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
- 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.
My mother used this as the base for her banana pudding. My husband loved it so much that she had to use her largest mixing bowl to make the banana pudding. That way the rest of the family could enjoy it also.
To do this recipe, it w b runny (unstirred)unless u double the cornscarch,then it works, then it is good. I’ve tried whole milk and 2%, now I use 2% and “heaping ” double the cornstarch.perfect
The recipe was easy enough but mine turned out runny and never thick it up I put it in the refrigerator and let it sit for hours and it still was runny so I have no idea what I did wrong I checked my recipe twice ,,I did everything exactly how you written down
Mine always turns out so assuming you did not stir it after it’s poured into serving cups I can’t think of any reason for failure. If you send me the exact brand & type of each ingredient I will try to help further.
Jenny can you add a flavouring to this recipe like lemon or coconut ?
I found your recipe very easy and it comes out great.
I do want to share with you that Bri g diabetic I replace the sugar with Honey Crystal’s with have no artificial aftertaste and they’re low on the glycemic so it doesn’t spike the blood sugars .
After all the research I’ve done over the past 45 years I don’t use any artificial sweeteners, too many of them at CAC the nerve shaft and the lining of the stomach and create problems for diabetics.
I hope this helps any fellow diabetics in using replacement for sugar in their cooking 🙂
Just made this earlier. I added nutmeg and 1/2 tsp vanilla.
Tasted just like custard and is more of a pudding than a true custard but I expected that from all the stirring. If I make this again I’m going to cut the sugar in half to 1/4 cup and add another egg yolk.
Thank you for this! We’re doing a surprise party for my mom while on family vacation, and I’ve decided to do a “make your own trifle” bar. Was looking for a simple custard, as I’ve never made it before. Turned out SPOT ON. I was expecting to botch the first batch and have to make a second to get the hang of it, but I didn’t! It was awesome on attempt one.
My mother taught me how to make this pudding when I was about 9 years old. That was 60 years ago. We had a wood burning stove. The recipe was much the same as your’s.
I must have made hundreds and hundreds of this pudding, some times add cocoa, sometimes use brown sugar. Now I don’t even measure just dump stir cook cool eat. And it still is very close to your precise measurements. Interesting to read the comments.
Can this recipe be used as a filling for a jelly roll? How much would it take to fill? Is this recipe similar to an éclair filling?
Jenny, I am 77 years old now and I am just now wanting to learn how to cook. I found you on line and I am going to keep you. For the first time in my life following your recipe I maid Egg custard Pudding, I have made it every night from this past weekend. It is soooooo good. Thank you. I will be trying your different receips. Your Good Girl!
I DID NOT SAY THIS PRIOR TO NOW !!!!
Donna, you made me laugh out loud. I will be 77 next month and I too have the desire now to learn to cook. I recently made a lasagna and had to throw it all away.😂. I messed up on the cheese. But that’s how you learn. I have never made custard pudding which bought me to this site.
Off I go…😊😊
Jenny, I am 77 years old now and I am just now wanting to learn how to cook. I found you on line and I am going to keep you. For the first time in my life following your recipe I maid Egg custard Pudding, I have made it every night from this past weekend. It is soooooo good. Thank you. I will be trying your different receips. Your Good Girl!
I have made this twice today and neither batch turn out.I poured both of them out after cooling for hours (yes I did say POURED, like liquid). I cannot get this to set and cannot figure out why. Am I not cooking it long enough? Is there an order to put in the ingredients? What can I do????
Assuming you let it cool undisturbed, I don’t really know. Can you please list all your ingredients and I’ll see if I can help.
Mix the ingredients and try cooking the pudding/custard in a doible boiler and see if that helps
Just made this custard/pudding and it is delicious!!!
Never had good luck cooking custards in saucepan so
I cooked in a double boiler over water, turned out perfect.
Thank you for sharing!
I was looking for this recipe. My Mom always made custard this way. Even id she was making coconut cream pie. It was delicious. Thank you.
Last week I found it to be too sweet. Today, reduced sugar to 1/3 cup, much better. Great recipe with slight adjustment
I add 1/2 teaspoon vanilla to mixture, and sprinkle a little nutmeg on top after pouring into cups. YUMMY!!!
i CAN’T NOT BELIEVE HOW DIFFERENT CUSTARDS RECIPES THERE ARE. SO DIFFERENT FROM EA OTHER. HOW DO YOU KNOW WHICH ONE IS THE BEST??
YOU TRY THEM ALL.
lol seriously though there’s not a “best” one, it’s mostly personal preference. I found this one looking for something between a custard and a pudding for a Christmas trifle.
Can u use heavy cream instead of milk for a thicker creamer texture?
Hi, I just made this great custard w 1/2 1/2 and milk and a c of w cream.I layering it in a trifle. Have not decided if I will mousse it with tempered egg whites. I made 4 batches at 1 time. I would not make it all w Cream.May be temperamental and clot. Not smooth as u would like.
