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Strawberry pudding is a smooth, creamy fruity twist on pudding! Itโ€™s made almost the same way as vanilla or chocolate pudding, but made with fresh strawberry puree instead. This creamy, luscious pudding is great as a layer in mini banana pudding trifles, creating a fun strawberry banana pudding. Also, this recipe only requires stovetop cooking, no oven baking.

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Two bowls of strawberry pudding with whipped cream on top.

Strawberry pudding

Making pudding from fruit, rather than chocolate, is a wonderful way to switch up your Spring dessert game! You can even use this small batch strawberry pudding as one of the layers in a large recipe for banana pudding, if you want. Everyone loves the combination of strawberry and banana, and I highly recommend using it as a layer in my mini banana pudding trifles.

However, we keep our serving sizes small around Dessert for Two, and this recipe is perfect piled in two small ramekins. Other ramekin desserts we love are mini funfetti cakes in ramekins and chocolate cake for two. We canโ€™t forget my personal favorite ramekin dessert, lemon cake for two.

Bowl of strawberry pudding with bite missing.

If youโ€™ve never tried making pudding with fresh fruit or berries, this is your day! If youโ€™ve made the strawberry milk and loved it, this pudding is the next thing to make.

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Homemade Strawberry Pudding Ingredients:

  • strawberries: fresh or frozen is fine; just half a pound of them.
  • water
  • orange juice: freshly squeezed or from the carton is fine, because weโ€™re only using one tablespoon. However, if youโ€™re making the optional orange whipped cream for serving, grab a fresh orange because weโ€™ll use the zest for the cream.
  • sugar
  • flour
  • baking powder
  • salt
  • unsalted butter
  • vanilla extract
  • heavy whipping cream: For an optional orange whipped cream on top, youโ€™ll need heavy cream and the two ingredients below.
  • orange zest
  • powdered sugar

How to make strawberry pudding:
Ingredients in small bowls on marble table.

  1. Reduce: First, weโ€™re going to cook the fresh strawberries down into a reduction that is pure strawberry flavor. Combine the strawberries, water and orange juice in a small saucepan over medium heat.
    Whole strawberries in pan with sugar.
  2. Simmer: Once the mixture simmers, cook for 3-4 minutes, while mashing the berries to make it as jammy and pulpy as possible.
    Cooked strawberries in shallow pot.
  3. Strain: Drain the strawberry mixture through a strainer or sieve, and use a wooden spoon to press on the berries to extract as much juice as possible. Weโ€™re straining to leave behind the seeds.
    Straining strawberry puree into clear bowl.
  4. Combine: In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, baking powder and salt. Slowly whisk in the strawberry puree mixture.
    Clear bowl with flour and sugar.
    Strawberry puree on flour mixture.
  5. Heat: When the strawberry and flour mixture is perfectly smooth (no visible lumps can be seen!), pour it back into the pan used for making the strawberries. Turn the heat to medium low, and cook while whisking constantly. The mixture will come up to a very gentle simmer and begin to thicken. If you can dip a spoon in it, and run your finger quickly through the mixture and the line holds clean, itโ€™s done. This is how we test to see if a pudding has properly thickened, but do know that this mixture will thicken more as it cools.
    Cooked strawberry pudding with spatula in pan.
  6. Stir: Once the mixture comes off the heat, add the butter and stir it to stop the cooking process. Finally, add the vanilla extract.
    Side by side bowls of strawberry pudding.
  7. Chill: Divide the strawberry pudding mixture into two ramekins, press plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pudding, and chill for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
    Ingredients for orange whipped cream.
  8. Whip: Just before serving, you can make the optional orange whipped cream: beat together the heavy cream and orange zest until very soft peaks form, about 1-3 minutes. Add one tablespoon of the powdered sugar, beat to combine, and then taste it to see if youโ€™d like more sugar.
    Freshly whipped cream in clear bowl.
  9. Serve: Dollop whipped cream on top of each strawberry pudding and serve.

