Homemade Vanilla Pudding

Homemade Vanilla Pudding (our family calls it Jackie’s Pudding) doesn’t have to be hard to make. And it is OH! So good!

Love, love, love this Homemade Vanilla Pudding (Jackie’s Pudding)!

Homemade Vanilla Pudding (Jackie’s Pudding)

Don here telling you about our family’s delicious Homemade Vanilla Pudding (AKA Jackie’s Pudding). I’m reposting the recipe because Sunday is Valentine’s Day, and this is such a beautiful, scrumptious dessert. This pudding is a creamy, not-too-sweet homemade pudding that you cook slowly on top of the stove. It is easy, but you have to stir it constantly until it thickens to the right consistency. Serve it alone or with berries and whipped cream.

It’s also good in a pie. Step by step instructions in the recipe practically insure no curdling. Comfort food with a healthy twist (in this case, the healthy part is limiting the amount you eat!). For more information about the history of this recipe, scroll to the bottom of the post.

What You Need

Equipment you will need includes a heavy bottom sauce pan or double boiler (affiliate link), wooden spoon, measuring cups, measuring spoons, serving bowls or ramekins (or a pie plate if you are using it for a pie) and plastic wrap. But what you really want is a great coffee maker or espresso machine and some beautiful dinnerware (affiliate link), am I right?

Homemade Vanilla Pudding (Jackie’s Pudding) Recipe

Homemade Vanilla Pudding (Jackie’s Pudding)

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★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

The best vanilla custard you’re ever gonna make.

• Author: Recipe Idea Shop/Don Crawford based on Fannie's recipe
• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 25 minutes
• Yield: 4 1x
• Category: Dessert, pudding
• Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 2 cups cold milk (use almond milk or coconut milk to avoid dairy)
• 1 heaping tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 large egg (beaten)
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

If You Want To Make Pudding (Not Pie)

1. You can make this in a heavy bottom pot directly over the fire if you want to watch it closely and stir it continuously. Otherwise a double boiler works. Takes a bit longer but is more forgiving if you don’t stir often enough.
2. Put the cornstarch in the pan and add the milk. Stir until the cornstarch is dissolved.
3. In a separate dish mix the egg and sugar. Set aside.
4. Begin heating the milk/cornstarch mixture over low heat.
5. Then as the milk and cornstarch mixture heats up, gradually raise the heat to medium or medium high, stirring all the while.
6. When the milk mixture is about 100°F, add a couple of tablespoons of hot milk to the egg-sugar mixture; then stir this mixture into the pot.
7. Continue heating, stirring constantly until the pudding boils.
8. Reduce the heat and continue cooking and stirring for several minutes until the pudding thickens.
9. Stir in the vanilla.
10. Pour the hot pudding into ramekins.
11. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the top of the pudding to prevent a film from forming.
12. Let cool to room temperature; then refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.
13. Top with berries, or fruit syrup. Serve with a shortbread cookie.

If You Want To Make Pie

1. Use 1½ cup milk and 2 egg yolks. (Reserve the egg whites for meringue to top the pie.)
2. Cook the same as above and pour into a baked pie crust.
3. Cover directly with plastic wrap and chill for 2 hours.
4. Top with Meringue and serve with berries, sliced fresh peaches or slices of poached pears.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1/2 cup
• Calories: 162

Keywords: homemade vanilla pudding

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Homemade Vanilla Pudding (AKA Jackie’s Pudding) Nutrition Label. Each serving is about 1/2 cup.

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“Jackie’s Pudding” is terrific Homemade Vanilla Pudding.

Homemade Vanilla Pudding is deliciously easy.

Homemade Vanilla Pudding (Jackie’s Pudding). Amazing. And easy.

The Backstory

In the first “in-law” family I had there were 4 children. My mother-in-law was the oldest and her brother Jack was the youngest. They grew up in a time when household help was common in the northern suburbs of Chicago. Their cook was Fanny. And a great lady she was. When I met her, she was well into retirement.

As the Holden children were growing up, each had a favorite dish that Fanny made. Jack’s was this Homemade Vanilla Pudding. Hence the family’s name for it—Jackie’s Pudding. I’d like to say I learned how to make it from Fanny herself, but it was my first wife Pam who carried on the tradition of making Homemade Vanilla Pudding AKA Jackie’s Pudding for her uncle Jack. I learned to make it from her.

The recipe serves 4—there were four siblings, after all! Lois and I use this pudding recipe for vanilla pudding, pie and Chocolate Eclairé Cake. It’s terrific!