Homemade Vanilla Pudding

4.41 from 5 votes

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Silky smooth and irresistibly rich, this homemade vanilla pudding recipe is 100% made from scratch in less than 20 minutes. With its creamy, custard-like mouthfeel and real vanilla flavor, this vanilla pudding is anything but boring! 

Why you’ll love this vanilla pudding:

You can throw that box of instant vanilla pudding right in the trash because homemade vanilla pudding is seriously easy to make. And you most likely have all the ingredients on hand! 

Don’t get me wrong, I love the convenience of some pre-packaged items like canned tomatoes and frozen tortellini. However, when it comes to vanilla pudding, I much prefer to make it from scratch. The flavor and texture are simply unmatched!

  • Easy – Made in just 20 minutes. Chilling is optional!   
  • Flavor – Including both vanilla extract and vanilla bean paste gives the pudding a deeper, more intense vanilla flavor.  
  • Texture – This pudding is luxuriously smooth and rich thanks to heavy whipping cream and egg yolks.

If you’re like me, you’ll enjoy your homemade vanilla pudding recipe warm right after it comes off the stove! You could also top it with fresh fruit and toasted nuts, or use it in homemade pie.

This recipe makes the perfect amount for one 9-inch banana cream pie

A cup of vanilla pudding topped with strawberries, whipped cream, and crushed pistachios.

Key Ingredient Notes:

This homemade vanilla pudding recipe only calls for a handful of simple ingredients.  

  • Whole milk forms the base of the vanilla pudding. It’s okay to use 2% milk if that’s all you have, but the extra fat in whole milk will give the pudding a creamier consistency. 
  • Heavy whipping cream is for a rich, silky smooth, and creamy mouthfeel. 
  • Sugar – You only need ⅓ cup of white sugar to sweeten the pudding without making it overly sweet or overpowering the natural vanilla taste. 
  • Egg yolks help with thickening and add richness to the flavor. I like to separate yolks using the shell-to-shell technique
  • Cornstarch ensures the pudding cooks into a thick and creamy texture!  
  • Pure vanilla extract provides a consistent vanilla flavor throughout. You can use store-bought, or make your own DIY vanilla extract. Just avoid artificial vanilla flavoring!  
  • Vanilla bean paste is for a more intense vanilla flavor that speckles the pudding with pretty flecks of vanilla bean.  
  • Kosher salt – A pinch of salt enhances the sweetness. 
Ingredients to make homemade vanilla pudding.

How to make vanilla pudding from scartch:

  • Combine the milk and heavy cream in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. 
  • Slowly bring it to a simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently. 
  • Remove it from the heat as soon as you see small bubbles forming on the surface. Don’t allow it to come to a boil! If it does, it will become too hot and cause the eggs to scramble in step number 3 of the recipe. 
Milk in a saucepan.

Avoid boiling

Scalding means slowly heating the milk to a simmer without letting it come to a boil. If it comes to a boil, it will burn onto the bottom of the saucepan, and your pudding will end up tasting burnt as well.

  • Combine the egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, vanilla extract, vanilla bean paste, and salt in a medium-sized mixing bowl.
  • Whisk the mixture until creamy and doubled in size. 
A liquid measuring cup with egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, vanilla extract, vanilla bean paste and salt.
  • To temper, slowly mix 1 cup of scalded milk into the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly.
  • Pour the tempered egg mixture into the remaining scalded milk. 
An egg mixture being tempered with milk in a saucepot.
  • Cook the mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly for 8-10 minutes or until thickened. 
  • Run the cooked vanilla pudding through a fine mesh sieve to remove any lumps.
Vanilla pudding being strained through a fine mesh sieve.
  • You can dig right in while it’s hot, or chill the pudding in the fridge for later. 
  • To chill, cover the pudding with plastic wrap so that the plastic touches the entire surface. This prevents a layer of film from forming on top. 
  • Let it cool in the fridge for at least 1 hour before serving. 
A bowl of vanilla pudding with plastic wrap covering the top.

Tips for Success:

  • Be patient! Low and slow is the way to go when making homemade vanilla pudding. Slowly bring the milk to a simmer when you’re scalding it. Then, slowly mix the warm milk into the egg yolk mixture during tempering.  
  • Whisk, whisk, whisk when tempering the egg yolks! This helps to prevent the eggs from scrambling.  
  • For an extra smooth texture, strain the cooked pudding through a fine mesh sieve. This removes cooked egg bits and any lumps that might have formed during mixing. 
  • Add toppings and garnishes, such as homemade whipping cream, fresh fruit, cinnamon, shaved chocolate, or crumbled cookies. A drizzle of homemade caramel sauce or raspberry sauce would be nice, too!   
  • Refrigerate for a thicker pudding. Homemade vanilla pudding will continue to thicken as it cools. So, if it’s not as thick as you’d like, just give it some time in the fridge. 
  • Don’t forget to cover it with plastic wrap touching every inch of the surface. Trust me, you don’t want a film forming on top!
Close up view of homemade vanilla pudding.

