Homemade butterscotch pudding is underrated, yet unbelievable. In this recipe, you’re combining the outstanding flavors of caramelized brown sugar and butter with vanilla and a splash of bourbon. This butterscotch pudding recipe is luxuriously creamy, velvet-rich, and totally unforgettable with salted caramel and fresh whipped cream on top.
The work is cut out for me today as I have to twist your arm into trying TWO underrated desserts. First, butterscotch. Often overshadowed by chocolate, peanut butter, lemon, and every other flavor on the planet, butterscotch quietly sits in the corner until it’s noticed. Second, pudding. Normally pudding is as exciting as watching paint dry; a majority of dessert lovers don’t give it the time of day.
But let’s take a moment to appreciate both. Homemade butterscotch pudding is in its own playing field. In 1 pot, we’re combining caramelized brown sugar and butter with a splash of vanilla and bourbon. Butterscotch pudding is luxuriously creamy and velvet-rich. Top with salted caramel, fresh whipped cream, and toffee bits for a truly unforgettable dessert.
And the best part? Box mix pudding is not invited to this party!
Oh, and if you’re ever in need of gluten free dessert recipes, this one fits the bill. Win!
Guess what? Butterscotch pudding is actually making a comeback. LA’s restaurant Pizzeria Mozza has been all the buzz lately because it serves up an iconic dessert: butterscotch budino. (Budino is Italian for pudding-like desserts.) Reading about it, as my mouth totally salivated, inspired today’s recipe.
Video Tutorial: Butterscotch Pudding
How to Make Homemade Butterscotch Pudding
Instant box pudding mix has skewed our perception of what real pudding actually tastes like. It’s much creamier and smoother, close to creme brûlée. And it’s easy to make! If you’ve made banana cream pie, coconut cream pie, mocha chocolate pudding pie, or homemade dirt pudding, you’ll be familiar with the process. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: if you know how to stir, you know how to make pudding.
- Combine whole milk and heavy cream. Heavy cream is the secret to REALLY GOOD pudding. Thin it out with whole milk so the pudding isn’t overly thick.
- Combine egg yolks and cornstarch. They thicken the pudding to the best consistency.
- Cook brown sugar, water, and salt together. You are essentially caramelizing the brown sugar on the stove. It’s the most important step in the entire recipe because it develops the butterscotch flavor. Without it, you’re eating brown sugar pudding, not butterscotch pudding.
- Slowly add the milk/heavy cream to the pot. The colder the milk, the more the pot will sizzle. Add it carefully, then bring to a boil.
- Add the egg yolk mixture to the pot. Temper it first by adding some of the boiling pudding to the egg yolk mixture, then pour it all back into the pudding. You can watch me do this in the video above. The purpose of tempering is to slowly raise the egg yolk’s temperature without scrambling them. It’s very simple.
- Remove from heat and add the remaining ingredients. You need butter, vanilla extract, and bourbon, rum, or scotch. Softened butter keeps the pudding creamy and the last 2 are for flavor. You won’t regret the splash of alcohol!
This is a 10 minute recipe. Add each ingredient to the pot in different stages, then let the pudding cool and thicken. Your 10 minutes of work will be certainly be rewarded!
Ingredients in Homemade Butterscotch Pudding
You only need a few basic ingredients for stovetop butterscotch pudding.
- Whole Milk
- Heavy Cream
- Egg Yolks
- Cornstarch
- Water
- Dark Brown Sugar
- Salt
- Butter
- Vanilla Extract and Scotch or Bourbon.
My #1 tip: Use dark brown sugar instead of light brown sugar. In my recipe testing, I found light brown sugar to be good, but dark brown sugar is great. The sugar cooks into a darker color and the butterscotch flavor is much more intense.
What Does Butterscotch Taste Like?
