Pudding and Custard Recipes & Ideas

Happy tap, tap, tapping!

It's practically foolproof.

Nutella, meet whipped cream.

You just need 5 ingredients and there's no baking required.

Pots de crème translates to “pots of cream” and the term refers to the small, lidded pots that the dessert is traditionally served in.

The silky custard dessert is a classic for good reason.

Decadent and rich? Sounds like my type of brownie!

We all have holiday traditions we remember from growing up. When I think about my own, I think about my mom spending hours on Baked Alaska for my father’s company Christmas party each year. I think about stockings and lottery tickets on Christmas Eve and new pajamas. And I think about baked custards. In our house, baked custard wasn’t reserved just for the holidays.

No one has to know how easy it is to make.

"The reason everyone will wonder why yours is better than any dirt pudding of their childhood."

I'm absolutely hooked on this creamy, dreamy treat.

The warm rum toffee sauce is heavenly.

You won't miss the crust.

It's always there for me in times of need.

The only dessert recipe you need.

Best eaten warm with a spoon of crème fraîche, yogurt, or sour cream alongside.

This foolproof version comes together quickly in a blender.

This cozy and comforting warm dessert is perfect for an after-dinner treat.

This holiday twist on creamy flan features the addition of sweet-tart cranberry sauce.

It's one of Ina's most popular desserts for a reason.

The most nostalgic and comforting desserts I know.

You're just one ingredient away from summer's greatest treat.

Here in the South, nearly every family has their own spin on the dessert — but we've come up with what we think is the best classic (and from-scratch!) version.

Whether you call it a pudding or a popover, this eggy cloud-like side dish is as delicious as it is impressive.

Turn 5 ingredients into the dreamiest dessert.

You don't even have to work harder for it!

And why do carolers always want some?

We can't get enough of this Indian-inspired parfait.

It makes quick and easy work of the often-fussy dessert.

There’s no denying that rice pudding is at the top of the list when it comes to comforting desserts. This classic Indian version, called kheer, is spiced with cardamom and flecked with golden raisins and pistachios, and is sure to become a new favorite. This recipe comes courtesy of Top Chef host Padma Lakshmi; it’s one of her favorite things to make for Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights.

Do you remember eating pudding cups with crushed cookies and worms at every Halloween party as a kid? My birthday falls just before Halloween, and this is something I requested at every costume birthday party from the time I was 6 until I turned 10. Now I’m delighted to introduce my own kids (and our neighbors) to this classic treat. Here’s how you can make your own party-sized pudding graveyard this Halloween.

If I could pick just one dessert to eat every day for the rest of my life, it would be this. Bold statement, I know, but it’s worthy of it. This is the dessert I turn to 365 days a year, whether I’m inviting a couple of friends over for dinner or it’s simply Monday and I feel like something sweet. I top it with berries in the summer, honey and chopped nuts in the winter, and a dollop of jam or caramel sauce in-between.

When you plunge your spoon through the delicate, crackly crust of this single-serve dessert, the lush, oozy center is likely to remind you of a molten lava cake. But this chocolate-filled ramekin is something entirely different. The center is filled with warm, velvety pudding that has just the right balance of sweet chocolate and eggy richness, without overwhelming.

Chia seeds are packed with protein, fiber, and omega-3 fatty acids and, with just liquid and time to sit, they turn the consistency of pudding. It’s pretty magical and very versatile — and excellent for lunch. Making chia pudding can be as easy as combining seeds and some liquid, usually a plant-based milk.

We promise no fuss and no slimy texture in this classic chia seed pudding.

Chocolate mousse is one of my favorite desserts, but I usually only eat it when I’m out at a restaurant. It’s just a little too fussy for my liking to make it at home. But this recipe only calls for five ingredients and a few simple steps — definitely easy enough to pull together when a mousse craving strikes! I should note that this is a vegan chocolate mousse, so it’s going to taste different than true, classic mousse — but that’s okay!

Not to be too brazen here, but coconut panna cotta is the perfect dessert. Need something stunning for a dinner party that is gluten- and dairy-free? Coconut panna cotta can be dressed up a bit with coconut flakes and some chopped pineapple and become a show-stopper. Want an everyday dessert that your children will delight in without giving them a sugar high? Coconut panna cotta does that too.

As the weather warms up and outdoor entertaining season approaches, it’s good to have some easy, crowd-pleasing recipes in your back pocket. This two-ingredient mango pudding definitely fits the bill. Cool and creamy, this is the simple dessert or snack I’ll be turning to over the next few months. The pudding gets it thick consistency from chilled coconut cream, so this dessert does require a bit of forethought. My solution?

Freeze your leftover rice and turn it into this sweet and simple spiced-up pudding for a quick dessert. It only needs five ingredients.

Looking for the most luxurious chocolate pudding you’ve ever had? This is for you, the most serious of chocolate-lovers. Dive in and you’ll be rewarded with creamy, dark chocolatey richness in every bite. There’s not much more to say about this dessert beyond that it’s knock-your-socks-off material.

Creamy, smooth, sweet, and satisfying, chocolate pudding is a treat that always invites a smile. One version of chocolate pudding has been rising in popularity for the past few years, and it’s with very good reason. As the interest in plant-based food increases, the seismic shift from boxed mixes or stovetop versions found their hero in naturally creamy avocado.

