Need a dessert for Valentine’s Day (that’s not chocolate)? Try this smooth and creamy butterscotch pudding. It’s different from the other recipes because it requires brown butter.
Last weekend, we got about 3-5 inches of snow. As usual, I was itching to make something so Addie suggested butterscotch pudding. Yes, I’ve made it before, but I was curious to try a new recipe and see how it compared.
This particular recipe is made with browned butter. The aroma was so lovely that my husband commented and asked what smelled so good. The browned butter even left little brown flecks in the pudding that Addie mistakenly referred to as vanilla beans.
Since I did not do a good job planning out my grocery list last week, I forgot to buy milk. We had about 2 cups of 1% milk remaining in the refrigerator, so I had to substitute the final cup with soy milk. I was afraid that the taste would be compromised with the substitution, but nobody knew the difference.
The browned butter made all the difference in this butterscotch pudding. It gave the pudding an extra oomph of flavor, with flavor profile that other butterscotch puddings lack. The pudding was also very smooth and creamy, and I found myself wanting more after scarfing down an entire serving.
If you’re still on the lookout for a Valentine’s Day dessert and don’t mind something that isn’t chocolate, try this pudding. It’s very easy to make and would go nicely after (or before!) a meal.
Husband’s rating: 4.5 out of 5
Addie’s rating: 4.5 out of 5
My rating: 4.5 out of 5
Smooth and creamy butterscotch pudding
Ingredients
- ¼ cup corn starch
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 cups whole milk divided
- 4 large egg yolks
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter divided
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the corn starch and salt. Slowly add in two cups of the milk, making sure to mix thoroughly so there are no clumps. Then add the egg yolks and continue to mix well until everything is smooth and uniform.
- In a medium sized saucepan set over medium-high heat, melt 3 Tablespoons of the butter. Keep an eye on it so it doesn't burn. Keep heating the butter until it starts to turn a golden brown color and you get little brown flecks. Your butter should get a nutty aroma.
- Add in the brown sugar and mix until it is fully melted.
- Once the sugar has melted, it will start to smoke a little bit around the edges. Take the saucepan off the heat and slowly add in the final cup of milk. Be careful, as it will splatter and bubble. Keep mixing and place the saucepan back on the stove. The hardened caramel will eventually melt. Do not stop stirring or else you may have clumps of caramel stuck to the bottom of your pan.
- Once the caramel has melted, pour about half of this into your bowl with the corn starch and egg yolk mixture. Stir it well until everything is mixed together, and then pour everything back into your saucepan on the stove.
- Keep whisking and stirring until the pudding thickens (this may take a few minutes). Once the pudding achieves your desired consistency, take the pan off the stove and whisk in the remaining 1 Tablespoon of butter and the vanilla.
- Evenly distribute into 6 to 8 ramekins. Put a piece of plastic wrap directly on top of the pudding so it doesn't form a skin. Place in the refrigerator and let it cool for about 2 hours before serving.
- If desired, you can garnish with butterscotch chips or whipped cream.
I can’t believe I missed this recipe. I’ve made your chocolate one twice now and it was fab, but I know my husband loves butterscotch pudding. I’m going to have to pick up whole milk on my next week’s grocery run to try this.
Author
This is a fabulous one, June. I hope you and yours husband enjoy it!