Indian Pudding Recipe (2024)

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By Tara Noland on | Updated | 10 Comments

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This is a recipe I made years and years ago for the first time. The Indian Pudding Recipe has been one that we have loved from the start and have enjoyed it every fall since. I found the recipe in the Moosewood Restaurant Book of Desserts. I have made other recipes from this cookbook but hands down this is our ultimate favorite. Ken has taken over this task and he is the one that now makes this year after year.

Indian Pudding is great served warm or cold and also with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. It can be made in one large casserole but I prefer to make it in smaller dishes. We have even made it baked in large spoons for a simple little taster for Thanksgiving, when you want to serve other desserts too.

Indian Pudding Recipe (1)

The flavor is just like pumpkin pie but there isn’t any pumpkin in it. The main base besides the spices is cornmeal and eggs. It has a wonderful texture and the perfect amount of pumpkin pie spices. This recipe will become your new fall favorite too! We adore it!!

Indian Pudding Recipe (2)

I have these cute little fall dishes that I traditionally bake it in but you can use any small ramekin. When it is made in smaller dishes it tends to be more silky than if made in one casserole.

This dessert can be traced back to the 1700’s and is a well known staple on Thanksgiving tables in the New England area. It most likely came from English Hasty Pudding but Indian Pudding uses cornmeal instead of wheat flour which was abundant to new settlers. “Indian meal” is what cornmeal used to be called and hence the name of this pudding was born. The pudding bakes in the oven on a low and slow temperature. It would have been baked on the hearth after all the other baking of the day had been done.

Bring some old world tradition to your table with this wonderful, simple pudding that will have everyone raving.

The Recipe

Indian Pudding Recipe (3)

Indian Pudding Recipe

A favorite fall dessert of ours is this Indian Pudding Recipe. It tastes like pumpkin pie with no pumpkin!!

Ingredients

  • 4 cups milk
  • 1/2 cup cornmeal
  • 2 Tbsp. butter
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup molasses
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp. ginger
  • Pinch of cloves
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 2 large egg, beaten
  • 2 tsp. fresh lemon juice

Instructions

  1. Butter 4-6 custard dishes and set aside. In a large pot, whisk together the milk and cornmeal until smooth. Over medium heat, bring the mixture to a low boil, then turn down the heat and let simmer for 10 min. stirring occasionally. The mixture will become slightly thickened. Remove the pot from the heat.
  2. Preheat the oven to 325F. To the pot add the rest of the ingredients stirring well. Pour the mixture into buttered custard dishes. Place the custard dishes in a baking pan and fill with 1" of boiling water. Place in the oven and bake for 50-75 min. depending on the container shape and size. The pudding should be firmer on the edges and still soft in the middle. Do not over bake as it will become rubbery. Serve warm or cold with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Indian Pudding Recipe (4)

Indian Pudding Recipe (5)

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    Comments & Reviews

  1. Muriel Moore says

    I have been looking for this recipe for years. I tasted it for the first time in the 60’s when I lived near Detroit. I fell in love with it! Over the years I lost it, but never forgot it’s taste and texture! Will be making this once I get to the grocery store to replenish pantry stores. Anxious!😍

    Reply

  2. Bay says

    Please send me the Indian pudding recipe / from moose wood Restuarant book of deserts. Thanks

    Reply

    • Tara Noland says

      The recipe is in the post here, just above.

      Reply

  3. Dawn Lopez says

    I love trying out new recipes and this Indian Pudding looks amazing! Your little dishes are so cute too. The presentation is so pretty.

    Reply

  4. Kristi says

    I have never had this but it looks and sounds delicious. I am going to pin it and make it this fall.

    Reply

  5. Jaimej says

    What a creative recipe! This looks and sounds delicious! I will definitely make this sometime!

    Reply

  6. Alicia says

    This looks delicious! I’ve never heard of Indian Pudding before but we love things that taste like pumpkin so we’ll have to try it!

    Reply

  7. Amy Desrosiers says

    Indian Pudding is super rich with the spices of fall. I know I love it, and Indian Pudding ice cream.

    Reply

    • Tara Noland says

      OMG, Indian Pudding ice cream, drooling!!

      Reply

Indian Pudding Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is Indian pudding made of? ›

Indian pudding is a baked custard with milk, butter, molasses, eggs, spices, and cornmeal. The name is likely derived from the cornmeal, which was known as indian meal way back when.

What is also known as Indian pudding a type of porridge made from cornmeal? ›

Cornmeal pudding, also known as Indian Pudding and Cornmeal Pone - and similar to the English's hasty pudding - has existed in some form for hundreds of years. It was originally found in places where corn and molasses were easily accessible, such as colonial New England and Jamaica.

