Custard Pudding
This simple recipe makes the most amazing custard. It thickens as it cools. In some countries, cornstarch is called corn flour. My (American) cornstarch has a very fine powdery texture, resembling powdered sugar. - Jenny Jones
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Makes: 4 servings
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup sugar (works with 1/3 cup)
- 2 Tablespoons cornstarch (not corn flour)
- 2 cups milk (whole milk or low fat)
- 2 egg yolks
Instructions:
- In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar & cornstarch.
- Slowly whisk in the milk & egg yolks.
- Place over medium heat and bring to a boil. Cook about 1 minute, stirring constantly, until thickened. (it will thicken more as it cools)
- Pour into serving cups and let stand to cool or refrigerate, UNDISTURBED, until it’s set – about an hour.
Notes: For some reason, when I stir the pudding while it’s cooling, it refuses to thicken and set. So don’t stir it until it sets.
For more on this recipe in my blog click here.
I made this in just a few minutes after receiving a call from an ailing friend. She definitely needed some TLC and a bit of a sweet treat that would be gentle on her stomach. This came together flawlessly and didn’t suffer from the tablespoon of dark rum I stirred in at the end. Thank you JennyCan Cook for such a classic recipe.
Yes, there’s a difference between cornstarch and corn flour, though the terms can be confusing depending on where you are.
In the United States:
* Corn flour is made from finely ground whole corn kernels and has a subtle corn flavor.
* Cornstarch is a refined white powder made only from the starchy part of the corn kernel and is primarily used as a thickening agent.
In the United Kingdom and some other countries, “cornflour” typically refers to what Americans call cornstarch.
(I see you specified the difference in the recipe though)
Just like my Nana used to make. Thank you so much for this recipe.
I used this as a guide to make a healthy option. I replaced sugar with date sugar and date syrup to taste. I replaced milk with almond milk. I added a pack of gelatin & 1 tablespoon of arrowroot. Plus 1/2 cup of unsweetened shredded coconut. It has a brown color. As the dates are a brown sugar replacement. Top with oat foam. It’s like whip cream. Yummy
Dates are low glycemic. Gelatin will add protein and act as a thickener. The arrowroot is healthier than cornstarch .
This recipe is not vegan but vegetarian. Non dairy for those
My mom made this all the time, but you’re not cooking it correctly and that’s why you had trouble with it setting. You should cook this over a double boiler, stirring constantly, until it starts to thicken just a little bit, it will continue thickening in the fridge. Bringing it to a boil is the issue.
Boiling it is not a problem for me. It turns out perfectly every time.
Great recipe!! I added a tad more cornstarch. Thickened up quickly and perfectly!
I love this recipe is amazing, keep making em girly
This is almost identical to my grandma’s recipe. We use 1/2 milnot and half milk and use it for banana pudding. I think this right here is why my husband married me 😂
I did add a tsp of vanilla for flavouring, but this recipe is perfection!! So easy as well!
I find the amount of sugar (even at 1/3 cup) to be a bit sweet. Then again I’m cooking for a diabetic. Otherwise fabulous recipe. Great for a quick dessert.
Custard Recipe
Very good recipe. Next time I’m going to try whole milk, 1/3 sugar and t vanilla.
Thanks
Really good, with a little vanilla and lessening the sugar. Thank you
I made it with high protein almond milk and it was excellent! Tasted just like sugar cookies!
Very yummy and nice and easy. I did a couple changes to make it butterscotch. Substituted brown sugar for white and added vanilla and maple flavorings.
I added a tsp of vanilla and it came out perfect. I was looking for a good custard recipe for a while, thank you for this.
My first custard ever for my first ever Boston Creme Pie (cake).
My husband loved it, I did add a teaspoon of vanilla.
Terrible. Bland and grainy. I added vanilla later. It didn’t help much.
You didn’t whisk your dry ingredients good enough
I substituted vanilla bean paste for the vanilla extract and it in this recipie sent my tastebuds into nirvana.
I love vanilla paste. It’s great because it’s more like a thick syrup than a paste.
