Description

This 5-minute quick and easy homemade vanilla pudding mix is the perfect substitute for Instant Jello Pudding Mix when you want to bake cookie or cake recipes that call for using a box of vanilla pudding. Plus, it's made without all of the highly processed and unnatural ingredients you find in most of the store-bought varieties (including unnecessary food dyes, flavorings, and preservatives).

Ingredients

Units Scale

For the pudding mix

1 cup granulated sugar (200g)
2 vanilla beans, split and seeded (grade A or B) (sub 3 teaspoons vanilla bean powder)
3/4 cup cornstarch (100g) (sub arrowroot)
3/4 cup dried milk powder (100g)
1 teaspoon kosher salt (4g)

To make the pudding

2 cups whole milk (or plant-based milk) (470g)
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract (9g)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter (15g)

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Instructions

To make the pudding mix. Split and scrape the vanilla bean pods and add the seeds to a large mixing bowl with the sugar and stir well to combine. Cut the vanilla beans into 2-inch pieces and add them to the sugar mixture. Add the cornstarch, milk powder, and salt and stir everything until combined. Use right away, or seal in an airtight container in the pantry for up to 6 months. Enjoy!
To make vanilla pudding. Add 1/2 cup of pudding mix (including one piece of vanilla bean pod) plus 2 cups of whole milk to a medium pot set over high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil whisking constantly and cook for 5 minutes, or until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Remove the vanilla bean pod and then remove the mixture from the heat. Add 2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract and 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter and whisk until smooth. Cover with sustainable cling film or parchment paper and allow to cool completely. Refrigerate until cold and serve.

Notes

You may add more or less sugar than the recipe calls in order to suit your taste preferences. If you want a vanilla pudding mix that's as sweet as Jello vanilla pudding, add 1/4 cup (60g) or more sugar to the mix.
If you use regular table salt or sea salt instead of Kosher salt, reduce the amount of salt by 1/4 or 1/2 teaspoon.
When using this mix to make vanilla pudding you may omit the butter if you want to cut calories. The pudding won't be as rich in texture or flavor, but it will still fill a sweet craving.
For the best flavor, I recommend making pudding 1 to 2 days in advance and stirring or whisking well before serving.
For the best pudding texture in an eggless pudding such as this, I recommend re-whisking the pudding until smooth just before serving it.
Flavor the pudding in various ways by either adding extracts to the vanilla pudding after you've cooked it to impart a different flavor (i.e. coconut, strawberry, rum, orange, lemon etc.). Or add a couple of tablespoons of chopped chocolate to the still-hot pudding mixture after removing it from the heat. This will help improve the flavor and texture of this homemade pudding.
To substitute 1 small box of Instant Jello Pudding mix which weighs 3.4 to 3.99 ounces (96g to 113g), substitute the same amount of this homemade pudding mix.
To substitute 1 large box of Instant Jello Pudding mix which weighs anywhere from 5.1 to 5.4 ounces (145g to 153g), substitute the same amount of this homemade pudding mix.

SUBSTITUTIONS

Substitute 3 teaspoons vanilla bean powder for whole vanilla beans.
Sub arrowroot 1:1 for the cornstarch if you have allergies to cornstarch.
To make this a vegan vanilla pudding mix recipe, substitute coconut flour for the milk powder and substitute non-dairy milk like almond, coconut, or oat milk for regular milk when making vanilla pudding.
If you don't have vanilla beans, omit them from the dry mix. When you want to make vanilla pudding simply add 1 tablespoon of pure vanilla extract to the thickened mixture after removing it from the heat. When you want to use the dry mix in baked recipes such as cakes or cookies, add 1 to 2 teaspoons more vanilla extract to the recipe in addition to what's already listed in the ingredients.

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Category: Desserts
Method: Mix & Stir
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 3.4 ounces