Homemade Vanilla Pudding Cups | Easy Dessert Recipe (2024)

Bless This Mess Recipes Desserts No Bake Desserts

By Melissa

5 from 1 vote

on Feb 10, 2022, Updated Aug 13, 2022

Jump to RecipeRate Recipe

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

Homemade Vanilla Pudding Cupsthat are easy to make and tastier than pre-packaged pudding cups. They are such a cute and fun dessert to make and filled with wonderful vanilla flavor!

I started making homemade pudding cups a year or so ago and we love them. I’ll whip up a batch of pudding, stick them in the half-pint wide mouth jars with the lids and then pop them in the fridge. They make a perfect snack and save on plastic. Win-win!

Make homemade vanilla pudding with milk or half-and-half, egg yolks, corn starch, and sugar! It’s easy, and so cute as pudding cups, just serve the pudding in individual cups! Sprinkles don’t hurt anything.

Homemade Vanilla Pudding Cups | Easy Dessert Recipe (2)

Table of Contents

  • Homemade Vanilla Pudding Cups Recipe

Homemade Vanilla Pudding

You know those little puddings in a cup? My kids think that they love them. They always ask for them at grandma’s house and when they have them, they never eat them. They are so yucky and packed with a million different ingredients. And why aren’t they refrigerated?! That is just odd isn’t it?

Between the fake flavors and the gloppy texture half of the contents in that magical little cup end up in the trash (sad, but true). But the appeal of eating those little individual puddings is always there.

Cue homemade vanilla pudding cups! Making your own vanilla pudding at home is really simple and tastes delicious. The texture is smooth, creamy, and it’s just plain good. Once you taste the difference of homemade, you won’t go back to the store bought version.

Homemade Vanilla Pudding Cups | Easy Dessert Recipe (3)

How long does it take for pudding to set?

It typically takes about 3 hours to become firm in the fridge.

What can I use if I don’t have half and half?

You can replace 1 cup of half and half with a mixture of butter and whole milk. Add 1 Tablespoon melted butter to about a cup of milk to make this substitute.

Homemade Vanilla Pudding Cups | Easy Dessert Recipe (4)

Why is my homemade pudding grainy?

The pudding can turn out grainy if you weren’t constantly whisking it. You can try adding a tiny bit of cornstarch to create a smooth, silkier texture. Remember to whisk continuously but gently.

How do I serve homemade vanilla pudding?

There are so many ways to enjoy homemade vanilla pudding. You can package the pudding in individual servings dishes topped with sprinkles. Or you can serve the pudding with crushed up Nilla wafers. You can also serve it with berries or whipped cream.

Homemade Vanilla Pudding Cups | Easy Dessert Recipe (5)

More pudding recipes:

  • Instant Pot Rice Pudding
  • Homemade Double Chocolate Pudding
  • Easy Rice Pudding
  • Homemade Pumpkin Pie Pudding

If you’ve tried thisHomemade Vanilla Pudding recipeor any other recipe on Bless this Mess, then don’t forget torate the recipeand leave me a comment below! I would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some pictures of it, share it with me onInstagramso I can repost on my stories AND add your photo to your comment so that other can see your creation.

Homemade Vanilla Pudding Cups | Easy Dessert Recipe (6)

5 from 1 vote

Homemade Vanilla Pudding Cups

By: Melissa Griffiths

These Homemade Vanilla Pudding Cups are such a cute and fun dessert. Better yet, they’re easy to make and filled with wonderful vanilla flavor!

Prep: 10 minutes mins

Cook: 2 minutes mins

Chilling Time: 3 hours hrs

Total: 3 hours hrs 12 minutes mins

Servings: 6

Save

Pin RecipeRate RecipePrint Recipe

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 3 1/2 cups half-and-half
  • 3 large egg yolks
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  • In a medium sauce pan add the sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Whisk to combine.

  • While whisking, slowly add the half-and-half until till combined.

  • Add the egg yolks and whisk to combine.

  • Over medium-high heat bring the mixture to a simmer, whisking constantly but gently. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring constantly, until the pudding thickens and coats the back of a spoon, about 2 minutes.

  • Remove from the heat and add the butter and vanilla, stir to combine. Pour the hot pudding into six 1-cup wide-mouth mason jars, filling the jars an inch from the top. Add a flat lid and then screw on the ring to close the jars.

  • Refrigerate until the pudding is set, about 3 hours.

  • Eat the pudding right out of the mason jars. Add sprinkles before eating for extra smiles.

Notes

  • You can swap the half and half for 3 cups of whole milk.
  • You don’t have to add this to individual jars, it’s just fun. You can place the pudding in a large bowl to serve instead of 6 individual containers.
  • You can use salted butter, just omit the salt in the recipe.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 of 6 servings, Calories: 348kcal, Carbohydrates: 35g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 21g, Saturated Fat: 12g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 152mg, Sodium: 140mg, Potassium: 201mg, Fiber: 0.04g, Sugar: 31g, Vitamin A: 688IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 164mg, Iron: 0.4mg

Like this recipe? Rate and comment below!

Check out these sweet treats too:

  • Cake Batter Dessert Waffles with Ice Cream
  • Quick and Easy Vanilla Sheet Cake
  • Vanilla Melt Away Cookies
  • Chocolate Peanut Butter Rice Crispy Treats
  • The Best Caramel Dip
  • Cheesecake Ice Cream Recipe
  • Blueberry Pie Cookie Bars
  • Brownie Cheesecake Bars
  • Rich and Fudgy Flourless Chocolate Cake Recipe

I know you’ll love theseHomemade Vanilla Pudding Cupsfor a dessert, after school treat, or just for fun!