Great custard. I cooked it on medium for 15 minutes until it came to a boil and then 1 minute after it comes to a boil. So it takes a little patience but the result is worth the wait! Yummy
Made Bread pudding (So Good)
Doubled the receipt •••
Cubed some left over homemade bread •••
Sprayed cake pan with PAM Spray •••
Followed original receipt stirring on stove only until mixture was warm•••
Scooped 3/4 of mixture until cake pan was almost full •••
Placed cake pan in my Air Fryer on Bake 330 degrees •••
Cooked 15 minutes •••
Perfect with the top Golden Brown and not dry •••
Cooked remaining pudding for about a minute until started to get thick •••
Perfect for additional topping for Bread Pudding. 👏🤩👏
What kind of bread should I buy to use your recipe? I gave up bread years ago but would love to make bread pudding for dessert for me and the misses, she can’t boil water, not even kidding😄🥗🎄
I like to use cinnamon raisin bread, great for the day old bread.
I use French loaf bread that’s a day or two old, it absorbes better. Just cube it up.
I added 1tps vanilla extract to the pudding the second time around because I found the flavor to be lacking somewhere. It came out perfect! Love how simple this recipe is!
Thanks, good idea
Substituted half & half and turned out amazing.
I whisked everything well before putting any heat.
Then once you turn on burner stir constantly w/ spoon.
After about 8-10 min it came to a boil.
Cooked 1 more minute min while stirring.
Put into 6 small ramakins and right to fridge.
Checked back after 90 min and it was prefect.
Thanks Jenny for a great recipe.
OMG! This is the best pudding ever! The first time I made it I loved it! It has the perfect consistency and flavor. I’ll never buy pudding again!!!
How much custard does this make?
Mine came out a pale yellow. Is this normal?
Egg yolk colors can vary from pale yellow to deep yellow depending on the brand.
My custard pudding didn’t set in frig. Can I cook it. More on stove?
My pudding turned out perfect it was creamy but very smooth😋I stirred it with a whisk constantly for like 15 minutes until it started to slowly thicker and still wisking until done ✅
I think I stirred it either too long because it was thickening in the bottom and I didn’t like that so I kept going so the whole thing was the same consistency and now it looks like mushy eggs 🥲
Any reason you can’t pour this pudding into a baked pie crust and have a delicious custard pie?
Custard pie is one of my all time favorites. I don’t know why your suggestion of pouring the pudding into a pre-baked pie crust wouldn’t work. I haven’t tried this recipe that way, so I’m wondering if the pudding would be thick enough to set up as a pie filling. My suggestion is to experiment. Let us know your results.
Can I make multiple recipes of this custard?
You can also add coconut to make coconut cream pie
This is an excellent simple, reliable, consistently good pudding/custard recipe- it will not cook thick enough to slice like a pie. It would need another egg (or 2, depending on the size of the eggs and the yolk itself) and more cornstarch/flour. I’ve also added a pinch of salt and some vanilla (or almond) when making just the custard. It’s also great with coconut added to it, or poured over sliced bananas with a dab of whipped cream on top.
Thanks for the suggestions. I agree. Sounds as if it would make a lovely dessert.
Excellent recipe I love it’s so good!!!🙂👍
Thank you so much for this recipe!! Had some milk getting close to expiration & wanting to use it up. Never buying instant pudding again, this is so much better & simple! Simply delicious. I didnt have cornstarch so used arrowroot which gave it a marshmellow flavor & a little burning on the bottom but worked fine. Added a little vanilla,rum extract and salt after removing feom heat. Had the consistency of flan w/ the substitutes.I really couldnt believe how easy it was to make!! what a great and versatile recipe
How much eggs do we need?
Just made this custard. Still very hot but couldn’t resist having a taste. Wow! So yummy!
I’m gonna try and make this. However, since I’m on a coconut fix, I’m going to add coconut extract and see how this tastes. I’m going to follow another commenters addition and add 1 whole egg with one yolk to see how the consistency fairs. Thanks for the easy recipe!
Hi Jenny! I follow all your recipes! You’re great! I love this Recipe! I’ was born in Italy and believe or not I used to make as a child! I learned from my Grandma! The only difference I used to make with flower, same Idea, but I like the Corn Starch in your recipe better! So I have made your way since I found you! Great consistency! Great recipe! Jenny in my opinion you are one of the best Chef’s! You’re Recipes are the best! Thank you! Stay healthy and safe! Paola
Can i use flour if i dont have cornstarch?
Can u add cinnamon or fruit to this custard?
What a great and easy recipe. I found that adding 1 whole egg with 1 yolk helped it to maintain consistency. And I like vanilla, so I threw a dash in. I refrigerated for only about half an hour, because I like it warm too.
