Thursday, January 22, 2009

Vanilla Custard Or Pudding (Eggless)

Vanilla custard is perhaps the easiest of simple desserts. The first time I remember eating custard was when my father made it during our father-daughter cookouts. My father was a man ahead of his times! He would take over the kids and the kitchen every once in a while so my mother could visit her friends, go shopping, etc. Our menu invariably included "half-boiled vegetables" and custard followed by a much anticipated story time. "Half-boiled vegetables" are veggies cooked until tender, yet firm. Father extolled the virtues of eating vitamin-filled "half-boiled" veggies as we gathered around him to watch and 'help' :-). Everything always turned out delicious and we ate everything up.

The custard can be made vegan by using an alternate milk such as soy, almond, or rice milk. Also, the amount of corn starch can be increased/decreased to produce a more/less solid custard according to your preference. This recipe produces a soft one, perfect for eating by itself or spooning over fruits, cake, etc.

Vanilla custard is delicious served warm or cool over sliced bananas, berries, etc for a wholesome dessert. One of our favorite childhood desserts was fruit salad served with custard and vanilla ice cream.

Vanilla Custard maybe prepared with arrowroot powder instead of corn starch. Eiher way, this delicious custard is naturally gluten free. If you use a non-dairy milk, it can be dairy free also. 

6 Servings
Ingredients:
  • 3 Tbsp Corn Starch (Arrowroot powder)
  • 3 Tbsp sugar
  • 3 cups any type milk
  • ½ to 1 tsp vanilla
Method:
  1. Combine the corn starch and sugar in a medium saucepan.
  2. Gradually add the milk, stirring well with a spoon or a wire whisk until well-mixed.
  3. Heat the mixture over medium heat, stirring continuously to ensure that lumps do not form.
  4. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
  5. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla. The pudding will thicken as it cools.
  6. Cool a little and serve warm by itself, over fruit or cake.
  7. If you wish to serve it cold, pour into the serving dish, cover, and chill.
Microwave Oven Method:
Making the pudding/custard in the microwave oven makes it very quick and painless. I use a 2 quart Pyrex glass bowl and whisk the custard vigorously after every 2 minutes. It needs watching to prevent boiling over.
  1. Cook the combined cornstarch-milk mixture on high (full) power at first for two minutes; whisk well.
  2. Cook again for 2 minutes. Whisk again.
  3. Cook for 2 minutes or a little longer at 70 percent power until the custard comes to a boil and thickens. Cooking at lower power ensures that the custard does not boil over.
  4. Remove and whisk well; stir in vanilla. Proceed as described above.
Enjoy!!

60 comments:

Anonymous said...

I love the pudding recipe. It is amazing what a little cornstarch will do to make a tasty thick pudding. Of course, the chef has a lot to do with making something so good. All her love goes into making wonderful and delicious meals. I am looking forward to making the cake without eggs or butter. I feel like I have my own personal food consultant who is such a sweetheart-Geetha!!!!
Love, Joan

Geetha said...

Hi Joan, you are so kind. Thank you for your sweet comment. I know what you mean about the cornstarch; isn't the custard/pudding amazing? I am glad you like it. It is one of our favorites too. - G

Anonymous said...

great recipe...an aunt of mine used to make this and somehow did not want to give out the recipe. well thanks to you i have it down pat.

Geetha said...

Hi Anon.,
I am glad that now you can make Vanilla Pudding any time you like :). Enjoy! - G

Anonymous said...

It helps to not pour the cold milk in with the corn starch sugar mix ha, i learned that the hard way. but if you put the corn starch in with the milk and then add the sugar then the rest of the milk, it definitely helps keep it from becoming a messy situation

thank you so muich for this!

Anonymous said...

mash up a banana a really ripe one... and a small pinch of nutmeg... then mix reaallllly vigorously so the naners are pretty mixed in then stir it on the stove for like a minute or two then take it off and let it sit... voila. Banana pudding/custard.

