Cornmeal Pudding

Name: Cornmeal Pudding
Total time: 3 h 30 min
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients: 4 cups whole milk; 1/2 cup molasses; 3/4 cup sugar; 1/2 cup cornmeal; 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 3 tablespoons butter, more for greasing pan

By Mark Bittman

Updated Nov. 11, 2020

Total Time: 3 hours 30 minutes
Rating: 4(32)
Comments: Read comments

This simple and delicious cornmeal pudding, which colonial Americans called Indian pudding, is essentially baked polenta sweetened with molasses and spiked with spices.

Featured in: THE MINIMALIST; Patience Turns Milk Into a Foolproof Treat for Dessert

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings

4cups whole milk
½cup molasses
¾cup sugar
½cup cornmeal
1teaspoon ground cinnamon
½teaspoon ground ginger
½teaspoon salt
3tablespoons butter, more for greasing pan

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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Preparation

Step 1
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, put 3½ cups milk. Add molasses and sugar, and stir; when they are incorporated, turn heat to low. Heat oven to 300 degrees.
Step 2
Slowly sprinkle cornmeal over warm milk mixture, stirring or whisking all the while; break up any lumps. When mixture thickens after 10 minutes or so, stir in all remaining ingredients, except for the remaining milk, and turn off heat.
Step 3
Grease an 8- or 9-inch square baking dish or similar size gratin dish and turn warm mixture into it; top with remaining ½ cup milk; do not stir. Bake 2½ to 3 hours, or until pudding is set. Serve warm, cold or at room temperature. Wrapped well and refrigerated, this keeps for several days.

Ratings

4 out of 5

32 user ratings

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Comments

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Larry4 years ago

I concur with the other comment about it taking more like 25 minutes for the mixture to thicken on the stovetop.

Reader6 years ago

Fantastic warm w/ ice cream or cold w/ whipped cream. Cut the sugar to 1/2 cup. Stovetop time was closer to 25-30 min before any thickening, baked for 3 hrs, came out perfect.

KItty6 years ago

The milk on top formed an unpleasant skin. Would mix it in next time. Also, used dark brown sugar, which with the blackstrap molasses made the flavor very strong. Served with milk or ice cream. Next time I will try with white sugar.

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