Healthy Treat for Today: Creamy Pudding
ByToday, I am sharing recipes for three varieties of YUMMY Creamy Pudding! Just look at all these wholesome ingredients!
And…if you put all or some of those wonderful ingredients together…you’ll get these:
Aaaand…if you put all those three together…and put real whipped cream on top…you’ll get this:
Creamy Vanilla Pudding
2 1/2 cups milk
3 egg yolks
1/2 cup real maple syrup (grade B is best for you) or honey
4 T. arrowroot powder (or organic corn starch)
1/4 t. sea salt
1 T. butter
1 t. vanilla
In a medium saucepan, whisk together milk, egg yolks, maple syrup, arrowroot powder and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring CONSTANTLY until pudding begins to thicken. Stir over the heat for about 15 more seconds. Remove immediately from the heat, and continue to stir until pudding is creamy. (I use my whisk the whole time for stirring and find this works great!) Add butter and vanilla and continue to stir until mixed. Pour into serving dishes and serve warm, or chill for two hours and serve cold.
Butterscotch Creamy Pudding
2 1/2 cups milk
3 egg yolks
2/3 cup sucanat (dehydrated cane sugar juice…has a wonderful “molassasy” taste!)
4 T. arrowroot powder (or organic corn starch)
1/4 t. sea salt
3 T. butter
1 t. vanilla
In a medium saucepan, whisk together milk, egg yolks, sucanat, arrowroot powder and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring CONSTANTLY until pudding begins to thicken. Remove immediately from the heat, and continue to stir until pudding is creamy. Add butter and vanilla and continue to stir until mixed. Pour into serving dishes and serve warm, or chill for two hours and serve cold.
Chocolate Creamy Pudding
2 1/2 cups milk
3 egg yolks
2/3 cup sucanat or 1/2 cup real maple syrup
1/4 cup cocoa powder
4 T. arrowroot powder (or organic corn starch)
1/4 t. sea salt
3 T. butter
1 t. vanilla
In a medium saucepan, whisk together milk, egg yolks, sucanat or maple syrup, cocoa, arrowroot powder and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring CONSTANTLY until pudding begins to thicken. Remove immediately from the heat, and continue to stir until pudding is creamy. Add butter and vanilla and continue to stir until mixed. Pour into serving dishes and serve warm, or chill for two hours and serve cold.
Oh, and just a couple of tips to make SURE your pudding is super good:
1. Enlist the help of an blond headed eight year old (or a close equivilent).
2. Be sure to have a short, cute taste tester on hand for quality control purposes. (I have some taller taste testers around here somewhere…guess they didn’t smell the “purding” cooking like the little guy did.)
I am willing to admit my ignorence, here… What is arrowroot powder? Is it similar to cornstarch?
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Oh, I’m so glad you asked…I meant to mention something about that in the post! (I had never heard of it either until about two years ago!)
Arrowroot powder is similar to cornstarch and is a thickening agent…it’s just better for you than cornstarch.
I buy mine through my health food co-op…I’m guessing you could find it at a health food store..or maybe a regular grocery store. I’ve never checked at a regular store.
Hope that helps clear the confusion about what Arrowroot powder is!
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Alot of stores now carry the arrowroot powder (in the organic/health/gluten free section). I’ve never used it yet. Since going gluten free, I’ve been learning about all kinds of new things. lol!
I’ll have to give this a try. Munchkin is very particular about pudding.
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THANK YOU! I will be making these, with little helpers as well. :)
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That little taste tester is the cutest littest taste tester I have ever seen. :)
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YUM! I’m pretty sure I can find a taste tester around here if I look hard enough. (Or say the word chocolate!)
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I didn’t realize rapadura or whatever is a liquid?
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Nope, rapadura is a solid, like granules sort of. The liquids you see pictured are honey and maple syrup. The big plastic canister is the rapadura. Sorry, it’s hard to tell.
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oooooooooh. I thought the cane juice was a liquid. ahahah no…thats why its dehydrated. :)
I’ll put my brain back on now. :)
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These all sound yummy and a great way to have wholesome pudding! I had another sugar free day, so I have now completed three sugar free days, three days of exercise and three days of drinking water. I had so much energy today, I could barely contain myself!
