Take the humble, beautiful, and refreshingly sweet strawberry and transform it into a thick and creamy pudding! I’ll walk you through all the easy steps – and all my favorite tips – to make my from-scratch strawberry pudding recipe with only 20 minutes of prep time. It starts with concentrated strawberry puree (the same I use to make strawberry glaze for donuts and cakes) and ends with a smooth fruit pudding bursting with berry flavor.
And if you’re like me, the best way to enjoy this strawberry dessert: top it with a simple dollop of whipped cream. Oh, and enjoy the whole small batch by myself.😉
It’s no secret that I love pudding. And I’ll let you in on something else … I have never made pudding from a box. You heard that right. Every small batch pudding recipe on the blog is made from scratch. But when it came to this strawberry pudding recipe, it was a little trial-and-error to get the bright fruit flavor to shine.
Rather than simply blending strawberries into a puree – which can leave you with watery pudding – I discovered the strawberries need to be cooked down into a sauce to enhance the flavor. From there, we add the strawberry sauce to a lovely base vanilla pudding.
And to achieve a silky texture, I show you below how a combination of thickening agents, straining, and a simple pat of butter will leave you with the best pudding.
I make strawberry sauce for a few more recipes to infuse robust berry flavor. My homemade strawberry lemonade has such a refreshing flavor – and actually tastes like strawberry! And the ever-popular small batch strawberry cupcakes get their punchy flavor from this simple method.
Let’s Make The Pudding
We start with the fresh strawberries and blend them in a small blender until smooth. To remove the seeds, pour the puree through a fine mesh strainer set over a small saucepan.
Not strawberry season? No problem! Since we cook down the fruit, frozen strawberries will also work great.
Add sugar to the strawberry puree and heat over medium until it gets thick and saucy. Be careful not to overheat. We don’t want to make jelly, or worse, have the sauce burn! This should take about 5 to 10 minutes.
Now on to the corn starch slurry. Add the milk, egg yolk, and corn starch to a mixing bowl and whisk until well combined. Corn starch likes to clump, so give it a good mix!
Here comes the fun part – temper the egg yolk mix. We do this to get all the ingredients to the same temperature – especially the egg yolk – so the egg doesn’t scramble when heated.
Pour about half of the heated puree into the slurry mix. Whisk constantly so you don’t end up with lumpy bits.
Pour the tempered mix back into the saucepan – still whisking! – and continue to heat the pudding until it thickens and starts to bubble. This won’t take long – maybe 3 minutes.
This may be my favorite part of making pudding – add the butter when it is done heating. You can see how it makes the pudding so glossy and velvety! Also, add the vanilla and salt and stir well to incorporate.
At this point, you can strain the pudding through a fine mesh strainer to be 100% certain the pudding isn’t lumpy. I almost always strain mine, even if it looks super smooth. It’s more out of habit than anything! 🙂
Lastly, transfer the pudding to one large bowl – or individual serving glasses – and cover it with plastic wrap. Make sure the plastic wrap is directly touching the pudding to keep a skin from forming on top.
Chill the pudding for at least 4 hours to let the pudding chill and thicken even more. However, overnight is best.
Here’s a fun serving suggestion – pair the strawberry pudding with a couple dollops of thick strawberry whipped cream! I’m all for a double dose of strawberry – how about you? Let me know your favorite way to enjoy pudding in the comments below! 🍓
Creamy Fresh Strawberry Pudding For Two
EQUIPMENT
- Serving Glasses
INGREDIENTS
- ⅔ cup milk (whole, 2%, or even cream)
- 1 large egg yolk (room temperature)
- 1 ¼ teaspoons corn starch
- ½ cup strawberry puree (approximately 1 cup of strawberries)
- 1 ½ tablespoons granulated sugar (or any sweetener)
- ½ tablespoon unsalted butter
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
INSTRUCTIONS
- Puree the strawberries in a blender or food processor. I recommend fresh strawberries if in season, otherwise frozen strawberries will work. Approximately 1 cup of strawberries will yield a 1/2 cup of puree.
- In a medium mixing bowl, add the milk, egg yolk, and cornstarch. Whisk together until the cornstarch is dissolved.1 large egg yolk, 1 ¼ teaspoons corn starch, 2/3 cup milk
- Strain the strawberry puree through a mesh strainer set over a medium saucepan to remove the seeds. Add the sugar and heat the puree over medium heat until the puree thickens to a thick sauce.1 ½ tablespoons granulated sugar, 1/2 cup strawberry puree
- Temper the egg yolk – While whisking constantly, slowly drizzle about half of the heated puree into the cornstarch mix. Then transfer the tempered strawberry mix back to the saucepan.
- While whisking constantly, continue to heat the pudding over medium heat until the pudding starts to thicken and bubble. Remove the pudding from the heat and stir in the butter, vanilla, and salt.1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter, 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1/8 teaspoon salt
- Optional – Strain the pudding through a fine mesh strainer set over a bowl. This will remove any lumps from the pudding.
- You can keep the pudding in one bowl or transfer it to serving bowls/glasses. Cover the pudding with plastic wrap, with the wrap directly touching the pudding. This will keep a skin from forming. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight is best, to allow the pudding to thicken more.
RECIPE NOTES
- Serving Size – This is a small batch recipe that is easily doubled. As written, the recipe will yield 4 smaller servings or 2 larger.
- Strawberries – I always recommend fresh fruit if it is in season. Otherwise, frozen strawberries will work.
- Milk – I recommend fuller-fat milk for the pudding so it is thick and creamy – either whole or 2%. You can also use heavy cream, or a mix of half cream, half milk.
- Sweetener – Swap in any sweetener you prefer 1:1.
- Chill – The pudding will thicken more as it chills in the refrigerator. I recommend at least 4 hours, but overnight is best.
- Storage – Store the pudding in a covered container in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. Beyond that, it will start to loosen.
NUTRITION ESTIMATES
about the author ...
With years of experience baking for two in my own small household, I know about the love for desserts without the leftovers! I’ve tested, written, and photographed the hundreds of small batch dessert recipes on my website. From traditional to gluten free desserts for two, I have the recipe for you!