Macaroni Pudding is a tasty, old-fashioned British recipe made with pantry staples. Creamy, rich and bake in less than an hour!

You’re probably wondering Macaroni is usually used in savoury meals, and Pudding is supposed to be a dessert. Then how do the two go together?

For more pudding recipes, check Coconut Milk Pudding, Mahalabia (Milk Pudding) and Traditional Rice Pudding.

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You’ll be surprised that this odd combination is actually a very popular European dessert. The Macaroni looks pretty regular, baked in a beautiful white sauce.

But when you bite in, you realize the caramelized sauce the Macaroni is coated with is a delicious milk pudding baked to perfection. So, if you’re in a frenzy to try a new dessert, we really recommend this one.

What is Macaroni Pudding?

Macaroni Pudding is exactly what it sounds like. It’s a recipe where Macaroni is first cooked and then drenched in a sweet pudding before it’s finally placed in the oven, where it turns a beautiful golden brown.

If you have some extra milk you’d like to use up before it goes bad, try making this recipe today.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• A delicious, sweet macaroni pudding that is easy to make.
• Easy step-by-step instructions.
• Simple and creamy macaroni dessert.
• Kids and adults love it.

Ingredients

• Macaroni: Yes, the regular Macaroni you use to make mac and cheese.
• Eggs: To be used in the pudding.
• Golden caster sugar: An almost powder consistency of sugar (like caster sugar), but this is unrefined, so it still carries a warm caramel taste.
• Vanilla extract: Or essence, whatever you find at home.
• Milk: Whichever kind you like to use at home.
• Ground Cinnamon: To add some warm spice to your pudding.
• Salt: Just a tad bit to add to the Macaroni while it’s cooking.

“See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.”

Variations & Substitutions

This macaroni pudding recipe is a wonderful delight to have on its own, but here are some variations if you’re feeling a bit more creative:

Cashew nuts: Chop some cashews and add them to the pudding before pouring it over the Macaroni. This will add some crunch to your pudding.

Chopped pitted Dates: If you’d like to add more sweet warmth to your pudding, then dates are the way to go.

Raisins, almonds, sultanas or other dried fruit: You can add any nuts that you have available in your home to this pudding.

Lemon Zest: Half a lemon zest added to the milk pudding with the eggs will bring an extra tinge of flavour to this simple recipe.

Any Essence other than Vanilla: Besides vanilla, you can use any different essence of your liking, such as pineapple, butterscotch, almond, mango or peach.

Ground Nutmeg: You can replace the Ground Cinnamon with ground nutmeg if you like, as they’re both beautiful spices to add to this dessert. You may also use cinnamon sticks.

Bow-shaped pasta: It is not necessary to use Macaroni pasta. You can also use bow-shaped pasta or any pasta you have at home.

Brown Sugar: Though golden caster sugar brings a sweet caramelized flavour, you can use brown sugar if it is challenging to get your hands on it. It also adds an earthy flavour, though it may not be too sweet, so it is advised to combine it with white sugar to balance sweetness and flavour.

How to make Macaroni Pudding?

It’s a good idea to assemble all the ingredients on the kitchen counter a couple of hours beforehand so that everything is at room temperature when you start. Then, right before you’re about to begin, preheat the oven to 180C/350F and grease a baking pan with butter.

One: Now, to begin with the recipe, we’re first going to cook the Macaroni:

One: In a large pot, bring water to a boil, and then add the Macaroni and salt. Allow it to cook for 10 to 12 minutes (photo 1).

It’s best you check the instructions on the packet and cook accordingly. You can turn the heat off once the macaroni pieces are ‘al dente’.

Tip: ‘Al dente’ means firm to the bite. If you want to check if your pasta is Al dente, take out a piece and either poke it with a fork or bite it to check if it’s done.

Two: Once cooked, drain the pasta in a colander. Now quickly move to whip together the pudding mixture (photo 2).

Three: Take a small bowl. Whisk together the milk, eggs, cinnamon, golden sugar, and vanilla extract in this small bowl until combined (photo 3 & 4).

Four: Now, add the cooked macaroni and pudding mixture in a larger bowl (preferably the one you cooked pasta in to save washing those extra dishes).

Five: Once you’ve poured the pudding mixture over the Macaroni, transfer it to the baking pan. Place the baking pan in the preheated oven, and let the dessert bake for 50 to 55 minutes (photo 5 & 6).

Voila! Once out of the oven, allow the baking pan to cool, and your scrumptious Macaroni Dessert is ready!

Expert Tips!

• For the best creamy results, chill the the pudding both outside the oven and inside the fridge for at least 20-30 minutes each!
• If you overcook the pasta in a savoury recipe, it’s not such a big deal. But if you slightly overcook the pasta in this recipe, then the final result can be a gooey mess with not as much texture left to the bite.
• This dish can be served hot or cold.
• You can make this recipe in the slow cooker or instant pot; you just need to adjust the cooking time accordingly.

Vegan Macaroni Pudding

If you want a vegan version of this recipe, we suggest you pick any dairy-free milk of your choice, such as coconut, almond or soy and keep the rest of the recipe the same. We personally think coconut milk would make for the thickest pudding, though. Also, you probably won’t add the eggs in the pudding either.

Other than that, all the other ingredients are vegan. Let us know in the comments below if you do attempt to make a Vegan Macaroni Pudding. We’re sure the community would love to know how the vegan dessert turned out.

Serving Suggestions

We love scooping our Macaroni Pudding straight from the baking pan! However, if you’d like to present this to guests, here are some plating suggestions:

• Serve this pudding with a side of your favourite fruit jam, Apple Curd With Cinnamon or drizzle of honey for those guests with an extra sweet tooth!
• Savour this with a hot cup of Oat Milk Hot Chocolate or Caramel Latte  and relish this as an afternoon snack.
• Top this pudding with your favourite seasonal fruit, such as strawberries and mangoes, for guests with an exquisite palette.
• If you want to go all out with this recipe, make some custard to go with it. Drizzle the custard on the pudding and crumble some cookies of your choice as a garnish. Behold! This might be the best comfort food you’ve ever had.

Storage

To store: Allow it to cool completely, then cover it with plastic wrap or a sheet of aluminium foil and put it in the fridge. It will last for up to 3-4 days.

Reheating: Reheat in the microwave for 1-2 minutes.

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