Great recipe…. I Maki it at least once a week…. Thank you!!!
I don’t know if anyone addressed your comment about the custard not setting if you stir it while cooling but that is a characteristic of cornstarch puddungs & sauces. Stirring will “break” the structure.
Thanks so much for explaining this – I learned something new!
I would like to try your custard but as both my wife and I are diabetics we avoid sugar. Can I make this using Splenda?
Also, do you have a recipe for sugar free chocolate pudding.?
I’m sorry, I have no experience with sugar-free desserts.
Try a organic granulated stevia. Avail on Amazon. Try for sweetness. Cut back if needed.
Excuse me, cornstarch has 7 gms of carb per tbsp. Far less than a piece of toast. Especially split even for 2 people.
You should try looking at the Splenda website. They have wonderful sugar-free recipes. Enjoy!
Corn starch is a highly processed carbohydrate and has a high glycemic index. Even if you cut out the sugar entirely, this recipe is not suitable for diabetics. Sorry 🙁
Nope sorry, look it up. 1 cup is 87 on the glycolic load, more specific than index. 1 CUP.
Yes u can make it with Splenda. It is just as good.
My Grandmother always put Mace cinnamon vanilla and nutmeg in her custard , rice and bread puddings == Delicious.
I loved this recipe for custard pudding!! I feel like the addition of cornstarch alleviated much of trouble that I traditionally run into with custards (sometimes it doesn’t thicken as well as I’d like). THANKS! Oh, I also added a little vanilla, sooo yummy!
I put some cooked rice in to make it rice pudding. It is delicious!
I added a 1/2 cup of peanutbutter to this custard and use this for my peanutbutter pie filling! So creamy and my family loves this recipe!
I made this and love it! I make it for my sick friend and she loves it. Thank you, hope to see more of your good receipes.
Been looking for easy recipe since I moved to Fl and got sick needed something easy to swollow so going to try try it
Was so easy and good,had to be on soft diet was looking for something dif and this was great. Still eating it even tho not on soft diet anymore!
Thank you for this recipe. If I knew how easy custard was to make I would have made it sooner. I used whole milk insread and added vanilla extract. It’s was so delicious. 😊
How much vanilla extract may I add?
Do u have to put it into single servings or can i put it into one bowl?
Either cups or a bowl will work.
I love rice pudding lm no longer eating rice.So l try this custard so easy will make for my Grandbabies.😊
When my mom made custard she would sprinkle nutmeg on the top once it cooled.Im going to try this recipe and add the nutmeg .Hopefully it taste just like Moms
Good recipe but doesn’t make 4 servings…
LOL! Julia, the last person I heard making that remark was a comedienne named, “Elaine Boozler.” Only she was referring to Haagen daz ice cream. LOL
It makes 4 one-half cup servings.
Who can eat just one serving? LOL
Quick and easy to make…
subbed 1% milk for 2% (It gave it a thicker and creamier texture)and added some vanilla extract.
Quick and tasty comfort dessert…I rarely wait an hour to enjoy. I like it creamy and warm as opposed to thick. Yum! Thanks!
Very nice and tasty..Added a bit of Vanilla. Thank you
Great recipe. I only use whole milk and at the end, stir in 2 tbsp butter to make it silky. Depending on my mood, I add a bit of flavoring too. Sometimes coconut extract, butter pecan and lemon. All yummy
Can you use whole milk or lactose free whole milk? Also can you add vanilla flavoring? Thank you!!
Any of these are interchangeable
Oh I absolutely love this recipe. Reminds me of custard puddings when I was young. It cooks up perfectly(follow the recipe precisely)
Hey, is it gonna work without sugar
it would not be custard without the sugar.. use a measurable sugar substitute like Stevia. Without the sugar it would be thick egg milk ! YECH
Isn’t the total time supposed to say 1 hour and 15 minutes instead of 15min.?????????????????????? I was expecting to eat it right away after my wife Anne made it
None of my recipes include cooling time so 15 minutes is the correct time to make this recipe. I hope you liked it once you had some.
My goodness, Gilbert Blythe, what are you doing in this here century?
Comes out perfectly every time! Very easy to make!
I’ve doubled the recipe and that comes up good.
Can I add more eggs and milk, etc and bread cubes to make a bigger batch
I have only made this recipe the way I posted it so I’m not sure what you’ll get if you make too many changes. I guess you will just have to try. Your best bet at first would be just to double all the ingredients and see how it turns out. Puddings and custards can be a bit temperamental so good luck.
I believe you are looking for what is known in my part of the country as Pioneer Pudding or Bread Pudding. It is a fabulas desert and has the custard component. Raisins and cinnamon are often added as well. It’s great served warm and vanilla ice cream on top! Try looking under those titles for variations with the bread pudding type desert and if anyone has any good recipes for that, please share it with me, as my Mom and sister passed away and the recipes were lost with them! Thankyou all!
