Homemade Butterscotch Pudding
Updated
Updated
This rich, silky Homemade Butterscotch Pudding is a classic dessert that always satisfies. Whether I enjoy it warm from the stove or chilled straight from the fridge, every creamy spoonful is pure comfort and instantly takes me to my happy place.
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Best Butterscotch Pudding Recipe
When it comes to dessert, I am a complete sucker for anything creamy. You can have your cake and cupcakes, but I’ll fight you for a slice of cheesecake, a serving of creme brûlée, or any type of pudding. Especially chocolate pudding, or this dreamy butterscotch pudding.
This homemade butterscotch pudding is pure bliss to me—creamy, rich, and honestly heaven in every single spoonful. It’s one of those desserts I can’t help but slow down and savor, whether I’m eating it warm from the stove or sneaking a spoonful straight from the fridge later.
At its heart, butterscotch is simply brown sugar and butter cooked together, and I absolutely love how something so simple can taste so luxurious. You’ll see it show up as hard candies, silky sauces, or—my personal favorite—worked into desserts like this cozy pudding.
Helpful Tips
- Change the flavor. The flavor can change depending on the sugar I use. Light brown sugar gives a softer, milder sweetness, while dark brown sugar creates a deeper, more intense butterscotch flavor that I can’t get enough of.
- Butterscotch vs caramel. People often lump butterscotch and caramel together, but they’re quite different. Caramel is made with white granulated sugar, while butterscotch uses brown sugar—and if you ask me, that brown sugar gives butterscotch a richer, more complex flavor that I’ll choose every time.
- Enjoy Warm or Cold. This pudding can be enjoyed either way! I love it right out of the pot, but chilling it will give you a thicker consistency.
Homemade Butterscotch Pudding
Ingredients
- 1¼ cups whole milk + 2 tsp, room temperature
- 1¼ cups heavy cream, room temperature
- 3 large egg yolks
- 2½ tbsp cornstarch
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- 3 tbsp water
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into slices, room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- caramel sauce, for topping (optional)
- whipped cream, for topping (optional)
- splash bourbon or rum, optional
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine milk and heavy cream. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together egg yolks, cornstarch, and a touch of milk until smooth. Set both bowls aside.
- In a medium heavy duty pot set over medium heat, whisk together the brown sugar, salt, and water until sugar dissolves. Once bubbling, allow to cook without stirring, until mixture turns a thick dark amber color, about 6 minutes, keeping a close eye so it doesn't burn. (Don't stir, but it is okay to swirl the pan around a bit to distribute the heat, if necessary.)
- Slowly add in the milk/cream, whisking as you pour. (The sugar will seize up and become hard, but don't worry, everything will melt as it continues to cook on the heat.) Bring mixture to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly to dissolve the sugary bits.
- Transfer 1 cup of the hot caramel mixture to the bowl with the egg yolks, whisking to combine, then pour it all into the pot, whisking the entire time so the eggs don't scramble.
- Turn the heat down to medium-low and continue to cook and stir until the custard thickens, about 1 minute.
- Remove from heat and immediately pour it through a fine mesh strainer over a bowl (preferably one with a spout for easier pouring.) Stir in butter until melted and completely smooth. Then add in the vanilla.
- Divide pudding among 4-6 custard glasses (depending on their size.)
- Chill until cold and set, 4-6 hours.
- Once the puddings are mostly cool and set, you can spoon a thin layer of cooled caramel sauce on top. Then let them finish chilling completely.
- Pipe a little homemade whipped cream on top and enjoy!
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Nutrition
Nutritional information given is an automatic calculation and can vary based on the exact products you use and any changes you make to the recipe. If these numbers are very important to you, I would recommend calculating them yourself.
Did you make this? Leave a rating below!How to Make Butterscotch Pudding Step by Step
Gather your ingredients.
Combine whole milk and heavy cream: Place 1¼ cups of whole milk and 1¼ cups of cream in a bowl and set it aside. These two are the best combination for a really wonderful pudding. You want them both to be room temperature, which will help prevent a ton of seizing when you add the liquid to the hot caramel.
Create the thickening agent: Combine 3 egg yolks with 2½ tbsp of cornstarch and a touch of milk until the mixture is smooth. This acts as your thickening agent.
Cook brown sugar, salt, and water: In a medium-sized pot, over medium heat, cook 1 cup of brown sugar, ½ tsp salt, and 3 tbsp of water until the sugar is dissolved.
The water helps the sugar dissolve and cook down more evenly. It will bubble for a while until the mixture turns a thick, dark amber color. This step is critical with creating the butterscotch flavor, so don’t rush it or you’ll basically just be eating brown sugar pudding.
Combine the mixtures: Slowly add the milk/cream mixture to the brown sugar mixture, whisking as you pour. Not to worry if the sugar seizes up and becomes hard, it will melt as it continues to cook on the heat. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly to dissolve the sugary bits.
Temper the egg mixture: Transfer about 1 cup of the hot liquid to the egg mixture and then transfer it all into the pot. This helps prevent the eggs from scrambling. Turn the heat down to medium-low and continue to cook and stir until the custard thickens. This usually takes me about 1 minute.
Strain: You can skip this step, but putting it through a sieve will get you the creamiest results.
Stir in the butter and vanilla. Add 3 tbsp of butter, followed by 2 tsp of vanilla, stirring until completely melted and smooth. You can also add in a splash of bourbon or rum.
Pour into custard cups: Divide the mixture into custard cups (but not before sampling the warm pudding, because YUM!) and then chill for at least a few hours, so it can thicken up.
Serve: Once the pudding is set, serve and enjoy.
Serving Suggestions
When I serve this butterscotch pudding, I like to add a thin layer of my homemade caramel sauce and a dollop of homemade whipped cream, which takes it to level 11!
If I’m looking to change the flavor up a bit, I find that butterscotch is a warm, homey flavor that pairs well with fall flavors like apple pie spice, cinnamon, vanilla, and maple, and works well as a side for baked apples.
How to Store Butterscotch Pudding
This pudding will keep in the refrigerator, covered tightly, for up to 4 days. To avoid a skin developing on the surface of the pudding, press plastic wrap directly onto the surface before chilling.
