Vintage pudding recipes

Great-Gran's Custard recipe

(This is one of my family's oldest recipes, dating before the Great Depression)


3 eggs, well beaten

3 cups whole milk

1/3 cup granulated sugar

½ tsp salt

¾ tsp vanilla extract


Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, combine all ingredients until well blended. Bake in a custard dish for 30 to 35 minutes, or until center is firm.


1970's Frozen Pudding Treat


1 package chocolate, butterscotch or pistachio instant pudding

1 ½ cups milk

2 cups Cool Whip

Chocolate syrup (optional)

4 to 6 dollops Cool Whip (optional)


In a bowl prepare pudding with 1 ½ cups milk. Stir in Cool Whip. Pour into individual plastic cups or bowls and freeze for about 4 hours, or until firm. If desired, top with drizzles of chocolate syrup and dollops of Cool Whip. Serves 4 to 6.

Bread Pudding for Two

1 cup fresh baked bread crumbs

2 cups milk

2 eggs. slightly beaten

4 TBLS granulated sugar

¼ tsp ground cinnamon

¼ tsp nutmeg


Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, soak bread crumbs in milk for 20 minutes Stir in eggs, sugar and spices. Grease a casserole dish with butter or margarine. Pour contents of bowl into dish and bake for 40 to 55 minutes, or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean. Serves 2–or one if you’re really into bread pudding.


Great-gran's Rice Pudding

¼ cup uncooked white rice

4 cups whole milk

¼ tsp salt

1/3 cup granulated sugar

½ tsp vanilla extract

Rind from 1 lemon, grated


Pre-heat oven to lowest setting, about 275 degrees. In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together, until well blended. Pour into a well-buttered baking pan. Stirring occasionally, bake for 2 ½ to 3 hours, or until center is firm.


Gran's Chocolate Scrummy

1 cup flour
¾ cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ cup chopped walnuts
½ cup whole milk
2 tablespoons melted butter or margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup white sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 cup cold water

Pre-heat oven to 350 F degrees

In a mixing bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, salt, cocoa, baking powder, walnuts, milk, butter, and vanilla. Spread evenly into a square greased baking pan.

In a seperate bowl, mix together the brown sugar, white sugar, and cocoa powder and sprinkle over batter in pan. Pour the cold water over the top of the mixure you just sprinkled in the pan, then Bake for 45 minutes. Serve hot or cold, garnished with sweet whipped cream or ice cream, if desired.


June's Banana Pudding


1 cup sugar
3 eggs, beaten
1 dash salt
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 cups whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
3-4 ripe bananas, sliced
Nabisco 'Nilla vanilla wafer cookies


In a large saucepan, mix together sugar and eggs. Stir in salt, cornstarch and milk.Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly; cook until thickened. Remove from heat. Sir in vanilla extract until well blended. Cover and chill for one hour. Before serving, add pudding and Nilla' wafers to the serving bowl, in layers...first, a layer of vanilla wafers, then a layer of pudding, etc., ending with pudding on top. If desired, garnish with dollops of sweet whipped cream.