Homemade Butterscotch Pudding
Butterscotch pudding is one of those classic desserts that instantly feels warm and comforting, with its deep caramel flavor and smooth texture. Made from simple pantry ingredients, this homemade butterscotch pudding comes together on the stovetop and delivers a richness you just can’t get from a box.
Old-Fashioned Butterscotch Pudding
If you’re looking to try more pudding recipes, Homemade Chocolate Pudding from Scratch and Creamy Vanilla Pudding are the perfect recipes to make your taste buds happy.
Butterscotch pudding is the kind of the old-fashioned treat that feels a little nostalgic, perfect for cozy evenings or whenever you want something sweet and satisfying without a lot of fuss.
What makes this butterscotch pudding recipe so special is the way the brown sugar and butter melt together to create that signature rich, almost toffee-like flavor.
As it cooks, the mixture thickens into a luscious, velvety pudding that’s both creamy and satisfying. A touch of vanilla at the end brings everything together and gives it that classic homemade taste.
This is also a wonderfully simple dessert to make, even if you’ve never made pudding from scratch before. It comes together in just one saucepan with a handful of ingredients, making it perfect for weeknights or last-minute cravings.
Serve this butterscotch pudding recipe warm for extra comfort or chilled for a smooth, refreshing treat. Either way, it’s a timeless dessert that always feels a little special.
Butterscotch anything has to be one of my top favorite flavors of all time. What amazes me is that I’ve never made a butterscotch recipe for myself. How was that possible?
While browsing through my enormous pile of recipes to make, I came across this one. Well, you had me at Mollie.
If you don’t know who Mollie Katzen is – let me enlighten you. She is a famous vegetarian chef that has written a series of cookbooks. Her most famous cookbook is the Moosewood Cookbook.
I love her recipes. Hungarian Mushroom Soup is one of her other recipes I featured on my blog. Everyone loves it!
Butterscotch pudding is a cure-all for many things in my book. Have a bad day? Have a little pudding. Too much to do? Slow down and enjoy the yummy taste of butterscotch.
Creating a Cozy Life Group
Since you you found this recipe for butterscotch pudding, I’m guessing you like all things cozy living. I created a Facebook group called Creating a Cozy Life with over 214,000 like-minded souls.
It’s a group where we share recipes, pictures of things that leave you in awe, and ideas on how to make your life just a little bit more snug. Join here to be part of the virtual cozy cabin.
Ingredients
2 cups of milk
1 tablespoon butter
5 tablespoons DARK brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons cornstarch
Directions
In a medium saucepan, combine the milk, butter, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt.Place over medium heat and warm the mixture until it is hot to the touch, stirring occasionally. Do not let it boil.
In a separate medium bowl, pour in about half of the warm milk mixture and whisk in the cornstarch. Whisk until the cornstarch is fully dissolved and the mixture is smooth. Pour the cornstarch mixture back into the saucepan and return it to the heat. Continue cooking, whisking frequently, until the mixture is just about to come to a boil.
Reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for about 5 minutes, whisking often, until the pudding becomes thick and glossy.
Remove from heat and pour the pudding into a serving bowl. Let it cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate until fully chilled and set.
Tips for Making Pudding
- Stay close to the stove while cooking—don’t leave the saucepan unattended. Milk can scorch quickly, so keep stirring and keep an eye on it the entire time.
- Have all of your ingredients measured and ready before you begin. This recipe comes together fast, and it’s much easier when everything is within reach.
- Let the pudding cool on the counter for a few minutes before transferring it to the refrigerator.
- Be patient and allow it to fully chill before serving. It may be tempting to dig in early, but the flavor and texture are best once it’s completely cold.
- To prevent a skin from forming on top, press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the pudding before refrigerating.
- For the best consistency, use whole milk or 2% milk—lower-fat options may result in a thinner pudding.
Storage Tips
You’ll want to keep butterscotch pudding from scratch covered in the refrigerator. It will last 3 to 6 days.
Add-ins for Pudding
- Crush your favorite cookies and sprinkle the crumbs on top of the pudding for a fun add-on.
- Chopped candied nuts add a little crunch to your bowl of pudding.
- For a festive touch, you can add sprinkles to the pudding to celebrate a beautiful day.
- Mini chocolate chips would add a fun twist to your pudding.
- You can add drizzles of chocolate sauce, caramel, or even vanilla sauce to take your butterscotch pudding up a notch.
- Shave milk, white, or dark chocolate on top of your pudding.
- I know someone that likes to add Kettle corn to the top of her butterscotch pudding for a sweet and salty topping.
- How about sprinkling your favorite spice on top of your pudding? Cinnamon and nutmeg are a couple of options.
