Categories: Recipe

Homemade Vanilla Pudding Recipe

Published by
James marcus

Has making a homemade Vanilla Pudding recipe been on your to-list for a while now? It’s time to jump right in and enjoy this simple treat! Serve in a bowl or with some homemade Vanilla Wafers. Either way, this is a deliciously frugal treat!

Homemade Vanilla Pudding Recipe

I’ve been wanting to figure out how to make my own pudding for a while now. Since I’ve had to give up most corn it’s been hard to find a recipe that isn’t full of cornstarch.

This recipe is simple, takes a few minutes, and is very yummy, much better than store-bought pudding! Instant pudding mix doesn’t even hold a candle to fresh, homemade pudding.

I ended up making this for our Valentine’s Day dessert once and putting little chocolate hearts in it to make it fancy.

In some of the pictures, my pudding didn’t have a pure yellow/white color because I used raw sugar but any sugar should work. This recipe will make 2 servings.

Vanilla Pudding Ingredients

  • Milk. Whole milk is best in this recipe. For dairy free, use canned coconut milk.
  • Sugar. I have used raw sugar in this recipe but white cane sugar works best for a better color in the pudding.
  • Flour. This is your thickening agent. You can use cornstarch or another kind of starch if you want to in place of flour or you can also use all purpose gluten free flour to make this gluten free.
  • Salt.
  • Vanilla. I use my homemade Vanilla Extract in this recipe. Store bought is totally fine too.
  • Butter. This helps give it a richer flavor. Use a butter alternative for dairy free. Use unsalted butter if you have it, otherwise leave out the salt if you use salted butter.

Instructions for Making Homemade Pudding

In a saucepan, before you turn the heat on, mix together the sugar, flour, and salt.

Whisk in the milk.

Whisk together until all the lumps are out and then turn on the heat.

Heat until the mixture starts to simmer. Let it simmer for about 1-2 minutes.

Remove from heat and add the butter and vanilla. Pour into a bowl or container and let it chill for at least an hour.

Ways to Top Your Pudding

I put these in fancy glasses (above) to make a special treat for me and the hubby! To make the chocolate hearts on top just lay out a piece of waxed paper, melt some chocolate chips and pipe them onto the paper in a heart shape. Let them dry or stick them in the fridge for a bit until harden and use as a fancy topper for your dessert.

You could also top your pudding with whipped cream if you prefer.

More toppings could be:

  • Fresh berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries)
  • Sliced bananas
  • Powdered sugar

Gluten Free Vanilla Pudding

If you want to make this recipe gluten free it’s quite simple! Just replace the flour for potato starch or gluten free all purpose flour. (Potato starch will add less flavor though so that would be the better way to go if you have it on hand!)

Dairy Free Vanilla Pudding

You can also make this recipe dairy free! Just replace the butter with coconut butter or a butter alternative and the milk with your favorite dairy free milk such as coconut milk.

Love chocolate? I have a yummy Chocolate Pudding Recipe here. If fruit flavors are more your style, this Banana Pudding recipe (no cook!) is super yummy. And although it’s not a true pudding recipe like these, this Old Fashioned Bread Pudding Recipe is always a favorite.

Need to print this Easy Vanilla Pudding Recipe? Grab it below!

Questions about Making Pudding

Is vanilla pudding the same as custard?

No, custard contains egg yolks and is a baked dessert. Pudding is cooked but not baked and does not always contain eggs.

What is pudding really made of?

Most boxed pudding mixes contain a large amount of sugar and starch. Of course, homemade pudding contains those ingredients as well but usually in a smaller ratio.

What meat is in pudding?

If you are wondering if gelatin is in pudding (not technically meat but still comes from an animal) the answer is that it is not. Of course, I can’t check all of the labels in the store, but it’s definitely not an ingredient in homemade pudding and not necessary for thickening.

Do you have a special homemade Vanilla Pudding recipe your family enjoys? Have you tried this recipe?

This Homemade Vanilla Pudding recipe was originally posted on Little House Living in February 2011. It has been updated as of December 2022.

This post was last modified on 08/11/2023 18:11

James marcus

Garden Courte is a blog written by [James Marcus], a passionate gardener and writer. She has been gardening for over 20 years and has a deep understanding of plants and how to care for them. In her blog, she shares her knowledge and experience with others, providing tips and advice on gardening, plant care, and more.

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Published by
James marcus

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