Butterscotch Pudding Recipe

This Homemade Butterscotch Pudding recipe is one of the best desserts you will ever consume. It is sweet, creamy, and buttery with a caramelized flavor that will make you never want to make boxed pudding mix again.

My family loves to enjoy this butterscotch pudding right in the dish, but it also is excellent served up in a pie crust or Cream Puffs!

Jump to:

• 🥣 The Underrated Dessert
• 👪 Serving Size
• 🥘 Ingredients
• 🍽 Equipment
• 🔪 Instructions
• 💭 Top Tips
• 👩🏻‍🍳 FAQs
• 📖 Variations
• 📚 Related Recipes
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

🥣 The Underrated Dessert

I have always loved butterscotch. It rates right up there with caramel and salted caramel in my book. However, pudding just wasn't a dessert I thought of eating on it's own. It was more of an ingredient that came in a box for other recipes we made.

Then one day, as an adult, I was visiting my former 4th grade teacher, Mrs. Baker, who also happened to be Great Aunt to my husband. She was one of the best cooks I knew. Her chicken and dumplings could not be beat. Then she introduced me to her homemade Butterscotch Pudding recipe. 

I fell in love. I will never forget that first bite. The creamy, buttery, sweet caramelized flavors of butterscotch came through. Butterscotch pudding jello doesn't hold a candle to this recipe!

👪 Serving Size

This homemade recipe for butterscotch pudding will serve 6 people. 

🥘 Ingredients

• Whole milk and heavy cream is the combination that will make this butterscotch pudding creamy and rich and absolutely delicious. 
• Cornstarch and egg yolks are the thickening agents for this recipe.
• Dark brown sugar and water are the magic ingredient that will give the this dessert the caramelized butterscotch flavor. Light brown sugar will work also, but dark brown sugar deepens that caramel flavor.
• Unsalted butter and vanilla extract are added to enhance the butterscotch flavor.
• Scotch, rum, or bourbon are an excellent but optional addition to the flavor of butterscotch. My favorite is scotch and if you haven't tried it in pudding, I highly recommend it.
• Whipping cream and bits of brickle for topping the butterscotch pudding are also optional but add a nice touch to the finished product.

🍽 Equipment

Heavy duty saucepan. I like to use this 1.5 quart saucepan. The thick bottom aids preventing scorching. 

Hand whisk. I use a hand whisk every single day and for this recipe I recommend this sauce and gravy hand whisk. It is made especially for making this type of recipe.

Serving dishes. These dishes aren't a requirement as you can use any dish in your cabinet that suits your need to serve up this pudding. But, having said that, these dessert dishes are elegant. I love to use them when serving homemade butterscotch pudding for special family dinners.  

🔪 Instructions

This homemade butterscotch pudding is made in a few very simple steps. The ingredients are whisked together in two separate steps, then combined at the end. 

Step 1:

1. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and cornstarch until well combined. Set aside.
2. In a 4 cup measure, stir together the milk and heavy cream. Set aside.

Step 2:

1. Add the brown sugar, water, and salt to a medium sized heavy duty saucepan Cook over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved and begins to bubble. Continue to cook for 2 minutes, stirring often to prevent burning.
2. Slowly whisk the milk and heavy cream into the brown sugar mixture.
3. Continue to cook over medium heat until the mixture begins to boil.

Step 3:

1. Remove ½ cup of the milk mixture from the saucepan and whisk into the egg yolk mixture until fully incorporated.
2. Slowly whisk the egg yolk mixture back into the milk mixture. Turn the heat down to low and continue to whisk as the pudding bubbles and thickens. Cook for 1 minute while continuing to stir.
3. Remove the pudding from the heat and let it cool for 5 minutes. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

💭 Top Tips

• The milk and heavy cream will spatter and sizzle when adding it to the brown sugar mixture so it is important to add the ingredients slowly and carefully.
• Be sure to whisk constantly when adding the hot milk to the egg yolk mixture to prevent the eggs from scrambling.
• Whisk constantly when adding the egg yolk mixture back to the milk mixture on the stove.
• To prevent a skin from forming on top of the pudding, I like to place plastic wrap over the top of the pudding, making sure it touches the pudding. 

👩🏻‍🍳 FAQs

📖 Variations

• Make a chocolate pudding and layer between chocolate and butterscotch in the serving dishes.
• Substitute light brown sugar for a less prominent caramel flavor
• Top the pudding with whipped cream and then sprinkle with dark chocolate shavings, toasted pecans, or dust with espresso powder.
• Bake a chocolate or vanilla sheet cake and poke holes over the surface of the baked cooled cake. Spread the pudding over top of the cake and add a layer of cool whip.

📚 Related Recipes

If you love deep rich caramelized butterscotch flavors and I especially love these Butternut Squash Cookies with Brown Sugar Frosting. Below are more recipes that have that addicting butterscotch taste.

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📖 Recipe