Name: Homemade Instant Pudding Mixes
Ingredients: Vanilla Pudding Mix; 3 cups nonfat dry milk; 4 cups sugar; 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg; 1 teaspoon salt; 3 cups cornstarch; 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract; Chocolate Pudding Mix; 2 1/2 cups nonfat dry milk; 5 cups sugar; 3 cups cornstarch; 1 teaspoon salt; 2 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa (or drinking chocolate); Coconut Cream Pudding Mix; 3 cups nonfat dry milk; 4 cups sugar; 1 teaspoon salt; 3 cups cornstarch; 1 1/2 cups ground shredded unsweetened coconut; 1 teaspoon coconut extract; Butterscotch Pudding Mix; 2 cups nonfat dry milk; 5 cups brown sugar, packed; 1 teaspoon salt; 3 cups cornstarch; t teaspoon caramel extract

Why it works: Vanilla and coconut match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 2,294 recipes. Both carry ethyl caproate, which smells fruity, apple peel. The science ↓

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

Vanilla + coconuttop 1% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together2,294 recipes

Shared aroma: ethyl caproate (fruity, apple peel).
Vanilla + cocoatop 4% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together357 recipes

Shared aroma: sotolon (curry, maple).
Vanilla + milktop 5% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together19,187 recipes

Shared aroma: ethyl caproate (fruity, apple peel).
Vanilla + chocolatetop 5% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together10,020 recipes

Shared aroma: sotolon (curry, maple).
Nutmeg + coconuttop 8% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together411 recipes

Shared aroma: beta-pinene (pine, resin).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Cornstarch: Thickens the milk into a smooth pudding as it heats and boils.
Sugar: Adds sweetness and body to the pudding.
Nonfat dry milk: Adds milk solids for a creamier, richer-tasting pudding.
Unsweetened cocoa: Provides chocolate flavor and color in the chocolate version.
Brown sugar: Gives the butterscotch version its molasses flavor and deeper colour.

The step that matters

Heat and stir constantly while boiling. Cornstarch must reach a full boil to swell and thicken properly. Constant stirring prevents lumps and scorching on the bottom of the pan.

Swap the nutmeg

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (vanilla, milk, sugar, chocolate, cocoa, coconut, cream):

Cinnamonfits better
Nutmegthe original
Gingerfits less well
Clovefits less well

Fit is the average pairing score against vanilla, milk, sugar, chocolate, cocoa, coconut, cream. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

Ingredient	Portion assumed	kcal
Flour	1 cup (125g) all-purpose	455
Coconut	1/2 cup shredded (40g)	283
Chocolate	1 oz (28g) semisweet	155
Milk	1 cup (244ml) whole	149
Sugar	1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated	49
Vanilla	1 tsp extract (4ml)	12
Nutmeg	1 tsp ground (2.2g)	12
Salt	1 tsp (6g)	0
Pudding	not in our table	0

Homemade Instant Pudding Mixes