Here’s a Classic Vanilla Pudding Recipe That Everyone Loves!
Wondering how to make vanilla pudding? If want to make homemade vanilla pudding, you’re in the right place!
Our vanilla pudding recipe is actually not that difficult to whip together – pun intended – at all.
With just a few ingredients like vanilla extract, milk, eggs, and corn starch, you too can make vanilla pudding from scratch.
This easy vanilla pudding is perfect to serve to guests as a simple dessert, great for the family to enjoy together, or just to enjoy all to yourself!
It’s no secret that pudding is something that isn’t usually made from scratch. There are some popular pudding brands out there that make enjoying it easy.
That said, homemade pudding has something that much more satisfying about it… maybe it’s the fact that it was created from scratch?
We both grew up eating vanilla pudding so this is a recipe that sits close to the heart. Pudding might not be outright “German” but it’s definitely enjoyed all over the country.
Pudding is also an ingredient used in German baking. You can find it in vanilla pudding cakes and even German bee sting cake (another recipe we love)! Instant pudding powder is also added to German cheesecake.
How to Make Homemade Vanilla Pudding – Step by Step
If you want to make homemade vanilla pudding, you can find the exact measurements in the vanilla pudding recipe card at the bottom of this post.
For those of you who like to follow along with recipes visually, you can check out the process photos below.
It’s an easy recipe, but there are a couple of different steps involved in making pudding. So it might be helpful to see the steps as you create!
First, pour the milk into a medium-sized pot but don’t turn it on yet.
We don’t want your milk to boil over while you’re busy mixing something else (speaking from personal experience here).
- If you were making homemade chocolate pudding, you’d add cocoa powder to the milk. Just saying!
Separate the eggs and add the egg yolks to a medium-sized mixing bowl. You can use the egg whites for a different recipe.
We have two easy cookie recipes on our website that only use egg whites – coconut macaroons and cinnamon stars.
Once you have separated all three eggs, add the powdered sugar (also called icing sugar) to the bowl with the egg yolks.
Use the normal beaters of your electric mixer to mix the egg yolks and sugar together until the mixture has a creamy consistency and gets lighter in color (more white than yellow).
Then add the cornstarch and the same amount of milk of milk from the pot on the stove. This will help avoid the mixture from becoming too thick.
Fun Side Note: This pudding recipe is quite similar to a classic vanilla sauce recipe which goes with Dampfnudeln. The difference is the overall thickness of the final products – vanilla pudding is thick while the vanilla sauce is thinner and runny!
Mix again using your electric mixer until all the cornstarch is well mixed in and no lumps are visible. Then set the bowl aside.
Back to the pot of milk on the stove – add the vanilla extract and bring the milk to a boil while whisking regularly.
If you want a more intense flavor, you can also use a vanilla bean instead of vanilla extract. Read the notes of the recipe card for more infos.
Since we know that vanilla beans are not always widely available and can be quite expensive, we decided to use vanilla extract.
When the milk starts boiling, remove it from the heat.
Pour the egg-sugar-cornstarch mixture into the milk while whisking constantly.
Return the pot back to the hot burner and let the mixture simmer for 1-2 minutes until it has thickened. During this time, whisk constantly.
Once the mixture has thickened noticeably, pour or ladle the pudding into small bowls and let it cool.
If you don’t like the “pudding skin” that sometimes forms on top of the pudding, you can cover the bowls with cling film.
When making this vanilla pudding recipe, you can top it however you like.
Vanilla is a pretty universal flavor and so adding some berries – like raspberries – or whipping cream on top is always a welcomed addition!
Related Recipes
If you liked this homemade vanilla pudding recipe, check out these other recipes for sweet treats!
- Rote Grütze – A thickened red berry pudding that is popular in Denmark and Germany
- Chocolate Pudding – It’s actually easy to make rich and creamy chocolate pudding, too!
- Milchreis – A sweet take on rice pudding that Germans eat for dinner
Homemade Vanilla Pudding
Ingredients
- 2 cups milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 medium-sized eggs
- 2/3 cup powdered sugar
- 3 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
Instructions
- Pour the milk into a medium-sized pot and place it on the stove, but don’t turn it on yet.
- Separate the eggs and add the egg yolks to a medium-sized bowl. You can use the egg whites for another recipe such as coconut macaroons or cinnamon stars.
- Add the powdered sugar to the egg yolks in the bowl and mix everything with the normal beaters of your electric mixer until creamy and lighter in color.
- Add the cornstarch and the same amount of milk from the pot. Mix again using your electric mixer until everything is well combined. Set the mixture aside.
- Returning to the pot of milk on the stove, add the vanilla extract and whisk regularly while bringing the milk to a boil.
- Wait for your milk to boil, then immediately remove it from the hot burner. Pour the egg-sugar-cornstarch mixture into it while whisking constantly.
- Place the pot back onto the hot burner and let the mixture simmer for 1-2 minutes until it has thickened. Whisk constantly.
- Pour or ladle the pudding into three small bowls.
- Let the pudding cool. You can decorate it with fresh fruit and/or whipping cream before serving.
Notes
- Instead of vanilla extract, you can also use a vanilla bean for a more intense flavor. To properly utilize a vanilla bean, clean out the inside and add it as well as the bean to the milk when it’s heating up. Remove the bean before adding the egg-sugar-cornstarch mixture.
Nutrition
This nutritional information has been estimated by an online nutrition calculator. It should only be seen as a rough calculation and not a replacement for professional dietary advice.
I plan on trying this recipe soon but I was wondering what type of milk should be used to make the best pudding homogeneous, half & half, 2%. What do you recommend
We have made Vanilla pudding with both 2% and whole milk (3.25%) many time and it turns out well with either. I have not personally tried it with half and half. You could try it with 5% half and half if you like a creamier texture. Using 10% half and half would make it quite heavy, but it’s really personal preference. Thanks for bringing that up, Shelly – I’ll test it out and update the notes for the recipe accordingly. /Lisa