Grape Nut Custard Pudding
A classic New England dessert, Grape-Nut Custard Pudding is a lightly-sweetened egg custard combined with Grape-Nuts cereal, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
Grape Nut Custard Pudding is a classic in New England cuisine that dates back to the early 1900s. It was very popular in the 1970s when I was living in Rhode Island and today you can still find it on the menu in many of the region’s diners.
Low in calories (only about 200 per serving) and easy to make, this dessert is simply a lightly-sweetened egg custard, flavored with cinnamon and nutmeg and combined with softened Grape-Nuts cereal.
Depending on the size of the pan you use (see photos) for baking, the cereal either sinks to the bottom of the custard forming a thick, soft crust or is mixed throughout.
Tips for making grape nut custard pudding
- Scald the milk and use some to soften the Grape Nuts prior to mixing them into the other custard ingredients.
- Temper the eggs by mixing in a little of the scalded milk.
- Bake the custard in a bain-marie (aka water bath).
- Cool completely before cutting.
More New England recipes
Grape-Nut Custard Pudding
A classic New England dessert, Grape-Nut Custard Pudding is a lightly-sweetened egg custard combined with Grape-Nuts cereal, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
Ingredients
- 1 cup Grape-Nuts cereal
- 1 quart whole milk
- 5 large eggs
- 2 to 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (plus more for dusting over the top of the pudding)
- Freshly ground nutmeg (for dusting over the top of the pudding)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and heat a kettle of water to just below boiling.
- Generously butter the bottom and sides of a glass baking dish (either 13 x 9 or 9 x 9 - see notes).
- Place the Grape-Nuts cereal in a large bowl and set aside.
- Scald the milk in the microwave or a saucepan and pour it over the cereal, reserving 1/2 cup for tempering the eggs.
- Set aside for 5 minutes to start softening the cereal.
- While the cereal soaks, whisk the eggs, vanilla, sugar, cinnamon, and salt together until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is a little frothy.
- Start whisking the reserved milk into the eggs, 1 tablespoon at a time.
- Once the eggs are tempered, add them to the bowl with the milk and cereal.
- Stir to combine, pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish and sprinkle some extra cinnamon and nutmeg over the top.
- Place the baking dish into the center of a large roasting pan and carefully pour the hot water into the outer pan to a depth of about 1-inch. If you aren't familiar with baking custard in a water bath (bain-marie), click here for a more detailed explanation.
- Carefully place the pan in the oven and bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until the pudding pulls away from the edges of the dish slightly and a butter knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Remove the pudding from its water-filled outer container and set the dish on a cooling rack to cool completely.
- To serve, cut into squares for serving and top with whipped cream if desired.
Notes
You can use either a 13 x 9 x 2-inch or a 9 x 9 x 2.5-inch baking dish for this recipe.
The 9 x 9 will turn out a little thicker with the cereal on the bottom and a layer of custard on top (photo #1). The 13 x 9 will be thinner without the layered look (photo #2).
Both are delicious and the flavor is the same either way.
48 Comments on “Grape Nut Custard Pudding”
I am from Massachusetts and THIS was my mother’s favorite dessert. She always asked for it in restaurants…up to her late 90’s. Of course it was never served…no matter how many times I told her “Mom, no one makes that anymore”, she always wanted it. So today, in her honor, I’m going to make it.
Hi Christine,
Hope you enjoy the Grape Nut Pudding. It may be an old fashioned recipe, but it’s still a favorite for many New Englanders. Easy to make too!
Can the recipe be doubled to put in 13×9 dish?
Hi Deb,
This recipe can be made in a 13×9 dish with the quantities as they are, but the finished dessert won’t be as thick. I mention this in the recipe notes and you can see the difference in the way the custard turns out in the two photos in the post.
I’ve never doubled the quantities, so I can’t speak from experience to answer your question, however, a 9×9 pan has a capacity of 10 cups, a 13×9 has a capacity of 14 cups. If I were to try to make a thicker version in the 13×9 here are the quantities I’d use:
1-1/2 cups Grape-Nuts cereal
6 cups whole milk
8 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Preparation would remain the same. Hope this helps.
Making an old family favorite now! Grew up outside Boston. Grandmother and mom made it! Love it! The Red Wing Diner on rt 1 serves it still to this day!
Grape Nut Pudding is a favorite for us too!
We’re New Englanders and this is my families favorite dessert. My Mother always made it and I’m about to make it right now. I use a recipe I got out of an old Grange cookbook of my Mother in laws from I think the thirties maybe, and now it’s my favorite. Very easy, and very good.
4 eggs
One quart whole milk
3/4 c grape nuts
3/4 c sugar
1 ts vanilla
Cinnamon
Butter casserole dish. Set oven to 425 degrees.
Beat eggs until thick and lemony. Add milk.
Add grape nuts and sugar and mix. Add vanilla.
Pour into buttered casserole, sprinkle top with cinnamon and bake for around ten or so mins and then stir carefully to lift nuts a bit from bottom to spread around. Continue baking (1 hour?) until table knife in center comes out clean.
Hi Judith,
Thanks for sharing!
The foods native to New England are so good. This is one of my favorites. To bad lots of the recipes from New England, are becoming so rare. Thanks for posting this.
