Homemade Butterscotch Pudding

Make this homemade butterscotch pudding for your family and get rave reviews! You won’t believe how easy it is, and it has the most incredibly nostalgic flavor!  

Happy Tuesday morning, everyone!  How was your holiday weekend?

We had a good one.  It was nice and long.  The kids were off school on Friday and Monday, and my husband was also home for a lot of it.  I think everyone got really relaxed and now they’re all ready for a new week.

Everyone, with the possible exception of me.  Sunday was a lazy day in front of the pool, but other than that I’ve been baking up a storm, getting ready for an upcoming trip.  On Wednesday morning I’m hopping on a plane to travel across the country to Washington, to tour the Stemilt orchards and learn all about how they grow their fruit.  It should be fun!  I’m really looking forward to it, but it’s been a lot of prep to get recipes developed, made, and photographed so that they can keep on coming while I’m away.

It’s times like these when you’re really grateful for a simple, easy, and quick dessert with tons of fabulous flavor!  And this homemade butterscotch pudding delivers on all counts.

Butterscotch pudding is such a classic.  I love pudding and I think it’s so underrated.  It’s cool, comforting, and takes me right back to my childhood.  In my family, it’s a huge favorite.  And I love it for this time of year because the flavor is so warm and homey.

Lately, the nights have been much cooler, but during the day we’re still seeing temps in the 80’s or 90’s, so it’s nice to have a no-bake treat to serve the family as an after school snack or dessert.  And this one comes together in a snap.

Up until a few years ago, I had no idea how easy it was to make homemade pudding.  I had only ever made the kind from a box, but one day the kids had a craving and I didn’t have any on hand.  So I just started throwing stuff in a pot, stirring and cooking, and before I knew it we had pudding.  It was so simple and SO much more delicious than anything store-bought or pre-packaged.  Plus it’s all stuff you probably already have in your pantry and fridge.  Seriously, who needs that box?

If you’ve ever wondered “what exactly is butterscotch,” it’s pretty simple: brown sugar and butter.  There’s no actual “Scotch.”  No alcohol of any kind.  All of the warm, nostalgic flavor just comes from those two ingredients, plus a little salt for balance.  We add cornstarch to thicken it and milk and cream to make it creamy, a little vanilla for flavor, and that’s about all there is to it.

It cooks right on the stove and thickens up right before your very eyes.  You can eat it warm if you’d like, but I prefer to pour it into little jars and chill it in the fridge.  Then, just before serving, top it with a little whipped cream and some toffee bits or toasted pecans.

It’s a nostalgic dessert with tons of rich flavor!  I hope you’ll give it a try sometime soon, and let me know how you like it in the comments section below.

If your family loves pudding as much as mine, be sure to check out my Easy Chocolate Pudding Pie Jars!

5 from 7 votes

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Homemade Butterscotch Pudding

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

5 mins

Total Time

20 mins

 

Make this homemade butterscotch pudding for your family and get rave reviews! You won't believe how easy it is, and it has the most incredibly nostalgic flavor!

Course: Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: butterscotch, Pudding

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 454 kcal

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt (to taste)
• 2 cups milk
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Optional garnishes

• 3/4 cups heavy cream, whipped to soft peaks with 1 tablespoon granulated sugar.
• 2 tablespoons toffee bits or chopped toasted pecans (approx.)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

1. Place the brown sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a medium pot and whisk together to combine.  
2. Pour in the milk in a slow, steady stream, while continuing to whisk.  
3. Stir in the cream and place over medium-low heat.
4. Cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes or until the pudding has come to a simmer and thickened.  
5. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter and vanilla.  
6. When the butter has completely melted and is fully incorporated, transfer the mixture to small jars and chill.  
7. Serve cold, with whipped cream and toffee bits or toasted pecans.

Nutrition Facts

Homemade Butterscotch Pudding

Amount Per Serving

Calories 454 Calories from Fat 288

% Daily Value*

Fat 32g49%

Saturated Fat 19g119%

Cholesterol 106mg35%

Sodium 69mg3%

Potassium 181mg5%

Carbohydrates 39g13%

Sugar 34g38%

Protein 3g6%

Vitamin A 1210IU24%

Vitamin C 0.2mg0%

Calcium 151mg15%

Iron 0.2mg1%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.