August 1, 2022
What’s your favorite pudding? The last three people I asked said theirs is butterscotch. And can you blame them? Vanilla is too boring for some people, chocolate is over rated. If you like those flavors, here is my recipe for Classic Vanilla Pudding and you must try my Old School Chocolate Pudding. But butterscotch…it’s neither boring nor over done. Maybe it’s the orangey color that attracts people more? Or maybe it’s the creamy caramel flavor that makes it too irresistible? Whatever it is, this recipe for butterscotch pudding is worth making and keeping.
How Do You Make Pudding Butterscotch Flavored?
The most important step in this recipe is getting the butterscotch flavor, which involves making actual butterscotch. You do this by cooking the brown sugar with butter to create a somewhat candy. In fact, it’s believed that the word “butterscotch” comes from the term “butter-scorch” because of this process of cooking butter and sugar together.
Then the milk and cornstarch mixture is added and the pudding making process begins. The rest is very straight forward: bring the mixture to a boil, temper in egg yolks then adding vanilla.
How Long Does Butterscotch Pudding Keep?
Butterscotch pudding, like most puddings of this type, will keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. For best results, keep it covered with plastic wrap actually touching the surface. This will prevent any skin from forming (unless you like skinny pudding!). Beyond 4 days, pudding can begin to separate and the liquids settle on top. If this happens, you can stir it in but it’s a sign that the pudding’s shelf life is coming to an end.
I hope you will give this butterscotch pudding recipe a shot–I am pretty confident you are going to love it and it might even find its way into your recipe box. If you make it, please let me know how it turned out for you!
Butterscotch Pudding
A basic recipe for the old fashioned diner dessert. Creamy and full of butterscotchy goodness.
Prep Time 15 minutes mins
Cook Time 5 minutes mins
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 4
Ingredients
- 2¼ cups whole milk
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
In a medium bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together whole milk and cornstarch. Set aside.
In a medium saucepan combine butter, brown sugar and salt. Cook on medium heat, stirring constantly until brown sugar melts. Cook 1-2 minutes until the mixture becomes candy like.
Add milk mixture and whisk vigorously. The brown sugar might clump up like candy but this is normal, just keep whisking. Be sure to scrape everywhere inside the saucepan to dissolve all the sugar. Allow the mixture to come to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly. Cook for 2 minutes until smooth and thickened.
Beat egg yolks in a small bowl or the same measuring cup and add a few spoons of the hot pudding mixture. Whisk quickly to avoid cooking the yolks. Repeat this a few times until about ½ cup of the hot mixture has been added. Add the yolk mixture back into the hot pudding and return to heat. Cook on low for an additional minute. Remove from heat.
Add vanilla and stir well. It will seem thin right now but it will thicken as it cools. Strain the pudding into a bowl through a fine sieve. Place plastic wrap directly onto pudding to avoid forming a skin. Chill 3-4 hours before serving.
Keyword butterscotch, pudding