When it comes time to host brunch this holiday season, use this recipe that can feed a crowd. It also offers a fancy (yet super-easy!) upgrade to the classic ham and cheese breakfast casserole, starting with cubes of day-old sourdough soaked in a velvety custard that’s laced with rich caramelized onions, bits of ham, and sharp provolone cheese.

If you’re doing a lot of entertaining this holiday season, you’ll want to have an easy yet impressive dessert recipe up your sleeve. You know, something you can whip up (pun intended) in a matter of minutes with a couple pantry staples you always have on hand. This Nutella mousse is an excellent choice. Made with just two ingredients — Nutella and heavy cream — it doesn’t get any easier than this dessert.

There are two ways to make rice pudding: with an egg or without. I’m firmly in the egg camp. Made without eggs, rice puddings lacks the richness and body I love in this classic dessert. Made in a pressure cooker, rice pudding takes about 30 minutes and comes out creamy and perfect each time. Any white rice, except instant, works great in this recipe. The texture varies depending on the rice you use.

There’s one fatal flaw of an ice cream sundae that keeps it from being fodder for front porch fare: it melts! A simple solution is to swap the ice cream for cool creamy vanilla pudding and build a beautiful little parfait that can be eaten on the front porch, stoop, or balcony without fear of ice cream puddles. The hardest work you’ll do for this recipe is in making the vanilla pudding. Luckily, pudding is a dessert that only requires heating up the stove for about 10 minutes.

While many theories exists as to what makes banana pudding Southern at all, my favorite is this: Banana pudding is cool comfort food for a crowd. You likely have most of the ingredients on hand, it hardly heats up the kitchen, and a big batch takes just as little time as a small batch. Although banana pudding has become synonymous with the American South, this ubiquitous dessert may have actually been born in New England just after the Civil War.

I’ll admit that I’ve never really understood chia seeds; they just remind me of eating a lot of kiwi seeds. Throwing them into a blender has totally changed my perspective, however. These tiny little seeds have the miraculous ability to thicken and turn liquids into delicious pudding-like mixtures without the use of dairy or eggs! This vegan chocolate pudding has a base that includes a double dose of almonds, cocoa powder, and maple syrup as the sweetener.

There is a time and a place for desserts to be fussy and time consuming. I like to reserve those desserts for special occasions and birthdays. However, if I’m making regular weekday treats, I want them to be fast, easy, and completely delicious. Enter these vegan pudding cups. I made these in a blender with a short list of ingredients that pack it full of good fats, and make it a healthy take on a classic.

Desserts that have the ability to come together in a matter of minutes get big points in my book. Sometimes you just need a last-minute dessert. Nothing fancy — just something warm and blissfully satisfying to calm your sweet tooth. And sometimes the answer lies in your leftover rice from dinner. Don’t be so quick to relegate it to fried rice or fritters — it could be your answer to an easy five-minute dessert for two.

I just wiped the dust off my old Classic French Cooking notebook — the rickety old binder they gave me when I started class at The French Culinary Institute (now known as the International Culinary Center) 10 years ago. I still have it. The pages are yellowing, and the recipes are a little stodgy, but I’d figured it was worth keeping. I hoped that someday it would prove to be useful, and I was right. Rice pudding is easy to love.

You’re craving … something. You could reach for a pint of ice cream in the freezer (like you always seem to do), or you could reach for a mug and have a scrumptious treat in your hands in five minutes made from simple ingredients you can grab at the drugstore, gas station or, likely, your pantry. You don’t need this, but you want it and it can be yours in less time than it takes to put on your PJs and queue up a movie. Get it.

When I invite friends over for dinner, I always swear to myself I’ll have dinner all ready and the kitchen cleaned up when they arrive, but more often than not, we drink our first glass of wine together while I’m still working at the stove and shoving dishes in the sink. Unless, that is, I remember to pull out this recipe. Then I’ve got dinner in the oven and I’ve had time to clean up before they even walk in the door.

In my fantasy food world, I’d have a personal raw vegan chef whipping me up magical, healthy food all the time. In reality, I eat like a normal, hurried, working person, always on the lookout for quick and healthy recipes. Could it be that my dream and waking world intersected here with this sublime, avocado confection? Indeed.

Honey and apples are the most well-known foods eaten on Rosh Hashanah — the Jewish New Year — for nothing is more symbolic of a round, sweet year than apples and honey. No Rosh Hashanah meal is complete without a plate of apple slices passed around to each guest, followed by a bowl of honey; slices are dipped, the prayers said, and apple slices slippery with honey are eaten amid shouts of “L’Shanah Tova! Happy New Year!

Keep your pie, your layer cake, your tiramisu, and your tortes. When it comes to dessert, there is one old-fashioned showstopper that I know will win hearts and minds every single time — and that is butterscotch pudding, made from scratch. Butterscotch pudding is my thing, you guys. It evokes wonder and amazement — did you really make this from scratch? — and yet it is so easy and homey, made from fresh milk and cream, right on your stovetop.

You know why pudding pops are so great? Because you get all of the flavor and creaminess and deliciousness of pudding, but you don’t ever have to worry about that gross skin that forms on top of them. That skin! Will my nightmares about George’s Pudding Skin Singles ever end? Probably not for a while, since I’ve spent the last two weeks making pudding, but trust me — it’s worth it in the name of these popsicles.