This is lick-the-spoon-and-pot-out-delicious and tastes exactly like ‘homemade’ pudding with the pure flavors of deep, dark chocolate, vanilla, and creamy milk.

Clearly, we are not at the “last minute” time frame…yet.

But we inevitably get there, and every year I need at least one ‘last minute’ gift for a piano teacher, ballet instructor, or my farmer-friend who dropped veggies off on my doorstep all summer. (Yes, I’m making mental notes here.)

That’s why I plan to do a little early ‘shopping’ with this month’s theme for The Recipe ReDux: DIY homemade mixes. I’ll be coming back to this post for the whole month of December for more fun gift ideas to make in the kitchen. Several will likely be fun projects to do with the kids. And if I start now, I could try a bunch of different gift options this year! (Of course saving at least one sample for our family; so I’ll have a pantry-full of healthy quick mixes to start the new year.)

For my homemade pudding mix, I adapted a recipe I found in a cookbook from the ‘70’s; sorta the first wave of ‘anti-processed food,’ ‘granola’ movement. And while the recipe notes that the pudding isn’t quite as fast as the boxed version and doesn’t set up quite as stiff, I’m telling you this stuff is lick-the-spoon-and-pot-out-delicious and tastes exactly like ‘homemade’ pudding with the pure flavors of deep, dark chocolate, vanilla and creamy milk.

I made one version of the mix without cocoa to see how a Vanilla Peppermint Pudding turned out. Of course, it was delicious (and a pretty pink color,) but it was a little less thick than the Chocolate Peppermint Pudding.

Check out our other favorite Holiday Food Gifts here including one of our most-Pinned recipes Rich Hot Cocoa Mix; then scroll down to ‘shop around’ to discover the creative ReDux members’ ideas below!

Chocolate Peppermint Pudding Mix

This is lick-the-spoon-and-pot-out-delicious and tastes exactly like ‘homemade’ pudding with the pure flavors of deep, dark chocolate, vanilla, and creamy milk.

• Author: Serena Ball

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• Pudding Mix
• 2 3/4 cups powdered milk
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 cups cocoa (such as Hershey’s Cocoa Unsweetened)
• 5 crushed candy canes
• TO MAKE PUDDING
• 1 cup milk mixed with 1/2 cup water
• 3/4 cup of pudding mix blended with 1/2 cup water
• 1 beaten egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 crushed candy cane for garnish

Instructions

Pudding Mix:

1. Blend all ingredients and store in airtight container, or divide into 2 pint sized glass jars and 1 half-pint glass jar. Top with additional crushed candy canes. (Or for the look in this photo, leave the cocoa out of the mix and only add cocoa to 3/4 cup of the vanilla mix; then place 3/4 cup vanilla mix on bottom of jar, top with crushed candy canes and top with 3/4 vanilla mix mixed with 1/4 cup cocoa.)

DIRECTIONS FOR COOKING PUDDING:

1. In a medium saucepan, heat milk/water mixture until hot but not boiling; whisk in pudding mix blended with water.
2. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a rubber scraper, until mixture just boils. Immediately remove from heat. Scoop out 1/3 cup of hot pudding mixture and slowly pour into egg, whisking constantly. Pour egg mixture back into hot pudding mixture and heat until boiling and boil 1 minute.
3. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Pour into 4 or 5 serving dishes and top with crushed candy cane.

Do you DIY gifts – or just purchase your fave food gifts? Share your favorites!