My love for butterscotch runs deep. Deeper than peanut butter, deeper than apple pie, deeper than sprinkles. But what does butterscotch taste like? Butterscotch is like caramel, but its base is brown sugar, not regular white sugar. Therefore, butterscotch has that richer, more complex flavor than caramel. You’ll love it in my butterscotch pie and butterscotch cupcakes, too. And I actually have a homemade butterscotch candy recipe in Sally’s Candy Addiction! They’re called Butter Rum Hard Candies on page 27.
Speaking of caramel, this butterscotch pudding is elevated to heaven with a generous dose of salted caramel and crunchy toffee. Homemade whipped cream is a convenient finishing touch since you already have heavy cream on hand for the pudding, or you can try hot fudge. But these toppings are optional. Truly all you need is a spoon to enjoy this stuff!!
PS: I serve the pudding in regular cups and/or these French wine glasses. So fancy!
Print
Homemade Butterscotch Pudding
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 4 hours, 10 minutes
- Yield: serves 4
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Cooking
- Cuisine: American
Description
This butterscotch pudding comes together in about 10 minutes on the stove. In this recipe, you’re combining the outstanding flavors of caramelized brown sugar and butter with vanilla and, if desired, a splash of bourbon. This butterscotch pudding recipe is luxuriously creamy, velvet-rich, and totally unforgettable with salted caramel and fresh whipped cream on top.
Ingredients
- 1 and 1/2 cups (360ml) whole milk
- 1 cup (240ml) heavy cream or heavy whipping cream
- 3 large egg yolks
- 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
- 3/4 cup (150g) packed dark brown sugar
- 3 Tablespoons water
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 Tablespoons (43g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- optional but recommended: 1 Tablespoon scotch, rum, or bourbon
- optional for topping: salted caramel, Heath Bar toffee bits, homemade whipped cream
Instructions
- Whisk the whole milk and heavy cream together. Set aside. Whisk the egg yolks and cornstarch together. Set that aside too. Have both ready to go in step 3.
- Whisk the brown sugar, water, and salt together in a medium heavy duty saucepan over medium heat. Without stirring, allow to cook and bubble until darker brown, about 5-6 minutes. It should begin to smell caramelized at that point. If desired, you can take the temperature with a candy thermometer to be certain it is ready. Look for around 240°F (116°C).
- Slowly and carefully whisk in the heavy cream/milk. It will sizzle and may splatter, so pour in slowly. Cook on medium heat until mixture begins to boil. Once boiling, remove about 1/2 cup of the mixture and, in a slow and steady stream, whisk into the egg yolks. Keep those egg yolks moving so they don’t scramble. In a slow and steady stream, pour and whisk the egg yolk mixture into the pot.
- Turn the heat down to low. The pudding will immediately begin to bubble and thicken. Whisk and cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in the butter until completely smooth, then add the vanilla and bourbon.
- Cool for 5 minutes, then pour into serving glasses or bowls. Cover tightly with plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pudding (to prevent a skin from forming) and refrigerate for 4-6 hours or overnight until chilled and thickened.
- Serve with optional toppings. Cover and store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Notes
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Medium Heavy Duty Saucepan | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Candy Thermometer (optional) | French Wine Glasses (or regular bowls for serving)
- Whole Milk + Heavy Cream: I strongly recommend these two. You can try subbing both for the same amount of half-and-half, but I recommend sticking to the recipe for best results. Lower fat alternatives will yield a thinner pudding. I haven’t tested dairy-free alternatives, but let me know if you do! Milk and cream can be cold or room temperature, but the colder they are, the more they will splatter when added in step 3. To avoid a mess, room temperature is the better choice.
- Egg Yolks: Note that the photo above shows only 2 egg yolks, but additional recipe testing proved 3 egg yolks is the magic number. Here are recipes using egg whites.
- Dark Brown Sugar: For stronger flavor and darker color, I strongly recommend dark brown sugar instead of light brown sugar.
- Adapted from Mozza’s Butterscotch Budino
Reader Comments and Reviews
Could I use this as cake filling?
Hi Alyle, we can’t see why not. You may want to layer the cake lightly with buttercream and then create a ring of buttercream around the edges to prevent the pudding from sliding and coming out the sides. Let us know if you give it a try!
