Several weeks ago when I posted a question for my Ask The Readers feature about homemade vs boxed pudding mixes, I received many comments and emails from readers who said that they did not know how to make homemade pudding.
Several of you even said that you did not know that you could make homemade pudding, because you had only had the boxed kind.
I love homemade pudding and have been making it for years, and after receiving so many emails and comments, I knew that I wanted to help you learn how. It is so easy and so much better than those boxes you buy at the store.
Homemade pudding is a classic dessert. It is quick and easy to make and contains everyday ingredients that we all have in our kitchens.
I took a break from my Cooking Basics series over the last few months, but I have been wanting to start that series up again, and homemade pudding is a great place to start. It is a basic recipe that is very simple to make.
Today, I am showing you how to make a basic homemade vanilla pudding, but homemade puddings all use the same basic technique. Once you have the basic vanilla pudding down, you can easily make homemade chocolate pudding, homemade lemon pudding, homemade butterscotch, and many more.
I decided that the best way to show you how to make pudding would be to do a video. It is a bit long, but I tried to share several tips and ideas with you as I make it. I hope it inspires those of you that have never made homemade pudding to give it a try. It really is easy.
In the video I give the recipe, except I forgot to tell you how many eggs you need, but I have posted the complete recipe for those of you that would like a printable version.
And if you enjoy making homemade pudding be sure to check out my other homemade pudding recipes.
If you are interested in learning about my homemade vanilla I did a post on it last year.
What tips do you have for making homemade pudding?
I love to cook and bake, and my family loves to eat. Lynn’s Kitchen Adventures is all about sharing my love of cooking, recipes, tips, and ideas of how I combine this cooking passion with a busy life. [
Great video, Lynn! Loved seeing this! 🙂
@Tammy L, Thank you Tammy! Videos are not my favorite thing to do, but it was a good way to show how you make it and what it looks like.
when do you add the eggs?
Here is the recipe with all the directions. I hope that helps. https://www.lynnskitchenadventures.com/2011/03/homemade-vanilla-pudding.html
I made my first homemade pudding a few weeks ago. I posted a picture on my facebook site of my stove…after I walked away. I should of heard your tip a few weeks ago about not walking away from the stove. I learned! Ha!
Another way to get the lumps out is to use a stick blender on it once it’s cooked.
And I agree, store bought pudding is not pleasant. 😉
I had no idea you could make your own pudding, and it was so easy! Thanks for sharing.
Great video! I’ve made homemade pudding before and it really is an easy recipe.
Do you think it could be made with Splenda instead of the sugar?
@John, John, I have never cooked with splenda, but I have seen recipes for pudding where others have used it, so I think it would be worth trying. If you try it, I would love to hear how it works.
No. Unfortunately Splenda doesn’t produce good results since it breaks down when heated/cooked, losing its sweetness.
Instead one may try replacing part of the sugar in the pudding recipe with Stevia which is stable under the heat of cooking and which will not break down nor lose its sweetness.
One good thing is that pure Stevia extract has no chemical or bitter aftertaste, either since it is derived from a natural plant source (a type of daisy relative) and is not toxic.
I use liquid Stevia extract now to sweeten many things and it has no calories, either. It works very nicely in hot beverages like coffee and expecially well in fresh squeezed lemonade, plus only a few drops is plenty in a 8oz. of coffee, etc.
Hope this is useful info….
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You have just inspired me to make this simple dessert for my family!!! Thanks Lynn.
@paigeperkins, I hope you enjoy it!
I am SO excited to try this! I never knew you could make homemade pudding until I saw your post not too long ago about it. I appreciated seeing the video and just how easy it is. Vanilla pudding is my husband’s absolute favorite, too! We live overseas where you can’t get the boxed pudding anyway, so this will be fun to surprise my family with…and one less thing for friends and family to send in care packages! Thank you!
@Kristen, I hope you enjoy it and that it turns out well!
thank you! i’ve been looking for a recipe to try and make pudding. my husband loves it in his lunches 🙂
@liz, I hope you enjoy it!
I’m going to try this!
@Kimberly, I hope you enjoy!
