Think a recipe for homemade vanilla pudding without cornstarch must be hard to make? Think again! This recipe is easy and quick to put together, making a delicious, satisfying pudding that’s delicious warm or chilled.
Homemade Vanilla Pudding without Cornstarch Recipe
Ingredients:
- 3 cups milk
- 2 whole eggs, beaten
- 3/4 cup sugar (sucanat works fine; you can also cut this sugar amount if desired)
- 1/3 cup white flour
- 1 Tablespoon butter
- 1 to 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract (homemade is fine)
Instructions
In a thick-bodied saucepan, stir together milk, beaten eggs, sugar, and flour. Whisk well. (There may still be lumps of flour in the mixture.)
Heat over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, until mixture is slightly thickened. Make sure to scrape the bottom of the pan, including the corners, as you stir, so it doesn’t burn or clump. Do NOT boil or it will curdle! (It will keep cooking a little after being removed from the heat, so be a little conservative here.)
Once thickened, immediately remove pan from heat and keep stirring. Whisk in butter and vanilla. Serve immediately or chill for later.
What Milk is Best for Making Homemade Pudding without Cornstarch?
You can make this pudding with basically any type of milk (whole, skim, raw…). While the original recipe uses cow’s milk, you can also use goat’s milk. Goat’s milk works perfectly when I make this. (I’ve actually used powdered goat milk to make pudding in the past, though not exactly this recipe. It might be worth a try in a pinch!)
I suppose you could try using an alternative milk like almond milk or rice milk, and it might work instead. I haven’t experimented with these as much, and I honestly don’t know what the mixture would do once heated. I’m afraid it could split under the heat, but you could always try a smaller batch and see what happens.
While it won’t make as high-quality of a final product, you can use frozen milk for making pudding as well. (Frozen milk does have a grainy texture, so keep that in mind.)
Homemade Vanilla Pudding without Cornstarch FAQs
Why isn’t My Homemade Pudding Getting Thick?
Providing you’ve followed the recipe, that probably just means it hasn’t cooked enough yet. Especially if you’re heating milk that’s been chilled in the fridge, it will take a little while to warm up the mixture and get it thickened. Cook and stir a little longer to see what happens.
How Do You Know When Homemade Vanilla Pudding is Done?
When pudding is done, the mixture will become thick and its texture will change from a milk-like liquid to a thicker, almost gravy-like consistency. It will stick to the surface of a spoon instead of just running off.
What Ingredient Makes Pudding Thicken?
In this recipe, the flour makes the pudding thicken. (Most recipes use cornstarch, which does give a smoother result. But white flour works well as a substitute.)
How Long Will Homemade Pudding without Cornstarch Keep?
Keep the pudding in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. If you have extra after that time, you could always freeze it and eat it like frozen custard later!
Recipe Card
Homemade Vanilla Pudding without Cornstarch
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: homemade pudding
Servings: 4 servings
Author: Rachel Abernathy
Ingredients
- 3 cups milk
- 2 whole eggs beaten
- 3/4 cup sugar (sucanat is fine)
- 1/3 cup white flour
- 1 TB butter
- 1-1.5 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Stir together milk, beaten eggs, sugar, & flour. Whisk well.
Heat over medium-high heat, whisking constantly (stir the bottom of the pan as well). Cook until mixture is slightly thickened. Do NOT boil!
Once thickened, immediately remove from heat and keep stirring. Whisk in butter and vanilla.
Serve immediately or chill for later.
Notes
This recipe doubles well.
FAQs
What can I use instead of cornstarch for puddings? Cornstarch often teams up with egg yolks to thicken a custard or pudding. Swapping in all-purpose or rice flour is your best bet here, since tapioca, potato starch, and arrowroot powder can be finicky with respect to cooking and holding.
How to thicken up pudding without cornstarch? ›
In this recipe, the flour makes the pudding thicken. (Most recipes use cornstarch, which does give a smoother result. But white flour works well as a substitute.)
