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Home / Recipes / Chinese

Egg Pudding (Custard), A Boba Topping & Traditional Asian Dessert

Last Updated: Sep 30, 2021 · Author: Juliet Huang · Jump to Recipe

Egg pudding is a sweet and smooth custard dessert made from a delicate mix between sugar, eggs, and milk. A quick search online will show you there are variations in almost every Asian culture!

This quintessential Asian dessert is simple to make at home for anyone to enjoy. In this article, we will explore the origins of this dessert, and learn how to make it using a time-tested traditional recipe. 

Jump to:
  • What is egg pudding made of?
  • History 
  • How to Enjoy
  • Ingredients
  • Cooking Tips
  • Egg Pudding (Custard Pudding)
  • How to Make Caramel Sauce
  • Version without milk
  • Microwave Version

What is egg pudding made of?

There are three key ingredients to this silky treat: milk, sugar, and eggs. Although the ingredients are the same, the sweetness levels differ between the Chinese and the Japanese version.

The Chinese version is created by steaming a mixture of eggs with milk and sugar. It has an almost watery consistency. This is a dessert that Chinese mothers feed their children for baby soft skin!

Egg Dessert In Jar
Image From Instagram

Purin is a smooth Japanese pudding served chilled and topped with a layer of caramel. Store-bought purin has gelatine for a bouncy texture. Purin is so popular that the Japanese have even created a cartoon character with the same name to celebrate this household favourite!

History 

Crème caramel, invented by the Europeans, is a custard pudding topped with caramel. It is possible that crème caramel inspired the invention of egg pudding. It is difficult to ascertain the true origins of custard pudding, except we know the British first brought European food to Japanese shores around 1860 when a European-style hotel opened in Yokohama. 

Our research traces the Chinese rendition to a grandmother during the Qing dynasty in Guangdong who wanted to use excess milk, later adding eggs to the dessert. Having researched extensively to pinpoint its Eureka moment, we slid down a fascinating rabbit’s hole of pudding history. 

Chinese Custard Pudding Dessert
Steamed custard pudding | Image From Instagram

The British originally invented puddings from meat in the 15th century. In the late 1500s, British sailors decided to mix leftover breadcrumbs with flour, lard and egg, creating a custard egg pudding. The French then added their own touches. Et voila, crème caramel was born. 

Another 16th-century historical reference traces Spanish flan, similar to crème caramel. The Spanish supposedly invented pudding, or flan after they discovered sugar through trading with the Arabs. Perhaps because of the Age of Sail, the European crème caramel travelled to Asia, and vice versa for the Chinese rendition. In turn, this gave rise to cross-cultural influences like purin (Japanese custard pudding).

How to Enjoy

We can eat egg pudding chilled or warm, with or without caramel. A really popular trend among bubble tea shops is to use a layer of egg custard as a popular boba topping choice. As the custard sinks into the drink, it results in a velvety, savoury-sweet flavour. 

We find it especially enjoyable if accompanied with chewy boba!

Boba pudding
Boba Pudding | Image from Instagram

Another popular variation is to top egg custard with boba pearls, making a custard boba pudding. If you would like to try this combination, we also have a full guide on how to make boba at home.

Ingredients

You will need eggs, milk, rock, sugar, and water for Chinese custard egg pudding. Eggs help the mixture to set, whilst milk adds the flavour. Rock sugar not only sweetens the dessert but determines its firmness. 

These ingredients are the same for Japanese purin and crème caramel. They are readily available at any grocery shop and hence, is a simple dessert to prepare for. While shopping, we recommend choosing full-fat fresh milk for a creamy flavour in your custard pudding. 

Cooking Tips

Although an easy dessert to make, there are a few things that we recommend you keep in mind when attempting this dessert. Here are some tips to ensure a perfectly silky egg pudding. 

  • First, straining the egg mixture before steaming helps to create a smooth texture. We can use a small spoon to remove any tiny bubbles. 
  • Second, heat small steaming bowls or cup-shaped moulds in a frying pan with water or a steamer over medium heat to set the mixture. When steaming, cover the mixture tightly with cling wrap so that water vapour does not drip into the custard, which will cause holes. 
  • To prevent a watery outcome, keep to the egg, milk/water ratios in the recipe list. Anything less or more can cause a watery or hard texture.
Egg Pudding Custard Dessert Boba Topping

Egg Pudding (Custard Pudding)