I made this recipe for Mother’s Day, my family absolutely loved the deep flavor and luxurious texture. You are spot on with the recommendation of oatmeal scotchies, the combination is sublime, crunchy, and joyful! My wife would like the same for her upcoming birthday, although she asked for butterscotch morsels that taste less manufactured. Could I make a second batch of the pudding, pipe it into small morsels, then refrigerate it to make my own?
Hi Gabe, so glad your family loves these cookies! We’ve never tested making homemade butterscotch morsels, so can’t offer much advice. Would they melt in the oven? Maybe a higher-end brand of butterscotch morsels would have a better flavor. Let us know what you try!
I have never had a butterscotch anything that had better flavor than this pudding. It is delicious! I also used 2% milk (2 cups) and the rest heavy cream and it worked out just fine. Thank you for sharing!
DELICIOUS!! My family was blown away by this dessert. It was easy to make and full of flavor. The toppings took the pudding to another level! I doubled the recipe and it came out perfectly. Keep in mind that it will take longer to make the pudding since there is more liquid.
Love it. Can it be doubled
Yes, the pudding recipe can be doubled.
I wanted to make a butterscotch-banana cream pie, so this was for the filling. For that purpose, it needed to be a firmer set than this recipe, which stayed pretty gooey. I think I’d put in another egg yolk and a higher cream-to-milk ratio for that. An adjustment I made was to reduce the alcohol—while I believe the “Scotch” flavor is key to making it butterscotch and not salted caramel pudding, I used two tsp of bourbon and that was just right for my taste. A note I’d make for next time is to reduce the salt, it was intensely salty on its own, the bananas and whipped cream moderated that a bit. I happen to be a big fan of butterscotch (real stuff, the baking chips make me a little queasy) and generally this was a keeper, not for pie as written, but for pudding cups and general yum Inwas.
Oh WOW!! Glad we had salad for dinner!! So rich and delicious! I used half and half instead of milk and heavy cream and it still came out rich, creamy and thick enough. I also used butterscotch ripple schnapps instead of bourbon. A definite keeper but next I may turn into 6 or 8 servings so don’t feel so guilty on how much I eat. Thanks for a great recipe!
I am so glad to finally have a wonderful recipe for butterscotch pudding outside the box! 2 questions: can I use Lankato golden sweetener with monk fruit and erythritol since I am diabetic? It caramelizes the same as brown sugar. Also, can I substitute tapioca or arrowroot flour for the cornstarch?
Hi Kerry, we haven’t tested either of those substitutions, so can’t offer any advice. Let us know if you give it a try!
This was the sweet, creamy treat I hoped for but So Rich we only ate a few bites. We had it warm! Whipped cream and heath bar were perfect toppings. I misread the instructions and thought the mixture was supposed to boil for 5-6 mins in step 2. Fortunately my husb. caught that before I burned it! Anyway, yum!
I stumbled upon this recipe about a year ago and have been faithfully making it for occasions ever since to rave reviews! The proof that this is the best butterscotch pudding is that after my mother woke up from her hysterectomy surgery, she requested this pudding immediately! 🙂 I was happy to oblige.
Turned out great but the recipe diid not say when to add the crn flour . So I whisked it wth the milk and added it then but it’s not in the directions– is there a better time?
Hi Millicent, in step 1, whisk the egg yolks and cornstarch together.
Great recipe, easy to make and delicious.
what kind of bourbon did you use
Hi Liz, you can use any kind of bourbon. If you enjoy drinking it, you’ll enjoy it in this recipe!
Hi, Sally and co.! I love all your recipes and always come to your website whenever I’m in need of a delicious dessert. I need to make a butterscotch pie this weekend and I was wondering if it would work to pair this recipe with your graham cracker crust recipe?
Thank you!
~Renee K.
Hi Renee, thank you so much! You can definitely use this as a pie filling. Enjoy.
