We have been making caramel pudding with the Thermomix® for years using exactly this method, the same way our grandmother used to make it with a packet of pudding powder, just without the packet. The trick lies in the hard caramel sweets, which we pulverise and use as ready-made caramelised sugar.
We spent a long time debating whether to take the classic route and caramelise sugar in the mixing bowl, deglaze with milk, and then thicken with eggs and cornflour. In theory that works. In practice, the line between golden caramel and bitterly burnt sugar inside a closed mixing bowl is so fine that after several failed attempts we chose a different approach. Hard caramel sweets are nothing more than sugar that has already been caramelised cleanly and evenly. Someone else has already done that job perfectly for us.
Caramel Pudding with the Thermomix®
Ingredients 0 / 5 ✓
- 180 g hard caramel sweets
- 3 eggs
- 400 g milk
- 100 g double cream
- 40 g cornflour
Instructions 0 / 4
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1
Crush the sweets.
Place the caramel sweets in the mixing bowl and pulverise for 10 sec / speed 10. Scrape down with the spatula.
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2
Separate the eggs.
Separate the eggs and add the egg yolks together with the remaining ingredients to the mixing bowl. Stir together for 10 sec / speed 10.
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3
Cook the pudding.
Cook the pudding for 8 min / 100°C / speed 3.
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4
Serve the pudding.
Pour the pudding into small bowls and serve warm, or leave to cool before serving.
Video
Nutrition per serving
Why 180 g of caramel sweets makes better caramel
Three things make all the difference to the final result, and all three are tied directly to the Thermomix® workflow.
- Consistent caramel depth. Industrially produced caramel sweets have a precise roast level. Every batch tastes the same. When we caramelise sugar in the mixing bowl, the result varies depending on the heat, speed, and timing. For a pudding made for children, that is a real problem, because burnt caramel turns bitter immediately.
- No two heat phases needed. The classic method would be: first caramelise dry at 120°C, then deglaze with milk, then thicken with cornflour and eggs at 90°C. That means three temperature changes and a tricky transition where the eggs can curdle. With pulverised sweets we only need one cooking stage.
- 10 seconds at speed 10 instead of 8 minutes of caramelising. The 180 g of sweets are reduced to a fine powder in 10 seconds. They dissolve completely later during cooking with the 400 g of milk and 100 g of double cream. That saves us 8 minutes of watching over an open mixing bowl.
This is especially useful when we are making the pudding in multiple portions at once or preparing it as a dessert for guests. Four small bowls from 4 egg yolks and 40 g of cornflour come together reliably in under 20 minutes.
Stir in egg yolks separately, not whole eggs
The second critical point after the caramel is the egg question. The recipe lists 3 eggs, but we only use the yolks. Egg whites at 100°C in the mixing bowl produce small white lumps that the pudding cannot blend away smoothly. The result looks like scrambled egg in a caramel sauce. The yolks, on the other hand, bind together with the cornflour and give the pudding its deep yellow colour and full flavour.
We do not throw away the leftover egg whites. They go into the fridge and the next day become meringue dots for the top of the pudding, or a quick whisked foam we spoon over the cooled pudding just before serving. Our egg liqueur pudding variation also uses only yolks. Anyone who prefers to make the pudding with whole eggs should whisk the egg separately and stir it into the pudding at the end of the cooking time, once it is warm but no longer at a full boil.
What to look for when choosing your sweets
Not every caramel sweet will do. We have tested Werther’s Original (cream toffees) and classic caramel sweets from the discount supermarket. Both work, but:
- Cream toffees make the pudding noticeably milder and more buttery. We use these for children.
- Classic hard caramel sweets have a stronger, almost slightly smoky note. That works better when the pudding is served for adults with a little sea salt on top.
- Soft toffees or chewy caramels are not suitable. They stick to the blades and the mixing bowl wall and do not dissolve cleanly into the pudding.
Anyone with spare caramel sweets left over, for example after Halloween or Christmas, can use those in exactly the same way. The main thing is that they are hard and clearly identifiable as caramel sweets. 180 g is roughly one whole bag from the supermarket.
Where caramel pudding turns grainy or curdles
Lumps in the finished pudding
Lumps almost always come from two causes: the cornflour was not evenly distributed in the cold mixture before heating, or the egg white was cooked in. In the recipe we add the egg yolks, milk, double cream, and cornflour to the mixing bowl together and blend for 10 seconds at speed 10. That ensures the 40 g of cornflour is fully dissolved before the heat sets in.
