DIY Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix
Confession time. I really love the idea of making as much as possible from scratch. Not only do I know exactly what is in something, but 99.9% of the time, the homemade version contains significantly less processed ingredients (and usually none at all). From body scrubs to taco seasoning mix and hot chocolate mix, I’ve been working on transforming the convenience packages for homemade versions. The truth is, that the from-scratch versions of these things take literally minutes to make and are infinitely cheaper, not to mention healthier.
My search for a DIY instant pudding mix spun off of my search for a from-scratch version of a favorite family cake. The problem? The “recipe” was basically a box cake mix with a box of instant pudding and a few other ingredients. I knew I wanted to make the cake from scratch, but boy does that box of pudding do wonders to a cake, right? Makes it so moist and melt-in-your-mouth fantastic. I needed to somehow mimic those characteristics, when lo and behold, I actually found a formula for instant pudding mix!
Whether you want to make a cake that calls for pudding mix, banana pudding, an icebox cake or lush dessert, you’re going to love this DIY hack!
Save This Recipe
Enter your email address, and we'll send it straight to your inbox!
I was able to throw this together in 5 minutes, and now I have a stash of instant pudding for whenever I see a recipe that calls for a mix. Not only do I not have to run to the store, but I can keep from-scratch recipes just that.
In addition to using it in your own recipes, this would make a great gift for the holidays. Maybe a basket of this, some homemade cocoa mix, homemade vanilla extract, and other goodies. I am working on a chocolate version as well, so stay tuned!
Now just wait until you see what I have up my sleeve. I think you’re going to love the cake that I used this mix in! It’s an oldie but a goodie, and reinvented to be completely homemade. Be sure to check back tomorrow!
If You Like This Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix, Try These Recipes:
- Banana Pudding
- Chocolate Pudding Recipe
- Best Butterscotch Pudding
- Pineapple Icebox Cake
- Grandma’s Icebox Cake
One year ago: Deviled Eggs
Three years ago: Pigu (Italian Gougeres)
DIY Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix
Ingredients
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- ¾ cup (96 g) cornstarch
- ¾ cup (96 g) nonfat dry milk powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 whole vanilla beans
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, milk powder, and salt; set aside.
- Split open the vanilla beans and use the back of a knife to scrape out the seeds. Add the seeds to the sugar mixture, and again whisk well to evenly combine, using a fork or the back of the spoon to break up any chunks of vanilla bean seeds. Cut the empty vanilla bean pods into two or three pieces each.
- Place the vanilla bean pieces into an airtight container or jar, and add the sugar mixture. Seal it, and then give it a few good shakes to distribute the vanilla bean pieces evenly. Store in a cool, dry place.
- To make pudding: Combine 2 cups of milk with ½ cup of the instant pudding mix in a medium saucepan over high heat, whisking constantly. Bring to a boil, and then immediately reduce the heat to a simmer and continue whisking until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon (about 3 to 5 minutes). Let sit for at least 5 minutes before serving. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
Me too like doing stuff from scratch, that what am looking for. Thanks a lot. By the way am new to your space
Thanks
Any luck with the chocolate pudding? Also how long of a shelf life would you estimate for this? I like to date my stuff (I’m a little OCD) and was wondering how long before it becomes stale.
Hi Cristina, I haven’t made it yet. As for shelf life, I’d say 6 to 12 months – as long as your dry ingredients are good for, which is a pretty long time.
Michelle this is great…can you come up with a homemade Angel food cake?
I came accross the aunt bettys 123 cake snack..mix two boxes of cake mix one angel and the other Chocolate..then take 3 TBS dry mix with 2Tbs water or coffee an cook 1Min in microwave…Wow what a quick treat all my friends love it.
I’m soooooooo happy to find this, I’ve been experimenting on baking and it always call out for instant vanilla pudding and I hated it!
I would love to ask if you have a recipe for the Duncan Hines Classic White Cake or White Cake mix! I will love you forever!
I don’t have a white cake mix, but I do have a yellow cake mix! https://www.browneyedbaker.com/2012/08/28/diy-homemade-yellow-cake-batter-mix/
Elleah – I am tinkering with white cake too. I made one tonight that was good and I would happily serve it, but I feel like it would benefit from a pudding in the mix kind of thing (hence me perusing this site). For slightly more than a box size, it would be (I use all organic ingredients):
2.5 cups all purpose flour
1/T baking soda
1 stick of butter, softened (if using salted, add 1/4 tsp salt to the dry ingredients)
1 cup sugar
1T vanilla extract
2 eggs, room temp
1/2 cup buttermilk, room temp
1 cup lukewarm water
Sift or whisk dry ingredients and set aside. Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla and mix to combine. Add flour mixture to butter mixture, alternating with buttermilk and water, starting and ending with flour. Bake at 350. 18 mins for cupcakes, 25 – 35 for cakes, depending on size of the pan.
