Pudding Desserts
This page gathers six old-fashioned pudding desserts—some baked and served warm, others chilled or frozen for a lighter finish. Each recipe uses simple pantry ingredients and straightforward steps that feel right at home in a vintage community cookbook.
Use the jump links to pick a favorite, whether you’re craving a warm chocolate pudding dessert, a lemony snow pudding with custard, or an overnight marshmallow-pineapple treat.
Recipes on this page
Use the links below to jump directly to each pudding dessert recipe.
Fruit Pudding
Ingredients
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon shortening
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 cup flour
- Pinch of salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 cup berries
- Sauce: 2 cups berries with juice
- Sauce: 3 tablespoons cornstarch
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Instructions
- Mix pudding ingredients. Bake 30 minutes in a 9 x 9-inch pan.
- Make sauce: cook berries/juice with cornstarch until thickened.
- Serve warm pudding with sauce.
Hot Fudge Pudding
Ingredients
- Cake: 1 cup all-purpose flour
- Cake: 2 teaspoons baking powder
- Cake: 2/3 cup white sugar
- Cake: 2 tablespoons cocoa
- Cake: 2/3 cup milk
- Cake: 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Cake: 2 teaspoons melted butter
- Sauce: 1 cup sugar
- Sauce: 3 tablespoons cocoa
- Sauce: 1 cup hot water
Preheat oven to 325°F.
Instructions
- Sift flour and baking powder together. Add remaining cake ingredients and mix thoroughly.
- Pour batter into an ungreased 8 x 8-inch pan.
- Mix sauce ingredients and gently pour over batter.
- Bake 30 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Serve warm with whipped cream or ice cream. Serves 9.
Date Dessert
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound dates, cut in half
- 1 cup flour
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Pour Over Top: 1 cup brown sugar
- Pour Over Top: 2 tablespoons butter
- Pour Over Top: 1 1/4 cups hot water
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Instructions
- Combine the first seven ingredients and put in a greased 8-inch square pan (or loaf pan).
- Combine brown sugar, butter, and hot water; pour over the top.
- Bake 20 to 30 minutes.
- Serve warm (often turned out upside down) with vanilla ice cream. Serves 6 to 8.
Pudding Tortoni
Ingredients
- 1 package (4-serving size) Jell-O coconut cream pudding/pie filling
- 1 1/4 cups milk
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract (or rum extract)
- 2 cups whipped cream or prepared Dream Whip
- 1/4 cup toasted coconut
Instructions
- Cook pudding mix with milk and sugar as directed on the package. Cover surface with wax paper and chill.
- Beat chilled pudding until creamy. Add extract, then fold in whipped cream.
- Pour into individual soufflé cups or cupcake baking cups.
- Sprinkle with toasted coconut and freeze until firm (about 3 hours). Serves 8 to 9.
- Variation: Reduce extract to 1/4 teaspoon and add 1/4 cup drained, coarsely chopped maraschino cherries.
Snow Pudding
Ingredients
- 1 rounded tablespoon Knox gelatin
- 1/2 cup cold water
- 1/3 cup lemon juice
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 cups boiling water
- Pinch of salt
- 3 egg whites, stiffly beaten
Soft Custard (served over pudding)
- 3 egg yolks
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 1/3 cups milk
Instructions
- Soak gelatin in cold water for 2 minutes. Add lemon juice, sugar, and boiling water; stir and cool.
- When slightly thickened, beat until light and spongy.
- Fold in stiffly beaten egg whites (with a pinch of salt). Beat again to hold shape and put into a mold.
- Soft custard: In top of a double boiler, beat yolks; blend in sugar, salt, and vanilla. Pour in milk and cook over simmering (not boiling) water, stirring constantly, until custard coats a spoon.
- Cool custard and serve over snow pudding.
Marshmallow Pineapple
Ingredients
- 1 lb marshmallows (miniature, or large cut small)
- 2 No. 2 cans crushed pineapple
- 1/2 pint cream
- Ladyfingers (optional, for serving)
- Whipped cream (optional, for serving)
- Crushed nuts and maraschino cherries (optional, for serving)
Instructions
- Put marshmallows in the bottom of a large mixing bowl.
- Cover with crushed pineapple. Pour cream over pineapple. Do not stir.
- Refrigerate overnight.
- Next day, gently fold the mixture before serving.
- Serve in dessert dishes or parfait glasses (optional: line with ladyfingers). Top with whipped cream, nuts, and cherries if desired. Serves 8.
FAQ
Which pudding desserts on this page are served warm?
Fruit Pudding, Hot Fudge Pudding, and Date Dessert are baked and typically served warm (often with sauce, whipped cream, or ice cream).
Which recipes need chilling or freezing time?
Pudding Tortoni is frozen until firm, Snow Pudding is chilled in a mold, and Marshmallow Pineapple is refrigerated overnight before serving.
Can I substitute whipped topping for whipped cream?
Yes. Several recipes mention Dream Whip or whipped topping, and you can also use freshly whipped cream depending on what you have on hand.