Homemade Butterscotch Pudding Recipe. A very special recipe using heavy cream, brown sugar, butterscotch chips, and a splash of Scotch Whisky. Luxurious, velvety rich and an unforgettable dessert. Perfect for your next dinner party, as it can be made well ahead of time.
What is your favorite flavor of Life Saver candy? Cherry? Pineapple? Mine was always Butter Rum. Couldn’t get enough of those little candies when I was a kid. And did you know that Pep-o-Mint was their original flavor?
So what does this have to do with pudding? The first time I made this homemade butterscotch pudding it took me back to those Life Saver candies. The flavor reminded me very much of that Butter Rum candy.
Butterscotch Pudding … Perfect Dinner Party Dessert
I’ve been known to throw a dinner party or two …. and more times than not, my choice for dessert is this old-fashioned show-stopper, homemade butterscotch pudding.
Why? It seems to go with any type of meal, and it just flat out wins the hearts of everyone. Plus this can be made well ahead of time, actually a full day ahead, leaving time for other tasks the day of your event.
What is Butterscotch?
Butterscotch is made stovetop by combining butter, salt and dark brown sugar and cooking it until it just starts to smoke and becomes caramelized. Cooking sugar can be a bit fussy and a little unnerving. It takes practice.
This recipe removes that nervous factor by using butterscotch chips (Nestle calls them morsels) that are melted into heavy cream. Brown sugar is most certainly a part of this recipe but it’s simply dissolved in water stovetop. And did I mention there’s a splash of Scotch involved?
Here’s Why This Butterscotch Pudding Recipe Is So Special
I remember the first time I ever made butterscotch pudding from scratch. I simply could-not believe my tastebuds. The texture was rich, creamy, eggy, and oh so custard-y. And the flavor simply crazy divine.
Making pudding from scratch is a totally different experience from the boxed pudding we get at the store. After you make this homemade butterscotch pudding you’ll question whether it’s even the same product as boxed pudding.
- It’s made with heavy cream.
- There are butterscotch chips melted into that cream.
- You add a little splash of Scotch.
- It’s butterscotch pudding without cornstarch for thickening. This recipe doesn’t use cornstarch for thickening, as cream and eggs do the trick quite nicely.
- And it’s strained so insure that there is absolutely not one lump in this pudding.
How to Make Butterscotch Pudding From Scratch
I’m not going to claim that this recipe is super easy to make, but it’s not all that hard either. Once you start the recipe, its hands on, so you’ll need to pay attention until the process is completed.
Let’s take a look.
- Before starting the pudding, fill a medium bowl with ice and water. Set a fine mesh sieve in another medium bowl, then set that bowl in the ice water bath.
- In a small skillet, combine 1 ½ Tablespoons cream with the Scotch, brown sugar, water and salt. Cook over medium low heat until sugar is dissolved.
- Break the eggs in a medium bowl and whisk.
- In a heavy saucepan, bring the remaining 3 ½ cups of cream and vanilla to a simmer.
- Add butterscotch chips to the mixture, remove from heat and let stand until the chips are melted.
- Very gradually add butterscotch mixture to the egg yolks, whisking constantly.
- Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over low heat, about 15 minutes, stirring constantly. Use a heat proof spatula and don’t let this mixture boil.
- Strain the pudding into the sieve set-up, using the spatula to push the mixture through.
- Place the pudding into serving bowls, or glasses. Let is sit in the refrigerator for four hours.
- Garnish with whipped cream, caramel sauce and toffee bits.
TIP FROM CULINARY SCHOOL.
We always strained any type of sauce in Culinary School. It was routine practice. In this case here’s the reason. Straining the pudding removes any bits of the egg that may not have completely emulsified in the mixing process. This will eliminate the possibility of lumps in the pudding. Perfect!
Homemade Butterscotch Pudding Recipe
I hope you give this butterscotch pudding recipe a try. And if you do, please come back and give the recipe a star rating. And leave a comment about your experience with the recipe.
And if you have a favorite homemade pudding recipe, let me know, I’d love to give it a try.
More Creamy Dreamy Dessert Recipes
- Strawberry Tart Recipe with Cream Cheese Filling
- Cream Cheese Flan
- Pumpkin Pots au Creme
- Cherry Delight, Cream Cheese Cherry Dessert
And if you’re looking for even more dessert recipe ideas, don’t miss my Dessert Category. You’ll find lots of luscious treats, including the most popular dessert recipe on my site, French Pear Tart Bourdaloue with Apricot Rum Glaze.
Rich and Creamy Butterscotch Pudding
Ingredients
- 3 ½ cups plus 1 ½ tablespoons heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons Scotch
- 1 ½ teaspoons dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon water
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 5 large eggs yolks
- ½ vanilla bean seeds seeds scraped from ½ of a vanilla pod
- 1 cup butterscotch chips 6 ounces. Like Nestle Butterscotch Morsels from the baking aisle.
- whipped cream, store-bought caramel sauce, and toffee bits for serving (see note)
Instructions
- Fill a medium bowl with ice water. Set a fine mesh sieve in another medium bowl; set the bowl in the ice water bath.
- In a small skillet, combine 1 ½ tablespoons of the cream with the Scotch, brown sugar, water and salt and cook over moderate heat just until the sugar is dissolved. Let cool slightly.
- Put the egg yolks in a medium bowl. Whisk well.
- In a heavy, medium saucepan, bring the remaining 3 ½ cups of cream to a simmer with the vanilla bean seeds. Remove from the heat. I've also used ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract in leu of the vanilla bean seeds.
- Add the butterscotch chips to the hot cream and let stand until melted, 2 to 3 minutes. Whisk until smooth.
- Gradually add the hot butterscotch mixture to the egg yolks, whisking constantly. Add slowly so the eggs don't scramble.
- Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a heatproof rubber spatula, until thick, about 15 minutes. Do not let it boil.
- Strain the pudding into the bowl in the ice bath. Once strained, stir in the Scotch/brown sugar mixture.
- Pour the pudding into glasses and refrigerate until thoroughly set, at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Serve the pudding with whipped cream and caramel sauce. Sprinkle with some toffee bits for an extra special treat. You can purchase these on the baking aisle.
Nutrition
Butterscotch Pudding Recipe … It’s What’s For Dessert
Why Trust These Recipes? Lea Ann Brown has lived, worked and played in Colorado for 45 years. She has immersed herself in the Colorado Culinary space, is a Culinary School Graduate and publishes her Colorado food Blog, Cooking On The Ranch.
I can’t even begin to tell you how much I love butterscotch pudding. It is my all time favorite. I love how you made even better with the caramel and toffee bits topping. YUM!!! I need to pick up some heavy cream and scotch. I can see the checkout person now. 🙂
The pudding looks delicious and. Thanks for the sauce tip. I don’t think I’ve had butterscotch pudding since I was a kid and I imagine it was from a box and no scotch for sure.
I should strain my sauces more often. It definitely makes for better texture, and only adds a minute or two at the most to cooking time. Anyway, this is a terrific looking recipe — very creative. Thanks!