This is what I made tonight. Am thinking of adding 1 cup of this pudding mix to this and maybe decreasing the flour a tad and trying it again.
HTH!
Ah! 1/2 T of baking soda…no edit button. Sorry! :)
YES!!!! Now I can make my family’s fav Oreo Salad dessert!! I’ve stopped making it ever since I read the instant vanilla pudding ingredients, yuck. I couldn’t even bring myself to make it on holidays. Now we can!!! Wahoo! Mahalos!!
Hi Marlas! Did you ever make your dessert with this pudding mix? I’m looking at adding it to a cold pie, but everyone is talking about adding it to a cake. I’m not heating it, and I assumed your dessert was cold as well so I wanted to see what your result was with not heating it. Thanks!
You don’t cook ‘instant’ pudding. This is not a recipe for instant pudding. This is a recipe for cook pudding. :(
I said the same thing.
Hi
I made this pudding mix and then followed the directions to make the pudding. After a couple minutes the pudding thickened just like you stated. I left the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge and when I took them out the pudding hardened into a rubbery brick, it was uneatable. What went wrong? Can anyone advice me on how to stop this from happening again?
Thanks!
Hi Jen, this happened to me once. I cooked it too high, and a little bit too long. I think once it boils, it’s pretty much done.
Hi Michelle, could you please suggest some brand names for non fat dry milk. I live in Dubai and we have brands like nido, klim, rainbow for powdered milk but all of them are whole milk powders. will they work? I don’t know what to look for so a few names might help. Thanks.
Hi Sana, I actually have only ever found dry milk powder in the generic, or store, brand, and I’m not familiar with which brands are available in Dubai. I’m not sure how whole milk powder would be different from dry milk powder; it sounds like that would work.
hi can i use vanilla extract instead of vanilla bean? thanks
Hi there – Lovely website:)
Am wondering if you ever managed to tackle that cake into which you were going to add this pudding mix?
I’m trying (in vain so far; *sigh*) – to replicate from scratch a boxed-cake + pudding-mix combo that I made for my sister. I stupidly told her it was homemade and now she is begging for the recipe. Suppose I could tell her it’s top secret but that’d probably just make her more suspicious, lol.
Would love to know how your pudding-mix-in-the-cake turned out and where I might find your recipe?!
Hi Sarah, I used this mix in a homemade rum cake:https://www.browneyedbaker.com/2012/04/18/homemade-rum-cake-recipe/.
Hi.. :o)
This looks like a good recipe for REGULAR pudding. Instant pudding, as the name implies–is instant; needs no cooking.
Yep, exactly what I thought. It’s just a mix-up of ingredients you could use for regular quick-mix (semi-cheat *lol) pudding. A good one, but not an instant one.
Well done nevertheless, however, I’m looking for an instant one like this one:
http://www.amazon.com/Dr-Oetker-Paradies-Creme-Vanille/dp/B003RG96YA
Oetker Paradies Creme
Either way – nice website :)
Hi,
I can’t wait to try this for cakes as well as for making pudding. Do you have any idea how much cocoa powder you would add to make it chocolate? Would you have to modify the amounts of any of the other ingredients?
Teri
Hi Teri, I haven’t started playing around with the chocolate version yet, but as soon as I have it figured out I will definitely post it!
I can’t wait for the chocolate post! I’m continually checking back to your blog for it, but for now I’ll settle with the vanilla one!
I found a recipe at “good cheap was” blog that I switched a few things to make it chocolate pudding. Here’s the link http://goodcheapeats.com/2011/12/mint-chocolate-cream-parfaits/. I switched the peppermint extract for 1tsp of vanilla extract. You can leave the rest or make “dirt” with the Oreos etc.
Can’t wait to try this vanilla version.
here’s another chocolate pudding recipe for you to try out:http://satisfymysweettooth.com/2012/09/13/diy-instant-chocolate-pudding-mix-and-homemade-chocolate-pudding/#
This is great! I have a recipe for Amish friendship bread but it calls for one large box of instant vanilla pudding mix. That doesn’t seem very Amish to me! I’m sure this will be a deliciously homemade substitute! Thanks so much!!! :)
What if you use chocolate milk to make the pudding, would that make chocolate
Pudding?
