About this Recipe

Here's a great simple pudding recipe that you can make whenever you're in the mood for some sweet pudding and want to make your own homemade dessert. Did you know that pudding can either be a dessert or a savory dish? The word pudding comes from the French word boudin which is originally from the Latin botellus that means small sausage. This is because in medieval puddings there were sausages included. The modern version of pudding usually refers to the dessert recipes which can come in a variety of flavors from simple vanilla, chocolate, to pistachio and banana. Some of the savory puddings include Yorkshire pudding which is more like a biscuit, Black pudding, and haggis. As for sweet puddings, there are also other types of pudding called rice pudding as well as puddings with steamed cakes like a Christmas pudding. In Canada and the United States pudding is usually a milk and egg-based custard recipe or a mousse.

Grandmother's Tips for Homemade Vanilla Pudding:

1. You can put the pudding into individual containers as well for lunches.

2. Pudding can be used when making trifles or for filler between layer cakes. It is so easy to make pudding and you can rest assured all the ingredients are natural and good for your family.

3. If you get lumps in your pudding when you cook it, just put it through a sieve.

4. Always stay at the stove and stir pudding while it cooks as it is quick to scorch if left unattended.

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Ingredients

(Print)

Makes: 2 1/2 cups

2 1/4 cups whole milk

3 large egg yolks, lightly beaten

1/3 cup granulated sugar

2 Tablespoons cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 Tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Directions

1. This pudding is cooked on the stove-top. Have ready a medium sized saucepan.

2. We always choose local organic pasture raised eggs in Grandmother’s kitchen.

3. You need to separate the egg yolks from the egg whites. When separating eggs always break each egg into a new bowl that way if you break a yolk you do not ‘loose’ the whites you have separated.

4. Place the sugar, cornstarch and salt into the bottom of the saucepan and stir to combine with a spatula.

5. Add 1/4 cup of milk to the dry ingredients and stir to combine.

6. Add the egg yolks and use a whisk to combine.

7. Add the rest of the milk.

8. Turn the stove-top temperature to medium. Set the timer to 5 minutes and cook the pudding, whisking frequently so that it does not scorch on the bottom of the pan. The mixture will thicken during cooking. As it thickens switch to rubber spatula and keep stirring from the bottom and sides for another 4 minutes.

9. The pudding should be a nice creamy thick but smooth consistency.

10. Remove from heat. Add the butter pieces and the vanilla and fold in from the sides and bottom with the spatula until well combined.

11. Pour the pudding into a bowl and let cool to room temperature.

12. Cover and place into the refrigerator.

Pudding can be used in other recipes such as Sunshine Pineapple Cake Recipe

ENJOY!

Return to this Homemade Vanilla Pudding recipe or check out more recipes at Grandmother's Kitchen

Sometimes pudding can be topped with whipped cream or fruit to make it more decadent but it's also great served on its own. These creamy pudding recipes are usually served cold, but they are prepared on a stovetop to combine ingredients. There is actually no such thing as Jell-O pudding mixes in the United Kingdom though since most of their pudding recipes would be considered custards. Pudding is used in other dessert recipes too like trifles where it's layers of cake, fruit and pudding or custard.

Shortcake is another recipe that you could use pudding in too as well as eclairs. There are also cake recipes and easy desserts that use pudding as an ingredient in them to provide moisture to the cake or dessert. So this simple pudding recipe will come in handy not just to have a pudding on its own, but to have a pudding recipe that you can use in other dessert recipes as well. It's always nice to make your own desserts from scratch and pudding is an easy dessert to make. It's also made with all natural ingredients.

You can try making the pudding recipe with other ingredients if you or someone in your family is lactose intolerant. Just swap out the milk for coconut milk which is nice and creamy and the butter for some dairy-free butter or some coconut oil. The eggs can also be replaced using your favorite egg replacement like applesauce or a store bought egg replacement powder. Just test it out first as the results may not be the same as using the real milk and eggs.

Take your time when making this dessert recipe and as you're eating it note the nice, smooth consistency of the pudding and all of the flavor it has. Try adding different flavors to this recipe and see what you like the best. Make your pudding chocolate by using cocoa or cacao powder. You can also bring in a nice banana flavor by adding some mashed banana into the pudding or a coconut flavor by adding in some coconut extract. For a simple vanilla pudding use pure vanilla extract with no alcohol in it for a really lovely vanilla flavor. The options are endless so have some fun in experimenting with this recipe and add what you like to it.