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
This is probably a silly question, but my daughter has an egg allergy…is there any way to make it without the yolks? Maybe more corn starch? Or a different recipe of yours? My son LOVES pudding and I’m trying to accommodate both kids.
Hi SD, we haven’t tested an egg-free version, so we’re unsure of how that would work here. It may be best to find a recipe specifically formulated to be egg-free. Let us know what you try!
I’ve made this recipe twice. First time was with all evaporated milk. It was absolutely delicious and would make a perfect pie filling. The second time was with all whole milk because that’s what I had and it needed using. This did not work. I know, I should have listened to Sally’s advice. The pudding made with 100% whole milk was a little grainy, almost like it slightly separated from the butterscotch caramel mixture. Next time I will make with evaporated or as the recipe is written.
This recipe is wonderful! Certainly more difficult than pinching open a dry packet of ingredients to add liquid, this recipe is transcendent!! My husband and I loved every bite, savoring the small bits of brown sugar that flecked the bottom layer…and all so creamy with hints of the vanilla and caramel, with the finishing of the bourbon as a top note. Will definitely show this one off to company!
Just me or there was no direction on what to do with the 1/2 cup of mixture removed once boiling? Doesn’t say to use it to temper the eggs so I didn’t. & it ruined a x5 batch. I had to read the reviews to see that’s what i was supposed to do. Flavor great, mental breakdown from having to strain scrambled eggs not.
Hi Rayah, we’re happy to help clarify. Once boiling, remove about 1/2 cup of the mixture and, in a slow and steady stream, whisk into the egg yolks (in the bowl that the egg yolks are in—not the pan). Keep those egg yolks moving so they don’t scramble. Then, in a slow and steady stream, pour and whisk that egg yolk mixture back into the pot. Hope that helps for next time!
would love to get macro break down on this recipe. Callories serving size, protein, fat and carb content.
Hi Kathline, We don’t usually include nutrition information as it can vary between different brands of the same ingredients. Plus, many recipes have ingredient substitutions or optional ingredients listed. However, there are many handy online calculators where you can plug in and customize your exact ingredients/brands. Readers have found this one especially helpful: https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076
This recipe it flawed. You have to cook it for at least 10 mins after putting the butter in to thicken the pudding before cooling down.
FANTASTIC! Made this for a dessert bar for a bridal shower. Huge hit – everyone loved it. Easy to make too. And definitely do the caramel along with it. It definitely kicks the whole thing up a few notches – takes a really good dessert and makes it fantastic
Thank you for this recipe, it was unbelievably delicious!!!
I need to double the recipe. Is it easily done in 1 double batch or should I make 2 individual batches for best results?
Hi Karen! This pudding recipe can be doubled.
Does this recipe fill a 9″ pie shell? And will it set correctly as a sliceable pie?
Hi Francesca, you can definitely use this as a pie filling. Enjoy!
I love the flavor of this recipe, but when I made it was so thick that it was kinda messy getting it into the serving cups. I thought that I may have cooked at to high of a temperature.
Hi Beverly! Yes, that is possible. Glad you enjoyed the flavor!
How far in advance can this be made? I am looking for dessert I can make at Friday’s soup kitchen and serve on Monday’s soup kitchen.
Hi Paula, this can be made, covered, and stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Could you cool the pudding in one bowl and then transfer it into individual cups after it’s cooled or would that affect the texture?
Hi Jen, you could, but the presentation may not be quite as neat.
Made this recipe for dessert last night. Turned out great, even with a few substitutes. I used arrow powder in place of cornstarch. I used Califia coconut/almond milk and Silk non dairy heavy whipping cream in place of the dairy. Turned out great thanks for the recipe
Just made this, easy to follow recipe, I used conac 5 stars
This a fantastic recipe! Incredibly delicious, comforting, and easy to make! Thank you for the video and straight forward directions. This one is a winner!
Milk curdled instantly. Followed instructions to the letter. What a waste of food.
My eggs scrambled immediately – I poured them in so slow and whisked immediately. Was my mixture too hot? How do I prevent that? It ended up not thickening and just a mess of milk and scrambled eggs
Hi Mackenzie, Thank you for trying this recipe. If you ever wish to try again, be sure that you temper the eggs before adding them all back into the pudding. The purpose of tempering is to slowly raise the egg yolk’s temperature without scrambling them.
You are so cruel – this is amazing stuff and I just want to eat it all. My 9 year old said he would do anything to have more of this pudding. Anything. Like take out the trash and do the chores anything.
absolutely the most perfect butterscotch pudding recipe i have ever made! ❤️❤️❤️
I made this last night with a dash of rum ……just delicious.
Great flavour loved that part just way too sweet for me will have to adjust for next one
First time I made it without the highly recommended bourbon, scotch or rum. It was good, but not as good as I thought it would be. Made it with 2 tablespoons bourbon and holy cow! Amazing!
Childhood favorite
Such an easy and delicious pudding recipe. I’m usually not a pudding person but this homemade version was, as I told my kids, “dangerous”. Will definitely have to double it next time. I topped the kids with Sally’s homemade marshmallow meringue and toasted it. Then, I brûléed mine and oh man that was definitely a fun way to top it.
I made this recipe as an alternative for Sally’s Baking Challenge, and oh, how I wish that I would’ve made it sooner! It’s heavenly. The true taste of butterscotch in purest form.
My goodness Sally! This is the best pudding ever! I followed your recipe to a T – although to be honest I never measure vanilla 🙂 – and wow! Am going to use the pudding in a caramel delight pie and can’t wait to devour it! Thank you
I used evaporated milk to replace heavy cre because tht is what I had. I double recipe to make 6lg individual ramekins
I used egg whites to make meringue topping
When I saw this recipe it reminded me of my sister’s love of butterscotch pie that she enjoyed at a restaurant that no longer exists. It was perfect timing as it’s her birthday. I made tarts with almond flour for the pastry using the pudding for the filling. I also made the suggested Salted Caramel which really enhanced the pudding along with the Brickle bits topping. The Butterscotch pudding with the Caramel topping is excellent and my sister was thrilled!
Sounds absolutely delicious, Jane!
I am gluten intolerance so I made this alternate recipe as the Jan ‘24 baking challenge. What a great recipe! It was my first time making homemade butterscotch pudding and I’ll never use box pudding again.