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This Basic Custard is perfect for filling cream pies, layering in delights, or eating plain as a pudding! It tastes like my mom’s homemade cooked vanilla pudding for a peanut butter cream pie. Use it to make banana pudding, eat it with strawberry shortcake, or layer it in a trifle! THM S and low carb.
You can pin this recipe here.
Updated Goodness
When I was working on my Peanut Butter Cream Pie Delight and Coconut Cream Pie Delight recipes, I decided to update the Vanilla Pudding or Pie Filling recipe on page 343 of Necessary Food and use that in the delight recipes. The tweaked vanilla pudding recipe turned out so well that I wanted to make it available on my blog for future reference. I had an old Basic Custard recipe here on the blog that needed an update, so I decided to replace it with this new and improved vanilla custard pudding recipe and republish the post.
(You can find the old custard recipe at the very bottom of this post if you’re missing it.)
Helping you THM your cream pies!
This basic custard makes an excellent cream pie or delight filling. I also enjoyed it as a pudding with some whipped cream and fresh strawberries. Hadassah (my 7 month old daughter) and I licked the bowl together. She wholeheartedly approved.
Pour the warm custard into cute little dessert cups before chilling for a pretty presentation!
As always, check out the recipe below for detailed instructions, product recommendations, and answers to frequently asked questions!
Need ideas for using egg whites?
You can always throw the egg whites into an omelet or pan of scrambled eggs, but maybe you want to get more creative than that! A lot of THM E muffin and baked oatmeal recipes call for egg whites, so there’s that. You can also CLICK HERE for an index of my recipes that use egg whites.
You may also enjoy:
Peanut Butter Pie Delight
Coconut Cream Pie Delight
This recipe is an update on the Vanilla Pudding or Pie Filling recipe on page 343 of Necessary Food. This Basic Custard post was originally published on May 20, 2015, but on April 13, 2021 I replaced it with this updated recipe.
Basic Custard (Pudding)
- Total Time: 4 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: 3 cups
Description
This Basic Custard is perfect for filling cream pies, layering in delights, or eating plain as a pudding! It tastes like my mom’s homemade cooked vanilla pudding for a peanut butter cream pie. Use it to make banana pudding, eat it with strawberry shortcake, or layer it in a trifle! THM S and low carb.
Ingredients
BLOOM:
- 2 teaspoons Knox gelatin (or 2 ½ teaspoons beef gelatin such as Great Lakes beef gelatin or THM Just Gelatin)
- 2 tablespoons cool tap water
WHISK:
- 2 cups unsweetened almond or cashew milk
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- 4 egg yolks
- 2 tablespoons oat fiber
- 3/8 teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon glucomannan
WHISK IN AFTER COOKING:
- 1 tablespoon salted butter
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 ½ tablespoons THM Super Sweet Blend (or more, to taste)
Instructions
BLOOM the gelatin in the cool water and set aside. (Just whisk the gelatin and water together in a small dish and let it sit for a few minutes.)
WHISK the almond milk, cream, egg yolks, oat fiber, and salt together in a saucepan on the stovetop. Add the glucomannan last, a little at a time while whisking so it doesn’t clump.
COOK the custard mixture over medium heat (try medium low if using a gas stove), whisking often, until the custard registers 160*F on a digital instant read thermometer. Whisk constantly as the custard nears the desired temperature.
Once the custard reaches 160*, pull it off the burner and immediately whisk in the bloomed gelatin and the butter to keep the temperature from rising further. Add the vanilla and sweetener and whisk until the gelatin is completely dissolved.
Pour the custard into a heatproof bowl and then cover with plastic wrap, making sure the plastic wrap is touching the entire surface of the custard to prevent a skin from forming. Let the custard cool on the counter, then chill in the fridge for 4 hours or until set. Overnight is great!
SERVING: Eat the custard on its own as a pudding, or use it in a dessert. If you intend to spread it into a pie crust or a delight, let the custard chill first, then spread it into your dessert as gently as possible once firm to avoid messing up the creamy texture. (TIP: chill the custard in a bowl that is near the same diameter as your intended dessert pan so you won’t have to disturb it much.) If eating this custard on its own as a pudding, you could pour the warm custard into individual glasses to chill for a pretty presentation!
