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Homemade Vanilla Pudding (+Video)

This Homemade Vanilla Pudding is so creamy, easy and delicious that you may never want to buy store-bought pudding again!

A DELICIOUS, CREAMY PUDDING RECIPE

We love pudding in my house. If you’ve never made your own pudding, it is much easier to make than most people realize. This Homemade Vanilla Pudding uses a small amount of ingredients and takes minimal time to actually put together. Chill it for an hour in your refrigerator and you are ready to eat something super delicious for dessert. If you want to try your hand at a delicious homemade pudding recipe, then you need to start with this Homemade Vanilla Pudding!

Two glass trifle cups of Homemade Vanilla Pudding topped with whipped topping and a vanilla wafer.

TIPS FOR MAKING HOMEMADE VANILLA PUDDING:

  • I use 2% milk for this recipe but you can use 1% or even skim milk as well. It is very versatile.
  • This takes time to thicken up, don’t be nervous that it is not thickening right away. Don’t be tempted to turn the heat up high to make it go faster.
  • This pudding makes a great base recipe for other pudding flavors as well as for pies. All you have to do is use different flavored extracts to change up the flavors.
  • Double this recipe if you want to serve more people or to have some extra on hand to eat for later.
Overhead angle of two glasses of Homemade Vanilla Pudding pinterest image.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (FULL RECIPE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST)

  • milk
  • sugar
  • cornstarch
  • salt
  • egg
  • egg yolk
  • unsalted butter
  • vanilla extract
  • whipped topping, optional

HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE VANILLA PUDDING:

In a large saucepan add the milk, sugar, cornstarch, salt, egg and egg yolk.

Milk, sugar, cornstarch, salt, egg and egg yolk adding to pan.

Continuously whisk over medium-high heat until thick and it starts to bubble. This may take some time. Don’t rush it.

Whisk stirring up thickening pudding.

Remove mixture from heat then add butter and vanilla extract.

Butter and vanilla added to pudding mixture.

Whisk together until butter is melted and vanilla is combined.

Whisk mixing vanilla and butter into pudding mixture.

Place plastic wrap over the top of the pudding making sure it touches pudding to prevent a film from forming as it cools. Then put in refrigerator until fully chilled.

Plastic wrap pressed on top of pudding in pan ready to be cooled.

Top with whipped topping if desired. 

Two glass trifle cups of Homemade Vanilla Pudding topped with whipped topping and a vanilla wafer
Two glass trifle cups of Homemade Vanilla Pudding topped with whipped topping and a vanilla wafer.

HOW TO STORE:

  • This Homemade Vanilla Pudding Recipe should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It’s best to eat within 3 days.
  • You can also freeze this recipe if you like, we like to sometimes place it in popsicle molds for pudding pops. Otherwise put into an airtight container and place in the freezer and it will keep up to 4-6 weeks. Eat from frozen or defrost in refrigerator.

CRAVING MORE RECIPES?

Close up of Homemade Vanilla Pudding in trifle glass square image

Homemade Vanilla Pudding (+Video)

This Homemade Vanilla Pudding is so creamy, easy and delicious that you may never want to buy store-bought pudding again!
5 from 8 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 3 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Chill: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 13 minutes
Servings: 2 cups

Ingredients

  • 2 cups 2% milk
  • ½ cup (+ 3 Tablespoons) sugar
  • 3 Tablespoons cornstarch
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • whipped topping, optional

Instructions

  • In a large saucepan add the milk, sugar, cornstarch, salt, egg and egg yolk.
  • Continuously whisk over medium-high heat until thick and it starts to bubble. Don't rush this process – it may take some time.
  • Remove mixture from heat then whisk in butter and vanilla extract until butter is melted.
  • Place plastic wrap over the top of pudding making sure it touches pudding to prevent a film from forming as it cools. Then put in refrigerator until fully chilled
  • Top with whipped topping, if desired.

Video

YouTube video

Notes

  • I use 2% milk for this recipe but you can use 1% or even skim milk as well. It is very versatile.
  • This takes time to thicken up, don’t be nervous that it is not thickening right away. Don’t be tempted to turn the heat up high to make it go faster.
  • This pudding makes a great base recipe for other pudding flavors as well as for pies. All you have to do is use different flavored extracts to change up the flavors.
  • Double this recipe if you want to serve more people or to have some extra on hand to eat for later.
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Calories: 560kcal | Carbohydrates: 74g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 24g | Sodium: 725mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 63g

Nutritional Disclaimer

“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.

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Recipe Rating




9 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    So simple so easy so good!!!!!This is my go to now. No tempering who needs it? not in this recipe you don’t

    Thanks so much for this recipe. It was over a year ago that I first tried it since then I have made many times. Once I forgot to put in the cornstarch and was wondering why it wouldn’t thicken it then dawned on me I forgot it. So I added after it had come to a boil and it worked anyway. Just a very few small lumps scattered about yet it didn’t hurt a thing still tasted great. That was today!

    Just had to come back and say thanks!
    Kathleen

  2. 5 stars
    This recipe was ridiculously easy!! Since I love my pudding warm, I literally was gobbling it down within 10 minutes of putting the pot on the stove! No fussing with premixing cornstarch with milk or whisking eggs. Dumped it all in the pot – minus the butter and vanilla — bubbled within 7 minutes, add the butter and vanilla, done. Was pretty thick even hot! So, 5 stars yummy! Will be my go-to for quick and easy vanilla pudding. Thank you!

  3. 5 stars
    Wonderful recipe, thanks! My honey and I say “ YUM”! Didn’t change a thing— pudding was sweet and creamy.