I blogged about it just a bit ago.
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I’ve gone “sugar free” since my diabetic Mom moved in. I’ve used Agave Nectar and stevia both & love them. Don’t care for the “alcohols”, they leave a strange aftertaste. I just found NewSweet which is all natural and works cup for cup like sugar. It’s fantastic for baking. Have you ever tried it?
Cheryl
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Gayle Reply:
July 20th, 2011 at 8:30 am
I found NewSweet on the internet a while ago and love it too. You can use it to make anything you would have used white sugar for in the past. I mix in a little molasses if I want to use “brown sugar” in a recipe. Totally natural and plant based. A great find!
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I just found your chocolate pudding recipe in the comments section of http://www.kellythekitchenkop.com. It is fantastic and was a hit with my kids and husband, all very picky pudding eaters!
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Wow, I made the chocolate pudding tonight and it was wonderful! Thanks so much for the recipe. And I love that it’s all ingredients that we keep stocked in the pantry anyways. I can make it anytime for a special treat and not even have to plan ahead of time :)
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I just made this and it is the best pudding I’ve ever tasted! We made the vanilla today, can’t wait to try out the other varieties! It is also very easy to make, I’d never made home made pudding before, and this was very easy!
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I made your chocolate pudding this week and it was the.best.pudding.ever.!!!!
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Ok…….I’ve opened up my last store bought box of cook and serve pudding. Next time, we will make this wonderful pudding. It’s nearly identical to my grandma’s recipe…..wholesome, and just plain good for you, not to mention amazingly tasteful!!
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Rebecca Reply:
July 20th, 2011 at 2:23 pm
You can buy arrowroot powder for a little over $2/pound at herbalcom.com . Compare that with about $17/pound from Frontier!
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Can you make this with corn starch instead of arrowroot powder? I have lots of corn starch in the pantry and my little $7 jar of arrowroot powder went really fast…
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Laura Reply:
March 13th, 2011 at 3:58 pm
Yes…it will work fine with corn starch. I’m able to find arrowroot powder in bulk for MUCH less than $7/jar through my health food co-op. Not sure if you have access to something like that, but it would sure help with cost if you do. Hope your pudding turns out yummy!
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Jenifer Parker Reply:
July 20th, 2011 at 8:26 am
also a question, could ‘corn’ starch activate allergies? anyone know?
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Laura Reply:
July 20th, 2011 at 10:43 am
Corn starch is generally made from genetically modified corn, which is why I avoid it or why it could activate allergies. HOWEVER, sometimes I use organic corn starch, which is not GMO, so I feel okay about using it then.
Rebecca Reply:
July 20th, 2011 at 2:24 pm
oops! posted this on the wrong comment!
You can buy arrowroot powder for a little over $2/pound at herbalcom.com . Compare that with about $17/pound from Frontier!
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Why not use XYLITOL? Xylitol is the HEALTHIEST natural sweetener. It is WAY healthier than maple syrup and does NOT feed Candida or any other dangerous microorganisms. Xylitol is said to even PREVENT the growth of dangerous bacteria in the mouth, gut and vagina. Xylitol is the way to go for everyone who wants to stay away from sugar, not feed Candida and other types of microorganisms and bacteria.
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Jenny Reply:
April 7th, 2012 at 6:03 am
Take one look at any article about how xylitol is made, and you will realize that there is absolutely nothing “natural” about xylitol.
The processes that make it are industrial and chemical in nature, and involve some caustic chemicals.
If I can’t get it from my garden or make it myself, I’m not interested.
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Oh, I can’t wait to try these!!! I was just wishing for some healthy pudding recipes for my sons birthday on Tues!!! Now I can make a healthy cake, yes, I have a recipe for that, and add a pudding since we can’t have ice cream!!! I can make the pudding with almond milk. Thanks so much!!
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Dawn Reply:
July 19th, 2011 at 7:47 pm
I wonder if you could pour the pudding into an ice cream maker for a rich ice cream?
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Laura Reply:
July 19th, 2011 at 7:49 pm
THAT sounds good!!
