Greek Vanilla Corn Starch Pudding Recipe (Krema Vanilia)

Vanilla bean with flower and sugar
Eisenhut and Mayer Wien / Getty Images
  • 16 mins
  • Prep: 1 mins,
  • Cook: 15 mins
  • Yield: 1 to 4 servings
Ratings (10)

By Nancy Gaifyllia

Updated 01/28/18

This vanilla pudding (krema vanilia—in Greek: κρέμα βανίλια, pronounced: KREH-mah vah-NEEL-yah) is a standard in Greek homes. Suitable for babies, cornstarch puddings are also favorites with children of all ages and, with the addition of fruit, can be adapted to many uses from breakfast to snack to dessert.

What You'll Need

How to Make It

  1. Place 1 to 4 dessert bowls in the refrigerator to chill.
  2. Warm one cup of milk (lukewarm), add sugar and cornstarch and stir to dissolve.
  3. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine remaining milk, vanilla extract, orange peel, and whisk to combine. As soon as steam begins to rise, add the milk/sugar/cornstarch mixture, continuing to whisk continuously.
  4. When it starts to thicken, remove from heat.
  5. Spoon into chilled bowls, allow to cool, and serve, or place in refrigerator and chill until ready to serve.

    Serving suggestions: This is a very versatile basic pudding. Add pureed fruit immediately upon removing from heat to create a fruit pudding. It can be mixed with cereals, or topped with fruit and whipped cream for a fancier look, and your own creativity will result in even more variations.

    Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
    Calories 199
    Total Fat 5 g
    Saturated Fat 3 g
    Unsaturated Fat 1 g
    Cholesterol 15 mg
    Sodium 67 mg
    Carbohydrates 34 g
    Dietary Fiber 0 g
    Protein 5 g
    (The nutrition information on our recipes is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. Individual results may vary.)