Equipment
Ingredients
Dairy & Base
- 1200 ml whole milk
- 50 g unsalted butter, cut into cubes
Dry Ingredients
- 100 g stone-ground yellow cornmeal
- 3 g kosher salt
- 4 g ground cinnamon
- 2 g ground ginger
- 1 g ground nutmeg, freshly grated preferably
Sweeteners & Mix-ins
- 170 g dark molasses
- 50 g granulated sugar
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 100 g raisins
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 325 kcal
- Protein
- 8 g
- Carbohydrates
- 50 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
- Sugar
- 38 g
- Sodium
- 244 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 6 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 3 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 75 mg
- Potassium
- 662 mg
- Calcium
- 236 mg
- Iron
- 2.0 mg
- Magnesium
- 89 mg
- Phosphorus
- 202 mg
- Zinc
- 1.1 mg
- Vitamin A
- 133 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 0 mg
- Vitamin D
- 2.2 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.5 mg
- Vitamin K
- 2 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.3 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.8 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.15 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.36 mg
- Niacin
- 0.9 mg
- Folate
- 17 mcg
- Water
- 151 g
Sources: USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat your oven to 150°C/300°F. Generously grease a 2-liter baking dish with a small amount of extra butter.
In a heavy saucepan, bring 950ml of the whole milk to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Watch closely to ensure it does not boil over or scorch the bottom.
Gradually whisk the stone-ground cornmeal into the simmering milk, pouring it in a slow, steady, and fine stream to prevent any lumps from forming.
Reduce the heat to low. Continue cooking the cornmeal mixture, whisking constantly for 10 to 15 minutes, until it thickens to the consistency of a warm porridge. Remove the saucepan from the heat.
Whisk the cubed unsalted butter, dark molasses, granulated sugar, kosher salt, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, and ground nutmeg into the hot cornmeal mixture until the butter is completely melted and the spices are evenly distributed.
In a small mixing bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Gradually whisk about 200ml of the hot cornmeal mixture into the eggs to temper them. This prevents the eggs from scrambling. Once tempered, whisk the egg mixture back into the heavy saucepan.
Gently fold the raisins into the spiced cornmeal batter until evenly dispersed.
Pour the warm batter into the prepared 2-liter baking dish. Carefully pour the remaining 250ml of cold whole milk evenly over the top of the pudding. Do not stir it in; this creates a tender, custardy top layer.
Bake in the preheated oven at 150°C/300°F for 2 hours and 30 minutes. The pudding is done when it is set around the edges but still slightly jiggly in the center.
Remove the baking dish from the oven and let the pudding rest on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes before serving. It will continue to set and thicken as it cools.
Chef's Notes
- For the most authentic texture, always use stone-ground cornmeal, which retains more of the hull and germ for a rustic, satisfying mouthfeel compared to highly processed alternatives.
- The layer of cold milk poured over the top before baking is an old New England trick. As the pudding cooks slowly, the milk creates a beautifully marbled, custard-like whey layer that contrasts with the dense corn base.
- Dark molasses is traditional and provides a robust, slightly bitter edge that perfectly balances the sweetness. Avoid blackstrap molasses, as its intense mineral flavor will completely overpower the delicate spices.
- Do not skip the tempering step for the eggs. The cornmeal mixture retains heat incredibly well, and adding cold eggs directly will result in scrambled egg strands ruining your dessert.
- Indian pudding is dense and heavily spiced, making it best served warm with a contrasting element. A scoop of premium vanilla bean ice cream or freshly whipped, lightly sweetened cream is essential.
Storage
Refrigerator: 5 days — Cover tightly. Reheats beautifully and thickens further when chilled.
Freezer: 1 month — Texture may become slightly granular upon thawing but will soften when reheated.
Reheating: Warm gently in a low oven or microwave with a splash of milk to restore creaminess.
Troubleshooting
Lumpy pudding texture
Cause: Cornmeal was added to the hot milk too quickly without sufficient whisking.
Fix: Use an immersion blender to smooth the batter before adding the tempered eggs and raisins.
Prevention: Whisk vigorously while adding the cornmeal in a very slow, fine stream.
Pudding is too dry or dense
Cause: Baked at too high a temperature or the cold milk was stirred in rather than poured on top.
Fix: Serve with generous scoops of melting vanilla ice cream or heavy cream to add moisture.
Prevention: Ensure oven temperature is accurately set to 150C/300F and leave the top milk layer undisturbed.
Cultural Context
A mass of cornmeal, milk, and molasses, baked for hours, this dessert was born of the Puritans' nostalgia for British hasty pudding and their adaptation to the ground-corn porridges of their Native American neighbors. Early settlers called it Indian pudding. Originally served as a first course, it grew sweeter over time (but not too sweet, as Puritanism runs deep) and eventually migrated to the end of supper, becoming a Thanksgiving staple.
