Silky Vanilla Pudding Recipe

Vanilla lovers, this one’s for you. If you are looking for an almost impossibly silky vanilla pudding recipe, you have found it.

I tested many different ways, using different dairy, varying amounts of sugar and butter, and using more or less vanilla. What I’ve finally hit on is pretty much vanilla pudding perfection, whether you enjoy eating it straight from the bowl, pouring on some strawberry syrup, or using it to make banana pudding, you’re going to love this recipe.

You may also want to take a peek at my butterscotch pudding recipe. For ease of browsing, you can find all my pudding and custard recipes in one place. Now, let’s make this pudding.

At a Glance

✅Skill Level: Beginner
✅Skills: Whisking and Simmering. Straining
✅Type: Stirred Custard/Stove Top Pudding
✅Number of Ingredients: 7
✅Prep Time: 5 minutes
✅Cook Time: 10 minutes
✅Yield: 8 servings
✅Related Reading: Custards and Puddings

Jump Straight to the Recipe

Tasting Notes

This pudding is all about the flavor and the texture.

The flavor is cool, creamy dairy and pure vanilla with enough salt to bring everything into focus.

The texture is really what makes this pudding sing. It’s very delicate and silky. It wobbles just the slightest bit, even when fully set. And it is so smooth on the tongue, you really have to taste it to believe it.

If this sounds like a winner to you and you end up making it, please do me a quick favor, if you would.

How to Make Vanilla Pudding

If you are an old hand at making stirred custard, you can jump straight to the recipe.

Otherwise, let’s take a look at the ingredients and potential substitutions, how to make it, and do a little vanilla pudding Q & A.

• whole milk: This is the main liquid for making the pudding. I tested with half and half and varying proportions of milk to fattier dairy, and whole milk is the clear winner for a standard pudding with a delightful texture. You can substitute some half and half for a portion of the milk if you would like. I don’t recommend using 2% unless that is really all you ever use. In that case, consider increasing the cornstarch by an extra 1 1/2 teaspoons
• sugar: Pure granulated sugar is the way to go here. I generally use sugar labeled “pure cane sugar” for the most reliable quality
• cornstarch: Cornstarch assists the eggs in thickening the pudding. You may also use all-purpose flour instead. I couldn’t tell the difference between the two, flavor-wise or consistency-wise
• eggs: Provide richness, color, and additional liquid in the form of the egg whites. The almost pure protein of the whites adds the most silky, magical consistency to the pudding while increasing the yield by a bit
• egg yolks: Using yolks along with whites adds additional richness and body without adding more liquid, and that means a richer pudding. If you are feeling very fancy, substitute 2 yolks for the 2 whole eggs for a more dense and rich pudding
• kosher salt: Salt is really vital in custard. It snaps the mild dairy flavors into focus and brings dimension to an otherwise fairly boring dessert. If you have ever had pudding or custard and thought it was boring, it was probably missing salt
• vanilla extract: Use the best quality vanilla you can afford here. Vanilla definitely carries the day when it comes to vanilla pudding. My recommendation is to use an excellent-quality Mexican vanilla which has a lovely, full flavor and richness and is lovely in pudding.

Why I Don’t Call for Butter in This Pudding

Butter adds richness and also helps a pudding set more firmly. Think about it: butter is hard at refrigerator temperatures.

All those are good things, flavor-wise, but butter throws off an otherwise perfectly smooth texture. I find that little bit of firm butter in a cold pudding to mess with my silky pudding bliss.

If you are serving the pudding warm, by all means, add up to 1 1/2 ounces of butter.

If, however, you are looking to make the smoothest, silkiest vanilla pudding, do yourself a favor and leave the butter out. It is rich enough without it.

Procedure

If you know how to make a stove top pudding, feel free to head straight to the recipe.

If this is a new skill for you, stick with me and I’ll go over the steps in detail.

Start by putting all the ingredients except for the vanilla in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and whisk them really well.

Add the vanilla to a large bowl and place a fine-mesh strainer over the top.

Bring the pudding to a boil, whisking frequently and then constantly as it heats up and begins to steam.

Note how frothy and bubbly the pudding is and how the bubbles begin to dissipate as the pudding thickens. By the time the pudding is at a boil, all the froth has disappeared. Boil for 2 minutes from the start of the boil.

Turn down the heat and keep at a low boil, whisking constantly, for two minutes once you notice that the pudding is boiling.

After two minutes, pour the pudding through the strainer and into the bowl, being sure to scrape the back of the strainer to get all the pudding sticking to the underside.

Stir well until the vanilla is uniformly mixed in, then pour into 8 4oz ramekins or 6 6 oz ramekins or bowls.

Recipe Variations (Make It Fancy)

There is nothing wrong with sitting down with a bowl (or a vat) of plain vanilla pudding and going to town, but if you are feeling fancy, here are some ideas for variations and serving suggestions

• Add chopped chocolate to the bowl with the vanilla, pour the pudding through the strainer, and the stir everything together for a rich, chocolate custard. You’ll get more bang for your buck with this method if you use a dark chocolate, between 65%-70% cacao solids.
• After the pudding has set, sprinkle with sugar and brulee the top for a quickie version of creme brulee. This particular pudding is so delicate, people probably won’t even know it’s not “real” creme brulee.
• Let the pudding set up in a large bowl with plastic wrap pressed directly on the surface. Once chilled, whisk it really well and then fold in some hand-whipped cream to make a mousse-like vanilla dessert.
• Pass chocolate syrup or hot fudge sauce to spoon on top of the pudding.

A Little Vanilla Pudding Q & A

Questions?

If you have any questions about this post or recipe, I am happy to help.

Simply leave a comment here and I will get back to you soon. I also invite you to ask question in my Facebook group, Fearless Kitchen Fun.

If your question is more pressing, please feel free to email me. I should be back in touch ASAP, as long as I’m not asleep.

A Note About Measurements

My recipes are almost all written by weight, including liquids, unless otherwise specified.

For accuracy and consistency of results, I encourage you to buy–and use–a kitchen scale.

I promise that baking and cleanup will be so much quicker and easier.

This is the scale that I recommend for home use. I have owned and used one for years.

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Thanks so much for spending some time with me today. Take care, and enjoy the pudding!