Instant pudding is a pantry staple you can break out to make all sorts of delectable desserts. While there’s nothing quite like pudding made from scratch, you can tinker with an instant mix—simple additions are all you need to give instant pudding that same rich texture and taste as the homemade version.
3 Ways to Make Instant Pudding Taste Homemade
1. Use Evaporated Milk
Replace the regular milk for a can of evaporated milk to make a creamier, more decadent pudding. Not only does it yield a luxurious texture, it dramatically improves the flavor of a pudding mix. For a tropical twist, reach for some canned coconut milk. It’s rich, and the gorgeous taste is ideal for taking your instant pudding from meh to amazing.
2. Add a Little Tipple
Open your liquor cabinet before you break out the mixing bowl. You can add a splash of alcohol to your instant pudding mix and it will rival some of your best from-scratch pudding efforts. Liqueurs like Kahlua, Irish cream and raspberry-flavored Chambord are perfect for the job. Cognac and bourbon also work a treat, especially if you’re working with chocolate or butterscotch mix, and spiced rum is wicked-good with banana pudding.
3. Mix in a Sweet Addition
Sprinkle in chopped nuts, chocolate chips or baking spices like cinnamon or freshly grated nutmeg. Don’t be surprised if folks go back for seconds! And you can always top with sprinkles, too. They make everything more fun!
Bonus: How to Make Dairy-Free Instant Pudding
You can make pudding mix work on a dairy-free diet. Just replace the dairy milk with a plant-based alternative, using half the amount of milk called for in the recipe. Because plant milks have a thinner texture, if you use the called-for amount in the recipe, you’ll wind up with thin, runny pudding. Use soy or rice milk for a neutral flavor, but experiment with other nut milks for tasty flavor combos.
More Things to Do with Boxed Pudding
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Cherry Almond Mousse Pie
Treat your loved ones to a luscious pie with chocolate, cherries and nuts in a creamy vanilla mousse. It's a sweet yet refreshing dessert. —Dorothy Pritchett, Wills Point, Texas
Blueberry Cheesecake Ice Cream
After sampling this flavor at an ice cream stand, I kept trying to duplicate it until it was just right. This blueberry cheesecake ice cream is a hit! —Melissa Symington, Neche, North Dakota
Vanilla Cream Puff Dessert
Inspired by classic cream puffs, this recipe is a wonderful treat. I've served it at Cub Scout banquets, birthday parties and holidays. I'm a regular baker, and this dessert is one of my all-time favorites. —Denise Wahl, Homer Glen, Illinois
Candy Bar Apple Salad
This creamy, sweet snickers salad with crisp apple crunch is a real people-pleaser. It makes a lot, which is good, because it will go fast! —Cyndi Fynaardt, Oskaloosa, Iowa
Banana Split Icebox Cake
One day a friend showed me how to make a traditional icebox cake with just cream and graham crackers. I make it extra special with the fruit. Now everyone at your potluck can have a banana split, no muss, no fuss! —Shelly Flye, Albion, Maine
Calgary Nanaimo Bars
This version of Nanaimo bars may claim roots in Alberta, but the original was said to be dreamed up in a British Columbia kitchen. They're three delicious layers of Canadian goodness. —Carol Hillier, Calgary, Alberta
Birthday Cake Freezer Pops
On my quest to find birthday cake ice cream—my favorite flavor—I came up with these easy ice pops. Now, instead of going to the store whenever a craving hits, I just head to my freezer. —Dawn Lopez, Westerly, Rhode Island
Budapest Roll
If you’re a fan of Yule logs and pumpkin rolls, taste my Swedish specialty made from hazelnut meringue. People are in awe every time I bring it somewhere. —Catherine Walbridge, Boise, Idaho
Chocolate Hazelnut Pudding Torte
This recipe is a busy mom's twist on one of my favorite desserts—tiramisu. The dish is simple to assemble and great to make the day before you want to serve it. The hardest thing about this recipe is waiting for it to chill so you can eat it! —Cheryl Snavely, Hagerstown, Maryland