You could look at my bread pudding recipe under “Sweets.”
Hi Jenny, Can I make this recipe for 24 people by increasing the recipe amounts by 6? I cook once a month for a seniors’ group and believe they would like this dessert. Thanks
I wish I knew but I only cook for two. You may have to test it out.
I made 4 batches, layering in a large trifle. Came our great
Jenny, my mother made custard pies something like this. Boiled the custard on the stove, put it in baked pie shells then used the egg whites to make meringue Then browned them in the oven. She had no recipe and for years I have tried to figure this recipe out but have not had any luck. I remember she did not add vanilla , just scrapping off a nutlike thing which I can’t remember what it was called. I’m 75 now an still in search of this recipe. Can you help me figure it out? Thanks friend.
You might be able to make something like that using my custard recipe and the nut-like thing was likely nutmeg.
Sounds like classic American custard pie.
Here are a couple recipes. I’ve seen it in a lot of old cookbooks. And I agree it sounds like she was using a whole nutmeg and just grating off a little. Just leave off the vanilla if you prefer
http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/custard-pie-recipe
http://www.food.com/recipe/grandmas-egg-custard-pie-181205
I think you use cream of starter in the egg whites and sugar. Makes them stiffer.
Yes, cream of “tartar” does make egg whites stiffer. 🙂
Can I substitute cocconut for the milk
I have only made it with milk so I don’t know. It’s best to look for a recipe that uses the ingredients you have rather than make changes.
I have made custard pudding using coconut milk and it comes out very tasty. You may have to change the amount of sugar added if your coconut milk is sweetened. This custard pudding can also be made with almond milk.
Can you add vanilla?
Yes, if you like.
If you add vanilla, do it after you take the custard off the stove
Yes, after you take it off the stove.
Just made a batch,used full fat milk looks good tastes great 😉😁thank you..
Thank you for this simple and delicious recipe. I was recently in East Africa, where corn powder is called “custard powder”. But, I did not know that “custard” there is something you can pour; if it sets, it is then called custard pudding. So I was quite confused when I made “custard” with just the custard powder, sugar, and milk, and it did not “set”. But, you set me straight. Thanks.
Can you use regular milk thanks
I have never used whole milk so you will have to try.
I used this recipe as a filling to popovers. Poured it in right after taking it off the stove. As the popovers had been cooling, it warmed them back up and made for a fantastic sweet breakfast, with some raspberries. 🙂
Hi Jenny
Managed to find cornstarch from supermarket. May i asked what kind of milk do you use? What’s 1% milk? Thank you.
Here in the U.S. we have four kinds of milk. Whole milk, 2% milk, 1% milk, and skim milk. The differences are as follows: Whole milk has the most fat. 2% has some of the fat removed. 1% has even more of the fat removed. Skim milk is fat free. I try to cook without too much fat so I use 1% milk for everything (except my chicken pot pie, which needs more fat). You can make my custard with whole milk. It will taste richer but it will have more calories and more saturated fat than if you used 1% (reduced-fat) milk. Here’s more info: http://www.healthyeating.org/Milk-Dairy/Dairy-Facts/Types-of-Milk.aspx
Hi Jenny
Appreciated and thank you for detailed info. It’s wonderful to see you back .. generously sharing your recipes with us again.
Hi Jenny
I’ve tried making custard pudding. It’s so smooth and creamy. My family has never tasted such a good pudding and we really enjoyed it very much. We’ll be making again. Thank you for your patience and guidance.
Could I put plastic wrap over it to prevent a skin while its cooling?
You can put plastic on it while it’s cooling but there is almost no skin on this pudding, maybe because I use 1% milk. It’s hardly necessary at all but there is no harm in using the plastic if you choose.
Instead of pouring the pudding into the serving cups to cool, can I did what you did in the video for the doughnuts and pour it onto a plate or two so that it can cool faster?
You can do that but then you will have to scrape it off the plate into a serving dish and it might not look so pretty.
I know what I did wrong! I made this with egg whites. I use egg lands best also I just read the recipe wrong. My fault now the pudding looks just like yours.
the recipe calls for egg whites, But Jenny mentioned the yolks…should it be 2 whoe eggs?
The recipe does not call for egg whites, only egg yolks.
Can i use flour instead of cornstarch?
Thanks.
Pudding can be made with flour but I think you need more flour than cornstarch and it has to cook longer. I don’t believe it would be as light as one with cornstarch but if you don’t have cornstarch, it’s best to find a different recipe that uses flour for the exact ingredients.
use a 3:1 ratio to replace flour for cornstarch and cook 2-3 minutes longer tast a little to see if it has a raw flour tast, if it does cook a little longer.
Also huge amt of carbs