Homemade Vanilla Pudding Recipe - The Recipe Critic (2024)

FAQs

How to make vanilla pudding thicker? ›

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.

A key ingredient in instant pudding is gelatinized starch, a dried instant starch that readily absorbs liquids, which causes the pudding to gel when mixed with milk. Additional ingredients sometimes used as a thickener include gums that are soluble in cold water, such as carrageenans and alginates.

It will coat the back of the spoon; test it by running your finger down the spoon. You should wipe a clear, clean line through the custard. Remove from heat. The pudding will thicken more as it cools.

Reheat and Stir:Uneven cooking is another culprit behind lumpy pudding. Add some more liquid, like warm milk, to loosen the mixture and adjust the thickness. Stir using a whisk. You will have to do a taste test to balance the flavors.

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.

Puddings made for dessert can be boiled and steamed puddings, baked puddings, bread puddings, batter puddings, milk puddings or even jellies. In some Commonwealth countries these puddings are known as custards (or curds) if they are egg-thickened, as blancmange if starch-thickened, and as jelly if gelatin-based.

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.

Once the pudding cooled and the fat solidified, any bits that hadn't been thoroughly broken down came across as grainy on the tongue. Vigorously whisking the pudding—or any custard with a generous amount of butter—breaks down the fat into tiny droplets that are too small to detect once the mixture cools.

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.

Is pudding better with flour or cornstarch? ›

(Most recipes use cornstarch, which does give a smoother result. But white flour works well as a substitute.)

If your almond milk-based instant pudding isn't setting properly for your pie, you can try these quick solutions: gently heat and stir the mixture on the stovetop, add a small amount of cornstarch or gelatin, mix in a bit more instant pudding mix, or let it set in the refrigerator for more time.

Two scoops of Thick and Easy® powder are required to thicken 100 mL of fluid to pudding thick consistency. Add the powder a little at a time, stirring briskly with a fork or small hand whisk. Allow a few minutes for the drink to thicken. Fluids with thickening powder added will become thicker after standing.

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.

Use one tablespoon cornstarch mixed with one tablespoon cold water (aka a cornstarch slurry) for each cup of medium-thick sauce. Thoroughly mix the cornstarch and water together, then pour into your sauce. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly.