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Forget boxed mixes or pre-packaged pudding cups. Making Homemade Vanilla Pudding is as easy as can be and the results are beyond delicious!
When I was a kid and even into my college years, I was a huge fan of pudding cups with a little dollop of Cool Whip or spray of Reddi-Wip. It was the perfect after school snack or simple dessert to keep on hand in a college dorm fridge.
Then I just stopped eating the little snack packs and didn’t purchase them again for like 15 years.
However, one day a package of vanilla and chocolate swirl pudding cups caught Elle’s eye at the grocery store and ended up in our cart – with a can of Reddi-Wip of course. And now my sweet girl loves pudding just like her Mama.
The best homemade vanilla pudding
Look, pudding mixes have their place and so do those little pudding snack cups. I use them in my recipes all the time!
My Doctored Cake Mix wouldn’t be the same without instant pudding mix, and recipes like Eclair Cake and Banana Cream Pie Fluff are so easy because of pudding mixes.
But when I want to indulge in a bowl of pudding? Honestly, homemade pudding is the only way to go.
I love my Homemade Chocolate Pudding with Baileys Irish Cream or even a good butterscotch pudding, but there’s really nothing quite like a bowl of Homemade Vanilla Pudding topped with some fresh berries.
Don’t be freaked out by the idea of making your own custard (because that’s really what pudding is). Making this vanilla pudding recipe is easier than you think – I’ll show you how!
How to make vanilla pudding from scratch
If you’ve never made pudding before, I’ve got you. This is easy!
Ingredients you’ll need
Homemade Vanilla Pudding is made with some staple ingredients:
- 3 cups whole milk
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- Pinch of salt
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
I recommend using whole milk when making pudding. I find that the texture of the pudding is best with whole milk.
That said, you can use reduced fat milk or even a milk alternative, such as almond milk or coconut milk. Just keep in mind that using an alternative milk will affect the flavor of the pudding slightly.
I like to use both cornstarch and egg yolks in my pudding recipe. Both act as thickeners, but the egg yolks make it super rich while I find that the cornstarch helps to stabilize it a bit. I’ve made puddings without cornstarch in them and they’re a bit more unpredictable.
Think of the cornstarch as pudding insurance.
I also must ask you to please use pure vanilla extract when making your Homemade Vanilla Pudding. You want that real vanilla flavor, not the artificial stuff here!
Sometimes when I want to be really fancy, I’ll use vanilla bean paste in this recipe in place of the extract. There’s just something about those beautiful vanilla bean flecks in the pudding!
Making this recipe
To make your vanilla pudding, start by whisking together ¼ cup of the milk with the cornstarch. Set this aside.
In a medium saucepan, whisk together the rest of the milk, salt, and sugar. Heat the mixture over medium heat until it is steaming, but don’t let it boil.
While the milk mixture heats up, whisk the egg yolks in a separate bowl. When the milk mixture is hot, slowly stream ½ cup of the hot milk mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly. This is called tempering and brings the temperature of the eggs up without scrambling them.
Slowly add the now-warmed egg mixture back into the pot, followed by the cornstarch slurry. Continue to cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture starts to simmer and has thickened.
Remove the pudding from the heat and whisk in the butter and vanilla.
And that’s it! You’ve made Homemade Vanilla Pudding!
You can serve the pudding warm or let it chill before serving it. If you refrigerate it, be sure to place plastic wrap over it, touching the surface of the pudding, so that a skin does not form on the top.
Serving suggestions
Don’t be fooled by what people might have made you think about vanilla – this vanilla pudding is anything but plain.
It’s delicious as-is but even better when topped with a dollop of homemade whipped cream and some fresh berries. Raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, blackberries…whatever is in season and looks best!
This recipe is also an amazing base for homemade banana pudding.
Try pouring the pudding into popsicle molds for amazing, creamy pudding popsicles. I’ve also had readers use it as a filling for yellow cake or as a layer in trifles.
I promise that once you make this recipe, you’ll be making it again and again. It’ll absolutely rekindle that childhood love for pudding!
Frequently asked questions
Short answer: Yes, that will work and will give you a delicious vanilla pudding.
Long answer: I have made this recipe many times, sometimes by simply whisking all of the ingredients (except the butter and vanilla) together, then heating over medium-low heat until thickened and bubbly.
However, whenever I do this, the pudding doesn’t turn out quite as thick and luscious as it does when I heat the milk first, then add the tempered egg yolks and the cornstarch slurry.
I still recommend the more “complicated” steps for the very best pudding. But the “simplified” version will still work in a pinch!
Many readers have made this recipe as written and think it’s great. However, some folks prefer a less sweet pudding.
If you would like it to be less sweet, you can easily reduce the amount of sugar. I suggest trying 1/2 cup and seeing if that is better for your tastes before reducing it more.
When adding the cornstarch slurry and the tempered egg yolks, make sure you scrape both bowls with a rubber spatula. This helps make sure you add all of the thickeners to the recipe.
It is also possible that you haven’t cooked the pudding quite long enough. On my stove, it takes about 7-10 minutes for the pudding to start bubbling and thicken after adding the eggs and cornstarch.
Also, keep in mind that the pudding will not be as thick when it is hot. Once it has cooled, it will thicken quite a bit!
Homemade Vanilla Pudding
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 cups whole milk divided
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- Pinch of salt
- ¾ cup sugar
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together ¼ cup of the milk with the cornstarch. Set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, whisk together the remaining milk, salt, and sugar. Allow the mixture to heat over medium heat until it is steaming; do not let it boil.