Our fix: If the pudding still has lumps, blend again for 10 seconds at speed 5 after the 8 minutes at 100°C. That smooths out anything that has not set evenly.
Pudding too firm or too runny
With 40 g of cornflour per 500 g of liquid (400 g milk plus 100 g double cream) we get the classic pudding consistency: firm enough to turn out, yet still creamy on the tongue. Anyone who prefers a spoonable, softer pudding can reduce the cornflour to 30 g. For a very firm, turn-out pudding, go up to 50 g. No more than that, or it becomes rubbery.
Our fix: When in doubt, use slightly less cornflour. Pudding sets further as it cools. If it flows out of the mixing bowl looking thin while warm, it will be perfect after 2 hours in the fridge.
Bitter aftertaste
If the pudding tastes slightly bitter, it is almost always down to sweets that are already on the dark side. Some caramel sweets are already close to the bitter toffee end of the scale. When pulverised and dissolved, that note intensifies. A touch of salt (a small pinch, not a teaspoon) balances it out.
Our fix: Taste one sweet raw before pulverising. If it already tastes slightly bitter as a sweet, that brand is not suitable. Try a different variety next time.
Variations we make at home regularly
- Salted caramel pudding. Add a generous pinch of fleur de sel or coarse sea salt during the first blending step. That turns a children’s dessert into a grown-up pudding.
- Caramel vanilla pudding. Blend the seeds of half a vanilla pod together with the milk, double cream, and egg yolks. The vanilla background rounds out the flavour.
- Vegan and egg-free. Use 400 g oat milk, 100 g oat cream, 60 g cornflour, and 180 g caramel sweets (check for vegan varieties, as many contain cream). Leave out the egg yolks entirely and add an extra 5 g of cornflour. Not quite as creamy, but it works.
- Caramel chocolate marble pudding. Fill half the caramel pudding into the bowls, stir 30 g of cocoa into the other half, and fold it gently through.
What to serve alongside
We usually serve the caramel pudding with fresh fruit and a crumble on top. In summer with strawberries or raspberries, in winter with warm apple wedges or pears from the Varoma. A scoop of vanilla ice cream alongside turns the pudding into a complete dessert for guests. Anyone who prefers a more traditional approach pours a little double cream over the finished pudding and adds a pinch of cinnamon on top.
Anyone looking for more pudding variations made with the Thermomix® will find the full range here. Our Thermomix® chocolate pudding is the chocolate version made with real couverture, our Thermomix® vanilla pudding uses real vanilla instead of a packet, and our Thermomix® nougat pudding works with a hazelnut nougat cream. For strawberry fans we have our Thermomix® strawberry pudding, and our Thermomix® semolina pudding is the rustic version from grandmother’s era.
Keeps for 2 days in the fridge, perfect made the day before
Stored in firmly sealed bowls, the caramel pudding keeps in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Important: cover the surface directly with cling film right after filling, otherwise that familiar pudding skin forms, which many people dislike. Anyone who likes the skin (we do) can skip the cling film.
We do not recommend freezing. On thawing, the cornflour and liquid separate and the pudding turns watery. Better to prepare it fresh or keep it in the fridge. For guests, the pudding can easily be made the day before. We fill it straight into the serving bowls, cover it, and take it out of the fridge 30 minutes before serving so it does not taste ice-cold. The ideal serving temperature is around 10 to 14°C.
Sweet method vs. classic caramelising in the Thermomix®
Also goes well with: Waffles.
Other recipes caramelise sugar the classic way in the mixing bowl: melt 100 g of sugar dry at Varoma temperature or 120°C at speed 2, then deglaze with cold milk. That works, but it has two pitfalls. First, the view through the lid is not enough to reliably hit the right level of browning between golden (165°C) and bitterly burnt (above 180°C). Second, the cold milk splashes vigorously when poured onto the hot caramel. With 180 g of pulverised caramel sweets we avoid both risks, hit the same roast level every time, and need just one cooking stage at 100°C instead of three temperature phases. That makes the recipe significantly more reliable, especially for TM5 and TM31 owners without a caramelising mode.
More pudding inspiration made with the Thermomix®, from our pudding collection:
- Thermomix® Chocolate Pudding
- Thermomix® Vanilla Pudding
- Thermomix® Strawberry Pudding
- Thermomix® Semolina Pudding
- Thermomix® Nougat Pudding
- Thermomix® Advocaat Pudding