- I love it when you get served pudding in a cup, and there’s a cookie sitting on the rim. Simply cut a cookie half-way up and slide it on the edge of the rim.
- Layer homemade pudding with pieces of pound cake and cookie crumbs. Top with whipped cream.
How to Serve Pudding
- I like to use ramekins to serve pudding. You can find my favorite ramekins here.
- You could also use clear glass drinking glasses to serve this vanilla custard pudding and top with whipped cream.
- Small mason jars are the perfect vessels for old-fashioned vanilla pudding.
- If you have a fun collection of mugs, you can also serve your pudding in those.
Let me know in the comments below how you liked this easy Homemade Butterscotch Pudding recipe.
Be sure you join our Creating a Cozy Life group. You’re not going to believe how amazing it is!
I created a pin for you above to add to your dessert board on Pinterest so you never lose this recipe.
Thanks for stopping by. I’m so happy you found us!
Other Delicious Dessert Recipes
- How to Make Lemon Bars
- Pineapple Fluff Recipe – Midwest Favorite
- Old Fashioned Peanut Butter Cookies
Printable Homemade Butterscotch Pudding Recipe with Nutritional Information
Homemade Butterscotch Pudding
Homemade Butterscotch Pudding is so easy to make with six ingredients you probably already have on hand in your pantry. Creamy deliciousness in every bite.
Ingredients
- 2 cups of milk
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 5 tablespoons DARK brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
Instructions
- Combine the milk, butter and brown sugar, vanilla, and salt in a medium-sized saucepan.
- Place it over medium heat until it is hot to the touch. DON'T LET IT BOIL.
- In a medium bowl, pour in half the milk mixture from the saucepan and add the cornstarch.
- Whisk vigorously, until the cornstarch is dissolved.
- Pour the cornstarch mixture back into the pan and return it to the heat.
- Let the mixture come almost to a boil, whisking frequently.
- Lower the temperature to simmer and cook for five minutes, whisking often. It will become thick and shiny.
- Pour the pudding in a serving bowl and let it cool to room temperature.
- Once it has cooled, cover the bowl and place in the refrigerator until cold.
I love butterscotch pudding. I haven’t had it in years! I did not realize it has such simple ingredients. This is on my list of things to make
Hello Janine! What’s amazing about this recipe is you already have the ingredients – so you can whip it up anytime! Let me know how you like it. Kelly
When it’s done cooking will it be thin or thick and get thicker in the fridge thanks
Hello! It will get thicker in the fridge. Kelly
Oh YUM! I can’t wait to try this!
Hello Janis! This simple dessert is so easy to make…and it tastes so yummy. Let me know how you liked it. Kelly
I used to make butterscotch pudding when I was in high school but have not been able to find the recipe I used. Then this one fell into my lap!
Hello Mary! It was meant to be! I hope you like it – it’s the real deal (old-fashioned recipe.) It’s not as butterscotchy as the boxed kind – but that’s ok – I’d rather take the real pudding than fake-flavored. The best part about it – its so easy to make. Kelly
My sister loves butterscotch pudding! Just made this as a little surprise for her. This is my first time making pudding that didn’t come from a box.
Recipe was easy to follow, with simple instructions, and everyday ingredients.
It’s cooling now, and can’t wait till tonight to see how she likes it!
Hello Cindy! This recipe is the original way butterscotch pudding was made. It’s different from the boxed kind because it doesn’t have all those additives! But…it’s yummy. Kelly
What an awesome Sister you are I’m sure she loved it!
I did everything exactly the way the recipe said and it was really light? Should I have used dark brown sugar?
It depends how much you caramelize the sugar creates the darkness of the pudding. Kelly
Absolutely love it and so easily and quick to make
Hello! I’m so glad you liked it. It is super simple and yummy! Kelly
I was just browsing through recipes when I came across this recipe, and I remembered having it when I was a young girl (loved it) . It certainly takes me back,way back,so I was very pleased to find it …thank you.
Will let you know how it goes
Hello Carol! I’m so glad you found it. I hope you like it. Kelly
I made the pudding in the microwave. Texture was good but I found that it didn’t have the butterscotch flavour I was expecting. Can you tell me why.
Hello Linda! I could have put a recipe that has things like butterscotch chips that will make it taste more like what people think of as “butterscotch.” This is one of those original recipes for butterscotch pudding before the boxed puddings came on the scene. Kelly
Made this but added too much butter so had to add more brown sugar. Used whipping cream as had no milk lol… Tastes phenomenal have to wait til it cools. Of course had to use up the remainder of the whipping cream to make real whipped cream. After all what’s pudding without the whipped cream on top??
