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Butterscotch Pudding

Brown sugar and butter are cooked into a rich caramel base, then whisked with milk and eggs into a silky, homemade butterscotch pudding.

⏱ 10 minPrep time
🔥 15 minCook time
🍽 6Servings
🏷 DessertCategory
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Butterscotch Pudding with whipped cream and butterscotch drizzle

Butterscotch has roots in 19th-century Britain, where boiled butter and brown sugar candies became popular, with the pudding version crossing to the United States and becoming a beloved homestyle dessert by the mid-20th century. Instant pudding mixes in the 1950s and 1960s helped cement it as a nostalgic American comfort dessert.

Rich, buttery, and deeply comforting

Brown sugar and butter are cooked into a rich caramel base, then whisked with milk and eggs into a silky, homemade butterscotch pudding.

Step by stepInstructions

  1. Melt the butter in a saucepan and stir in the brown sugar until dissolved and bubbling, about 2 minutes.
  2. Whisk in the cornstarch and salt.
  3. Gradually whisk in the milk until smooth.
  4. In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolks, then temper with a little of the hot mixture before adding back to the pan.
  5. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until thickened, about 8-10 minutes.
  6. Stir in the vanilla, then divide into cups and chill before topping with whipped cream.

💡 Chef tips & storage

Let the brown sugar and butter bubble for a minute before adding liquid — this deepens the butterscotch flavor. Press plastic wrap directly onto the pudding surface while chilling to prevent a skin from forming.

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Recipe details

Prep10 min
Cook15 min
Servings6
CategoryDessert
PublishedAugust 12, 2026
Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes

Hi, I'm Emily 🧡

Hi, I'm Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes. Simple, tested comfort food for real weeknights, written down the way grandma would. Pull up a chair. More about me →