Fresh Strawberry Pudding For Two

This strawberry pudding for two recipe turns fresh strawberries into a creamy custard with just 20 minutes of prep. The small batch dessert is made completely from scratch with a concentrated strawberry puree and rich egg yolk and cornstarch base. No boxed mix required. Use the pudding in a layered dessert, as a filling, or spoon it straight from the bowl.

It feels like I always say this when it comes to pudding, but I love it. It’s creamy, easy to make, and even easier to dress up, depending on the occasion. Even something as simple and classic as my vanilla pudding can be transformed into a pretty parfait dessert.

And I’ll let you in on something else … I have never made pudding from a box. True story. Every small batch pudding recipe on the blog is made from scratch.

Though 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 concentrate their flavor. The same method I use for my fresh strawberry glaze.

To get the desirable thick consistency and silky finish, I rely on a combination of egg yolk and cornstarch in my pudding base, plus a pat of cold butter at the end. Three small moves that make a difference, even in a smaller batch where there’s less volume to smooth out a lumpy set.

Start With The Strawberry Puree

Let’s talk about the strawberries first. I will always opt for fresh to get the purest strawberry flavor. But out of strawberry season, frozen will work since we are cooking down the fruit.

First, blend the strawberries until they are smooth. And since this is a small batch, use a smaller blender if you can so it’s easier to scrape out all the puree. Then, to remove the seeds, pour the puree through a fine mesh strainer set over a small saucepan.

Add sugar to the strawberry puree and heat over medium until it’s thick and saucy. This can take a few minutes, but be careful not to overheat it. You can end up with something closer to jelly, or worse, it will burn. We still want the puree to be loose and pourable to combine with the custard base.

How To Make The Strawberry Pudding

Now that the strawberry puree is ready, we move on to making the base of the pudding. Add the milk, egg yolk, and cornstarch to a mixing bowl and whisk well until the cornstarch is dissolved.

The next step is to temper, or bring to temperature, the egg yolk so it doesn’t turn into scrambled eggs in the pudding.

Pour about half of the warm strawberry puree into the pudding base while whisking constantly. Then pour the tempered mix back into the saucepan – still whisking – and continue to heat the pudding until it thickens and starts to bubble.

To finish the pudding, add the butter and vanilla off the heat. The butter may be my favorite part because it makes the texture of pudding velvety.

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 smooth. It’s more out of habit than anything.

Transfer the pudding into your serving dishes and cover it with plastic wrap, directly touching the top of the pudding. This keeps a skin from forming on top. The pudding needs to chill for a few hours, even overnight, for it to set and thicken more.

Erin’s Best Pudding Tips

• The small batch of pudding doesn’t take long to cook. So don’t leave the pudding unattended, stop mixing, or overheat it. If pudding cooks too long, it can separate and turn grainy and watery.
• If your pudding is thin after chilling, there are a few culprits. Lower-fat milk was used, it wasn’t cooked long enough for the cornstarch to activate, it needs more time to chill, or (please don’t do this) it was stirred after it had chilled. My recommendation to fix thin pudding: fold it with some strawberry whipped cream to make a double strawberry mousse dessert.
• The butter at the end should be cold. If it is too warm, it won’t emulsify into the pudding. Rather, it will sit on the top and just be oily.

Creamy Fresh Strawberry Pudding For Two

Creamy small batch strawberry pudding recipe made from scratch with fresh strawberry puree and a rich egg yolk and cornstarch base. The easy dessert for two takes only 20 minutes of prep, then a chill in the refrigerator, to get a spoonable pudding with bright fruit flavor.

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by Erin Cernich

Yield1.25 Cups (approx.)

Prep20 minutes minutes

ChillChill4 hours hours

Total Time4 hours hours 20 minutes minutes

Equipment

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  Blender
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  Medium Heavy Duty Saucepan
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  Fine Mesh Strainer
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  Serving Glasses

Ingredients

• ▢ ⅔ cup milk (whole, 2%, or even cream)
• ▢ 1 large egg yolk (room temperature)
• ▢ 1 ¼ teaspoons cornstarch
• ▢ ½ cup strawberry puree (approximately 1 cup of strawberries)
• ▢ 2 tablespoons granulated sugar (or any sweetener)
• ▢ ½ tablespoon unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ ⅛ teaspoon salt

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

 

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  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.
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  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 cornstarch, 2/3 cup milk
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  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.
  2 tablespoons granulated sugar, 1/2 cup strawberry puree
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  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.
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  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, cold and cut into cubes, 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1/8 teaspoon salt
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  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.

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.
• 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

Calories: 80kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 55mg | Sodium: 91mg | Potassium: 111mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 174IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 61mg | Iron: 0.2mg

Nutrition information is calculated by a third-party and should only be considered an estimate and not a guarantee.