Make-Ahead Tips:

You can make homemade vanilla pudding in advance, and let it chill in the fridge until you’re ready to serve it. 

  • It’ll need at least 1 hour to chill and if you’re serving it to guests, you can prepare it up to 24 hours in advance. 
  • Add any toppings or sauces right before serving.  

Storing Tips:

  • Store leftover homemade vanilla pudding in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
  • The key to proper storage is to cover the entire surface of the pudding with plastic wrap. This prevents air exposure, which can cause a film to form on top. The plastic wrap needs to be pressed evenly down onto the pudding.  
  • Leftover pudding can also be frozen! Transfer it to a freezer bag or airtight container, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator overnight, or enjoy it frozen as an icy treat! 
A spoon lifting a scoop of vanilla pudding from a cup.

FAQs:

What is the difference between custard and pudding?

When it comes to texture, flavor, and ingredients, vanilla custard and homemade vanilla pudding are almost identical! They’re so similar that the terms custard and pudding are often used interchangeably. However, a traditional custard doesn’t contain cornstarch and has a thicker, more gelatinous consistency. Also, custard is baked in a water bath in the oven at a very low temperature. Pudding, on the other hand, is cooked on the stovetop over medium heat.  

Is mousse just whipped pudding?

While pudding and mousse may look the same at first glance, they’re prepared differently, resulting in very different textures. For instance, pudding is rich, smooth, creamy, and thickened using cornstarch. Like pudding, mousse is creamy and rich. However, it has more of a light and airy texture, because it’s thickened using whipped cream or whipped egg whites. 

How do I prevent lumpy pudding?

The key to lump-free, smooth pudding is to heat it slowly over medium-low heat and stir continuously. Then, once the pudding is fully cooked and thickened, run it through a fine mesh sieve. 

Close up view of homemade vanilla pudding.
4.41 from 5 votes

Homemade Vanilla Pudding

Silky smooth and irresistibly rich, this homemade vanilla pudding is completely from scratch and takes less than 20 minutes. There’s nothing blah about this simple vanilla pudding!
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
1 hour
Total: 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 6 -8 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 cups (480 ml) whole milk Note 1
  • ½ cup (120 ml) heavy (whipping) cream
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 1/3 cup (65 g) sugar
  • 3 ½ tablespoons (28 g) cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions 

  • In a heavy bottomed saucepan, combine milk and heavy cream. Slowly bring it to a simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently. (TIP: This is called scalding the milk. Once you see small bubbles appearing on the surface, remove it from heat. Be careful not to boil it though, or it’ll scramble the eggs in step 3.)
    2 cups whole milk, ½ cup heavy (whipping) cream
  • In a medium bowl, combine egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, vanilla extract, vanilla bean paste, and salt. Whisk the mixture until creamy and doubled in size.
    3 egg yolks, 1/3 cup sugar, 3 ½ tablespoons cornstarch, 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • To temper the egg mixture, slowly add 1 cup of scalded milk into the egg yolk mixture, while constantly whisking the mixture. (TIP: To prevent the eggs from scrambling, whisk, whisk, whisk when tempering the egg yolks!)
  • Transfer the tempered egg mixture into the remaining scalded milk.
  • Cook the mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly for 8-10 minutes, or until the mixture is nice and thick.
  • Run the custard through a sieve for extra smooth texture.
  • Cover the pudding with a plastic wrap so that it touches the entire surface of the pudding. This will prevent a layer of film from forming on top.
  • Chill the pudding for at least an hour before serving. But if you’re like me and prefer your pudding warm, by all means dig in!

Tips & Notes

Note 1: I highly recommend whole milk for richer texture, but 2% milk will work too.
STORING TIP:
– Store leftover homemade vanilla pudding in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Cover the entire surface of the pudding with plastic wrap. This prevents air exposure, which can cause a film to form on top. The plastic wrap needs to be pressed evenly down onto the pudding.

Nutrition

Servings: 1 serving
Calories: 224kcal
Carbohydrates: 22g
Protein: 4g
Fat: 12g
Sugar: 17g
Sodium: 144mg
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American

This post was originally published on August 17th, 2013.

Hi, I’m Shinee!

Welcome! I’m so happy you’re here! I believe anyone can cook restaurant-quality food at home! And my goal is to help you to become a confident cook with my easy-to-follow recipes with lots of tips and step-by-step photos.

4.41 from 5 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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9 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I made this today and I call it a great success! I don’t have vanilla beans, unfortunately, but even without, it was wonderful. Thank you for the recipe! It will be my “go-to”.

      1. 5 stars
        I’ve been making anything that call for tempering the eggs-whisk eggs into cream well, add all ingredients into saucepan. Whisk well and cook on low heat initially stirring constantly. Once warm slowly increase heat stirring constantly (don’t forget the edges of the pan!) until thickened and coats back of spoon. Love pudding! Thanks for the recipe!