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This pudding is soooo good! My son had his tonsils out a few days ago so I made the vanilla pudding for him and we all loved it. I actually used 1/2 maple syrup and 1/2 honey and it tasted like creme brulee pudding. YUM! Can’t wait to try the chocolate!
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Just made the butterscotch variety. Splendid!!! You should re-post this recipe so it can get some attention! We’re going to use it as crepe filling tonight in celebration of finishing our homeschool year!
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We are making this pudding now, the chocolate, and plan to put it into a graham cracker crust to eat as a chocolate pudding pie after dinner tonight. I even had the blonde-haired 8 yo to help me! Already we taste-tested it, and everyone agrees it is de-lish! Thanks a bunch. :)
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We just made the chocolate pudding too and it was so good I didn’t want to let it cool down! :). My husband and boys love butterscotch too so I’m going to try that later this week!
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This is a great recipe! I’ve used it a few times and really liked it. Last week I tried making fudgesicles with it and it turned out amazing:http://turn2thesimple.blogspot.com/2011/07/yummy-treat.html
Thanks!
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Laura Reply:
July 11th, 2011 at 2:13 pm
I am totally going to do this – don’t know why I didn’t think of it before!!!
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Does this keep well for several days in the fridge? I am planning on chilling it in 1/2 cup bowls for single servings throughout the week (or realistically, half the week…I don’t see it lasting that long–we’ll eat it!).
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Laura Reply:
July 19th, 2011 at 7:47 pm
Yes, it will keep for at least a week or more – IF you don’t eat it first!
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I was just wondering why grade B maple syrup is best for you? I’m going to try and cook this up tonight! Yum!
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Laura Reply:
July 19th, 2011 at 7:48 pm
Grade A has been processed a little bit more to make it more “pure”, but it actually strips away some of the nutrients during that process.
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Amanda Reply:
July 20th, 2011 at 8:28 am
Not sure where you got this info from, but it’s my understanding from the farmers who make maple syrup in our area, that the grade of syrup depends on when in the season it was harvested. The first sap makes lighter coloured and lighter tasting syrup (Grade “A” or “1″) and the sap that flows later makes darker, more heavily flavoured (and denser in nutrients) Grade “B” or “2″ syrup. It does not depend on the processing.
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YUM! I was wondering about a nutritious recipe for the puddings I grew up with, this sounds fabulous! Going to make it ASAP!
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My husband will LOVE this! He’s always talking about the homemade pudding his mom used to make (you know, the kind with the “skim” on top, ick!) but now I can make him some yummy, healthy homemade pudding. I will NEVER buy those yucky pudding cups again, I just didn’t know there was a healthy alternative. Thanks again!
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found this on google.COMMON NAMES: West Indian Arrowroot. BOTANICAL NAME: Maranta arundinacea. FAMILY : Marantaceae. PLANT DESCRIPTION. It is native to tropical South America. …
http://www.greenharvest.com.au/Plants/west_indian_arrowroot_info.html – Cached – Similar
I have been using arrowroot for 50 years. I grew up in Key West and my aunt introduced us to it. It add no ‘taste’ of its’ own but thickens beautifully any liquid you use it in. Stir like crazy tho and on low heat. Sometimes I add some to (the liquid I am cooking) after I cool it a little and stir arrowroot in and THEN add it back and stir like crazy with that whisk.
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I’ve been wondering about arrowroot powder, too! Thanks for the info. Do you have a link or some info on WHY it’s healthier than cornstarch?
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Laura Reply:
July 20th, 2011 at 10:39 am
My understanding is that corn starch is generally made with genetically modified corn, so I had been using arrowroot powder instead. But, if you use organic corn starch, it’s just fine!
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The cheapest source for arrowroot powder is herbalcom.com . (also knows as Ameriherb) They sell it for a little over $2/pound!! Compare that to $17/pound at Frontier!! Herbalcom is also cheaper on most other herbs/spices than Frontier. They don’t charge ‘shipping’, but do charge a flat ‘handling fee’ – $6.25.
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Hi! I just attempted to make the chocolate pudding recipe tonight, and it just never quite thickened to pudding consistency. I followed the recipe and took it off the heat immediately when it started to thicken (I think), but it didn’t thicken any more after that. How long should it take? I am just stumped as to what I could have messed up…. it does taste good though :).