Chinese custard egg pudding is a sweet treat that is perfect as an after-meal or mid-day snack. We recommend you try this dessert recipe if you’re craving a sweet fix! This recipe is for 4 bowls. It only takes 10 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook!
Author: Juliet Huang
4.96 from 69 votes
Print Pin
Course: Dessert, Drinks, Topping
Cuisine: Chinese, Japanese, Taiwan
Keyword: boba
Servings: 4
Calories: 255kcal
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 4 egg
  • 500 ml milk
  • 120 g rock sugar
  • 125 ml water

Instructions

  • Mix rock sugar and water in a saucepan. Boil on low heat, stirring occasionally. Once the sugar has dissolved, switch off the heat and pour in the fresh milk. Set this aside to cool.
  • Beat the eggs gently with a whisk or fork before adding to the mixture. Stir well. Strain egg mixture through a sieve to remove bubbles.
  • Once the egg mixture is ready, gently pour it into the moulds or bowls. Use a small spoon to remove any bubbles on the surface. Wrap the bowls tightly with cling wrap or tin foil.
  • Place the bowls into the steamer and steam for 12 minutes. Lift it every few minutes to let steam escape. Once the egg pudding has set, it is ready to serve.

Notes

Be sure to beat the eggs gently as this prevents bubbles from appearing. This is to ensure that the texture of the egg pudding turns out smooth.

We recommend tightly wrapping the steaming bowls or moulds with cling wrap. This is to ensure that the condensed water vapour does not drip into the bowl and hence causing the desserts’ surfaces to become uneven.
For a low-calorie and less sweet version, adjust the amount of rock sugar used.

Nutrition

Calories: 255kcalCarbohydrates: 36gProtein: 9gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 176mgSodium: 118mgPotassium: 226mgSugar: 36gVitamin A: 440IUCalcium: 167mgIron: 1mg

Calories have been calculated using an online calculator. Nutritional information offered on Honest Food Talks is for general information purposes and are only rough estimations.

Tried this recipe?Follow us @honestfoodtalks for more delicious recipes!

How to Make Caramel Sauce

If you prefer to drizzle caramel over the treat like the Japanese Purin version, we suggest you do the following. 

Japanese purin with whipped cream
Japanese Purin with caramel sauce and whipped cream | Image from Instagram

Just pour some sugar and water into a heated saucepan and let the sugar dissolve without stirring. Once the mixture turns amber, turn the heat off. Your sauce is now ready for pouring.

Add boba for a modern adaptation of this Asian dessert!

Version without milk

If you would like to prepare yours without any dairy or milk, you can refer to UNIKOEY’s video on how she made steamed egg pudding. 

HOME CAFE☕️ Steamed Egg Pudding

Microwave Version

Instead of steaming egg pudding, you could also make it using a microwave version recipe. 

To make the caramel, microwave the water and sugar mixture in a microwave-safe circular bowl for 2 minutes until it reaches an amber-brown colour. When the caramel sauce has hardened, pour the custard mixture (following Steps 1-2 from the egg pudding recipe above), through a strainer into the bowl.

Microwave the mixture at 500 watts for about 3 minutes. Then, chill the custard pudding in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to let it set. When ready to eat, flip the bowl upside down onto a plate. The custard should slide out and the caramel sauce should pour over the cake.

If you cook the sauce separately, microwave it for 2 minutes. Check at a 10-second interval. Once the caramel sauce is partially amber, quickly remove and add water, stirring until evenly coloured. The extra water helps to spread the caramel over the custard pudding.

If you’ve tried this custard pudding recipe and enjoyed it, why not share it on Pinterest? And if you’re craving more Asian bubble tea recipes to impress your family and friends, connect with us on Instagram @honestfoodtalks to explore more gastronomical delights. 

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Damien

    March 28, 2022 at 6:23 pm

    5 stars
    I was just telling my friend about this dessert i had! Looks easy enough to make!

    Reply
  2. HY

    January 23, 2022 at 9:04 am

    5 stars
    I prefer the Japanese version (first tried it in Muji Tokyo), however didn't know there was a Chinese version prior to making this! I found the Chinese type to be lighter and more pleasant as a treat after a meal whereas the Japanese one paid well with milk tea. Thanks for the recipe

    Reply
  3. Nakesha Mort

    December 13, 2021 at 9:51 am

    5 stars

    Reply
  4. Alphonse

    December 13, 2021 at 9:51 am

    5 stars
    Very informative. Thanks 🙂

    Reply
  5. Jamall

    December 13, 2021 at 12:36 am

    5 stars

    Reply

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