Love the idea of having a pudding mix available all the time, however this isn’t instant as you don’t cook those. Also as one person mentioned you should add vanilla extract to the cake or mix it into your pudding right before cooking it on the stove, not use vanilla beans. Vanilla beans where I live are $17.00 for three,so I buy them online to make my own vanilla extract and get them for $18-$19.00 for 25, including shipping. I’m not sure how a non-instant pudding mix would do in the cake mix as I haven’t really experimented with those. Still great idea for keeping pudding mixes on hand. You could change them up by adding different flavorings, like banana extract for banana pudding or cocoa powder for chocolate pudding. Thanks for posting your recipe, it’s going into my keep file :)
So if a recipe calls for 3.4 oz box of instant pudding, could this be used instead? And if so, how much? Would it be equal substitution?
Hi Lauren, Yes, you would use 1 cup of this mix in place of a 3.4 oz box of instant pudding.
Am going to have to try this as I like making my own stuff too. One question–where do you get vanilla beans?
Hi Kathy, You can buy them at the grocery store where you find the vanilla extract and spices, or you can order them online at places like Amazon, King Arthur Flour, Penzeys, etc.
LOve the blog. Love the photos. Great idea with the homemade instant pudding mix.
I really love this idea, I really do. The only thing that is hanging me up when I make the pudding is the color. Since there are no eggs, it’s white. Otherwise, it taste good. Any suggestions? I hate to add food coloring, then its not natural.
Hi Marianne, If you don’t want to use food coloring, I’m not aware of any way you can add color to the pudding without changing the flavor.
Try a tiny bit of tumeric, it is frequently used to add yellow color. If I remember right it gives mustard the yellow color. Adding too much could alter the flavor, so be careful. Saffron would also work – it is expensive but a tiny bit goes a long way. BTW, tumeric is a healthy spice to use. There may be other spices that coul be used.
UMM how about a cinnamon pudding!
also, palm sugar will give a caramel taste & color
OMG! I love this DIY. Perfect for gifts.
Where did you get the jar??? It is so pretty! Please tell me :)
Hi Cindy, Those are ball canning jars; I got a pack of 12 at my local grocery store!
What a wonderful idea!
I too, am unhappy with all of the chemicals in box mixes and I’m excited to try this! I noticed in your rum cake recipe, you substituted 1 cup of this mix for a 3.4 oz box of instant pudding mix. Should that conversion work for any recipe? I made a batch of the mix a little while ago and tomorrow night’s dessert is going to be fresh strawberries with vanilla pudding and homemade chocolate syrup. Thanks, Michelle! :-)
Hi Rosanne, Yep, that conversion should work for any recipe that calls for boxed instant mix. If you are making plain pudding, just follow the instructions above. Enjoy your dessert tomorrow!
You are brilliant! Here in China, when I can find instant (or regular, for that matter) pudding, it is usually $4-5 a box! I have so many recipes for cakes and dips that call for instant pudding, and I can get all of these ingredients easily. Yay!
So there is not a way to make actual instant pudding?? You have this labeled as instant pudding but it has to be cooked. I have been googling and cant find any recipes that dont need to be cooked.
Take a look at previous comments. We’ve all argued the same thing. I agree it is NOT instant however, if you find modified cornstarch you can certainly make it instant!
Holy cow! This is TOO COOL! I am so going to give this a try.
Does this make a good pudding to serve just as is? Or is it a substitute for box pudding in cake recipes?
Hi Marianne, You can definitely use this to make pudding as-is. It’s great! You can also use it as a substitute for box pudding in cake recipes.
Not instant!
I personally don’t eat pudding often, but I LOVE that you took the time to create this from-scratch DIY version that can be STORED! What a fantastic idea… I am featuring this post in today’s Friday Food Fetish roundup (with a link-back and attribution), but please let me know if you have any objections. As always, it’s a pleasure to be following your creations…
Wow, so easy and so much tastier. This would be great to give as gifts, too, as the mix looks so wonderful in those mason jars.
Carolyn, you made this recipe? Ive looked thru all these comments and didnt come across one that actually tried it. Im concerned about the instant milk taste…
Thanks so much for sharing this. We prefer to make things from scratch also, so this will be great!