IN DELIGHTS: This amount of custard makes about a three-quarter inch layer in an 8” x 8” pan. Make a 1.5x batch if you want a thicker layer (depending on how many other layers your dessert has).
AS PUDDING: Leave out ½ teaspoon of the gelatin (either Knox gelatin or beef gelatin) so it doesn’t set so firmly if you want to eat this custard as a pudding on its own. I prefer a firmer set when using this custard in a dessert so it holds its shape well.
Notes
A digital thermometer is very useful when making custards, but I made custard for years without one. Just cook it slowly as noted above until it noticeably thickens as the egg yolks set. Don’t bring it to a boil – that’s 212*.
It’s best to bring the custard up to temp slowly to avoid scrambling the eggs, but I often rush things over higher heat without terrible consequences…. Once you have a feel for when to pull it off the heat, you can do this too to save time.
If the custard gets lumpy, run it through a fine mesh sieve before chilling.
The combination of gelatin, oat fiber, and glucomannan results in a better texture than just using one of the above. It’s not slimy (like it might be if using only glucomannan), has plenty of setting power, and is still nice and creamy.
Gelatin: I prefer Knox gelatin in custards like this because it dissolves better and results in a creamier, less curdly texture (especially if you have to spread the custard into a dessert after it has set). Knox gelatin sets up stronger than beef gelatins like Great Lakes beef gelatin or THM Just Gelatin, so adjust the amount as noted in the ingredients.
Oat fiber: this versatile low carb flour can usually only be found online. Not all brands are created equal, but I like LifeSource oat fiber. Oat fiber is a really fine flour that won’t make your custard gritty, and I don’t know of any great substitutes.
Glucomannan: you can probably use xanthan gum in place of the glucomannan if you prefer.
Sweetener: feel free to use your favorite low glycemic sweetener to taste in place of the THM Super Sweet Blend. Sweeten to taste to make sure you end up with a result you like! A lot of people like more sweetener than I do.
Allergy info: Use gluten free oat fiber for a gluten free custard.
This recipe is an update on the Vanilla Pudding or Pie Filling recipe on page 343 of Necessary Food. This Basic Custard post was originally published on May 20, 2015, but on April 13, 2021 I replaced it with this updated recipe.
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Chill Time: 4 hours
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: THM S, low carb, sugar free, gluten free
Keywords: Trim Healthy Mama, THM, low carb, sugar free, gluten free, egg yolks, pudding
OLD CUSTARD RECIPE: (this was only available online and is not in one of my cookbooks)
Blend:
- 2/3 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 2/3 cup water (or you could use more unsweetened almond milk with a little extra cream for a richer custard)
- 1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- 1/4 cup cottage cheese (you could possibly sub more cream for this if you like)
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon Knox gelatin (add an extra 1/4 teaspoon if using beef gelatin such as Great Lakes beef gelatin or THM Just Gelatin)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon glucomannan
Add after cooking:
- 1 tablespoon salted butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 packets of Truvia (about 2 1/4 teaspoons spoonable Truvia, or you could try half that much THM Super Sweet Blend)
- 3 doonks (3/32 teaspoon) THM Pure Stevia Extract Powder
Blend the first eight ingredients together until completely smooth. Add the glucomannan right before blending so it doesn’t clump. Simmer this in a nonstick kettle over medium heat until the mixture reaches 160* (or just cook it slowly until it noticeably thickens as the egg yolks set. Don’t bring it to a boil – that’s 212*.). Whisk often to prevent lumps, especially towards the end of the cooking time.