How to store:

This pudding can be made in advance, and kept tightly wrapped in the fridge for up to 2 days. Be sure to press the plastic wrap directly on the surface so a โ€˜pudding skinโ€™ doesnโ€™t form. Hold off on adding the whipped cream until right before serving.

If youโ€™re looking for a small batch of vanilla pudding for two, I can help you with that, of course! I even have chocolate pudding for two for you!

Serving bowls with red berries on side.

Other strawberry desserts you love:

Yield: Makes 2 ramekins.

Strawberry Pudding

Two bowls of strawberry pudding with whipped cream on top.

Individual no bake strawberry puddings.

Prep Time 15 minutes
Additional Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 8 oz. strawberries (frozen are fine)
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 1 tablespoon orange juice
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon flour
  • 1/8 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

For the whipped cream:

  • 5 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
  • 1/4 teaspoon orange zest
  • 1-2 tablespoons powdered sugar

Instructions

  1. In a small saucepan, add the strawberries, water and orange juice over medium heat.
  2. Cook for 3-4 minutes once the water simmers, mashing the strawberries as they soften.
  3. When the mixture is homogeneous, strain in through a sieve to remove seeds and pulp. Press down on the strawberries to get every last drop of juice. You should end up with 1/2 cup of strawberry puree.
  4. In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, baking powder and salt.
  5. Slowly whisk in the strawberry puree. When no lumps are visible, pour the mixture back into the small saucepan and turn the heat to medium low. Cook while stirring continuously.
  6. When the mixture comes to a bubble and thickens, turn off the heat. Add the butter, stir until melted, then stir in the vanilla.
  7. Pour into 2 ramekins, pressing plastic wrap directly on the surface, and chill for 4 hours before serving.
  8. When ready to serve, whip heavy cream and orange zest until beginning to thicken. Add 1 tablespoon of powdered sugar and beat until soft peaks form. Taste; if desired, beat in another tablespoon of powdered sugar. Dollop on top of the puddings and serve.

Notes

strawberries: fresh or frozen is fine; just half a pound of them.
orange juice: freshly squeezed or from the carton is fine, because we're only using one tablespoon. However, if you're making the optional orange whipped cream for serving, grab a fresh orange because we'll use the zest for the cream.
heavy whipping cream: For an optional orange whipped cream on top, you'll need heavy cream and the two ingredients below.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

2

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 327Total Fat: 20gSaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 57mgSodium: 169mgCarbohydrates: 38gFiber: 2gSugar: 33gProtein: 2g

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About Christina Lane

Christina Lane is the author of 5 cookbooks all about cooking and baking for two. She has scaled down hundreds of recipes into smaller servings so you can enjoy your favorite dishes without the leftovers! Valentine's Day is her favorite holiday.

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39 Comments

  1. Aspsusa says:

    Hi, stumbled upon this while searching for a totally different kind of strawberry pudding (cream, jello-ish consistency), but it is an intriguing recipe you have here โ€“ and totally stunning photographs!

    But like Charlie above, I donโ€™t quite get what the baking powder is doing here โ€“ it is a rising agent, is the idea to make it fluffier when you cook it?

    Personally, for this type of pudding/custard I would probably do it the simple way my grandmother did: take whatever berries/juice you want (as smooth or as chunky as you like it), add a some sugar to taste if needed, some water, heat it and then thicken it with a few tbspoons of potato-starch (dissolved in a bit of cold water). Let cook for a little while, then just cool it. This gives a more custardy type of pudding, though.
    But I am sure your is much tastier!

  2. Aukele says:

    I featured your recipe today! http://www.instantmommie.com/

    PS: Iโ€™m your newest fan and will be hounding you when I need to make cake but donโ€™t want to eat the whole pan!

  3. Lola says:

    Can you make a no bake pudding thanks

  4. srishti says:

    Can we puree it in a blender? If I canโ€™t mash it while simmering, could i do it?

    1. Christina Lane says:

      Sure.