What makes pudding pudding? ›

In the United States, puddings are nearly always sweet desserts of milk or fruit juice variously flavoured and thickened with cornstarch, arrowroot, flour, tapioca, rice, bread, or eggs. The rarer savoury puddings are thickened vegetable purées, soufflé-like dishes, or, like corn pudding, custards.

What is the nutritional value of Indian pudding? ›

Firni, Indian pudding contains 367 calories per 260 g serving. This serving contains 8.1 g of fat, 9.3 g of protein and 65 g of carbohydrate. The latter is 41 g sugar and 0.8 g of dietary fiber, the rest is complex carbohydrate. Firni, Indian pudding contains 3.9 g of saturated fat and 23 mg of cholesterol per serving.

What is homemade pudding made of? ›

ingredients
  • 3 cups milk.
  • 1 cup sugar.
  • 3 tablespoons butter.
  • 3 tablespoons cornstarch (massive tablespoons)
  • 4 egg yolks.
  • 1 12 teaspoons vanilla extract.
  • 1 pinch salt.
  • 1 -6 tablespoon sifted cocoa powder (ONLY if you are making chocolate pudding)

What is real pudding made of? ›

Ingredients for Making Pudding

It is simply milk and cream, sweetened and thickened by a brief bout of cooking on the stovetop or in the oven. Unbaked puddings, like this one, get their richness and thickness from a mixture of cornstarch and egg yolks.

What is the oldest American dessert? ›

Indian pudding is a delicious historical dessert first made by American colonists with cornmeal gifted by Native Americans, and molasses. This is one you have to try (and it's perfect for Thanksgiving!)

Why do jamaicans eat cornmeal porridge? ›

Jamaicans believe that porridge makes babies strong and healthy and, for adults, it serves as an affordable, hot, and hearty breakfast that fills you up and sustains you for many hours.

What's the difference between porridge and pudding? ›

Porridge is a food commonly eaten as a breakfast cereal dish, made by boiling ground, crushed or chopped starchy plants—typically grains—in water or milk. Pudding is a type of food that can be either a dessert or a savory non-sweet dish that is part of the main meal.

What are the 3 types of pudding? ›

Puddings made for dessert can be boiled and steamed puddings, baked puddings, bread puddings, batter puddings, milk puddings or even jellies. In some Commonwealth countries these puddings are known as custards (or curds) if they are egg-thickened, as blancmange if starch-thickened, and as jelly if gelatin-based.

What do we call kheer in English? ›

Kheer, also known as payasam or payesh, is a pudding/porridge popular in the Indian subcontinent, usually made by boiling milk, sugar or jaggery, and rice.

What ingredient makes pudding thick? ›

It typically contains milk or cream, although there are non-dairy puddings made with plant-based "milk." Pudding is similar to custard in that they both can contain eggs and milk, but pudding is usually thickened with a starch, whereas custard is thickened by the eggs.

What is the healthiest pudding to-eat? ›

Healthy pudding recipes
  • Chocolate chia pudding. A star rating of 4.2 out of 5. ...
  • Slow cooker rice pudding. A star rating of 3.2 out of 5. ...
  • Healthy spiced rice pudding. A star rating of 3.2 out of 5. ...
  • Mini summer puddings. ...
  • Juicy Lucy pudding. ...
  • Sweet & fruity Yorkshire pudding. ...
  • Slow cooker spiced apples with barley.

Is it OK to-eat pudding everyday? ›

A small dessert consumed daily can be part of a healthy diet. The key is to control portion sizes. You'll also want to pay attention to other foods you eat that contain added sugars, such as cereals, protein bars, juices, bottled teas and coffees, so you don't overdo your daily sugar intake.

Can I eat pudding everyday? ›

Dessert can absolutely fit into a balanced diet. Zooming out and being mindful of your overall eating pattern is more important than hyperfocusing on one food. Allowing yourself to eat the dessert without guilt can help improve your relationship with food and keep you feeling satisfied.

What is Indian kheer made of? ›

Kheer is a popular dessert from the Indian sub-continent, made primarily with rice, milk and sugar. The word “Kheer” is derived from the Sanskrit word “Skheer” meaning milk.

Is American pudding the same as custard? ›

American puddings are closer to what the Brits would call "custard." A British pudding is a dish, savory or sweet, that's cooked by being boiled or steamed in something: a dish, a piece of cloth, or even animal intestine.

What are Indian desserts called? ›

North
NameMain ingredients
Gulab jamunFried milk balls soaked in sweet syrup, such as rose syrup or honey.
ImartiSugar syrup, lentil flour.
JalebiDough fried in a coil shape dipped in sugar syrup, often taken with milk, tea, yogurt, or lassi.
Kaju katliCashews, ghee with cardamom and sugar.
23 more rows

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