The first type of pudding is a solid mass formed by mixing various ingredients with a grain product or another binder (e.g., butter, flour, cereal, eggs, suet). These puddings are cooked by baking, steaming or boiling.
This type of pudding is still common in various places and is served as either a main-course dish or a dessert. In Australia, pudding is usually used to describe this type, though the term also may be used to refer to the creamy dessert (see below). These are less common in North America.
Many puddings of this type resemble cakes, characteristically with more moisture and usually served in chunks rather than slices. Others are types of sausages. Dessert pudding is often accompanied by custard or ice cream.
Boiled pudding was a common main course aboard ships in the Royal Navy in the 18th and 19th centuries. Pudding was used as the primary dish in which daily rations of flour and suet were prepared.
Suet pudding
Steamed pies consisting of a filling completely enclosed by suet pastry are also known as puddings. These may be sweet or savory and include such dishes as steak and kidney pudding.
Creamy puddings
The second and newer type of pudding consists of sugar, milk, and a thickening agent such as cornstarch, gelatin, eggs, rice or tapioca to create a sweet, creamy dessert. These puddings are made either by simmering on top of the stove in a saucepan or double boiler or by baking in an oven, often in a bain-marie. These puddings are easily scorched on the stovetop, which is why a double boiler is often used; microwave ovens are also now often used to avoid this problem and to reduce stirring. They are typically served chilled, but a few types, such as zabaglione and rice pudding, may be served warm. Instant puddings do not require boiling and can therefore be prepared much quicker.
This is the most familiar meaning of the term in North America and some European countries such as the Netherlands, whilst in Britain egg-thickened puddings are considered custards and starch-thickened puddings are blanc-mange. Pudding may be made from scratch or a mix or may be purchased ready to eat. Kraft Foods, under its gelatin dessert brand Jell-O, is the primary producer of pudding mixes and prepared puddings in North America.
List of types of pudding
Baked, steamed and boiled puddings
Savory
Batter puddings, including Yorkshire pudding and popovers
Black pudding
Boudin
Cheese pudding
Corn pudding
Goetta
Groaty pudding
Haggis
Hog's pudding
Kishke
Kugel
Pease pudding
Pennsylvania Dutch hog maw
Polenta (mămăligă, cornmeal mush)
Red pudding
Scrapple
Steak and kidney pudding
White pudding
Dessert
Bread pudding
Bread and butter pudding
Cabinet pudding
Carrot pudding
Chè
Cheshire pudding
Chocolate pudding (British Isles and Australasian version)
Christmas pudding ("plum pudding")
Clootie dumpling
Cottage pudding
Duff
Grape-Nuts pudding
Indian pudding
Figgy duff
Figgy pudding
Fruit pudding
Hasty pudding
Jam Roly-Poly
Rice pudding
Spotted dick
Sticky date pudding
Sticky toffee pudding
Summer pudding
Tapioca pudding
Creamy puddings
Bavarian cream
Blancmange
Crema catalana
Creme anglaise
Crème brûlée (burnt cream)
Creme caramel
Cornstarch puddings, including banana, butterscotch, lemon, pistachio, vanilla and chocolate (North American and Asian version)
Custard
Flan
Fool
Haupia
Junket
Jell-O
Mango pudding
Mousse
Panna cotta
Pot de creme
Pudding Pops
Rice pudding, including kheer
Semolina pudding
Syllabub
Trifle
Wintringham
Zabaglione (sabayon)