I friggin’ love pudding. It’s an indulgent, creamy treat that pretty much goes with anything. The first time I made my own pudding at home I was blown away. It was SO easy and it turned out amazing. I’ve made it countless times since then and it’s something my daughter Lily and I love to create together.

I had to guilt trip her to get her to smile for this picture. Standard procedure.

Also…yesterday was National Butterscotch Pudding Day. It’s so special that they named a day for it. So today, in honor of National Butterscotch Pudding Day, in honor of pudding being a completely different dish across continents, in honor of my sauce pans who were so willing to get dirty again to make another recipe, I have made Butterscotch Pudding. This version of my pudding is super fun because I’m kind of obsessed with making my own caramel, and making butterscotch is very close to the same process.

For this recipe, I made my butterscotch ‘sauce’ and then from there turned it into my pudding by adding the corn starch, milk, and eggs. I also topped it off with some good ol’ whipped cream and some chopped pecans.

This recipe is so, so fun to make and it’s perfect for this time of the year and basically foolproof. With Fall getting closer and closer every day (it will be OFFICIALLY Fall by the end of the week!!!), this pudding can be used for almost anything. You can even add some fun spices to it to make it more seasonal (PUMPKIN SPICE!!!). Seriously. Just have fun with this. It’s very cathartic for me to get in the kitchen and make a recipe like this. It’s all in the process – like therapy. I sincerely hope that you enjoy making this recipe as much as I did and have even more fun digging in!

Ingredients List:

¾ cup butter
1 ½ cups brown sugar
1 ½ cups heavy cream (room temperature or warmed)
Heavy pinch of salt
¼ (packed) cup of corn starch
3 eggs
3 cups milk (I used almond – room temperature or warmed)
2 vanilla bean pods
A handful of chopped pecans

For the whipped cream:

1 cup heavy cream
¼ cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Begin by melting your butter in a large sauce pan or a Dutch oven. Once melted, add the brown sugar, heavy cream, and salt. Stir with a whisk carefully while sugar melts and mixture turns into a sauce. Allow to bubble and cook down for around 5-6 minutes.
2. Next, sift the corn starch into a bowl and add the eggs. Mix these two together until combined. Take a cup measure and scoop (carefully!) about a cup of the butterscotch sauce and drizzle slowly into the egg mixture while whisking constantly. Once the egg mixture is heated through, add to the pan with the sauce and stir until combined.
3. Add the milk and the vanilla bean pods (sliced in half) and stir until combined.
4. Allow mixture to cook on low heat for several minutes until it has visibly thickened. Keep a close eye on the temperature at this point as it will burn and stick to the bottom of the pan if left unattended.
5. After about 5 minutes, the pudding should be done. Pour into a separate bowl/container using a sieve to strain out any potentially scrambled eggs as well as the vanilla bean pods.
6. Cover with plastic wrap, keeping the wrap directly on top of the pudding to prevent a skin from forming, and chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
7. If you’d rather have warm pudding either out of preference or necessity, allow to sit for about 10 minutes to finish cooling and thickening, then use as you wish.
8. While pudding is cooling/chilling, use a small bowl to add the ingredients for the whipped cream. Using a hand mixer, mix on high speed for about 2 minutes or until it’s thick and creamy.
9. To serve, scoop as many large spoonfuls as you want into a bowl/cup/plate/fingers, add a dollop or twenty of whipped cream, and sprinkle with pecans. Don’t leave these out – they add an incredible texture and flavor to the final treat. Enjoy!