Salted Caramel Butterscotch Budino is an Italian pudding that is so creamy and delicious. This dessert consists of three layers. A creamy pudding topped with a deep caramel which is all sprinkled with a flaky sea salt.
John and I have a favorite place to go for dinner. The chef was classically trained and worked in Italy. They have a great menu that hosts anything from wood-fired pizza to fresh oxtail ragu pappardelle. Regardless of what we choose to eat, we always end up sharing their fresh Salted Caramel Butterscotch Budino.
I knew that I wanted to replicate it. It had to be perfectly creamy without being too sweet and without the graininess that can ruin a good pudding. I also wanted a delicious caramel to compliment the pudding without completely taking over.
I found a recipe for Salted Caramel Butterscotch Budino (Italian Pudding) that I have now made several times and it no longer takes me as long to put together. I’ve also made a few changes and learned a few tips that helped me to create the dish I was looking for.
Salted Caramel Butterscotch Budino (Italian Pudding)
Ingredients
Salted caramel
- ¼ cup white granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp light corn syrup
- 3 tbsp water
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- ½ tsp sea salt flaky such as Maldon Sea Salt Flakes
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Pudding
- 2 tbsp pure maple syrup
- ½ cup dark brown sugar packed
- ¼ cup water
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 2½ cup half-and-half
- 1 large eggs
- 2 large egg yolks
- 3 tbsp cornstarch
- ¼ cup whipped cream for serving
Instructions
- It is very helpful if you get all of the ingredients out and measured before beginning.
Make the salted caramel:
- Use a saucepan that has a heavy, light-colored bottom so you can keep an eye on the color. In the pan, combine sugar, corn syrup, and water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Swirl (not stir) to caramelize evenly. When the caramel reaches a golden honey color, remove from heat. Carefully stir in the cream. This mixture will bubble up so be careful. Immediately add butter, vanilla, and salt. Whisk to combine. Set aside. This mixture will not harden so don’t worry about it cooling.
Make the pudding:
- In a saucepan with a light-colored bottom, combine the maple syrup, brown sugar, water, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Simmer for about 5 minutes, until the mixture darkens slightly in color. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the half-and-half until smooth.
- Combine egg and egg yolks in a large heat-proof bowl with the cornstarch. Whisk to combine. Add a small amount of the brown sugar mixture to the eggs and whisk. This is called tempering. If you added all of the hot mixture at once because it would scramble your eggs. Not good. Continue adding brown sugar mixture to eggs in a slow stream, whisking continuously.
- Pour mixture through a fine mesh strainer back into the saucepan. Cook over a medium heat, stirring continuously. As soon as mixture thickens to a pudding-like consistency, remove from heat. Spoon mixture into 4 to 6 ramekins or dessert dishes. Spoon caramel over the pudding.
- *Note I don’t scrape the bottom of the caramel pan when spooning caramel out of the pan. Sometimes the solids will harden on the bottom of your pan. They don’t look good and can be overly salty. Also not good.
- Cover and chill in the refrigerator at least 2 hours before serving.
- Sprinkle lightly with flaked salt and top with whipped cream right before serving.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Food.com
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
This recipe was calculated using the exact brands and measurements I used to make this recipe. If you are following a strict diet please note changing anything will cause the nutritional info to change. My calculations are intended as a guide only.
Another smooth and creamy dessert I think you would love is Bavarian Cream with Blackberry Coulis. Do you have a dish that has totally taken over as your favorite? I would love it if you would share with me!
Mars
Thursday 28th of November 2024
Thank you for posting your recipe. Two issues: it's unclear whether it's 1 and 1/4 cup of sugar or 1/4 cup of sugar for the caramel, because it seems to have this (|) in front making it hard to decipher the true amount. I figured it's the latter and used 1/4 cup. I hit the 2x, 3x, on the the recipe to see if doubling the recipe will say the next quantity, but it stays as 1/4. Second, and the biggest issue, you failed to mention when to add in the half& half. I was finished with tempering, only to realize I still haven't used the half&half. Frantically, I check where I missed this step and how I was careless. But then I realize your recipe failed to mention this entire crucial step :/ Since you cited food.com, I went on their site instead, and it says I was supposed to add before tempering, but now it was too late. I now ended up adding it after the fact, because what else could I do. The pudding clumped, and was not smooth. It still tasted overall fine, but not the best due to this major error. Please proofread the recipes. Even the word caramel is misspelled in the header of the recipe. I see many comments and fans in the comment section here, but not one attempted to make the recipe, speaking volumes.
Julie Menghini
Friday 29th of November 2024
Thank you for your comment. You are completely correct that this recipe was poorly written. I've attempted to correct it and will redo it as time permits.
polianthus
Friday 1st of May 2015
oooooh - I imagine that would be a divine end to a wonderful dinner party - hmmm
Julie is Hostess At Heart
Friday 1st of May 2015
It is a wonderful delicious way to end any meal. To many of them would not be good for the figure though. :)
skd
Monday 13th of April 2015
Do get well soon Julie. We need all your yummy recipes coming. Caramel and butterscotch are my favourite flavors. Thanks for sharing this delicious recipe. Take care. Lots of hugs and love
Julie is Hostess At Heart
Monday 13th of April 2015
Thank you sweet friend!
indusinternationalkitchen
Monday 6th of April 2015
Julie, this pudding looks wonderful. I love the salted caramel topping! I am glad that your recovery is coming along well. Take care! Btw, since you asked, one dish that has become kind of a favorite that all my friends insist I make always is Mango Pie. You can check it out here -https://indusinternationalkitchen.com/2014/02/05/easy-delicious-mango-pie/
Julie is Hostess At Heart
Tuesday 7th of April 2015
Thank you! I will definitely be pinning that pie!
Arl's World
Monday 6th of April 2015
Glad to hear you are coming along nicely after the hip replacement. Your pudding looks and sounds amazing! I hope you had a wonderful Easter! :)
Julie is Hostess At Heart
Monday 6th of April 2015
Thank you Arl! Hope your knee continues to improve as well and that you had a wonderful Easter as well.