Great video! To me, the thing that makes homemade pudding good is finding a good recipe that you enjoy.
Made it. Loved it. Thanks! 🙂
@Diana, I am glad that you enjoyed it. Thanks for letting me know.
After reading the ingredient list on most boxed puddings, I decided to give it a try at home… the results have been inconsistent so I am eager to try your recipe. The last time I made it, I put the finished product in the blender to get rid of lumps. It was smooth and creamy, but VERY thin so my hubby drank it like chocolate milk.
Have you ever tried avocado pudding? Sounds disgusting, but it is a very healthy sweet treat which uses the creamy consistency of avocado in place of milk which is great for our family with multiple food allergies.
@JanaC2, I hope that you enjoy my recipe. I have heard of pudding with avocado, but I have never made it. It does sound interesting and I can see why it would give it a creamy texture.
i never even tried to make it but i will
yum, thanks!! I have a recipe for homemade chocolate, no eggs, that I just love but I’m going to give yours a try, so many more flavors! And the skin on top.. that’s my favorite part! LOL But not my husbands.
I like to make puddings, but I`m wondering if you would have an idea for a substitute for boxed puddings. I like to use them in cakes and other things to make them more moist, plus my husband likes to make instant pudding for a quick snack. I`m not sure where to start in trying to come up with a substitute for this! Do you have any ideas?!
@kara, Have you tried mixing the prepared pudding in with the other ingredients or maybe even as an oil substitute like you would with applesauce or yogurt? Usually I substitute half the oil / butter with applesauce or yogurt, so maybe the same would work with the prepared pudding to cut the fat and provide moistness in your cake.
I made this pudding a few days ago and the whole family loved it.
Today I made butterscotch pudding by replacing half the vanilla extract with butterscotch extract from Frontier. It was unbelievably good and we are not a butterscotch loving family. Since it was so good I’m making more for tomorrow.
We are also fans of your chocolate pudding.
@Dionne, I am so glad that you liked it. Thanks for letting me know. I have never seen butterscotch extract, but now I am going to have to look for some.
Lynn,
I was just wondering if you’ve ever made your pudding in the microwave. I hate making it on the stove just because I have to stand and stir and I have a history of scorching these types of things. So the microwave works for me. Whisk all ingredients together in microwave safe dish, I use a small glass casserole type dish and stir every so often. And the good news is it of course cooks and thickens much quicker than the stove top.
@Nia, No I have never tried to make it in the microwave. But I am glad to know that you have had success with it.
I just watched the video, printed the recipe and made it !!! Yummy and easy. I did temper the eggs, but only becuase I didn’t want to deal with the strainer.
I love it warm and can hardly wait till it cools. I am going to put some mixed berries on top.
Thank you
I love it warm too. It is so good that way. Thanks for letting me know you enjoyed it. Homemade pudding is so good and I love it when others give it a try.
I just printed this recipe and am going to try it tonight! I’ll let you know how it goes. Thanks Lyn!
Hi Lynn, Thank you for ‘free’ pudding recipes on vanilla and chocolate. I will try to make them for Thanksgiving Holiday for my families. I wanted to make this from scratch because my little grandaughter’s attitude changed when she eats foods that contains dyes. Thanks again. God bless you. I rather go back in the old days and make foods completely from scratch. It’s a healthy way to live your life to the fullest.
Cornstarch give pudding a creamier texture, but yes I think flour would work fine. It is at least worth trying. If you have something else that you use as a thickener you could try that as well. The cornstarch just helps thicken it.
yes, flour will do the same as starch… I was raised on the same homemade pudding recipe… very great tasting!
i need to make 20 gallons of chocolate pudding to fill a pool. how much of everything would i need ??
That is a lot of pudding, so I am not really sure. I am guessing that this recipe makes about 2 quarts, maybe a little less. I have never measured it. You may need to make a batch and see exactly how much it makes and then just multiply it out.
Thank you so much for doing this video!!! Very helpful and I plan to try this later in the week!.
Moe
I am glad you enjoyed it. I hope you enjoy the homemade pudding. It really is easy to make and is so much better.