Anonymous said...

my mom makes this for my birthday every year,i love this simple dessert..and oh she adds corn kernels to it,truly delicious :)

Geetha said...

Hello Anons, I am glad that all of you like this Vanilla Pudding. Thank you all for your comments. I've not had a problem making the pudding the way I've written. Cooking a mashed banana into the custard sounds great - will try that. And adding corn kernels sounds intriguing - have to try that too! Happy cooking ;D!

Shobana said...

hi.. i made this dessert, and served with freshly chopped fruits.. came out well. thanks for the lovely recipe..

http://soupsndesserts.blogspot.com/2010/09/eggless-vanilla-custard-with-chopped.html

Geetha said...

Hi Shobana, Glad to hear that the recipe worked out for you. This is one of our ever dependable favorites. Thank you for stopping and posting a comment. Happy cooking!

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the wonderful recipe.
Can we add cream in this pudding .

Geetha said...

Hello Anon., Yes you can add cream to this recipe. Substitute cream for part or all of the milk and/or use whipped cream as a topping for the pudding. Have fun and try out both ways if you like :). Creme fraiche can also be used as a tangy topping instead of whipped cream. Happy cooking to you! - Geetha

Priya said...

great custard recipe! very yummy!! Thank you.

Geetha said...

Hello Priya, Glad to know that you liked the custard recipe. Thank you for visiting and leaving your comments. Happy cooking! - Geetha

aimee said...

Yum. I wonder if any of you have tried this with tapioca starch or potato starch instead of cornstarch? My little girl has a corn allergy but I'd like to make a version of your custard!

Geetha said...

Hello Aimee, Arrowroot powder makes a wonderful pudding; use it instead of the cornstarch. Tapioca starch makes the pudding a bit sticky-slimy and I found the texture not too pleasant; have not tried with potato starch. Also you might like to try the delicious Sago Pudding made with tapioca for a corn-free dessert. Happy cooking!

Anonymous said...

Hi Geetha!

This recipe souds great! I can't wait to try it.

Do you kow if this pudding would work well as a simple pie filling?

Geetha said...

Hello Anon, Vanilla Pudding would make a fabulous pie filling; the recipe as given will make a soft one - but if you would like a thicker, more solid one, just add 1/2 to 1 Tablespoon more cornstarch while cooking. Happy cooking!

tlc said...

I too have a corn allergy so I will use arrowroot. I would like to know if this would be a good sauce to make bread pudding? I usuallly poor a custard mixture over the bread and let soak in the ice box overnight then bake. Should I not cook this pudding on the stove first? I believe I will also make and add bourbon for the sauce to pour over the pudding to serve.

Geetha said...

Hello "tlc", Arrowroot instead of cornstarch should work out just fine. For baking, you do not have to precook the pudding - see http://www.geethaskitchen.com/2011/11/pumpkin-bread-pudding.html where I use a little rice flour also in the custard to give it a bit more body. Using the pudding as a sauce is great - to use the pudding as sauce, I usually use a little less starch so the pudding is not so thick and serve it warm. So, go forth and try; I would love to hear how it all worked out :D.

Anonymous said...

heyyyyyyyyyyyyyy
your recipe rocksssssssssssssss
thanks for sharing it with us.

Unknown said...

Geeta,

Thanks for this recipe. I need to use an eggless pudding recipe for a cake that I am baking this weekend. This recipe should work perfectly for me I think :)

Did you try the version with a mashed banana? Would you know if the colour of the pudding changes to black if kept overnight?

Thanks in advance for your response.

Geetha said...

Heyyy Anon, Thank you :)

Geetha said...

Hello Unk,

I have not tried adding bananas to the pudding but I have added them to Kesari (Halwa) and it does not make it black the next day or anytime. Let me know how it works if you add them to your pudding. Happy cooking!

LeChatelier said...