I am not a fan of boxed butterscotch pudding but this is delicious at first taste. Would make a great pie. Also a great sauce for white cake for Christmas or heck cinnamon buns too.
Hubby has a list now so guess I’ll be busy now lol
Hello Janice! I’m so glad you liked the pudding. It sounds like you’re just getting started on your homemade journey into deliciousness! Thanks for letting me know. Kelly
This pudding is delicious!!! I didn’t have dark brown sugar so I added about a teaspoon of molasses. It turned out perfectly. Thanks!
I’m so glad you liked it Annette. Thanks for letting me know. Kelly
I love homemade pudding, both butterscotch, and very dark chocolate, so this sounds wonderful….when I finally move into a real apartment with a kitchen (I have no stove right now, so have learned to cook nearly everything in m Instant Pot and microwave, and how to reheat everything without it coming out rubbery).
Butterscotch pudding sounds SO GOOD right now!
Hi Joyce! It is good and super easy to make. You’ll love it! Kelly
Just finished cooking the pudding. The recipe was easy to follow. Waiting for it to cool to room temp. now so I can put it in the fridge overnight. The color of the pudding looks really light, I used dark brown sugar and everything. It is suppose to be light when it is first cooked? Does it darken when it cools? I absolutely LOVE butterscotch pudding. Whole Foods used to make one that was killer. I am hoping this one tastes just as good!
Hello Liz! There is a difference in the taste of commercial butterscotch pudding and real butterscotch pudding. This recipe is how they used to make it with natural ingredients. It’s still delicious. You can always add more brown sugar next time for a sweeter taste. Kelly
I just printed this out-looks great! I like scratch made pudding, but not so eggy. This looks perfect-old school! Thank you!
Yes, you’ll love it! It’s so good.
It tasted great! But after being in the fridge to cool, it congealed. Very disappointed because it tasted good. Any suggestions?
Hello Kelly,
I just made the pudding. It wouldn’t get thick so I reread the recipe and comments and realized why.
I used 1% milk! So I grabbed the half and half and poured in some (maybe 1/4 cup) and turned up the heat. Finally it started to thicken. I am waiting for it to cool. I really like the recipe and will be making it again with whole milk next time. I will let you know how it taste with the half and half, but I don’t think it will be as good as the original recipe.
Hello Cindy! Yes, using whole milk works way better. Let me know how your next attempt works out! Kelly
@Cindy Hohmann,
If anyone tried it with oatmilk, let me know if it worked!
Thx
Made this recipe for the third time.
Saved on Pinterest.
I added almond extract tonight, very good idea!
Hello Martha! I’m so glad you liked the recipe. Almond extract is a good idea! Kelly
Can you use cashew milk?
Hello Carol! I’m not sure it will get thick enough. I’m sorry I’m not better help! Kelly
@Kelly, I make a scratch chocolate pudding with almond milk and it comes out just fine. I am going to try a dairy-free version of this one as some family members cannot eat dairy.
Great! I’m so glad it worked for you. Thank you for letting me know. Kelly
My mother added a drop of Mapleine, we used that to make syrup and an added an egg, just make sure you temper or will curdle. Make micro butterscotch pudding all the time. I make homemade butterscotch pudding for my grandson, daughter and son-in-law when I visit them it’s their favorite.
I have made this pudding several,times. Always with a lumpy result. Tonight I mixed the 3 Tb.of cornstarch with a bit of cold milk before adding the hot milk.
Viola! Lump free pudding. I usually add coconut extract,tonight I added a bit,of grated nutmeg.
Mmmmm 😛 can’t wait!
Martha Collins
Nelson, NH
No eggs?
Hello Sue! No eggs in this recipe. Kelly
I’m excited to try this while it’s cooling. Made a few modifications: used carbmaster milk which is higher protein, lower sugar and no lactose. Also used brown sugar substitute and at the end I stirred in a little sugar free caramel syrup. It tasted delicious on the spoon and I’ve used this milk with jello brand sugar free cook and serve pudding before so assumed it will set up fine.
Let me know how those substitutions work out Ann.
I made this pudding and it did not turn out to be like butterscotch flavor or color according the recipe shown. It turned out like a vanilla pudding. I followed the directions and I can only surmise that it was not all inclusive of what needed to be done in order to make it anywhere near what the picture showed. Very dissatisfied with this pudding recipe.
This stuff is delicious! I halved it for a pudding pie recipe and it was so good. A note about the “butterscotch” flavor and color since lots of these comments mention it. If you look at a pack of Jello Pudding, not only will you see that they’ve added “artificial color” to make it super orange, but also “artificial flavor”. So the butterscotch many associate with pudding is actually just… artificial flavor! This butterscotch pudding is the real, authentic flavor. YUM!