Remove the kettle from the heat and whisk in the butter, vanilla, and sweetener. Let the custard cool, then cover with plastic wrap (pressing the wrap into contact with the top of the custard to prevent a “skin” from forming) and refrigerate overnight. The warm pudding mixture may taste a little watery, but overnight refrigeration brings a smooth creaminess. Yields a little over 2 cups
NOTES:
- This is an old recipe and I would probably use more sweetener in it now (which means that a lot of you would probably add a LOT more sweetener…haha). Sweeten to taste with your favorite low glycemic sweetener to make sure you end up with something you like.
- I changed the instructions above to reflect the process that I have come to use for cooking custards. If that doesn’t work for some reason, here are the original instructions for the cooking process: “Simmer in a nonstick kettle over medium heat until thickened. I usually do it for about 8 minutes after the mixture comes to a boil, whisking often, especially toward the end, to prevent lumps. Remove the kettle from the heat and whisk in the vanilla, sweeteners, and butter.”
How necessary is the oat fiber? I don’t have oat fiber so could I process the old fashioned oats into a powder?
No, I’m afraid oat flour and oat fiber are not the same thing and have very different textures and nutritional info. They’re not interchangable. You can try making this without the oat fiber; it just probably won’t set up quite as firm.
I made this for the first time today and, oh my, it is so good! I found a low carb crepe recipe and paired the custard inside the crepes, smothered the outside with strawberries. It is so very good! Hubby approved as well.
That sounds delicious!
BRIANA!!!! I’m sure this new custard recipe will be just as delicious as the old, and I have I’ll try it, but is there any chance you can post the old recipe somewhere. That’s become a staple for me and I’m panicking a little that I can’t find it.
I added the old recipe to the very bottom of the blog post so you can access it. 🙂
You are the best!!!!!!!!
Hi
What is a suggested serving size?
Thank you
There isn’t really one. 🙂 Maybe 1/3 of the batch? It all depends on what else you’re eating with it.
Is glucomannan necessary for the recipe?
Yes, it serves as a thickener. Xanthan gum could probably be substituted.
Sorry forgot to say thanks. ?
What’s 1/32 tsp and when you say you can use more heave cream instead of the cottage and other products. You don’t say how much or how to change it up. This is confusing for sure
1/32 tsp. is a customary measurement of the United States and I’m really not sure how to describe it otherwise. In this recipe you would use 3/32 tsp. of THM Pure Stevia Extract Powder. That would be 1/16 tsp. + 1/32 tsp. Since 4/32=1/8, 3/32 would be a scant 1/8 tsp.
If you do not wish to use cottage cheese, try the vanilla pudding recipe from my peanut butter cream pie: https://www.briana-thomas.com/brianas-peanut-butter-cream-pie-s/
Most pure stevia extract powders come with little teensy scoops that are 1/32 tsp. Since pure stevia extract powder is so concentrated, not much at all is needed. Feel free to just use your favorite low glycemic sweetener to taste if you don’t have the sweeteners I have called for. 🙂
is there a substitution possible for the 1/2 tsp of glucomannan?
Xanthan gum would probably work.
This recipe gets two thumbs up from me. So read this recipe yesterday and got off the couch and made it. Of course like all new recipes I try, I have to try my own tweaks to it. This is hands down the best “pudding” I have had on thm yet. I was surprised how “stiff” it set up. I ate it with fresh strawberries last night. I have another helping. Then I need to make more.
Awesome! I’m so glad you liked it.
3 doonks THM Pure Stevia Extract Power
What is doonks THM? And do you mean powder?
Yes, I meant THM Pure Stevia Extract Powder. That’s the brand of stevia I use (it tastes much better than any other brand I’ve ever had and doesn’t have the nasty aftertaste of a lot of stevia powders. I have a link below the recipe to the Trim Healthy Mama online store where you can purchase this sweetener.). A “doonk” is 1/32 tsp. A lot of stevia powders, this one included come with a little spoon this size for measurement.
This looks wonderful! And the pictures look fine…great, actually! I can’t wait to try this one!
Thanks, Cheryl!
I notice that you use imitation vanilla in your recipes, is real vanilla off plan?
I only use imitation vanilla because my mom buys the groceries and that’s what she gets. Real vanilla is just fine; just use less because it’s stronger. 🙂