Southern Corn Pudding (Easy Recipe) - A Well Seasoned Kitchen (2024)

FAQs

Why is my corn pudding runny? ›

If corn pudding cooks too quickly, the eggs can curdle and the solids separate from the liquid – resulting in a watery pudding. When this happens, leave pudding in the oven for a few more minutes, then take out and let it sit at room temperature for 3 to 5 minutes.

Cornbread is a solid and moist bread, while cornbread pudding has a soft, custard-like interior with a bread-like crust. Cornbread pudding combines both textures in every spoonful.

The main difference is the texture. Corn pudding has a similar gelatinous texture to dessert pudding, hence its name, so it's creamy and loose. In comparison, corn casserole has a thicker consistency and holds its shape better than the pudding because it uses thickening agents like instant cornbread mix.

It typically contains milk or cream, although there are non-dairy puddings made with plant-based "milk." Pudding is similar to custard in that they both can contain eggs and milk, but pudding is usually thickened with a starch, whereas custard is thickened by the eggs.

The most common theory is a change in cornmeal itself. Until early in the 20th century, Southern cornmeal was made with sweeter white corn and it was water-ground. When industrial milling came along, that changed. The steel-roller mills used yellow corn that was harvested before it was ripe, so it had less sugar.

Jiffy cornbread mix, in case you really are standing in the baking aisle wondering, is wheat flour mixed with some cornmeal, a lot of sugar, lard, baking soda, and a handful of preservatives. (Note that because of the wheat flour, it's not gluten-free.) Use it to make creamy, cheesy Corn Pudding.

While on its own, Southern cornbread may be underwhelming, it's neutral flavor and crumbly texture make it the perfect vessel to soak up liquidy foods, like cranberry sauce or turkey gravy. Or, it can be eaten on its own, perhaps mixed with gooey cheese or spicy jalapeños.

Hominy Corn Uses

The starch in the kernels of the corn swells and takes on a uniquely gelatinous texture, which is most prominent when the hominy is eaten whole instead of ground.

CREAMED CORN SUBSTITUTE

Put all the corn + 1/3 of the liquid in the can + 1 tbsp flour into a bowl. Then blitz with hand blender (or use blender) until you can't see whole corn kernels anymore but there are still corn chunks (don't to puree). Use all of it in place of canned creamed corn in this recipe.

How to fix pudding that is too watery? ›

If you want to try to fix it, you can try dissolving a little bit of cornstarch in water and adding that in. Then try using a handheld or stand mixer to whip the pudding up until is starts to thicken. It will probably never set up completely, though, but it may help a little.

If your rice pudding has ended up too thin, it is likely that it didn't cook it long enough at the end to thicken the custard. If it needs rescuing, pour it into a saucepan, heat, then stir in a bit of cornstarch mixed with cold water, a bit at a time, until the pudding thickens as needed.

To keep your tapioca pudding from getting runny, be sure to use whole milk. The fat from the milk is necessary for that creamy texture. For a thicker texture, cook the tapioca pearls a little longer than instructed on your package. The pearls absorb the moisture and create a nice and thick pudding.

You do this by combining equal parts cornstarch and cold water or even cream. They recommend half of a tablespoon of cornstarch for each cup of creamed corn. However, if your creamed corn is really soupy, you will want to use flour to thicken it up. Our Everyday Life suggests using rice flour.