Simple ingredients. Perfect texture and flavor. The best vanilla pudding ever! With flour at a premium these days with lockdowns, I’ve had to look at other ways to satisfy our occasional dessert craving. One of the easiest desserts that we turn to often is this classic and super easy homemade vanilla pudding. You can just as easily make creamy chocolate pudding if you prefer too. There’s nothing complicated about this recipe. And the results are super delicious and satisfying. I’ve never been a fan of store-bought instant vanilla pudding. Even as a kid – if you can believe that. But now that I make my own, I could never have enough of it.
Why you’ll love making this easy vanilla pudding recipe
Simple dessert to make. And quick to whip up. The base ingredients are simple and can almost always be found at home. Versatile recipe that can easily be upgraded, or changed to your taste. This recipe is gluten free, and can be made dairy free too! Make it as thick or as thin as you like. Perfect for serving with fruit or cake.
Vanilla pudding is a lighter version of pastry cream (or custard), but made with the same ingredients. My husband likes his pudding super thick and set, whereas I like mine to be thick but creamy. And you can make this either way – depending on your preference. Reduce the cornstarch even more and make a classic vanilla pudding that is less thick. Either way, this is an adaptable vanilla pudding recipe that your family will love!
Homemade vanilla pudding ingredients
This is also why homemade vanilla pudding is so much better than store-bought. Just a handful of ingredients, and no preservatives at all.
Milk Egg yolks Cornstarch (or cornflour in the UK/AUS) Vanilla Butter
Ingredient substitutions or additions to make this vanilla pudding even better
Substitute half of the milk with evaporated milk, OR Add a little dry milk powder to the mixture. Add a touch of salt. I always do this because salt elevates dessert. ALWAYS. If you can, use vanilla beans or vanilla bean paste. You could even use vanilla infused sugar instead of regular sugar. Add 2 tbsp of bourbon or rum (for the adults of course).
How to make vanilla pudding from scratch
Making homemade vanilla pudding is easy.
In one bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, cornstarch, and about 1/4 cup of the milk. Make sure the mixture is nice and smooth. You can also mix all the suga,r cornstarch and salt with the egg yolks if you are planning on infusing the milk with any flavors. In a medium saucepan, place the rest of the milk, sugar, and salt (if using). Heat milk + sugar mixture until it starts to steam and the sugar dissolves completely. You do NOT need to bring the milk to a boil.
The next step is to add the egg yolks. However, you need to temper the egg yolks BEFORE you add it to the milk. If you add the eggs directly to the hot milk, you will end up with scrambled eggs.
Tempering eggs
Take about 1/2 cup (or more) of the hot milk and slowly pour it into the egg – cornstarch mix, while constantly whisking. This will raise the temperature of the egg mixture, without scrambling it. Then, it’ll be safe to add the warmed milk mixture back into the hot milk mixture. Whisk to combine.
Return the milk mixture to the stove and heat it again. Heat and whisk the pudding base constantly. Make sure to whisk all the corners and the bottom of the saucepan to prevent the custard from sticking. The custard will now start to thicken. When the pudding mixture comes to a boil (bubbles will break the surface), remove from the heat and add the butter and vanilla. Whisk the butter in until it has melted and completely mixed into the pudding. Cover the pudding with plastic wrap, while making sure the plastic wrap is touching the whole surface of the pudding. This prevents a skin from forming on the surface.
Let the pudding chill in fridge for at least a few hours until completely chilled. Once chilled, the pudding should be set (if you make the thicker version). My husband prefers the “set version” that you can scoop like jello. But I like to whisk the chilled pudding, which then becomes a really thick but creamy pudding consistency.
If you make the runny version, then this isn’t an issue. Top it with some berry coulis or fresh berries and whipped cream and serve!