I made a vegan version of this recipe with coconut milk instead of milk, used raspberries, strawberries and blueberries for the fruit, and sprinkled a little coconut rum on the pound cake. Instead of whipped cream, I topped it all off with pretty strawberries and blueberries and it made a beautiful 4th of July dessert. When I arrived at the dinner party, my friends oooohed and awwwwed. I took a photo, if you want to see it. Thanks so much for your inspiration, Geetha!

LeChatelier said...

I made a vegan version of this recipe with coconut milk instead of milk, used raspberries, strawberries and blueberries for the fruit, and sprinkled a little coconut rum on the pound cake. Instead of whipped cream, I topped it all off with pretty strawberries and blueberries and it made a beautiful 4th of July dessert. When I arrived at the dinner party, my friends oooohed and awwwwed. I took a photo, if you want to see it. Thanks so much for your inspiration, Geetha!

LeChatelier said...

Oops, I thought I was on the Trifle Recipe page. It uses this custard.

Geetha said...

Thank you LeChatelier, for visiting and your comments. Glad the recipe worked out. Happy cooking!

Amin Hussain said...

Hi Geetha...will this recipe work for the filling of a Bavarian slice pudding? Will I need to add more cornstarch for it to set In the fridge

Anonymous said...

thank you so so much. .its best custard i have ever tasted and my husband loved it too. .

Geetha said...

Hello Amin, Vanilla pudding is soft as prepared according to the recipe. I think you are asking if Vanilla pudding is thick enough to sice when used as a filling - if you want it to be thick enough to slice, you will have to add a bit more cornstarch. Good luck with your "slice pudding" - please let me know how it works out. Happy cooking!

Geetha said...

Thank you Anon for your kind comments. I am glad that you and your husband both like the custard. Happy cooking!

Shar said...

Hi
I just made this as one of our desserts for Thanksgiving tomorrow. This is great because my nephew is allergic to eggs. I did substitute one cup of whipping cream and then used two cups of vanilla soy milk. I added a smashed banana, vanilla and pumpkin pie spice at the end. Serving this with vanilla wafers. My taste test came out great.

Shar said...

Hi
I just made this as one of our desserts for Thanksgiving tomorrow. This is great because my nephew is allergic to eggs. I did substitute one cup of whipping cream and then used two cups of vanilla soy milk. I added a smashed banana, vanilla and pumpkin pie spice at the end. Serving this with vanilla wafers. My taste test came out great.

Geetha said...

Hi Shar, Thanks for your comments :). Glad to hear that the pudding came out well with your delicious additions! Hope you had a lovely day :)

Farzana said...

Hi there ! My son is severely allergic to eggs and I was thinking I should try your recipe. I am planning on making a cake and wanted to fill it with the custard. Do you think this recipe would work well? Its not too watery/thin?

Geetha said...

Hello Farzana, the pudding has the consistency of thick yogurt after it has cooled completely. It works quite well for a trifle; but for a cake you might want to increase the cornstarch from the 3 Tbsp to 4 Tbsp. Or if less pudding is needed, then keep the cornstarch amount to 3 Tbsp but reduce the milk to 2 cups total. Try and see how it turns out. The other option is to use Eggless Lime curd. (http://www.geethaskitchen.com/2009/01/eggless-lime-curd-quick-lime-spread.html)Let me know how things work out. Happy cooking!

Anonymous said...

thanks for the recipe.. it excludes the depedency of using a custard powder.I used half portion milk and half portion heavy whipping cream. It came out nice and creamy. I served it with jelly. my daughter really liked it.

Thanks Shikha

Geetha said...

Hello Shikha, I am happy to know that you had success with the pudding and that your daughter liked it. This pudding can be eaten anyway you like it - enjoy!!

Anonymous said...

