I made a batch of homemade butterscotch pudding over the weekend, and it was absolutely delicious.
Smooth and creamy with rich caramel notes, whipped cream, and a crunchy toffee topping.
The dark brown sugar caramelizes beautifully, giving the pudding its signature deep flavor. And the light, airy whipped cream complements it nicely.
Top it with crunchy toffee bits or crushed cookies, and it’s pretty hard to resist.
Why You’ll Love This Butterscotch Pudding
Nostalgic Delight: This old fashioned butterscotch pudding recipe brings back childhood memories. It’s rich, comforting, creamy, and perfectly indulgent.
Textural Contrast: The pudding and its topping provide a wide range of textures to tickle your taste buds.
Make-Ahead Convenience: This pudding should be chilled for several hours before serving. That means it can be prepared in advance; perfect for planning ahead or meal-prepping.
Ingredients
- Dark Brown Sugar: For a deep, caramel flavor and rich color.
- Unsalted Butter: Contributes to the pudding’s creamy texture and subtle flavor.
- Whole Milk: For creaminess and to help dilute the intensity of the butterscotch flavor.
- Heavy Cream: To make the pudding extra rich, creamy, and velvety smooth.
- Egg Yolks: Thickens the pudding and adds a rich, custard-like texture.
- Cornstarch: Another thickening agent. It ensures the pudding reaches the perfect consistency.
- Salt: To balance the sweetness.
- Pure Vanilla Extract: For warmth and a subtle, aromatic flavor to complement the butterscotch and cream.
- Whipped Cream: Make it yourself with heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, and pure vanilla extract. It’s a light, sweet, aromatic finish to the creamy pudding.
How to Make Butterscotch Pudding
This creamy, indulgent dessert is a nostalgic favorite that never fails to bring a smile to my face.
It isn’t one of the simplest homemade pudding recipes to make, but it’s still relatively straightforward.
Here’s what you’ll do:
1. HEAT: Cook the dark brown sugar with water, without stirring, for about 5-8 minutes. It should be dark, and smell caramelized.
2. MIX: Combine the whole milk and heavy cream in a measuring glass. Whisk the egg yolks and cornstarch in a separate bowl just before the sugar is ready.
3. COMBINE: When the sugar reaches 240°F, remove from heat and slowly drizzle in the milk/cream mixture, whisking until smooth.
4. TEMPER: Slowly whisk some of the hot milk into the egg mixture, adding more until half of the milk is mixed in. Then, pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk.
5. THICKEN: Cook over low heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and thickens. Remove from heat and whisk in the butter, salt, and vanilla.
6. STRAIN: Pour the pudding through a fine mesh sieve into serving dishes. Cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface.
7. CHILL: Refrigerate for 4-6 hours until fully set. Then, garnish with whipped cream, toffee bits, or crushed cookies. Enjoy!
Tips for the Best Butterscotch Pudding
I love how this dessert combines simple ingredients to create something truly special.
It’s pretty versatile, too. After our family dinner, I had some left, so I layered it in a mason jar with crushed cookies to make a faux parfait.
Wow – it was amazing! Next time I’ll drizzle some salted caramel in the mix.
If it’s your first time making butterscotch pudding, don’t worry. These tips will help.
- Stick with dark brown sugar. It’s the key to the best butterscotch flavor.
- Swirl, don’t stir. Caramel is a tricky thing. Stirring introduces air, which can promote crystal formation. Crystals = grainy caramel. So, swirl the pan gently instead.
- Whisk constantly. This is especially important when adding the hot butterscotch to the egg yolks. Do NOT stop whisking, or the heat will curdle the eggs.
- Use a heavy-bottomed pan. These kinds of pans will help distribute the heat evenly.
- Use plastic wrap correctly. When adding the plastic wrap, don’t just wrap the bowl loosely. Instead, press the plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the pudding. If you don’t, a thick skin will form.
- Chill overnight. The recipe instructs you to chill the pudding for at least 4 hours. However, chilling it overnight will result in the best flavor.
- Add toppings to tweak the flavor. Whipped cream and toffee bits are only two options. Try adding chopped nuts, a sprinkle of sea salt, or fresh fruit. Caramel sauce will also work to dial up the decadence.
How to Store
Butterscotch pudding is the ultimate comfort food dessert.
It’s the kind of treat that makes you want to curl up on the couch with a big bowl and your favorite show.
Unfortunately, you can’t freeze leftovers. But you can keep them for a few days in the fridge.
To Store: Cover the pudding without toppings with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Whisk it briefly before serving.
More Creamy Pudding Recipes to Try
Homemade Oreo Pudding
Vanilla Pudding
Pumpkin Pudding
Homemade Lemon Pudding
Homemade Butterscotch Pudding
4
servings15
minutes15
minutes505
kcalThere’s nothing quite like a serving of this homemade butterscotch pudding. The rich caramel flavor and velvety smooth texture are a dessert dream.
Ingredients
1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
3 tablespoons water
2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
3 large egg yolks
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup whipped cream, optional
1/2 cup toffee bits or crushed cookies, optional
Instructions
- Add the dark brown sugar to a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Carefully drizzle the water around the edge, then turn the heat to medium. Do not stir. Cook the sugar until it dissolves and starts to darken slightly, about 5-8 minutes. If needed, swirl the pan, but do not stir.
- While the sugar cooks, mix the whole milk and heavy cream together in a measuring glass. In a heatproof bowl, whisk the egg yolks and cornstarch until smooth (do this last; a minute or two before the sugar is ready).
- When the sugar smells caramelized (it should be about 240°F on a candy thermometer), remove the pot from the heat. Very carefully drizzle the milk/cream into the pot. It will bubble and spit, so be sure to pour slowly. Whisk until smooth.
- Carefully ladle some of the hot milk mixture into the egg bowl, whisking constantly so they don’t scramble. Add more hot milk until about half has been whisked into the eggs. Then, pour the now-hot egg mixture into the saucepan with the remaining milk.
- Put the saucepan on low heat and cook, whisking constantly, until it bubbles and thickens. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter, salt, and vanilla.
- Pour the pudding through a fine mesh sieve into a large bowl or individual serving dishes. Cover the top of the pudding with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto the surface to prevent skin from forming. Refrigerate for at least 4-6 hours or until fully set.
- Serve with whipped cream and toffee bits or crushed cookies for garnish. Enjoy!
Notes
- Stirring caramel can cause sugar crystals to form and clump together, leading to a grainy caramel. Instead, swirl the pan gently to help distribute the heat.
- Whisk the eggs constantly when adding the hot milk so they don’t scramble.
- Chill overnight for the best results.