Vanilla pudding recipe tips
Vanilla pudding recipe variations
This recipe is already gluten free because the recipe uses cornstarch. Instead of regular milk and butter, use any plant-based milk and butter for a dairy free vanilla pudding. Instead of white sugar, you can substitute brown sugar for a butterscotch pudding. Top the vanilla pudding with a layer of coffee foam, like this dalgona coffee pudding. Add 2 tbsp of cocoa powder for a hot cocoa flavored pudding. Add chocolate to your milk to make a rich, creamy chocolate pudding. Add some chopped ripe bananas for a classic banana pudding. Mix in some espresso powder (1 tbsp of instant coffee) to the milk to make a coffee pudding instead. Use coconut milk and top it with toasted coconut for a coconut pudding. Serve this vanilla pudding recipe with freshly cut summer fruits like berries for a delicious vanilla and berry pudding.
Low sugar vanilla pudding
For me this pudding is perfectly sweet. However, if you do want to reduce the sugar even further, you can reduce it down to ⅓ cup (i.e. about 65 – 70 g sugar). Sweetness is fairly subjective (just like seasoning), so you can add more sugar if you don’t like the taste of low sugar vanilla pudding (while it’s warm).
Sugar free vanilla pudding
To make a sugar free vanilla pudding recipe that is diabetic-friendly, you can substitute the sugar with monk fruit, or another sugar substitute that is a 1:1 substitute for regular sugar. However, a substitute like stevia may affect the pudding texture.
Vegan vanilla pudding (and eggless vanilla pudding)
Making vegan vanilla pudding is absolutely possible by substituting the milk with almond milk or oat milk. The butter can be substituted with a vegan butter as well. And instead of the eggs, extra cornstarch must be added. However, I haven’t tried this, so the amount of extra cornstarch that you need to add might vary. Some sources note that 1 tbsp cornstarch + 3 tbsp water = 1 egg, but since this recipe only uses egg yolks, less might be better.
Serving suggestions – vanilla pudding toppings
Whipped cream Granola (any flavor!) Praline nuts Shaved chocolate Honeycomb candy Dalgona (like in my dalgona coffee pudding) Fresh fruits Fruit puree or fruit / berry coulis Sauces such as chocolate fudge sauce or butterscotch sauce or salted caramel sauce
How to store vanilla pudding
You can store vanilla pudding in the fridge for up to 4 – 5 days. Make sure it’s in an airtight container. Just as with any type of food, frequent handling will reduce the shelf life. So, if there are any changes in smell, color, or texture of the pudding, avoid consuming it. I do not recommend freezing this vanilla pudding dessert because the cornstarch texture can change when frozen and thawed. This can lead to the cornstarch losing its thick texture.
Is vanilla pudding the same as custard?
There seems to be quite a bit of misinformation out there that is simply repeated on blogs regarding this question. But yes, vanilla pudding is indeed the same as custard. Vanilla pudding is in fact one of many types of custard as it’s made with milk, sugar, and eggs! You can learn more about all the types of custard on my blog. However, vanilla pudding is not recognized as its own group of French custards, strangely enough. Vanilla pudding has a spoonable, soft, creamy texture that is thicker than creme anglaise (pouring custard), and thinner than creme patisserie (pastry cream). All of which are custards made with milk, sugar, and eggs. Both vanilla pudding and pastry cream rely more on cornstarch to thicken, while the eggs still contribute to the thickening a little. Yes, custard relies on eggs for thickening, but many custards also add starch (cornstarch or flour) as a stabilizer or for thickening, such as pastry cream and vanilla pudding.
More frequently asked questions
More homemade pudding recipes and custards you’ll love
Creamy chocolate pudding Homemade banana pudding Banana cream pie Dalgona coffee pudding Vanilla pastry cream Chocolate pastry cream Vanilla diplomat cream Mousseline cream Crème chiboust Vanilla crème anglaise (pouring custard) Crème bavarois (bavarian cream) Creamy chocolate cremeux Classic crème brûlée (baked custard) Sous vide crème brûlée Classic panna cotta Crème caramel (flan) Cinnamon crème caramel Coffee crème caramel
