Strawberry Pudding

Showcase the juiciest berries of the season with this easy strawberry pudding recipe. A simple vanilla pudding made with milk, sugar, cornstarch and vanilla extract is cooked on the stovetop until thickened. Then, fresh mashed strawberries are stirred into the pudding to add fresh fruit flavor.

In under 30 minutes, you’ll have an impressive, luxuriously creamy dessert for two. You can also scale this recipe if you’d like to serve it at a gathering or use it as the pudding layer in a trifle.

How to Make Strawberry Pudding

This strawberry pudding recipe follows the same method as old-fashioned stovetop pudding. It starts by heating milk with sugar and cornstarch in a saucepan to make the pudding base. When cooking pudding, the most important thing to remember is to heat gradually and stir frequently to prevent sticking and scorching.

Once the pudding has thickened, remove it from the heat and stir in vanilla extract, a pat of butter and mashed strawberries to infuse it with fresh fruit flavor. Then, chill the pudding until you’re ready to eat.

Strawberry Pudding Ingredients

• Strawberries: We use strawberries in two ways in this dish: Half are mashed and folded into the warm pudding, while the other half is chopped and piled on top of the pudding for fresh berry flavor in every bite. We recommend fresh strawberries since frozen berries release lots of liquid when thawed.
• Sugar: Granulated white sugar seamlessly dissolves into the warm milk to sweeten the pudding.
• Cornstarch: Cornstarch is the key to making creamy pudding that properly sets. It thickens the pudding by absorbing liquid as it cooks on the stovetop.
• Salt: Salt won’t make your pudding taste salty. We’re using just a pinch of salt to balance the sweetness and enhance the strawberry flavor.
• Milk: Milk is the liquid base of our pudding. This recipe calls for 2% milk, but you can use whole milk for a more decadent, thicker pudding.
• Egg yolk: Egg yolk also helps thicken the pudding, and the fats in the yolk give the pudding a signature velvety consistency. You’ll need just one egg yolk for this recipe. Don’t toss the egg white. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days and mix it into scrambled eggs or a frittata for extra protein.
• Vanilla: Pure vanilla extract flavors the pudding and intensifies the bright, sweet flavor of the strawberries.
• Butter: Just 1 tablespoon of butter stirred into the warm pudding adds richness, creates a smoother and creamier mouthfeel, and helps the pudding set in the fridge. Don’t substitute other fats, like coconut oil or shortening, because they have a different flavor profile and don’t thicken.
• Whipped cream: You can use whipped cream in a can, thawed whipped topping or homemade whipped cream to top your strawberries and pudding.

Directions

Step 1: Prepare the strawberries

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Wash the strawberries and remove the green tops. Chop the berries. Place 1 cup of chopped berries in a small bowl and mash them with a fork, potato masher or pastry cutter. Set aside.

Editor’s Tip: Refrigerate the other half of the chopped berries—you’ll use those to garnish the pudding before serving.

Step 2: Heat the milk

Josh Rink for Taste of Home

Whisk 1/4 cup sugar, the cornstarch and salt in a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Whisk in the milk and warm over medium heat until it thickens and bubbles. Then, reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring continuously, for two minutes longer.

Josh Rink for Taste of Home

Remove the saucepan from the heat.

Editor’s Tip: Stir the milk as it heats, using a whisk or silicone spatula, to help the milk heat evenly and prevent scorching.

Step 3: Temper the egg yolk

Josh Rink for Taste of Home

Whisk a small amount of the hot milk mixture into the egg yolk in a separate bowl. Pour the tempered egg yolk into the saucepan, whisking constantly. Return the saucepan to medium heat, bring the pudding to a gentle boil and cook, stirring continuously, for two minutes.

Editor’s Tip: Tempering is the process of gradually warming the egg yolk, and it helps prevent the egg from scrambling when added to the hot mixture.

Step 4: Flavor the pudding

Remove the pudding from the heat and stir in the mashed strawberries, vanilla and butter. Let the mixture cool at room temperature for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Step 5: Chill

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Divide the strawberry pudding between two dessert dishes. Cover each with storage wrap, pressing it against the surface of the pudding to prevent skin from forming. Refrigerate the pudding until cold, about two hours.

Editor’s Tip: If you won’t be serving the pudding the same day you cook it, you can transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate.

Step 6: Garnish and serve

Toss the remaining 1 cup of chopped strawberries in a small bowl with 1 teaspoon of sugar. Top the puddings with sweetened strawberries and whipped cream, and serve.

Editor’s Tip: After mixing the berries and sugar, let the mixture sit for at least 5 minutes. The sugar will draw out the juices, resulting in softer and sweeter strawberries.

Josh Rink for Taste of Home

Strawberry Pudding Variations

• Make a richer pudding: To make a more indulgent strawberries and pudding, replace 2% milk with higher-fat milk, such as whole milk, half-and-half or heavy cream.
• Switch up the berries: Substitute fresh raspberries or blackberries for strawberries for a different pudding flavor.
• Peanut butter and jelly pudding: For pudding that tastes like a classic PB&J sandwich, stir 2 tablespoons of creamy peanut butter into the pudding along with the vanilla extract and mashed strawberries.
• Use a different extract: Flavor your strawberry pudding recipe with almond extract for a touch of nuttiness, or try coconut extract for a tropical twist.

How to Store Strawberry Pudding

If you’re storing strawberry pudding for a few hours before serving, you can leave it in dessert dishes in the fridge. To store the strawberry pudding longer, transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate it until ready to eat. With either method, press a piece of storage wrap or waxed paper on the surface of the pudding to prevent skin from forming.

How long does strawberry pudding last?

When properly stored, this strawberry pudding will last up to five days. The pudding might get watery as it sits, but you can fix it by stirring it before serving.

Strawberry Pudding Tips

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What is in the pudding that makes it thick?

Stovetop pudding recipes are thickened with cornstarch. When heated, the starch molecules absorb liquid and create a gel-like consistency. Some puddings, like this strawberry pudding recipe, include eggs or egg yolks to help thicken them.

Can you make dairy-free strawberry pudding?

You can use nondairy milk and a butter alternative to make this pudding dairy-free. Most nondairy milks have a thinner consistency than cow’s milk and will produce a thinner pudding. Full-fat canned coconut milk is a good choice for a rich, creamy pudding. If you don’t care for the tropical flavor, you can experiment with oat, soy and nut milk.

How can you serve strawberry pudding?

We recommend serving strawberry pudding topped with strawberries and whipped cream. Other topping ideas include chocolate shavings, crushed cookies, graham cracker crumbs or broken pretzel pieces for a strawberry pretzel salad vibe. You could also layer this strawberry pudding recipe with cubes of cake and fresh fruit to make a strawberry trifle.