How many eggs? The video does not say … and the links are for chocolate, lemon, etc.
Here is the link to the vanilla pudding recipe. I hope it helps. https://www.lynnskitchenadventures.com/2011/03/homemade-vanilla-pudding.html
Hi Lynn,
I thought I would just go ahead and post on here about the canned milk for the pudding in case anyone else would like to try it. I did make it with the canned milk and it turned out GREAT!. It’s very rich. I can tell you I will never buy a box again. I can’t wait to try the other flavors you have on here. I think I will make the vanilla one to have some banana pudding with. Yummity!! Thanks again for sharing these recipes.
Thank you so much for letting me know! I am glad it worked and that you enjoyed the recipe. And I agree once you try the homemade kind the box is never the same again. 🙂
What would happen if you added the vanilla early? A friend of mine told me to do it that way instead.
The vanilla has less flavor if you had it over the heat. It has a much better and more intense flavor added just at the end.
I just made this using rice milk . I’m lactose intolerant but can handle the small amount of butter. It turned out great!
Thanks for letting us know that it worked well with rice milk. I am glad you enjoyed it.
I found you after a very quick google search. Your recipe did not disappoint.
I am glad you enjoyed it and glad you found my site. Thanks for letting me know you enjoyed it.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE VIDEO ON MAKING HOME MADE VANILLA PUDDING. DO YOU HAVE ANY RECIPES FOR USING FRUIT INSTEAD OF SUGAR. THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THE GREAT VIDEO
Hi, I was wondering if whole eggs can be used, or can it only be egg yolks?
The texture is better with just the yolks. Some homemade pudding recipes do use whole eggs, but I have found this one to be better with just the yolks.
Ok, thank you! I’m eager to try it.
Your recipe is short and sweet, however, you forgot to mention how any eggs to use and if they are to be separated or not. Please let me know as I’m excited to try it. Also, how would I turn a regular vanilla pudding into a banana flavored one without using banana extract? Thank you!
Here is the exact recipe. I hope that helps. For banana pudding I would just add some sliced bananas. You could just stir them in, but I would probably layer them in a bowl with the pudding.
Love the sit. The fact that I can find gluten free recipes is the best. Have a 15 year old son who is ADHD and trying to get him on a gluten free diet.
Thank you. I am so glad you are enjoying my gluten free recipes. I love sharing tips and recipes that make gluten free easier, so I love hearing that they help others! Thank you!
I tried the pudding last night… It tasted great ..BUT.. Mine ended up too thick and a bit grainy…. Did I cook it too long? What caused the graininess?? I strained it…. I did add some extra cream to it to try to compensate for how thick it was…..
I have never had that happen, but I am guessing you cooked it too long if it was grainy and too thick.
Thanks… I’ll try it again soon.. I LOVED the taste of it.. It was just the texture that wasn’t right
Good video. The only difference really for my homemade pudding is using a double boiler and that way it doesn’t stick as much. My recipe is from my Mother and you start with a simple roux by using equal amounts of butter and flour (2TBSP each) and stir til thickened. Then you add sugar and egg yolks and stir again til well mixed and thickened.last you add the vanilla. You save the egg whites to make a meringue for the top of the pudding which is layered a small amount of pudding then a layer of vanilla wafers and I end with a layer of bananas and then top with meringue. This is the method of making a real homemade banana pudding from the south. Sorry to add all the extra.
How do you make your vanilla extract?
This post is over 10 years old, but it explains basically how I make it. I have all the stuff to make more vanilla and take pictures to update the post, but I have not done it yet. I have been making my vanilla this way for 10+ years and still love it. I don’t buy the store bought stuff anymore. I always make my own. I hope that helps. Let me know if you have any questions. I will try to help if I can. https://www.lynnskitchenadventures.com/homemade-vanilla-extract/
I ususally buy a mid price range vodka. I have used several brands but I usually get the Svedka. The Svedka comes in quite a few sizes and they are glass bottles which I like. Homemade Vanilla makes a great gift and the small bottles are nice for that. I really have not noticed a big difference between brands though.