What is a natural thickener for pudding? ›
Measure an alternative starch-based thickener, such as arrowroot powder, tapioca powder or rice starch, and combine it with the sugar called for in your pudding recipe. These alternative starches are comparable to cornstarch in thickening power, and twice as potent as wheat flour, so measure accordingly.
What is the purpose of the corn starch in the pudding mix? ›
Corn starch is a fine, powdery substance derived from the endosperm of the corn kernel. It is commonly used as a thickener in puddings, gravies, sauces and fruit compotes, and is gluten-free.
What if I don't have cornstarch? ›
Cornstarch is used to thicken liquids in a variety of recipes such as sauces, gravies, pies, puddings, and stir-fries. It can be replaced with flour, arrowroot, potato starch, tapioca, and even instant mashed potato granules.
Is there anything else I can use instead of cornstarch? ›
You should substitute potato starch for cornstarch in a 1:1 ratio. This means if your recipe needs 1 tablespoon of cornstarch, swap that out for 1 tablespoon of potato starch. It's also worth noting that many cooks recommend adding root or tuber starches like potato or arrowroot later in the cooking process.
What can I use to thicken vanilla pudding? ›
Pudding Ingredients
Cornstarch: Three tablespoons of cornstarch thickens the vanilla pudding. Salt: A pinch of salt enhances the flavor, but it won't make the pudding taste salty. Vanilla: Of course, you'll need vanilla extract! Butter: A tablespoon of butter takes the rich vanilla pudding up a notch.
What is a substitute for cornstarch in banana pudding? ›
5 Best Cornstarch Substitutes
- All-Purpose Flour. Yep, that's right — all-purpose flour is a very stable thickener. ...
- Arrowroot Powder. If you happen to have this starch on hand, you're in luck: It has the same thickening power as cornstarch, and it creates a beautiful, shiny sauce. ...
- Potato Starch. ...
- Rice Flour. ...
- Tapioca Starch.
Your best bet would be to mix a tablespoon of cornstarch and a teaspoon of sugar with some of the beverage and add it to the warm pudding. Heat it to a bubble and stir until it thickens. You may have to adjust the seasoning, particularly vanilla.
Can I use flour instead of cornstarch in pudding? ›
Cornstarch Substitute for Pudding
While cornstarch is the key to making a nice, thick pudding, many old-fashioned pudding recipes actually used to call for flour. So, all-purpose flour is a good alternative to try. Use 2 tablespoons flour for every 1 tablespoon cornstarch in your pudding recipe.
However, you can add, if, if your rice pudding di or vanilla pudding didn't thicken it is not only because of the kind of milk you used, you generally you need to use some kind of a starch, either arrow root or corn starch.
How to make instant vanilla pudding taste better? ›
18 Ways To Upgrade Instant Pudding Mix
- Give instant pudding mix a splash of booze. ...
- Fold in whipped cream for extra creaminess. ...
- Pair instant pudding with baked goods. ...
- Enjoy it with a dessert grazing board. ...
- Mix pudding with cake batter. ...
- Turn instant pudding mix into French toast. ...
- Choose a richer milk.
But the eggs and starch, which serve to thicken the pudding, are almost always added in direct proportion to each other.
How do you thicken a mixture without cornstarch? ›
1. All-purpose flour: You can thicken sauces with all-purpose wheat flour. For every tablespoon of cornstarch, use three tablespoons of flour. Combine raw flour with cold water in a small bowl to form a paste, then add it into the sauce as it's simmering.
How to thicken banana pudding without cornstarch? ›
Flour: All-purpose flour helps thicken the custard. Salt: A pinch of salt enhances the flavor, but it won't make the dessert taste salty. Eggs: Three beaten eggs add moisture and act as a binder.
How to make custard thicker without cornstarch? ›
Mix flour and cold water well, making sure the mixture is smooth. For 1 cup (240 mL) of custard, use 2 tablespoons (17 g) of flour mixed with 4 tablespoons (59 mL) of cold water. Add the mixture into your custard ingredients as they cook on the stove.
