Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

When I find myself with an excess of milk on hand, I like to look for ways to use it before the expiration date approaches.  You can freeze it to use later for cooking or baking, but not for drinking or cereal.  I’d much rather whip up something delicious!  Some of my favorite ways to use milk are in making macaroni and cheese for dinner, or in oat pancakes for breakfast.  But what if you’re in the mood for something sweet?  Simple Vanilla Bean Pudding can be put together in about 15 minutes, and I’ll bet you have everything to make it on hand.  No worries if you’re lacking a vanilla bean… Vanilla extract will make the pudding very yummy, too!

Simple Vanilla Bean Pudding

This is all you need: sugar, milk, cornstarch, an egg, and vanilla.

What You Need

In a 2 quart saucepan, mix together the cornstarch and sugar.

Sugar and Cornstarch

Slowly whisk in the milk.  Split the vanilla bean in half lengthwise with a sharp knife.  Use the knife to scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean and add to the milk mixture.  If you are using vanilla extract instead of a vanilla bean, do not add it to the mixture yet.

With Milk

Vanilla

Heat the mixture over medium heat.  Since there is cornstarch in the mixture, you need to be stirring constantly.  After all, no one wants lumpy pudding!  Bring to a boil, and boil and stir for 1 minute.

Stir

Boil

In a medium bowl, beat the egg.  While whisking constantly, very slowly pour in about half of the milk mixture. You want to add the hot milk mixture very slowly because you want to bring the egg up to temperature slowly.  If you add it all at once, chances are you will cook the egg instantly and have a scrambled egg with lots of vanilla milk.  And that, my friends, would be a very sad thing.

Whisk

Slowly pour the egg and milk mixture back into the saucepan while whisking.  Return to the heat, stirring constantly.  Bring to a boil once more, and boil for about 1 minute.  If you are using vanilla extract, stir it in at this point.

Boil

Pour the pudding into individual serving dishes, or one medium dish.  Personally, I think it’s just more “fun” to have your own little dish of dessert.  It says, “I love you enough to dirty even more dishes, just for you” 😉

Vanilla Bean Pudding

Refrigerate at least 1 hour for the pudding to set up.  To avoid a “pudding skin” (although neither my husband nor I understand why you would want to do that), lightly press plastic wrap onto the top of the pudding before refrigerating.

Vanilla Bean Pudding

And please, by all means, lick the bowl clean like I did after taking this last picture.  It’s too good “to not to”!

Gone

Simple Vanilla Bean Pudding

Print Recipe
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 1/3 cup white sugar or vanilla sugar
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 2 cups milk recommend 2% or whole
  • 1 egg
  • 1 vanilla bean or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions
 

  • In a 2 quart saucepan, mix together cornstarch and sugar. Slowly whisk in the milk. Scrape seeds from vanilla beans and add to milk mixture. If using extract, do not add to the mixture yet.
  • Heat the mixture over medium heat, while stirring constantly. Bring to a boil, and boil and stir for 1 minute.
  • In a medium bowl, beat the egg. While whisking constantly, very slowly pour in about half of the milk mixture. Slowly pour the egg and milk mixture back into the saucepan while whisking. Return to the heat, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil once more, and boil for about 1 minute. If using vanilla extract, stir it in here.
  • Pour the pudding into serving dishes, or one medium dish. Refrigerate at least 1 hour for pudding to set. To avoid a "pudding skin", lightly press plastic wrap onto the top of the pudding before refrigerating.

Adapted from Betty Crocker