Weighing in again as I ate all of the first batch of custard pudding (cooked on the stove with vanilla added). This time, I left the vanilla out (so delicious both ways!) and cooked the pudding in the microwave. Perfect consistency! Thanks again, Jenny!!!
Perfection. Smooth and creamy! I added vanilla because I like it but I will make it again without as I’m sure it would be equally delicious. Thanks, Jenny!
I absolutely love this recipe! It’s so soothing and yummy at night for a quick dessert!
Hi, can I substitute flour for cornstarch? And double the measurements? Thank you!
This recipe is missing something. The custard is liquid after 2 hours in fridge. Why?
I just love this recipe. I do however cut the sugar in half. Thank You for sharing
Can I use a sugar substitute when making this for my diabetic husband?
I have made custard with monkfruit, it works well and many people do not notice the difference that it is not sugar. This is great for those on keto and diabetic though I have used guar gum and Xanthgum for thickening instead of cornstarch
Yes
Yes you can use surgar sub
Great recipe, easy to make and so delicious! I was just googling for custard recipes when I stumbled upon your website. I was shocked to see that you are THE Jenny Jones! I loved your TV talk show back in the day. You were a great host and you always had the most intriguing guests. Thank you for the good times!
So glad to find your website. I will be trying lots of your recipes!
Wow, I’ll have to look her up. I love “Jenny can Cook” and she is fabulous!
Quick. Easy. Delicious.
Thank you. A nice, simple and practical way to make custard.
I have made it time after time, fool proof and delicious.
Thank you so much for your custard recipe. It looks simple and good! I can’t wait to try it.
You can see me make this custard in my Paczki video at the 6:20 mark. https://youtu.be/17jL5nZrgPw
Curious, what is the carbohydrate count on this custard? I’m cooking for a diabetic and watching carbs. I did successfully cut the sugar to 1/3 cup
milk=12 grams per cup
cornstarch=7 grams per tablespoon
sugar=200 grams per cup
egg=close to 0grams
138 grams of carbs for the entire batch. per serving number of course depends on how you divide it.
I have wanted to be able to make home made lemon pudding and chocolate pudding. Could I use this receipe for that?
Please see my Chocolate Pudding recipe.
Jenny can I use custard powder instead of cornstarch.
I was really happy with happy with how this turned out!! thank you!!
Made this custard exactly the same amount of indgrents. In a dubble boiler. Came out perfectly as expected. Thanks ,)
Thank you Jenny! Your custard is GLUTEN FREE too – so maybe link it under your gluten free section too. 😉 PS It also works with whole goat’s milk just fine and half the sugar.
That’s good to know. Thanks!!
Josiah!!!!
I was making cookies for the friends birthday and had an extra egg yolk. I made these (for may self) and they were fantastic!! I loved them! 5 stars!!!
What should I do to make rice pudding using the custard recipe?
Add rice,raisins,cinn a Little vanilla
I am looking for a good rice pudding with egg custard. can more eggs be used? I need the proteins other than from meats.
The British call cornstarch cornflour so your instruction not to use cornflour could be a bit confusing. I’m not sure what is meant either. I’m Canadian.
Hi Linda, Americans have a kind of flour that is made from corn so they have to differentiate between the two. In this recipe Jenny means the cornflour you’re would normally use to thicken a sauce for example. Hope I’ve been of help!
Thank you for this recipe. I’ve been looking for a good easy recipe and this is it. As I do I added vanilla ?
Its always a plus to add a drop or two of pure vanilla extract while cooking and then top with a light sprinkle of nutmeg just before setting in the fridge !
If it is too humid or raining it wont set. My grandma always said cant make pies or candy if its humid. (I didnt know what humid meant, when i was 4 years old, when she told me, i thought she just didnt want to make me a pie)
Just use %10 percent cream after you try cooking it just a little longer on low to reduce the moisture in the regular recipe. If that doesn’t work then try the %10 hope you know what I’m getting at but if your fridge is cold and frezzer fan can move air it should work. There’s always adding rice to absorb moisture too!
I don’t think humidity is the problem. You can see me make this custard in my Paczki video at the 6:20 mark. https://youtu.be/17jL5nZrgPw
On the Custard pudding I double the recipe than after separating the eggs I use the egg whites which I whip up to a Meringue. Let pudding come to room temperature. Fold the meringue into the pudding let set in Refrigerator for twenty minutes than serve it up.