Geetha, I am a new visitor to your blog. I typed in eggless custard into Google and found you. Thank you for the simple recipe which I will make as soon as I am done with this message. I wanted to comment on your dad's timeout with his kids in the kitchen. How lovely. Does your mom realize how wonderfully rare he is? Also, she must be an equally wonderfully rare person to have engendered such a plan from her husband. If I have to do it over, I will try and find a guy like your dad:-)) Anyhow, that probably explains why you have such a fan following and the warm friendship emanating from people who post about you who seem to know you.
Xo
Sadhana

Geetha said...

Thank you Sadhana, for your lovely comments. Yes, my parents were truly exceptional people; I feel very fortunate to have had them as parents. I hope the pudding recipe worked out for you. Happy cooking!

Anonymous said...

Hi Greetha, just wanted to say a quick thanks for the great, gluten free friendly recipe! I topped a fruit crumble (which was itself a failed cake...) with this and nobody was any the wiser to my kitchen dramas! Everyone was complementing the custard. Thanks so much! :)

Geetha said...

Hello Anon, Thank you for the comments. Glad to hear that everyone liked the custard - in the end, all is well that ends well! Sometimes it takes a little drama to get things lively :). Happy cooking!

Compliance Hong Kong said...

I cooked it at home once, it was not good. But I will try your recipe. I hope I will make good this time.

Diana said...

Wow...this custard is delicious and soooo simple. Topped off some graham crackers with the custard, sliced strawberries and jam, and had a wonderful easy strawberry tart.

Geetha said...

Hong Kong and Diana, Thank you for your comments. I hope this recipe worked well for you Hong Kong. Diana, glad to know that you enjoyed the pudding :) Happy cooking!

Anonymous said...

Just loved reading all the comments. Love to a lovely sister!

Geetha said...

Thank you Sheela for taking time for your lovely comments! Love to you too! Happy cooking!!! :)

Anonymous said...

I made this exactly as written (with almond milk) and it is delicious and easy! I loved that the recipe uses pantry ingredients that are not as expensive as maple syrup, coconut oil and vanilla beans. I poured it over a failed vegan carrot cake and now they are both delicious. Thank you!!!

Geetha said...

I love your comments; glad the recipe worked for you so well. The sign of a great cook is to make things work - and you did fabulously! Bravo! Cooking should be easy and inexpensive most of the time. Happy cooking!

Kavita said...

Hi Geetha, I tried this recipe. How come my flan got cracked in the middle? I followed the exact recipe, but baked it in a waterbath in the oven. I am looking forward for suggestions.

Geetha said...

Hi Kavita, this recipe was not for baking. If the pudding was alright otherwise, although with a crack, then that is ok. Perhaps you can cover the top with a whipped topping, fruit, or other toppings to make it look nice. Happy cooking!

little cat said...

havent tried your recipe but i had a box of national brand banana flavor custard powder and used almond milk and it never thickened even added cornstarch. will your recipe for sure thicken and set?
love your site
glad to have found you

Geetha said...

Hello Little Cat! It has been a very successful recipe; has worked every time. I follow the recipe exactly and do not add anything else. After cooling, I either add custard to fruits or pour it over the fruit and then chill. This custard/pudding may be eaten both warm or cold. All the best! And thank you for your kind comments <3

little cat said...

so it will work with almond or soy milk?

Geetha said...

Soy, almond, or rice milk will work fine. Happy cooking!

Cathy said...

I tried this and it worked great! I love how it is eggless and can be made vegan! Thank you!

Geetha said...

Hi Cathy! Thank you for your comments. So glad the pudding worked for you. It is one of our all time favorites. Happy cooking!

Anonymous said...

Mine turned out really chunky and bumpy. Can you please tell me what I did wrong? Thank you so much for posting this recipe I will try again. I love how it has no eggs. Thanks again.

Geetha said...

Hello Anonymous, It is very important of keep whisking thoroughly as given in the recipe to get a smooth and creamy pudding. This pudding is simplicity itself - but does need stirring and whisking. No worries if it is lumpy - just use a regular or immersion blender or whisk and really beat until no lumps remain; please be careful as the pudding is very hot! I hope the next batch works out for you. Happy cooking!