Brown Butter Vanilla Pudding

Jul 13, 2026 · By VanillaGoods

Dessert Custards puddings creams Origin: Ugandan Vanilla: Beans Easy

Brown butter pudding flavored with a whole vanilla bean. An easy recipe: 20 minutes of prep and 15 minutes of cooking, plus chilling; serves 4. Best vanilla for this: Ugandan (bold, chocolatey, smoky), or Madagascar (rich, creamy, classic). Any pure vanilla works.

Prep 20 min

Cook 15 min

Chill 2 hr

Total 2 hr 35 min

Servings 4

Diet —

Ingredients

Adjust yield

servings

2 ½ cups (600.0 ml)whole milk
½ cup (100.0 g)granulated sugar
3.0 tbsp (24.0 g)cornstarch
3.0large egg yolks
2.0 tbsp (28.0 g)browned unsalted butter
1.0vanilla bean, split and scraped

Make it at home

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Instructions

Brown the butter: melt it in a light-colored skillet over medium heat, swirling, until the milk solids turn golden and it smells nutty, 5 to 7 minutes.
In a saucepan off the heat, whisk the sugar, cornstarch, and egg yolks with a splash of the milk until smooth and lump-free.
Warm the remaining milk with the vanilla until it steams, then whisk it slowly into the yolk mixture.
Set over medium heat and cook, whisking constantly, until the pudding thickens and comes to a gentle bubble, about 5 minutes; it should mound softly on the whisk.
Off the heat, whisk in the butter until the pudding looks glossy and smooth.
Pour into serving dishes, press plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent a skin, and chill until cold and set, about 2 hours.

Tips

Brown the butter in a light-colored pan so you can see the color change; it turns from golden to burnt in seconds.
Don't toss the scraped pods: tuck them into a jar of sugar for homemade vanilla sugar.
No vanilla bean? Use 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste or 1 teaspoon vanilla powder instead. Add it where the recipe adds the seeds; if the bean is steeped in hot milk or cream, stir the swap in after cooking, off the heat.
Choosing vanilla: Ugandan vanilla (bold, chocolatey, smoky) suits this recipe best; Madagascar (rich, creamy, classic) is a great alternative, and any pure vanilla works.

Recipe FAQ

How long does it take to make vanilla pudding?

Plan on 20 minutes of prep and 15 minutes of cooking, plus 2 hr chill. The recipe makes 4 servings.

How should I store vanilla pudding?

Refrigerate with plastic wrap pressed on the surface for up to 3 days.

Can I use a different form of vanilla?

Yes. This version uses 1 split vanilla bean. You can swap in 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon of vanilla bean paste, or 1 teaspoon of vanilla powder instead; they're interchangeable at these amounts. Beans give the most visible specks and the fullest aroma.

Estimated · per serving

Nutrition

Per serving = 1 of 4 servings this recipe makes.

309 Calories / serving

14.4g Fat

38.4g Carbs

7.1g Protein

32.8g Sugar

Whole recipe (4 servings): ~1236 cal · 58g fat · 154g carbs · 28g protein · 131g sugar

Estimated values per serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not verified Nutrition Facts; actual values vary with brands, measurements, and preparation.

Per serving · 309 calories

What it takes to burn one serving

Brisk walking 58 min·3.4 mi·~6800 steps
Walking uphill or incline treadmill 42 min·2.1 mi·~4200 steps
Moderate cycling 31 min·6.2 mi
Swimming laps 43 min
Jogging 30 min·2.5 mi·~4800 steps
Stair climbing 29 min·~2600 steps
Dancing 50 min
Bodyweight circuit training 31 min
Cleaning, errands, or playing with the dog 72 min

Rough estimates for one serving, based on standard MET values at about 155 lb. Your own burn depends on body size, effort, and fitness. Shown for context only — food is not something you have to earn.