Orange-Fig Pull-Aparts
For breakfast on Thanksgiving, my mom requested an orange pull-apart bread. I tried making one by dressing up tubes of refrigerated rolls. She loved it!—Shelly Bevington, Hermiston, Oregon
Can't-Eat-Just-One Cinnamon Rolls
My cinnamon rolls have been known to vanish quickly. Once I dropped off a dozen rolls for my brothers, and they emptied the pan in 10 minutes. —Regina Farmwald, West Farmington, Ohio
Strawberry Bliss
My easy-to-make puff pastry crust is topped with a soft-set pudding layer that has a hint of strawberry flavor. It needs to chill for at least an hour, so it’s your new go-to for a make-ahead brunch! —Candace Richter, Stevens Point, Wisconsin
Gingerbread & Pumpkin Cream Trifle
We wait for these flavors all year long. Stack up the layers in a big trifle bowl, or make minis for everybody at the table. —Amy Geiser, Fairlawn, Ohio
Root Beer Float Pie
This is the kind of recipe your kids will look back on and always remember. And you don't even need to use an oven. —Cindy Reams, Philipsburg, Pennsylvania
Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
Crazy about chocolate chips? This chewy, oatmeal chocolate chip cookie has plenty, not to mention lots of heart-healthy oatmeal. The gang’ll come back for seconds so this big batch recipe is perfect. This is the best 'oat choc chip cookies recipe' you'll ever taste! —Diane Neth, Menno, South Dakota
Giant Peanut Butter Ice Cream Sandwich
I created this giant peanut butter cookie cake for my husband, adding light and low-fat products to the cookie dough. It was so fantastic that I fixed it with conventional ingredients for guests. Since it can be made ahead of time and frozen, it cuts stress for busy hostesses. And really, who doesn't love peanut butter ice cream? —Joann Belack, Bradenton, Florida
Eggnog Ladyfinger Dessert
The combination of cranberries and eggnog will bring a festive end to any holiday meal. Plus, it's super simple to prepare. —Carole Resnick, Cleveland, Ohio
Pretty Pumpkin Cinnamon Buns
I make sticky buns and cinnamon rolls quite often because my husband loves them. One day I had some fresh pumpkin on hand and decided to try pumpkin cinnamon buns. We loved the results! —Glenda Joseph, Chambersburg, Pennsylvania
Pumpkin Chip Cream Pie
This creamy pie is perfect for any autumn celebration. A store-bought graham cracker crust makes it such a cinch to whip up. —Maria Regakis, Somerville, Massachusetts
Mini Rum Cakes
My mother and I tried many different types of rum cake to find the best one, and finally hit on this cake that doesn't dry out and imparts the most flavor. For a really moist cake, brush rum over the individual sponge cakes before topping them with the filling. —Dona M. Hoffman, Addison, Illinois
Light Strawberry Pie
People rave about this luscious strawberry pie. Best of all, it’s a low-sugar sensation that you won’t feel one bit guilty to eat. —Lou Wright, Rockford, Illinois
Pineapple Orange Cake
This is one of my favorite cakes. It’s moist and light yet so satisfying. I’ve been adapting it for years and now it’s almost guilt-free. —Pam Sjolund, Columbia, South Carolina
Peanut Butter Pudding Dessert
Here's a fun, layered dessert that will appeal to all ages. If you want it even nuttier, you can use chunky peanut butter, and if you're not a fan of cashews, substitute your favorite nut. This peanut butter lasagna is one of my favorite pudding desserts. —Barbara Schindler, Napoleon, Ohio
Cranberry-Pistachio Sticky Buns
Looking for a fantastic brunch item? Then try these ooey-gooey good sticky buns. They use frozen yeast roll dough and couldn't be simpler to make. The buns rise overnight in the refrigerator, so you just need to bake them the next morning.—Athena Russell, Florence, South Carolina
Frosty Lemonade Pie
Crushed lemon sandwich cookies give this creamy pie extra flavor. It's a wonderful dessert to store in the freezer for nights when you need a low-sugar treat in a hurry. —Emma Overby, East Prairie, Mississippi
Boston Cream Angel Cake
