Recipes For People Who Really Love Pudding

Silky and smooth, creamy and rich — pudding isn't hard to love. And while pudding cups are certainly a nostalgic snack many of us grew up with, it's super easy to make your own delicious puddings at home. With just a bit of time, creamy rice pudding, banana pudding, and even chocolate mousse are well within your reach — and those are far from the only puddings out there. While in the U.S., we tend to think first and foremost of pudding as a sweet, thickened cream, Brits use the word to describe almost all desserts. 

We won't go that far, but open your mind, and you'll soon see that the definition of a pudding can be vast: bread pudding, chia pudding, and more all find ways to thicken a custard with starch to fashion a dessert as comforting as it is delicious. We can't wait for you to discover just how delicious homemade pudding can be!

A time tested treat all around the world, from the vanilla-tinged French riz au lait to cardamom-scented Indian kheer, rice pudding is a perennial favorite for a reason. This recipe for rice pudding is unabashedly simple, making it the perfect canvas with which to experiment. Some jazz it up with spices like cinnamon or even with rum-soaked raisins, while others dig in to the treat simply unadorned. Either way, this creamy treat is just as delicious hot or cold.

Banana pudding is much beloved in the South, and once you've made it at home with this recipe, you'll see why. A combination of cream cheese, condensed milk, and banana pudding mix is scented with a touch of vanilla and layered with Cool Whip, vanilla wafers, and, of course, sliced bananas. The resulting dessert is nostalgic and sweet, and it gets even better when the flavors have time to mix and mingle, softening the cookies into a cake-like layer that goes wonderfully with the pudding.

Chia seeds have a nearly magical ability to thicken any liquid they touch, which makes this omega-rich chia pudding a cinch to pull together with our simple yet versatile recipe. Simply stir chia seeds and honey into your choice of milk, and let them work their magic overnight. In the morning, top your pudding with the fresh fruit of your choice and dig in! 

his chia pudding isn't quite vegan as written, but it's easy to make it so. Choose a rich non-dairy milk like cashew milk or coconut milk, and use a vegan sweetener, like agave or maple syrup, in place of the honey.

Is a mousse a pudding? Such philosophical questions are best answered while digging in, which we highly recommend you do with this recipe for the chocolate concoction. Made with both fudge sauce and cocoa powder, it's at once feather-light and sinfully rich. Gild the lily by topping it with berries and homemade whipped cream — but try to keep from making the latter too sweet, as a milder cream is also the perfect foil for the mousse below.

If managing the gelatin and egg in the above recipe is too much for you, never fear: We've got just the solution. This three-ingredient chocolate mousse recipe calls only for whipping cream, chocolate chips, and salt. After ten minutes of work (and okay, an hour of waiting), it's time to dig in and enjoy. It really couldn't be easier.

With a mousse this easy, it can be fun to play with added flavors. Consider adding a touch of ground chile, cinnamon, or even espresso powder to the mix for even more flavor.

Some of our all-time favorite recipes were invented to use up forlorn leftovers, and bread pudding is one of them. Slightly stale, day-old bread is the best choice for this cherry-pecan bread pudding recipe, as the lack of moisture in the bread will encourage it to soak up all that wonderful custard. Studded with pecans and dried cherries and spiked with just a hint of cinnamon, this is a delightful addition to any dessert table.

If you want to really gild the lily when you're making bread pudding, use brioche instead! This egg- and butter-enriched bread adds loads of flavor and richness to this bread pudding, and the chocolate chips studded throughout are nothing to turn your nose up at either. This recipe relies specifically on the chocolate chip brioche loaf you can find at your local Aldi, but if you can't find it, just use a regular brioche loaf (or a cinnamon swirled one for added flavor) and fold some chocolate chips into the mix.