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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.
I would like to make this ahead for a fun family get together. How long can it keep in the refrigerator? It sounds easy and delicious! Thanks
Hi Claire – It will keep in the fridge for a couple of days. I find it is best in the first 1-2 days. Hope this helps! Happy baking –
Jamie
Very tasty looking recipe. Will give a try tomorrow.
Thanks for stopping by and commenting! Happy baking –
Jamie
Add more cornstarch if you want hot pudding it is not thick enought so the last time i made it i added more cornstarch it truned out great
Fantastic recipe! After reading the other comments, I doubled the cornstarch to 6 T, and also doubled the vanilla (homemade) to 2 t for a richer flavor. Beautiful consistency! I combined it with whipped cream to create trifle filling. Absolutely delicious and just the right thickness. Question: After reading through your chocolate pudding with Bailey’s recipe I was wondering if I could just add coarsely chopped chocolate to this vanilla recipe, at the end, and get a good result. Thanks for sharing your wonderful recipe, and I’ll look forward to hearing your response, especially about the possible addition of chocolate.
I’m so glad you loved the pudding, Anne! I haven’t attempted adding chocolate to this particular recipe, but I definitely think you should give it a try. Let me know if you do and how it turns out for you! Happy baking –
Jamie
@Jamie, just add coco powder to the dry ingredients and u have chocolate pudding. I just mix everything together in the pot and cook and stirs constantly. Add butter and vanilla after removing from the fire.
I’ve made your recipe a few times and it has always come out thick and perfect. As someone who has worked alongside cooks who are at different levels in skill, I would assume people aren’t using spatulas to scrape out all of the cornstarch/milk mixture (or yolks), and that results in a thin pudding. It was my first thought when I read the comments suggesting the end product wasn’t thick enough. Thanks for the fantastic recipe!
So happy to hear that you like this recipe, Jennifer! Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing your feedback!
Cornstarch begins to gelatinize around 162°F and fully gelatinizes around 203°F. however, prolonged heating can degrade starch and eventually decrease its thickening power and breaks up leading to a thinner sauce. That’s why it is added at end and removed from heat when it reaches 203°F.
that’s probably why some people are not getting pudding consistency.
This was my first time making pudding from scratch and it turned out wonderful! I followed the recipe exactly only using Wonder Milk instead of milk since I am lactose intolerant. It’s super easy, set beautifully, and made a fantastic banana pudding. So glad I tried it, I’ll be making this regularly and I’m looking forward to trying your chocolate with Baileys pudding recipe too! Thank you
So glad you enjoyed the recipe and using the lactose-free milk worked for you! Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing your feedback! Happy baking –
Jamie
Hi!! Love the ease of this recipe. I followed it to a t and my pudding wasn’t thick enough (it was kinda thick but not enough for me) so I added another slurry of 3 TBS more of cornstarch and a little bit of milk and it turned out perfect. So next time I know to use 6 TBS instead of just 3.
Glad you enjoyed the recipe, Reagan! Thanks for stopping by and sharing your feedback. Happy baking!
-Jamie
I just want to say although I cannot swear to it reaching kill step temperatures, I have successfully made this pudding in microwave on high for 8 minutes…stopping every 2 minutes to stir it thouroughly.save vanilla and butter addition til last step mix out of the microwave..
Thanks for stopping by to share this, Carrie! Happy baking!
-Jamie
@Jamie, should the butter be melted or softened?
Hi Emily – It can be softened but it’s ok if it’s cold, too. It will melt into the pudding as you whisk it in. Hope this helps!
Jamie
The first time I made this, it was absolutely perfect! I loved everything about it. I’m about to make it again and I wanted to make a really large batch, with the intention of putting some of it up somehow. Have you ever frozen this to eat later? I’m not familiar with pudding. We regularly can milk, have you ever tried to can pudding?
Thanks for a great recipe!
Hi Tara – So glad it worked out for you! The only time I have frozen it is to turn it into pudding popsicles; I haven’t tried to thaw it again, so I don’t know if the texture would be right after thawing. If you give it a try, I’d love to hear how it goes for you. Happy baking!
Jamie