You can prepare this delectable dessert in no time. To change this cake to your family's liking, try different flavors of instant pudding or different ice cream toppings. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Very Vanilla French Toast
These French toast slices have creamy vanilla flavor from convenient pudding mix, plus a hint of cinnamon. We like to top them with syrup or powdered sugar and fresh berries. —Linda Bernhagen, Plainfield, Illinois
Toffee Brownie Trifle
This decadent combination of pantry items is a terrific way to dress up a brownie mix. Try this trifle with other flavors of pudding or substitute your favorite candy bar. It tastes great with low-fat and sugar-free products, too. —Wendy Bennett, Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Old-Fashioned Banana Cream Pie
This fluffy no-bake pie is full of old-fashioned flavor, with only a fraction of the work. Because it uses instant pudding , it’s ready in just minutes. —Perlene Hoekema, Lynden, Washington
Ribbon Pudding Pie
Cool, smooth and creamy, this pretty pie is a slice of heaven for people with diabetes and anyone who likes an easy yet impressive dessert. The lovely pudding layers feature a yummy combination of vanilla, chocolate and butterscotch. —Doris Morgan, Verona, Mississippi
Pecan Coffee Cake
My mom serves this nutty coffee cake for Christmas breakfast each year. The simple recipe is a big time-saver on such an event-filled morning. Everyone loves the crunchy topping. —Becky Wax, Tuscola, Illinois
Snappy Pumpkin Dessert
Our town has a pumpkin-canning factory, so we're known as the "Pumpkin Capital of the World." New pumpkin recipes are always welcomed by our family, and this has become a favorite. The gingersnap crust is the perfect flavor pairing to the pumpkin. —Nilah Fischer, Morton, Illinois
Crumb-Topped Raspberry Coffee Cake
Raspberries are abundant at our summer home nearby Aziscohos Lake. So I developed this recipe to share the bounty with our guests. The pretty crumb-topped cake's fruity flavor really shines through. —Marian Cummings, West Paris, Maine
Cheesecake Strawberry Trifle
The only drawback to this lovely dessert is that there's never any left over. For a patriotic look, replace one of the layers of strawberry pie filling with blueberry—or use whatever filling you prefer. —Lori Thorp, Frazee, Minnesota
Delicious Pumpkin Bread
An enticing aroma wafts through my house when this tender cake-like pumpkin bread is in the oven. I bake extra loaves to give as holiday gifts. My friends wait eagerly for it every year. —Linda Burnett, Prescott, Arizona
Chocolate Eclairs
With creamy filling and fudgy frosting, this chocolate eclair recipe is extra special. —Jessica Campbell, Viola, Wisconsin
Quick Icebox Sandwiches
My mother liked making these cool, creamy treats when I was growing up in the States because they're so quick to fix. Then I made them for my three kids.—Sandy Armijo, Naples, Italy
Sky-High Strawberry Pie
This pie is my specialty. It's fairly simple to make but so dramatic to serve. The ultimate taste of spring, this luscious pie has such a big, fresh berry taste. I've had many requests to bring it to gatherings. —Janet Mooberry, Peoria, Illinois
Aunt Marion's Fruit Salad Dessert
Aunt Marion, my namesake, is like a grandma to me. She gave me this luscious salad recipe, which goes to all our family reunions, hunt club suppers and snowmobile club picnics...and I go home with no leftovers! —Marion LaTourette, Honesdale, Pennsylvania
Thelma's Chocolate Eclair
I love eclairs, but making the actual pastry is difficult. So I came up with this recipe as a substitute. It still satisfies my cravings with the same wonderful flavors. —Thelma Beam, Esbon, Kansas
Brownie Mocha Trifle
By using instant pudding and a convenient box of brownie mix, there's nothing to the preparation. The result is moist and chewy. And the layers look so pretty spooned into a glass trifle bowl. —Louise Fauth, Foremost, Alberta
No-Cook Coconut Pie
This creamy No-Cook Coconut Pie proves that a quick meal doesn't have to go without dessert. —Jeanette Fuehring, Concordia, Missouri
The post How to Make Pudding Mix Taste Homemade appeared first on Taste of Home.
Camille Berry