrap and let the pudding stand for about 45 minutes. You can either serve it warm at this point or chill in the refrigerator before serving. It takes at least a few hours to get really cold and I prefer it that way, but it really is delicious at any temperature.
Video
Can you make vanilla pudding with other kinds of milk?
I usually make pudding with half and half, but you can use regular milk. The higher the fat content, the thicker the pudding will be, but the flavor of the pudding doesn’t change too much no matter what kind of milk you use.
Can you make other flavors of pudding from this vanilla pudding recipe?
This recipe for vanilla pudding is very easy to tweak a little bit to make a few different flavors! If you want to make butterscotch pudding, just swap out the granulated sugar with dark brown sugar and keep everything else the same. To make chocolate pudding, increase the sugar to 1 1/3 cups and then add 1/3 cup cocoa powder at the same time you add the sugar. Omit the butter, but leave everything else the same.
How long does vanilla pudding from scratch last?
Homemade pudding should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge. It will stay fresh for about 1 week.
What do you serve with this recipe for Vanilla Pudding?
This vanilla pudding recipe is delicious plain, but I love to add fruit to the top for a delicious (and pretty!) dessert! My kids love having pudding as a fun little treat after school and it’s a great way to get them to eat lots of fresh fruit. We love eating vanilla pudding with blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, and strawberries – any kind of berry is delicious!
Vanilla Pudding FAQ
If you want to make a thicker homemade pudding, replace the Half & Half with heavy whipping cream. You can also add in another teaspoon of cornstarch.
Pudding and custard are both similar as they’re both milk-based sweetened cream desserts. Pudding tends to be a bit thinner in texture and doesn’t require eggs, although we added egg yolks to ours!
Bavarian cream has a more whipped, light texture compared to pudding. It also tends to be less sweet than pudding.
Love dessert? So do we! Here are some other simple dessert recipes:
- Mandarin Orange Cake (with Whipped Pineapple Frosting)
- Glazed Strawberry Fruit Pizza
- Strawberry Cake Mix Cookies
- Lemon Drop Glazed Mini Cupcakes
- Sugar Cookie Cupcakes
- Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Raspberry Vanilla Jello Salad
- Better than Caramel Popcorn
- Oreo Balls
- Snickerdoodle Apple Pie Cookie Cups
- Lemon Cheesecake Bars
- Mini No-Bake Cheesecakes
Homemade Vanilla Pudding recipe that is easy to make and tastes so much better than the kind from a box! Just a few simple ingredients in this classic vanilla pudding recipe that makes for an easy snack or dessert.
Alice says
I just made chocolate pudding from scratch today! The recipe was pretty similar. I put most of the pudding into popsicle molds for fudgesicles.
Fanele says
Best Vanilla pudding I have ever are u are so amazing
Alison says
So glad you love it Fanele!
Mrs. Martin says
I’ve made this recipe twice now, and I LOVE the flavor! However, both times my pudding hasn’t been completely smooth. I would almost describe the texture as grainy. It’s still completely delicious, it’s just not the smooth texture I want. Do you know why this could be?
Nellie says
I’m not sure! It seems like the only thing that would cause the pudding to be grainy would be the sugar if it wasn’t completely dissolved…so maybe cook just a little bit longer and see if the sugar dissolves fully at that point?
Leah says
I made it for the first time and agree that there was a grainy texture…. it seems like it’s from the corn starch and not sugar. Next time I will push through a very fine mesh strainer to see if that helps.
Will's Mudder says
Mrs. Martin,
Try 1-3/4 cups powdered sugar in lieu of 1 cup of granulated sugar.
You’ll not have any grainy texture. Promise.
Diana says
No fail delicious pudding!
Alison says
I’m so glad you love it Diana!
Ash says
I love love love this recipe! Delicious! I use half the amount of vanilla, but that’s just my taste preference. I’ve made this 3 times in the past week!
Meghan says
Added a little extra vanilla only because I love vanilla. Higher quality really does matter here. I ran the cooked pudding through a fine mesh strainer after cooking for ocd reasons but my goodness, it’s so good. Smooth.
Anne says
Followed the recipe exactly and it turned out grainy and soupy. We had to eat it with spoons in bowls.
Nicole says
I dont know what went wrong but that doesn’t sound right. Sorry 🙁
Kellli says
I made this for my little grandson who’s beginning to eat soft foods. The pre made ones have too many ingredients we don’t like. This is just perfect.
Kelli Cook says
I’m making this pudding for banana pudding for our Easter celebration. It’s so much better than the boxed kind. I’m not making meringue, though. Some whipped cream for the topping. Thank you for this easy recipe.
Alison says
Thanks Kelli! I hope you and yours enjoy it!
Val says
way too sweet. sickeningly sweet. i ate this with ice cream and the ICE CREAM was not even close to as sweet as the pudding. 1 cup seemed like a lot of sugar but i haven’t made pudding in a while and figured the author knew what they were doing-i was wrong if you make this, cut the sugar in half. or use even less than that.
Paula says
Good receipt. I was short on half /half so used a can of eagle brand condensed milk and whole milk made a very rich pudding
Alison says
I’m glad it worked out for you Paula!
Debra Martin says
Love the flavor, I did not notice anything wrong with the texture but it didn’t set.
Nellie says
Oh no! I’m guessing it maybe didn’t cook quite long enough…maybe try cooking a minute or two longer next time?
Amanda says
Too sweet and the butter didn’t incorporate well. I’ve made pudding lots of times, guess this just wasn’t my recipe.
Nicole says
So sorry to hear that it didn’t work out well for you, I do hope you give it another try. Homemade puddings can be a bit tricky and anything from the weather to the heat of the stove burner can affect the way it turns out.
Gandalf says
First time making pudding from scratch like this. Turned out great! Thank you 🙏
Nicole says
So glad you liked it 🙂