Vanilla Cream Pudding Pie is a delightfully simple pie with creamy vanilla pudding, fresh berries and plenty of whipped cream nestled in a buttery crust. The egg-free filling is a snap to make from scratch! Thank you Milk Means More for sponsoring this post. All opinions are my own.
In an effort to put less miles between me and my food, I try to cook as seasonably as possible throughout the year. Truly, I do. Michigan farmers work so hard to provide food for my family, the least I can do is support them with my shopping dollars. However, every year at this time, I reach a breaking point with seasonal eating. I blame the weather.
The snow has melted, leaving a whole lot of brown grass and spindly trees barren of leaves. Add to that a few gray days filled with a misty drizzle that’s thicker than a fog, but not quite as robust as rain, and my seasonal eating resolve crumbles like a streusel topped apple pie.
As I mentioned on Instagram, the gray days of March can be beautiful in their misty elegance. However, the clouds have me pining for warm days and eating All of the Fresh Berries of summer. Thankfully, our friends in California grow all sorts of juicy berries this time of year.
If not buying local agriculture, at least support U.S. farmers, yes?
Which is exactly what I was doing when I recently bought a ton of fresh berries. What can I say? Son #4 was helping me shop, and that kid would live on berries if I didn’t make him eat pesky things like grilled chicken and the side salads with protein. I’m a big meanie like that. Anyway, I gave Son #4 the “a-okay” to grab a few cartons of berries, and the next thing I knew, I had 8 pints of berries and 1 very excited little boy.
Ah, well. His big, beaming smile was enough for me to leave them in the cart. The kid seriously cheered and did a happy dance when I didn’t put any of the berries back on the shelf. I am powerless to resist such cuteness! #sucker
So while my baby would happily eat 8 pints of berries in one sitting, I didn’t want to deal with the inevitable fall out (ahem!) of that decision later on. Obviously, I had to bake a pie! Since the middle portion of The Sons are strangely adverse to fruit pies, only a cream pie would do. Specifically, a Vanilla Cream Pudding Pie! Vanilla Cream Pudding Pie is a delightfully simple pie with creamy vanilla pudding, fresh berries and plenty of whipped cream nestled in a buttery crust.
Why a pudding pie? Well, for starters, a pudding is thickened with cornstarch so it’s easier to make than a traditional custard filling. All of that fussy tempering of the eggs is a non-issue with a pudding pie. Sure you could use a box pudding as the base for this pie, but making it from scratch tastes infinitely better. The homemade vanilla pudding is creamier and lighter than a box mix or custard, yet it stands up better to slicing. All of which makes it a nice companion to the bright, sweet berries. Besides, the pudding making process takes less than 10 minutes! The extra creamy texture is well worth the effort given minimal time commitment.
So give in to temptation and load up the shopping cart with berries!
Then make this Vanilla Cream Pudding Pie to enjoy while dreaming of warm summer days.
Calories
Fat
Carbs
Protein
Kirsten Kubert
Yields One 9-inch Pie
Vanilla Cream Pudding Pie is a delightfully simple pie with creamy vanilla pudding, fresh berries and plenty of whipped cream nestled in a buttery crust. The egg-free filling is a snap to make from scratch!
4 hr, 20 Prep Time
10 minCook Time
4 hr, 30 Total Time
Save RecipeIngredients
- For the Pie Crust:
- 1 9-inch all butter pie crust shell, blind baked and cooled
- For the Filling:
- 1 ½ C. 2% milk
- 1 C. heavy whipping cream
- ½ C. granulated sugar
- 1/8 tsp. salt
- 3 Tbs. cornstarch
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- For Topping:
- 1 C. heavy whipping cream
- 1 tsp. powdered confectioner’s sugar
- 2 C. fresh berries of choice
Instructions
- Pour the milk and one cup of heavy whipping cream into a medium saucepan . Whisk the sugar, salt, and cornstarch into milks until smooth. Warm the mixture over medium heat, whisking continuously, until it comes to a boil; about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and continue to stir the pudding until it becomes very thick; around 3 to 4 minutes more.
- Spoon the hot vanilla pudding into the prepared pie shell, leveling the filling with the back of the spoon. Cover the warm pudding with a sheet of plastic wrap placed directly on the surface, ensuring that the crust edge remains exposed. Refrigerate the pie for 4 hours or until cold and firmly set.
- Once the filling is set, whip one cup of heavy whipping cream with the powdered confectioner’s sugar until stiff enough to retain shape when applied to the pie. Spoon the whipped cream over the top of the pie and garnish with fresh berries. Alternately, the berries may be scattered over the surface of the filling, and the whipped cream piped over top with a decorator’s tip. Return the pie to the refrigerator until ready to enjoy.
- To serve, slice the pie while well chilled.
Notes
A variety of fresh red or yellow raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, and gooseberries scattered over the pie filling is both pretty and delicious. To keep the filling snowy white, use clear vanilla flavoring instead of vanilla extract . Leftover pie may be loosely wrapped with aluminum foil and refrigerated for up to three days.
Check out these other great pie recipes from my friends!
Very Rustic Four Berry Pie from Rachel/Rachel Cooks
No Bake Sour Cream Berry Pie from Megan/Country Cleaver
Lemon Cream Berry Pie from Jocelyn/Inside Brew Crew Life
Fruity Cheesecake in a Sugar Cookie Crust by Chelsea/Chelsea’s Messy Apron
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