The Best Vanilla Pudding
Hand’s down this is the best vanilla pudding you will ever taste and the proof is in the pudding ( ha! See what I did there). This pudding is super EASY to make and absolutely divine. It is smooth, silky, creamy, and just melts on the tongue. Trust me when I say, you NEED to go make this!
I don’t ask much of people but there is one small thing. I need you all to throw out your pre-packaged pudding mix and cups and promise to never buy them again. I know, this might be harsh but it must be done. And it’s not to shame anyone but to show you a whole other world, a more delicious one. The pudding cups and mixes have their time and place, but when it comes to fulfilling that craving for pudding, homemade is the way to go. Making pudding from scratch will make a worlds difference and it is super simple. It is so fresh, creamy, thick, smooth, and just downright delectable. Once you make this pudding, you’ll be asking the same favor of others. Trust me on that!
Ingredients You Will Need:
To whip up this delicious pudding you only need a few things. The best part is, you should have the majority of these things already in your home. You will need egg yolks, whole milk, half n half, sugar, cornstarch, salt, and vanilla extract. Using the combination of the two different kinds of milk creates a creamy texture that melts in your mouth. However, we want this recipe to be EASY, so if you only have whole milk on hand and not half n half, then it is more than ok to just use it. The results will be just as delicious. It is incredibly easy to eat a whole bowl of this pudding and I say that from experience.
Preparing The Pudding:
Pudding is extremely easy to make. The only thing that may be “hard” for some people is cooking it properly. I find that people often leave their pudding to burn. If this is something you have done don’t freight, it is an easy fix.
The first thing to do is add all your dry ingredients; sugar, cornstarch, and salt, together into a pan or pot. I recommend doing it straight into the pan/pot you will use to cook with later on to avoid unnecessary dishes. No one wants to wash any more bowls than needed. If you are in need of new pots and pans I highly recommend these, as they are my favorite. They are such great quality and have lasted me for YEARS. They are slightly on the pricey side but it is well worth it.
The next component is the egg mixture which is just egg yolks and two kinds of milk. Be sure that you are just getting the yolk and not the whites. I like to separate it using the shell but any method works. Once everything is all together you are going to beat it so that all the yolks break and create a smooth mixture.
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Cooking The Pudding:
To the pot with the dry ingredients, pour in a SMALL amount of the egg/milk mixture and mix. You are looking to create a smooth paste, that has no lumps. If you see a lump, keep stirring. After it is well combined, you can then gradually add in the remaining milk mixture. Be sure to simultaneously be stirring. This will help make sure everything is well incorporated to get the smoothest and creamiest results. At this point, you can begin cooking. Cook the pudding over medium heat until it boils and has thickened. You know it is ready when it starts creating air bubbles like the ones shown above. Once it gets to this stage let it boil for 1 minute before removing from the heat.
As I mentioned before, the only difficulty I could see people running into is burning their pudding. To avoid this it is crucial to constantly stir, and stir. You can not put the pudding on the heat and then go wash dishes, or watch a show until it’s boiled. You need to be there stirring. It is so easy for it to burn and at that point, there is no going back. So what I like to do is just get a chair to sit on while I stir with TikTok playing, because you will be there for a few minutes.
Final Touches:
Having let the pudding boil fully through, it is time to strain it. To do this you will need a sieve. If you do not have one, I highly recommend getting one especially if you love to bake. I use it often for many different things. The most common is to shift my dry ingredients as that helps create a smooth batter or dough in the end. This is the exact one I use and it comes with 3 different sized sieves.
Straining the pudding helps eliminates any lumps or “scrambled eggs” that might have been left behind. This is how you achieve silk, smooth pudding. To the strained pudding, add your vanilla. For my pudding, I like to be bougie and use very high-quality vanilla. Trust me when I say it makes a huge difference and is well worth it. I like to use Vanilla Bean paste. It has amazing flavor and allows you to see the vanilla specs in the pudding. You can also use actual vanilla beans, which I also like to do when I have them on hand, but I will admit they are pricey.
The pudding is almost complete! Pudding needs to be set before serving/using. Cover the surface of your bowl tightly with plastic wrap to prevent skin from forming. Then place it in the refrigerator, and use it as needed!
Pro Tip: If you need the pudding to chill in a timely manner, place it in an ice bath (a bowl of ice) and then put it in the refrigerator.
Depending on the use of the pudding I love to mix whipped cream into it! This creates a lighter, almost mousse-like texture of pudding! This is great for parfaits/trifles, cake fillings, cream puffs and so much more! To do this all you need to do is beat about ¾ cup of heavy cream with a whisk (or a whisk attachment if using a stand mixer) until it reaches still/stiff peaks. Now gently fold this into the COOLED pudding and viola! It’s delicious.
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I told you it’s easy! Pudding is one of my favorite desserts to eat alone and to also use with other things. So you know I had to perfect it and find the best recipe. It is delicious, silky and smooth, what more could you want?
Vanilla Pudding
What you will need:
3 egg Yolks
1 1/2 cups of whole milk
1 1/2 cups of half n half
½ cup white granulated sugar
⅓ cup cornstarch
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
In a pot mix together the sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Set aside.
In a bowl, beat together 3 egg yolks, milk, and half n half.
Pour a SMALL amount of the milk mixture into the sugar mixture to create a smooth paste. Ensure there are no lumps. Gradually add in the remaining milk mixture, continuously stirring.
Cook over medium heat, constantly stirring to prevent burning. Cook until the mixture thickens and boils. Allow to boil for 1 minute and remove from the heat. It’s SUPER important you constantly mix the pudding or else you will burn it.
Using a sieve, strain the pudding mixture to remove any potential lumps. This allows for a silky, smooth pudding.
Add in the vanilla extract and stir. Cover the surface of the pudding in plastic wrap to prevent skin from forming and completely cool it in the refrigerator. Enjoy and use as needed!