- While the milk heats, whisk the egg yolks in a separate small bowl. Once the milk is steaming, slowly stream ½ cup of the hot milk mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly. Slowly add the egg yolk mixture back to the pot, followed by the cornstarch mixture. Continue to cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture starts to simmer and has thickened.
- Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter and vanilla.
- Pour into individual serving dishes. Top each with a layer of plastic wrap touching the top of the pudding to prevent a skin from forming and serve warm or allow to chill for several hours before serving.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Just made this for the second time! It thickened up perfectly. First time I made it, it didn’t gel and I think it’s because the cornstarch and milk slurry sat long enough while I was doing the other steps that it kind of clung to the bowl and so all of the cornstarch didn’t make it into the final mix. This time I added a tiny bit of the hot mixture into the bowl after pouring most of the cornstarch slurry into the pan – it loosened up the remains that were clinging to the bowl. So perhaps good advice would be to re-whisk the cornstarch mixture just before adding? Anyway, I used the first batch, the soupier un-gelled one, to make frozen pudding pops and they were outstanding! In both cases I reduced the sugar a bit, but it is worth noting that freezing it dulls the sweetness a little as well. Good stuff!
Hi Lola – Thank you so much for stopping by to share your feedback! Great tip to use the first batch to make pudding popsicles. Glad you were able to get it to work! Happy baking –
Jamie
Hi, I made it earlier today and I agree with Patty, it tastes fantastic but it’s not thickening up. I followed the recipe exactly and it’s just not pudding texturally.
Hi Robin – Sorry to hear you’re having trouble with the recipe. I have not been able to replicate this issue, and have had a number of friends give it a try this past week with different types of milk to see if they had issues, but it thickened up nicely for all of them as well. Someone else mentioned that stirring the cornstarch slurry just before adding it helped them; perhaps you might give that a try. Hope you can get it to work! Happy baking –
Jamie
Made this recipe about an hour ago, getting nervous because it still wiggles in the dish. Any remedy if it doesn’t set up?
Hi Robin – Sorry to hear you’re having trouble with the recipe. I have not been able to replicate this issue, and have had a number of friends give it a try this past week with different types of milk to see if they had issues, but it thickened up nicely for all of them as well. Someone else mentioned that stirring the cornstarch slurry just before adding it helped them; perhaps you might give that a try. They also mentioned that pudding that didn’t thicken as much as they had hoped still made great pudding popsicles, so there’s always a way to use it! Hope you can get it to work! Happy baking –
Jamie
I feel as though I should never attempt another cooked pudding again! I made this and I thought I followed the directions correctly. I don’t alter someone’s recipe the first time I try it out of respect and also, I want to taste something incredible. It tasted fabulous, but it never thickened! I wish I knew what I did wrong, and will admit I’m not a very experienced cook, even though I am older. My family loved the flavor but I’d love to get the texture right as well. Any suggestions?
Hi Patty – Unfortunately without having been in the kitchen with you, I can’t say for sure what might have gone wrong. You might check out the video in my butterscotch pudding post – even though the recipes are different, the method is the same – to help you figure out what might have gone awry: https://www.mybakingaddiction.com/butterscotch-pudding/ Hope this helps!
Jamie
@Patty, mine didn’t thicken either and I’m a fairly experienced cook. Maybe I needed to simmer it a bit longer? Followed directions exactly.
Hi there! Cornstarch generally reaches its thickening potential once it comes to a simmer, so the pudding should be thickened once it starts to simmer. It will, of course, thicken more as it cools – but simmering it for longer won’t typically make it thicker on the front end. Sorry to hear it gave you some trouble!
Hi,
Do you think this would hold up as a cake filling?
Thanks in advance!
Hi there! Yes, this should work well as a cake filling. Happy baking!
-Jamie
Ho, Jamie. Could amaretto be added during the cooking process and, if so, how much would you recommend? Thinking of using it in crepes. Thanks!
Hello! I haven’t attempted this recipe with this addition, so I am not sure of the result. If you happen to give it a try, I’d love to know how it turned out. Thanks so much for stopping by.
-Jamie
Hello!
I want to attempt to make but am confused about how to steam the egg yolks? Can you give me more examples on how to do this? Thank you!!
Hi Alice – Thank you for bringing this to my attention! That was a typo, which has now been fixed. It should say “stream” instead of “steam.” You will slowly add 1/2 cup of the hot milk into the egg yolks, while whisking constantly. This will bring up the temperature of the eggs so they don’t scramble when you add them into the milk. Hope this helps! Happy baking.
-Jamie
This makes the best pudding I have ever had. Now, my family refuses to let another store pudding cup in the house. Thank you for this recipe! I’m making banana pudding with it later and can’t wait.
So happy to hear you enjoyed the pudding, Sarah! Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving your feedback!
-Jamie
I made this yesterday and used it in banana pudding. Just delicious, thanks for a great recipe! Is there any way to make a chocolate version of this? I’d love a good homemade chocolate pudding recipe too.
Hi Allison-
Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving your feedback on the pudding! So happy to hear you enjoyed it. I have a chocolate version that you can find here: https://www.mybakingaddiction.com/chocolate-pudding-recipe/ – have a great day!
-Jamie
@Jamie,
Thank you!! Can’t wait to try it. It looks so rich & creamy. Could I use extra cream or another ingredient instead of the Bailey’s? I have a toddler who will want to share ;)
Hi Allison-
Yes, extra cream should work just fine. :)
-Jamie
Mine turned out more like a thicker custard consistency. Maybe use half the cornstarch?
Hi Desirea-
If you want it to be less thick, you can definitely cut back on the cornstarch a bit. This was developed to be a bit on thicker side so it holds up in recipes like banana pudding without being soupy.
-Jamie