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Vanilla Pudding

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  • Prep 10 min
  • Total 1 hr 20 min
  • Servings 4
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It goes without saying that you'll want to whip up this creamy, soothing dessert for National Vanilla Pudding Day on May 22, but don't be shocked if you find yourself serving up bowlfuls of homemade Vanilla Pudding all year long! This Vanilla Pudding recipe is quick to prep and will probably be gobbled up just as fast. It's also easy to customize with different flavors.
By Betty Crocker Kitchens
Updated Nov 12, 2021
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Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups milk
  • 2 large egg yolks, slightly beaten
  • 2 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla

Steps

  • 1
    In 2-quart saucepan, mix sugar, cornstarch and salt. Gradually stir in milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils. Boil and stir 1 minute.
  • 2
    Gradually stir at least half of the hot mixture into egg yolks, then stir back into hot mixture in saucepan. Boil and stir 1 minute; remove from heat. Stir in butter and vanilla.
  • 3
    Pour pudding into dessert dishes. Cover and refrigerate about 1 hour or until chilled. Store covered in refrigerator.

Tips from the Betty Crocker Kitchens

  • tip 1
    This Vanilla Pudding from scratch is a nice do-ahead family dessert—engage the kids to help stir it up before supper time. By the time you’re done with dinner, the pudding will be cool and rich. Top with some whipped cream and candy sprinkles if you’d like.
  • tip 2
    Skip boxed pudding mixes—all of the Vanilla Pudding ingredients you need for this recipe should be found on your pantry shelf or in the fridge. Cornstarch is an easy thickener to use, requiring only a few minutes on the stovetop. Just be sure to bring the milk mixture to a full boil to activate the starch.
  • tip 3
    For this homemade Vanilla Pudding recipe, the vanilla is added at the end so it doesn’t lose any of its strong taste and aroma, which can be diminished by direct heat. You can boost the flavor of this Vanilla Pudding even more by stirring in a little fresh vanilla bean paste.
  • tip 4
    Butterscotch Pudding: sub in dark brown sugar for the regular granulated sugar.
  • tip 5
    Fudgy Chocolate Pudding: increase sugar to 1/2 cup, stir 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder into sugar mixture. Omit butter.
  • tip 6
    Rum Raisin Pudding: substitute rum extract for the vanilla; stir in 1/2 cup dark or golden raisins with the rum extract.

Nutrition

220 Calories, 11g Total Fat, 5g Protein, 26g Total Carbohydrate, 23g Sugars

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1/4 of Recipe
Calories
220
Calories from Fat
100
Total Fat
11g
16%
Saturated Fat
5g
24%
Trans Fat
0g
Cholesterol
130mg
44%
Sodium
170mg
7%
Potassium
180mg
5%
Total Carbohydrate
26g
9%
Dietary Fiber
0g
0%
Sugars
23g
Protein
5g
% Daily Value*:
Vitamin A
10%
10%
Vitamin C
0%
0%
Calcium
15%
15%
Iron
2%
2%
Exchanges:
0 Starch; 0 Fruit; 1 1/2 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Skim Milk; 1 Low-Fat Milk; 0 Milk; 0 Vegetable; 0 Very Lean Meat; 0 Lean Meat; 0 High-Fat Meat; 2 Fat;
Carbohydrate Choice
2
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

More About This Recipe

  • “Vanilla” is a term that’s come to be synonymous with blandness or a lack of taste, but we beg to disagree. The vanilla bean is a incredibly potent and important ingredient in so many dishes. The history of vanilla is a fascinating one. It first appeared as an ingredient in a recipe in the 1805 edition of Hannah Glasse’s book The Art of Cookery. Those 19th century cooks certainly knew how to make pudding, and make it well, since it was a common dessert of the time. If you’d like to make an easy pudding recipe with the classic, comforting flavor of real vanilla, then this recipe is the best place to start. It’s a no-bake marvel that requires only a bit of time on the stovetop and a long chill in the refrigerator. You can find even more choices for a pudding recipe in Betty’s Best No-Bake Desserts collection.
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