The flavor was delicate and ‘clean’ when I made it with no vanilla, and with 1/3 cup water replacing 1/3 cup of the dairy (milk/cream).
What is on the top of the pudding in the picture?
Salted caramel and fresh whipped cream – enjoy!
Thanks so much for this delicious and rather forgiving recipe!! Making it as part of a trifle for a family gathering tomorrow.
Hello! How many ounces are each of the 4 servings? Also, if I were to double of triple the quantities, would the Cook times be similar? Or should I plan to make them one batch at a time? I need to name 24 servings. Thanks!
Hi! I’d say it’s about 6 ounces per serving. It’s best to make this pudding in batches so it cooks properly, instead of doubling/tripling.
Just made this recipe (without the alcohol) and had a little taste while still hot and I have to say it is absolutely divine! Will be a regular treat from now on and so easy to make too.
Can the alcohol be omitted from this recipe?
Hi Peaceful, Yes, it’s optional so you can simply leave it out.
Another GREAT recipe! So easy and delicious !
Here is a TIP if you only have light brown sugar and want to make it DARK: add 1TB of Molasses per 1C of light brown sugar. Also, brown sugar is just white cane sugar with molasses, so you can make your own if you are out, or live in the boonies, like I do.
To make light brown sugar from white sugar: add 1 1/2 Tb of molasses to 1 Cup of white sugar.
To make Dark Brown sugar from white sugar : I C white sugar add 1/4C molasses:) mix well and store in airtight container:)
I totally got my sugar to the hardball stage! I wasn’t going to let my first try go to waste! I poured the milk in anyway and started beating the fool out of it! I added the eggs in too early but continued whisking. All of the hardened sugar finally got blended and it begin to thicken and boil. (Insert happy dance) I finished it up and we are still smiling at the amazing taste! Thank you for the wonderful recipe!
I am going to use the egg whites and some sugar (beat stiff) as a topping.
“Unbelievable “ is an understatement! This was very easy to make and the taste was ssssoooooo good! We had it as pudding and as a filling between chocolate cake layers, also made it as a frosting (added a little more corn starch and confectionery sugar) on butter cookies! A very versatile recipe! Thanks for sharing!
Do you have a recipe for the salted caramel. Sauce? Thanks!
Here’s our salted caramel sauce – enjoy!
That’s what I thought but wanted to confirm. Thank you so much!
Thank you for responding! Is it too sweet for a meringue topping? Would a whipped cream be better? BTW I love all of Sally’s recipes. I’ve made many and am never dissappointed.
Whipped cream would be better since it’s not nearly as sweet as meringue. I’m glad my team and I could help. I hope you enjoy the pie!
Can I use this as a pie filling?
Hi Jennifer, absolutely. You may want to replace some of the whole milk with heavy cream so it’s thicker and add another teaspoon of cornstarch. Let us know what you try!
I feel like it may be too much butterscotch flavor if I serve the pudding paired with butterscotch cookies. Any other suggestions for flavor pairings for a cookie?
How about a classic shortbread cookie? That would pair nicely without overpowering the flavor of the butterscotch pudding.
This came out so delicious! The flavor is amazing! I want to pair it with a cookie, which do you recommend?
Hi Ann, if you love the butterscotch flavor, these oatmeal scotchies would be perfect!
Just okay, in my opinion. I made the recipe exactly as written without substitutions. I am an experienced baker and cook who has tempered eggs many times before. I had the same problems as others. The butterscotch flavor wasn’t rich enough, the pudding didn’t set enough (was not thick enough, which is unfortunate because I was going to fill a cake with it), and it was not totally smooth – it was grainy. Interestingly, I didn’t have any issues during the tempering stage and the pudding appeared completely smooth in the pot. I tasted it while it was warm and didn’t notice any lumps, nor did I see any lumps when pouring from the pot into a bowl for refrigerating. I was shocked to find lumps in it the next day, but, they’re definitely there! I guess I just didn’t notice them before. Won’t be making this one again.