You will taste the love that makes these the best puddings you have ever had.
Serve slightly warm from the stove and you may be amazed at how quickly you decide to avoid those prepared-prepackaged-artificially flavored versions.
You basic pudding consists of milk,flavorings, sugar, corn starch and eggs.
By changing some of the ingredients to more health friendly versions you can make a delicious version of almost any pudding.
For example, substitute Splenda for the sugar and you instantly have a no-sugar version.
I prefer the Splenda brand but you could also use any other brand that can be used in cooking.
Some cannot replace sugar in cooking so read the package.
I made this mistake with a carrot cake once.
The whole cake tasted like I had used pure salt.
Boy was my face red.
So I have learned over the years to read labels carefully.
For a vanilla pudding you would need:
- 3 cups low-fat milk (2%)
- 1/4 cup Splenda for cooking
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 egg,slightly beaten
- 1 tablespoon butter
Bring to a low boil over medium heat, Stirring continually with a wooden spoon or wire whisk.
Heat the mixture until it just begins to boil.
Small bubbles form around the edge of the liquid.
If using a whisk, switch to a spoon and continue to stir gently, scraping the bottom with each pass of the spoon, until the mixture reaches a full boil and is thick.
Remove from heat and pour into serving dishes immediately.
To prevent a skin from forming on top of the pudding, place a piece of clear plastic wrap directly on top of the pudding.
Cool.
May be served at room temperature or slightly warm, or cold.
Try a sugar-free whipped topping if you like.
Want chocolate pudding? Add 3 tablespoons of cocoa powder, increase the Splenda to 1/3 cup and the butter to 2 tablespoons.
Follow the recipe and the cooking directions.
How about a fruit pudding? You can replace 1 cup of the milk with 1 cup of a sugar-free juice concentrate, or you can add 2 tablespoons of sugar-free jam or jelly and leave the milk amount the same.
You can also add fresh fruit to the vanilla version just before serving.
Stir the fruit info the cooled pudding.
Rice Pudding is a little different, however, and since my family's diabetic loves rice pudding here it is.
You will need
- 1 cup cooked instant or other rice.
We like the oriental rice or sticky rice.
It seems to have a better flavor. - 3 cups whole milk (keep in mind that milk has a sugar content)
- 1 vanilla bean, cut in half (about 2 inches long) and split open to expose the seeds of the bean
- 1 cinnamon stick
- pinch of salt
- 1/4 cup Splenda sweetener for cooking
- 1/4 cup raisins or mixed dried fruit (optional)
- pinch of nutmeg (freshly ground if you have it)
- 2 tablespoons rum (optional)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Steep the bean in the milk by heating the milk over medium-low heat just until bubbles begin to form around the edges of the pan.
Remove from heat and let sit for 30 minutes.
Remove the bean and with the tip of a spoon scrape the seeds from the bean, discarding the pod and stirring the seeds into the milk.
Add the remaining milk, cornstarch, rum, cinnamon, salt, Splenda, and nutmeg.
Return to the stove and heat over medium heat until the mixture just comes to a boil.
Remove from heat and remove the cinnamon stick.
Stir in the raisins or fruit and the cooked rice.
Return to the heat and bring back to a boil.
Boil about 30 seconds.
Pour into serving dishes and let cool.
Sprinkle with a dash of nutmeg or garnish with additional fruit or raisins.
About 280 calories per 1/2 cup serving.
10 - 12 G sugar (from the rice and fruit) 2 G if omitting the fruit and rice, but then it isn't rice pudding is it.
I hope you will enjoy these options for puddings.
Finding good tasting alternatives for loved ones on restricted diets can be a daunting task, but with a little determination and all that love, you will find the alternatives you are looking for.