Old Fashioned Butterscotch Pudding ~ this silky, crave-able pudding recipe satisfies a primal need for comfort. Warm or cold, homemade butterscotch pudding is always right.

A perfect butterscotch pudding recipe is long overdue on the blog!
I don’t know why it’s taken me so long because one of the best things I’ve ever eaten was a dense, rich, butterscotch pot de creme at a restaurant that haunted me for years after. I eventually made my Salted Caramel Pot de Creme, which scratched that itch for a while, but I’ve been craving a simpler, throw it together on a whim recipe that would give me the butterscotch-y experience without the extra trouble. Enter this old fashioned homey butterscotch pudding, yum.
This simple butterscotch pudding recipe has been well tested
I must have made 4 different versions till I got it perfect. I’m not complaining, we ate every last bite of every batch. But this final pudding is just what I was looking for.
I first tried the simplest approach, using just cornstarch to thicken the pudding. But I didn’t get that super thick lush texture I was after. I discovered that you can’t really leave out the eggs in a great classic pudding without sacrificing richness and texture.
What exactly is butterscotch?
Butterscotch is a simple mixture of brown sugar a butter. It can be a hard candy, or a sauce, or a flavor profile like it is in my pudding recipe today.
The difference between butterscotch and caramel? Caramel uses white sugar and also includes heavy cream.
Pro tips for making butterscotch pudding ~
- Use a good heavy bottomed pan so the pudding cooks evenly without scorching.
- Adding a little bit of water helps your sugar melt evenly.
- Don’t stir while your brown sugar is bubbling.
- I like to have both a whisk and a silicone spoonula available while the pudding is cooking so I can switch back and forth as needed.
- When adding the butter at the end, I make sure to whisk very well to get it all incorporated.
Warm or cold?
I love to eat at least one serving of pudding warm, right out of the pan, there’s nothing like it. But it won’t be as thick as it is after it’s been chilled. I like to enjoy it both ways.
If you’re making this for guests, allow at least 2 hours of chilling time.
Butterscotch Pudding
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 Tbsp water
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 3 Tbsp corn starch
- 3 large egg yolks
- 3 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into pieces
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp bourbon (optional)
Instructions
- Over medium/medium-low heat, melt the brown sugar with the salt and the water. The water helps the sugar to dissolve and melt evenly. Heat until bubbling, and continue to cook for 5-6 minutes more, keeping a close eye on it and making sure it doesn't burn. Don't stir it while it is cooking, but you can swirl the pan around a bit to distribute the heat if needed.
- Allow the melted brown sugar to cool for a few minutes.
- Meanwhile, dissolve the cornstarch in a little bit of the milk, and whisk until very smooth. Add the egg yolks, and whisk until smooth.
- Add the corn starch slurry to the rest of the milk and cream, and whisk briefly to combine everything.
- Add the milk/cream mixture to the partially cooled brown sugar, whisking as you go. The sugar will seize up and become hard, but don't worry, everything will melt once the pan goes back on the heat.
- Return the pan to the heat, and gently bring the whole mixture to a boil over medium-low heat, whisking constantly. Once all the brown sugar has dissolved and the mixture is beginning to thicken, switch to a silicone spatula so that you can scrape the bottom and sides of the pan as it thickens.
- Once the pudding comes to a boil, (it should be quite thick), take it off the heat and immediately pour it through a fine mesh strainer.
- Add the butter, vanilla extract, and whiskey (if using), and whisk vigorously to combine (I whisked mine for a good minute or so to get the butter well incorporated.)
- Pour the pudding into serving containers, and enjoy warm, or allow it to fully set in the fridge. It will be fully set in a couple hours.
My husband has a cold and requested butterscotch pudding, and I happened to have all of these ingredients on hand. Oh my gosh- I never knew how good butterscotch pudding could taste. He rated it ten stars. ๐
So glad ~ hope he feels better ~ everybody is sick in our house right now!
Great recipe and the directions were just perfect! I only had golden brown sugar so the flavour was not as strong as I wouldโve liked but still very good. Thank you!
I just licked the bowl and yummy ๐. I put them in small single serving containers and a few butterscotch chips on top. I found a Carmel whip cream which I will top with before serving. I thought this was just the right amount of brown sugar for me. I can’t wait to have for desert tonight.
Yay! The caramel whipped cream sounds amazing, I’ve never seen that!
I made this today and the recipe called for 1/2 tsp. Salt and it was too much for me. Iโll try again with half that amount. I did not think it was too sweet. I thought it was perfectly sweet. I am worried though that I didnโt use whole milkโฆ Because I only had 2% on hand, and I wonder if that made a difference in any way?
One of the best homemade butterscotch pudding recipes Iโve tried. When first reading the recipe I was thinking I may skip the sieve part, but it made it luxuriously smooth and creamy. My search for the best butterscotch pudding recipe is this.
I found this too sweet, although I did appreciate the very specific directions in making it! ๐
I would (as I do in most recipes) suggest using only 10% of the sugar required. In this case, I would reduce the 3/4 cup sugar to less then 1/4 or even 1/8 cup – or eliminate it altogether
Too sweet. Next time Iโd use less sugar. Not difficult to follow. Did not strain and it was not lumpy.
Thanks for your feedback NurseDonna, and yes, feel free to cut back on the sugar if that suits you better.
Very rich and very creamy
And when warm i think goes well with vanilla ice cream
Can this recipe be frozen?
I’ve never frozen pudding before, so I can’t speak from experience, but I don’t think it’s a good idea. I think the texture would be altered when defrosted.
I made this and itโs delicious but why strain it?
I
Straining is optional but sometimes there can be little pieces of cooked egg to strain out ~ barely noticeable.