About Melissa

Read More About Me

You May Also Like:

Recipes

Banana Pudding

Candy

Oreo Balls

No Bake Desserts

Pistachio Jello Salad

No Bake Desserts

Dirt Pudding Recipe

Homemade Vanilla Pudding Cups | Easy Dessert Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do you make vanilla pudding taste better? ›

  1. Fresh Fruit: Add fresh fruit like strawberries, raspberries, bananas, or sliced kiwi to your pudding. ...
  2. Nuts: Chopped nuts, such as toasted almonds or pecans, can add a delightful crunch and a nutty flavor to your pudding.
  3. Whipped Cream: Top your pudding with a dollop of homemade or store-bought whipped cream.
Oct 8, 2023

How do you make vanilla pudding thicker? ›

Cornstarch: Three tablespoons of cornstarch thickens the vanilla pudding.

What is a substitute for instant vanilla pudding mix? ›

The alternative mix is simply 1 part cornstarch to 2 parts fine sugar, plus 1 part vanilla. I used 1 TBSP. of cornstarch and 2 TBSP. of sugar.

What ingredient makes pudding thick? ›

It typically contains milk or cream, although there are non-dairy puddings made with plant-based "milk." Pudding is similar to custard in that they both can contain eggs and milk, but pudding is usually thickened with a starch, whereas custard is thickened by the eggs.

What can I add to pudding to make it better? ›

Sprinkle in chopped nuts, chocolate chips or baking spices like cinnamon or freshly grated nutmeg. Don't be surprised if folks go back for seconds! And you can always top with sprinkles, too. They make everything more fun!

How do you keep homemade pudding from getting watery? ›

Don't cover when it's still hot. Do not cover when the pudding is still hot, but should be covered when the pudding has cooled. This is to avoid the presence of steam which makes the pudding runny.

What can I add to instant pudding to make it taste better? ›

Nuts: Chopped nuts, such as toasted almonds or pecans, can add a delightful crunch and a nutty flavor to your pudding. Whipped Cream: Top your pudding with a dollop of homemade or store-bought whipped cream. The light, airy texture and sweetness of whipped cream can balance the richness of the pudding.

Why is my homemade vanilla pudding grainy? ›

If, while you are waiting for the milk mixture to simmer, you combine the sugar and eggs too early but do not whisk often, the sugar can start to coagulate the eggs, which will result in a grainy final texture.

What is black pudding made of? ›

Black pudding is a distinct regional type of blood sausage originating in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It is made from pork or occasionally beef blood, with pork fat or beef suet, and a cereal, usually oatmeal, oat groats, or barley groats.

Is homemade pudding better than instant? ›

TASTE AND TEXTURE:

The taste of the cooked pudding is much richer and more complex than the instant. It's got a structure to the texture that isn't limp or watery. It feels as though a much more substantial transformation has occurred in the cooked pudding than in the instant. It's thick and slightly lumpy.

Is French vanilla pudding the same as vanilla pudding? ›

Today, French vanilla technically refers to a style—custard thickened with egg yolks—rather than a true variety of vanilla.

Why is my instant vanilla pudding not thickening? ›

Mixing too vigorously can make the pudding watery, while mixing too little can prevent the ingredients from combining properly. Adjusting the mixing technique and following the recipe carefully can help achieve the desired thickness [3]. Adding gelatin: Gelatin can be used to thicken pudding.

What is homemade pudding made of? ›

ingredients
  • 3 cups milk.
  • 1 cup sugar.
  • 3 tablespoons butter.
  • 3 tablespoons cornstarch (massive tablespoons)
  • 4 egg yolks.
  • 1 12 teaspoons vanilla extract.
  • 1 pinch salt.
  • 1 -6 tablespoon sifted cocoa powder (ONLY if you are making chocolate pudding)

What is the process of pudding production? ›

The process of producing pudding involves mixing the ingredients, heating and cooking the mixture, pouring it into containers, setting, packaging, and finally shipping it to stores.

How to make pudding set fast? ›

Additional Tips:
  1. Use cold milk or cream when making the pudding. This will start the cooling process from the beginning.
  2. Divide the pudding into smaller portions. Smaller portions will cool down faster than a large batch.
  3. Don't overcook the pudding. ...
  4. Consider using a chilled serving bowl.
Oct 30, 2016

What is pudding made from? ›

In the United States, puddings are nearly always sweet desserts of milk or fruit juice variously flavoured and thickened with cornstarch, arrowroot, flour, tapioca, rice, bread, or eggs. The rarer savoury puddings are thickened vegetable purées, soufflé-like dishes, or, like corn pudding, custards.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Dr. Pierre Goyette

Last Updated:

Views: 6347

Rating: 5 / 5 (70 voted)

Reviews: 93% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Dr. Pierre Goyette

Birthday: 1998-01-29

Address: Apt. 611 3357 Yong Plain, West Audra, IL 70053

Phone: +5819954278378

Job: Construction Director

Hobby: Embroidery, Creative writing, Shopping, Driving, Stand-up comedy, Coffee roasting, Scrapbooking

Introduction: My name is Dr. Pierre Goyette, I am a enchanting, powerful, jolly, rich, graceful, colorful, zany person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.