Hello Madi! You are very right – this recipe is the real old fashioned version. People expect the artificial version sometimes.Thanks for writing in. – Kelly
This will never reach the refrigeration stage! I LOVE warm pudding, and I particularly love warm butterscotch pudding, so this won’t see the inside of my refrigerator at all. I’ve made chocolate pudding from scratch, and I did share it with the housemates I had at the time….they were all over that and wanted me to make more (but they didn’t want to contribute to the ingredients, so it was a hard NO from me)….but I’ve never made butterscotch from scratch.
Your recipe is simple and easy, and is going to be made this Sunday, when I’ll happily eat some of it warm, and only after that will I refrigerate the rest—all for me, since I now happily live alone and cook only for myself 😁
Do you use salted or unsalted butter in this recipe?
I used salted. Great question! – Kelly
I used the 3 tablespoons of Dark brown sugar as the recipe calls for and the pudding still looks and tastes like vanilla pudding.
Hello Tracy!
This pudding is the original old-fashioned way they made butterscotch pudding. Recipes that use butterscotch chips has more of a butterscotch flavor – but I wanted the original recipe. I’m sorry you didn’t like it! – Kelly
No eggs? I’ve never seen a pudding recipe without eggs – usually yolks. I’m trying to get rid of some eggs, so I was just wondering. 😂
Some butterscotch pudding recipes have eggs. This one came out of an old cookbook. It was what the original butterscotch pudding recipe was.It definitely tastes different than butterscotch pudding recipes with butterscotch chips and eggs! I hope that helps. – Kelly
Could you use it to make a pie ?
Hello Carol! You can use this recipe to make pie. – Kelly
Is there any way to make this a bit less sweet without sacrificing the butterscotch flavor? My 90-year-old Dad loved it, but said it was a tad too sweet.
Hello Stacy! You can reduce the sugar and it should not change the flavor too much. I love that you made this recipe for your dad! – Kelly
Thank you for this easy recipe. I used raw milk and brown coconut sugar and I doubled the recipe. I plan on making homemade whipped cream from raw cream to go with it.
You’re very welcome! Those substitutions sound delicious! – Kelly
Delicious! Being post my chemo appointment this week, I wanted something soothing for my stomach. This pudding was ready in a flash, and not too sweet. I did add about 1/2 T. Molasses (will add 1 T. next time). It darkened the colour & gave it another depth of flavour. Excellent!
You’re very welcome Debbie! I’m so glad you loved the recipe. I appreciate you letting me know. – Kelly
I have looking for this recipe!!! Thanks for sharing! Butterscotch pudding is my dad’s favorite of all time so will be making it for his 90th birthday!
Yay! I’m so glad you’re making it for your father. What a nice thing to do! – Kelly
Did you know the carb count on this recipe is less than most recipes or store bought? Great for someone like me with Type 2 diabetes. The way I figured it there are only 17.5 grams per serving. Not bad for a dessert! The butterscotch flavor is subtle, but it’s still very good.
Thank you so much Carolyn! I appreciate you letting me know. – Kelly
So I was already cozy in bed when I came across this recipe. I KNEW I had everything in my pantry, and also saw tomorrow (9/19) is National Butterscotch pudding day….so, crawled back outta bed, went downstairs & whipped it up. Didn’t have dark brown sugar, but used literally all the light brown sugar I had (JUST enough for this recipe…lol), and now it’s in the fridge cooling. Tomorrow is gonna be an amazingly delicious day. Haha! Also gonna restock on light & dark brown sugars. Hehe. Thanks for such an easy, legit homemade recipe!!
You are very welcome Vanessa! Thank you for letting me know. – Kelly
For those who need brown sugar, you mix granular sugar with molasses and you have brown sugar. The more molasses the darker the brown sugar. Taste better than store bought.
Thanks for the tip Sherry! – Kelly
Delicious.
I did simplify the directions. Put the cornstarch in a 4 cup glass measuring cup or 1.5 quart glass bowl. Mix in brown sugar (I used very dark) and salt. Slowly add milk, whisking (or mixing well with a fork), a small amount at a time until all of the milk is incorporated. Add butter cube and vanilla (I doubled vanilla to 1/2 teaspoon). Microwave, wisking or mixing with a fork every 2 minutes until it thickens (not quite 4 minutes in my microwave). You could add a tablespoon of brandy or scotch if you want to go grown-up on this.
So absolutely yummy! Thanks.
Yay! I’m so glad you love the recipe. Thank you for letting me know. – Kelly