Homemade Vanilla Pudding

You’ve heard the old saying, "The proof is in the pudding," right? Well, this vanilla pudding recipe is proof that it pays to make pudding from scratch.

Don't get us wrong—there’s a time and place for instant pudding, but this quick and easy homemade pudding is velvety smooth, wonderfully sweet, and hard to beat. It’s the perfect addition to any dessert recipe, from trifles to jellyrolls to filled doughnuts. But here’s the best way to enjoy this creamy vanilla pudding: by the spoonful.

Learn how to make homemade vanilla pudding, and enjoy finding the many ways you can use it in your favorite recipes.

Ingredients for Vanilla Pudding

This is a fairly brief ingredient list. Vanilla pudding is all in the technique, so good, high-quality ingredients are necessary. Here's what you need:

• Egg yolks: You'll need 9 of them. Save the whites for something like angel food cake or meringue.
• Sugar: Just one kind of sugar in this pudding recipe, granulated sugar. It lends the right level of sweetness and dissolves well into the pudding mixture.
• Cornstarch: This is one thickening element in a luscious pudding. (The rest of the thickening is done with cooking and then cooling the pudding.)
• Kosher salt: A pinch of salt balances the pudding's sweetness.
• Vanilla bean pod: If you don't want to splurge for the pods, use vanilla paste. It still has great flavor, and it delivers the beautiful seeds you want from the bean itself.
• Whole milk: The extra fat in whole milk is necessary for the pudding to set up.
• Unsalted butter: Butter is stirred into the pudding for richness and creamy texture.
• Vanilla extract: Yes, we're doubling down with two types of vanilla. But it's vanilla pudding, so it's expected.

How To Make Vanilla Pudding

Homemade vanilla pudding isn't quite as easy as the boxed puddings, but it is fairly straight forward. The full recipe for this dessert is further below, but here's a brief recap:

• Step 1. Combine the egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a bowl. Whisk to combine, and set aside.
• Step 2. Scrape the seeds from vanilla bean halves. Move the seeds and beans to a saucepan with the milk. Bring this milk mixture to a simmer. Then remove from heat.
• Step 3. Add about half of the hot milk mixture to the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly. Then, pour all of the egg mixture (which now has some of the milk mixture) back into the rest of the milk mixture. While whisking constantly, let the mixture come to a boil. Continue to cook until it starts to thicken, which should take bout 10 minutes.
• Step 4. Remove the egg-milk mixture from the heat. Stir in butter and vanilla extract.
• Step 5. Pour the pudding through a fine mesh sieve set over a heatproof bowl. Remove the vanilla bean pods, and discard.
• Step 6. Place a piece of storage wrap over the top of the pudding, and press it directly against the surface.
• Step 7. Chill the pudding until it's cold, which is about 2 hours.

Tips for the Best Homemade Pudding

The best pudding sometimes requires a little know-how, so there are the tips you should know before you crack open a single egg:

• Use a heavy bottom pot to prevent scorching. Thinner bottoms will scorch and ruin the milk.
• Don't crank the heat either. Using heat that is too high will not benefit you in the end. Low and slow will make for the best pudding.
• Place the plastic wrap directly on top of the pudding while it is cooling to avoid the pudding developing a thick skin.
• This pudding is really the place to use paste or a vanilla bean because it's the single dominating flavor. You can always use extract, but this is where vanilla shines. Plus, vanilla paste and bean have the beautiful seeds that create a gloriously flecked pudding.

Ways To Serve Vanilla Pudding

When you have the pudding made, you may want want to be creative with how to use it. While we'd just eat vanilla pudding right from the fridge, spoonful by spoonful, creativity it always welcome. Here are a few ideas:

• Layer with cake cubes and fruit in a trifle.
• Spoon into bowls, top with fruit and whipped cream, and serve as a brunch or dessert.
• Make a dessert parfait by layering with granola or crushed cookies and fruit.
• Spoon into a cup with bananas and vanilla wafers for an easy banana pudding.

How To Store Vanilla Pudding

Store homemade vanilla pudding in a bowl with the plastic wrap pressed against the top of the pudding. It will keep up to 3 days in the fridge.