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Laura Reply:
July 20th, 2011 at 7:53 pm
I just edited the recipe to say that once it begins to thicken, cook it for about 15 more seconds before removing it from the heat. I’m sorry about that – I don’t think my instructions were clear enough about that. It’s better to cook it just a tiny TINY bit more once it begins to thicken so that it can thicken all the way. Thanks for pointing that out so I could fix it. Glad it still tastes good!
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Elizabeth Reply:
July 21st, 2011 at 7:38 am
Thanks for the clarification – I am definitely going to try it again! (I also have some whipping cream just waiting to top off a successful batch of pudding.)
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Do the eggs get cooked enough during the cook time so they are safe to eat?
I am not sure how long it would take to thicken.
Thanks :)
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Laura Reply:
July 21st, 2011 at 7:14 am
Yes the eggs will be fine in this recipe. It takes somewhere between 7-10 minutes of cooking time for the pudding to thicken, depending on how high your heat.
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Thanks so much, This will be our dessert for tonight and our craft for today :)
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Thank you so much for the great recipe. I also remember those awesome pudding pops and Cabbage Patch dolls. Those were the days. I’m so excited I can relive them with my kids now that I know how to make pudding pops. Thank you so much!
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We had to go dairy/soy free for our daughter and have found it to be healthy option for all of us. Pudding is something I miss, so I can’t wait to try this with a little vanilla almond milk-that might be a nice flavor!
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Tina b Reply:
July 25th, 2011 at 4:07 pm
Did you try this dairy-free yet? I’d love to hear the results! :)
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Ashleigh Reply:
July 27th, 2011 at 12:48 pm
So far we have made the vanilla flavor. It tasted supersweet! I just replaced the milk with vanilla almond milk and added an extra tbsp of cornstarch (since almond milk is thinner than regular milk). Can’t wait to try the chocolate!!!
Ashleigh
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it was just a mess…I could only find arrowroot flour could that have done it? Could I have over cooked it didn’t ever seem to thicken…I am so frustrated with myself…
sigh~ have 2 batches of glue on my counter to hit the trash!
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Laura Reply:
July 23rd, 2011 at 12:27 pm
Aw, bummer – don’t feel bad – I burned our quesadillas at lunch today. How hard are quesadillas??! :)
Yes, arrowroot flour would be different than the powder. You could also use cornstarch to thicken if that’s easier to find! Hope it works out better next time!!!
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What can I do with the egg whites?
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Laura Reply:
July 27th, 2011 at 1:35 pm
I make coconut macaroons with them: http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/healthy-treat-for-today-coconut-macaroons
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Allie Reply:
May 14th, 2012 at 12:58 pm
I just use 2 whole eggs in the recipe, it works great!
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I just used your vanilla pudding recipe and added pureed pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, and honey to taste. I poured into popsicle molds and now we have pumpkin popsicles!
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I just made the chocolate and vanilla pudding and they both turned out great. Thanks for sharing.
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Thank you for the recipes. I had a craving for banana pudding last week and was searching for a good, healthy homemade pudding recipe. I was asking a girlfriend of mine if she had a recipe and when she offered her favorite box flavor, she then raised her eyebrow when I told her I was looking for homemade :)
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Just made a batch of the chocolate pudding. Once it is cooled off I’m going to mix it with some whipped topping to make chocolate mousse.
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Made the chocolate …. Delish!!!!
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could one use almond milk here? i’m trying to cut down on dairy lately!
i would LOVE to make this for my parents for dessert tonight!
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Laura Reply:
March 25th, 2012 at 11:50 am
I think almond milk should work. I’ve not tried it, although I have made this with coconut milk and it was great!
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i ended up making the vanilla pudding with coconut milk. it was AMAZING. i used honey to sweeten it. also subbed tapioca starch for the arrowroot powder. we served it with berries for desserts throughout the week. -although, really, it didn’t last too long because i ate giant servings of it.
thanks for the awesome recipe, i hadn’t eaten pudding in years due to my grain-free diet!
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if you have to go completely dairy free, do you think you could use coconut oil instead of butter?
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