Sounds delicious, I’d recommend an Italian meringue to cook them whites a bit.
This was such a good post. Corn starch comment and not to stir after tip! So important! Thank you!
Years ago (we’ve been married 58 years) I used Argo whenever I needed cornstarch. and found that I used just what the recipe called for. Now, however, since I’ve been using an organic cornstarch (Lets Do Organic brand) I find that I have to use significantly more than the recipe calls for to obtain the same result. The only difference I can detect is the organic cornstarch seems lighter and fluffier than the non organic, which seemed heavier and denser. I’d like you to know, Jenny, how much I’ve enjoyed your videos and recipes. After 58 years, I was pretty bored with and tired of cooking. But then a friend put me on to your site and the Faster No Knead Bread. Because of the virus we’d had a hard time getting good bread. Well, the bread was fabulous and I make it two or three times a week now. Then I began looking at your other recipes and found myself enjoying cooking again because the results were tasty but simple. Now, instead of dreading the “what’s for dinner” I’m having some fun in the kitchen again. So we’re never too old to learn new tricks. Many thanks for a real lift.
This is so darn true. I am 70yrs and I have tried Alot of Jenny’s recipes and love them too. They are so good and delicious. 🙂👍. I love her Ziti she makes and it is rather easy too. Never made Ziti until I tried her recipe and now I make it like once a month and it is only me. Last me like 3 days, but oh so good. Thanks and keep smiling and cooking.
Everybody Must look at Jenny’s cookbook. It’s, out of print and Jenny says outdated, BUT what a fantastic-free too-guide to her cooking. The changes are interesting. It’s available on her site.
Treat yourself, not meant to share. For a nice bowl of pudding, I use 1 can of evaporated milk, 1 egg, 1/3 C sugar, more or less to taste, 2Tbs. Cornstarch.
Mix milk, sugar, cornstarch together, as it heats, temper the egg in small amount of milk mixture, whisk it into pudding. Stirring constantly, on med. heat, let come to boil for a minute or so. I stir in a little vanilla and or banana flavoring. . If you can get it into your bowl before eating,chill and eat, but I like some of mine warm. Smooth and delicious. Never a problem thickening.
I was just thinking how good Carnation milk would be….. great minds!
I love your recipes, your humor, and your tips. You are great, I tell everyone about you. You are making my cooking life a little easier at this time, Thank You!
Omg this was so quick and easy!!! Only issue is, I can use a bit less sugar and I added some vanilla extract, OMG!!! I CAN’T STOP EATING IT HOT!
How much vanilla extract did you use?
We just made this and added Lemon extract. & a dash of cinnamon. So good.
Can i substitute custard powder for the cornstarch flour?
Sorry, I am not familiar with custard powder.
Custard powder usually has other flavorings and sometimes powdered eggs, we used it in custard I made in a bakery I worked in in Australia, I’m sure it’ll work out fine but you may want to tinker with it a bit.
No, you need to use the proportions on the Bird’s Custard Powder tin:
Mix 1/4 c custard powder and 3 Tbsp. sugar in a pot. Gradually add 2 1/2 c milk, whisking constantly till blended. Bring to a boil on medium heat, stirring frequently. Serve warm or chilled.
Yes, you can. Birds Custard powder is a UK Product that works well in a pinch.
Btw…real custard made from stratch does not contain corn starch.
So using custard powder which is corn starch with added vanilla flavour is fine.
Real custard depends on the proportion of milk and eggs to “set”. My Grandmother and Mother added a few drops of vanilla. That is all. I have forgotten the correct porportions. Custard was made long before cornstarch was invented. Anything bought was usually too expensive for rural people.
My Mother had a recipe for banana pudding using sour cream. People who like stuff like that would beg me for the recipe when I took it to gatherings.
Banana pudding, rice pudding, etc. is just custard with added ingredients.
I
The addition of cornstarch should make a no-fail pudding.
Laundry starch is cornstarch. Cornstarch was used for a laundry starch when it was first invented, in 1840. And yes you can use cooking cornstarch for laundry starch, but not the other way around.
To double the recipe add 5 tbsp of corn starch. I also found you can decrease the amount of sugar significantly! Add 2 tsp vanilla for added flavor!
The vanilla. I make my own vanilla, & it is thicker & much stronger than what is in markets. (Recipe on utube) I added this, & some fresh nutmeg. What a difference! Fabulous!
This receioe turned out perfect!! Thank you so much for sharing!!