Budino Is the Italian Pantry Dessert You Won't Be Able To Stop Making

Everybody loves pudding, it's a fact of life. But more often than not, the little peel-top cups or boxes of powdered mix leave something to be desired. So what if you could whip up a better version at home, whenever the craving strikes? And what if it was pretty easy, mainly using stuff you already have on hand? And what if it was like, kind of grown-up and sophisticated… as in, you could impress other people with it? Well, I have some excellent news: Budino is the answer to all of the above.

What Is Budino?

In its simplest form, budino is an Italian pudding. But trust me, it's so much more than that. Made from a milk and egg custard thickened with cornstarch, budino is similar to American puddings and custards; however, budino tends to have a richer, eggier texture, akin to Mexican flan.

Better still, budino almost always includes some type of crust, like crushed cookies, and a whipped cream-based topping. You'll often find other top layers, like salted caramel or butterscotch, included as well. In America, chocolate is a super popular flavor for pudding, but budino is a little different. The most common flavors are coffee, caramel (or butterscotch), vanilla, or honey. You don't often find fruit flavors, but you'll stumble upon the occasional lemon budino accompanied by a fruit compote in the summer months. Nuts like pistachios are a common final-touch topping, but crushed bits of biscotti or other crunchy cookies are also welcome additions.

Get the Recipe: Chef John's Chocolate Puddino

Why Budino Is Great

Budino is a show-stopper dessert that is easily made with pantry staples. A plain vanilla budino comes together with ingredients — like milk, eggs, butter, and cornstarch — that home cooks often have on hand. Plus, the custard comes together in less than 20 minutes on the stovetop. Egg custards have the reputation of being tricky or complicated, which is why many people reach for a box of pudding mix over making it from scratch. That said, the method for making budino, which involves tempering the milk first and then bringing down the temperature of the custard mixture with cold milk and cornstarch, provides a bit more insurance against accidentally scrambling the eggs in your pudding.

Even though it's relatively easy to make and uses common ingredients, budino feels legitimately special and can be dressed up with different flavors and toppings. The base recipe below can be very easily adapted to your personal tastes and what you have on hand.

How to Make Budino

Basic Budino

Makes 2 budino cups

CRUST:

• ¼ cup crushed cookies
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted
• 1 pinch salt

CUSTARD:

• ¾ cup whole milk, divided
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 large egg yolk
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon cold butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon rum (optional)
• 1 pinch salt

TOPPING:

• ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• Cookie crumbs, for garnish

To make the crust:

1. Mix cookie crumbs, melted butter, and salt in a small bowl and then spoon into two small cups or glasses.

To make the custard:

1. Whisk together ¼ cup of the milk with the cornstarch in a small bowl and set aside.

2. Heat remaining ½ cup of milk in a saucepan, just until it starts to bubble.

3. Whisk egg yolk in a large, heat-proof bowl. Very slowly stream in the warmed milk while whisking vigorously, followed by whisking in the milk and cornstarch mixture. Set aside.

4. Heat brown sugar and 3 tablespoons of water in the same pan you used to heat the milk until the sugar dissolves.

5. Slowly stream the sugar mixture into the bowl with the milk and eggs while whisking vigorously. Pour mixture back into the pan and warm over medium heat, whisking constantly until the mixture begins to thicken, about 3-5 minutes.

6. Remove from heat and stir in the cold butter, vanilla extract, rum (if using), and salt. Pour mixture over the cookie crumbs and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

To make the topping and finish:

1. Whip the cream in a stand mixer, with an electric hand mixer, or by hand until slightly thickened. Add in the sugar and vanilla extract, and continue to whip until fluffy. Top each budino with a generous dollop of whipped cream and garnish with cookie crumbs.

Budino Variations

• Caramel: When making the brown sugar syrup, heat the syrup (without stirring!) to about 220 degrees F to create an easy homemade caramel sauce. Top the chilled and set budino with homemade or jarred caramel topping before dolloping on whipped cream.
  
• Mocha: Steep one tablespoon of coffee grounds in the milk while heating it and carefully strain the coffee out before mixing into the eggs. Use Oreo, or other chocolate cookie, crumbs in the crust and mix in a few healthy pinches of cocoa powder into the whipped cream mixture. Substitute your favorite coffee-flavored liqueur (like Kahlua) for the rum in the custard. Optionally, pour your favorite chocolate sauce on top of the chilled and set budino before dolloping on whipped cream.
  
• Amaretti: Use your favorite amaretti cookies for the crust. Stir ¼ teaspoon almond extract in with the vanilla extract when making the custard. Substitute your favorite amaretto liquor for the rum in the custard. Garnish with chopped almonds.
  
• Lemon: Use lemon-flavored shortbread cookies for the crust. Steep the zest of one lemon in with the milk as it heats. (If finely grated, you can leave the lemon zest; no need to strain.) Top the chilled and set budino with your favorite strawberry or raspberry jam. Garnish with candied lemon peel.

Related:

• 9 Top Sicilian Dessert Recipes to Celebrate the Sweet Life
• Our 10 Best Pudding Recipes of All Time
• 16 Classic Italian Cake Recipes
• How To Make Rich and Creamy Pudding From Scratch