Tried and true New England favorite. it seems like comfort food to me!
It’s one of our favorite New England specialties – so simple, but so good.
Still desire it here in New York. I notice that it is also hard to find in New England anymore. It is a tradition that should not be lost. I remember as a very young kad that my Grandmother ordered it in a restaurant. That was early 50’s. Oh, memories!
Hi Francis,
I’ve been in Florida for a long time and I still make this on occasion – particularly in the fall when I’m missing New England. I guess the recipe isn’t trendy enough to be served in restaurants anymore, but it’s easy enough to make at home. Enjoy!
Thanks for the original ingredients list!
You’re welcome! This recipe is a classic for New Englanders.
Sundays were stock car races in Lonsdale with dinner at Oates’ Tavern where my favorite desserts were Grape-Nut pudding and Indian pudding w/ vanilla ice cream. I can buy the Indian pudding
It’s always a hit and so easy to make. I have to double the recipe. I’m going to bring it to our Super Bowl party this February.
Truly New England. I have always and will continue to love it and order it when I find it on a menu!
Hi Francis – Thanks for your comment. I lived in Rhode Island for many years and loved this dessert. I’m in Florida now, so if I want Grape Nut Pudding, I need to make it myself – I’ve yet to see it on a restaurant menu here.
The Hilltop Steakhouse in Saugus, Mass., had the BEST! ~Cut into big squares and served with whipped cream. Sorry the Hilltop has closed its doors after many years.
Yes I remember Hilltop
I was introduced to grape nut pudding at the Hill Top Restaurant in New Hampshire about twenty five years ago. I live in Sturbridge Mass and my husband and I started going to this local restaurant called Annie’s and I found out they serve grape nut pudding, which is to die for.
I grew up in Maine and the restaurant at which I worked served it. We used less grape nuts and allowed them to float so we could have a lot of rich custard too. The other side of this delicious coin included some other wonderful local treats made with corn meal and/or molasses–Indian Pudding, corn fritters, and the best toasting bread ever, Anadama bread.
From the box many years ago!!
3/4 C. Grape-nuts cereal
1/4 C. melted butter or margerine
1/2 C. sugar
3 well beaten eggs
2 C. milk
1/4 C. raisins
1 t. vanilla
1/8 t. nutmeg or cinnamon
1/8 t. salt
Anyone have the grapenut custard pudding recipe from off the grapenut box? thanks Diane
Born in Mass, now live in Fla. always had this dessert and make it myself. Just today we visited our favorite restaurant Towne Tavern in Celebration, Fl. They are a Mass based seafood rest. and have the seafood flown in everyday and one of there desserts is to die for Grapenut custard pudding which we always get warmed with whipped cream. Now I have to make it again tomorrow. YUM!
Hi Cynthia,
Thanks for your comment. We moved to Florida from Rhode Island back in the ’90s – still miss the seafood. We’re in Orlando and we’ll have to check out the Towne Tavern some time. There’s another restaurant in Winter Park called Boston’s Fish House – same deal, seafood flown in from New England. Enjoy the pudding!
Hi Lynne, I just re-read my comment and put down KIssimmee but the Towne Tavern is actually in downtown Celebration. We where just there a few weeks ago and as usual enjoyed the clam chowder and all the other seafood (combo plate) which I get on purpose so I can bring half home for lunch the next day.
cynthia
Hi Cynthia – I made the change on the original comment. Thanks for the update!
I remember Grapenut pudding from boarding school in Milford Ct, where the sisters had desserts ready for us after school. We all enjoyed the cottage pudding, brownie square and butterscotch pudding, but the days we saw GRAPENUT pudding, that was the greatest treat. I am now 90, make it for neighbors, family and of course myself . More moms should make it for breakfast before school. It is so nutritious!!!
Hi Bette,
Like you, I love Grapenut Pudding but never thought of trying it for breakfast. You make a good point about it being nutritious! Thanks for taking the time to share the idea with us.
had a recipe, 4 eggs, 4 cups milk, vanilla, salt. cook in water bath 90 minutes. i forget how much sugar, and grapenuts.
I grew up on a dairy farm in northern Vermont and my mother (God rest her soul) was an awesome cook who never measured anything! We ate this for dessert atleast 3 times a week. Her recipe was in her head and now in my heart! I just made some and it’s in the oven as I write this! Brings back great memories and it’s healthy too!
Being born in MA, this was a very common dessert.
Love it !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
My grandmother used to make this recipe (she just passed away a week ago) and now i’m going to pass on this amazing tradition of making grape-nut custard! I could eat the entire tray! 🙂
I lived in Maine and a little restaurant called the Railway cafe in Randolph served grapenut pudding with whipped cream. It brings back fond memories of my daughters enjoying this desert on Sunday after church.
I used to get it at Marcellos family restaurant in e. providence or cranston
Enjoy!
Just like I remember it from Rhode Island!!!
Same as I remember from Rhode Island. Made it as a regular dessert in my Restaurant in San Diego. People loved it!
I believe the recipe used to be printed on the box of Grape Nuts cereal.
I am from New England and I grew up with this dessert and love it! I now live in Georgia and recently made it for some people that I work with (who had never even heard of it!)and they absolutely loved it too!
I remember going to the Stop&Shop with my mom in the early 60’s and at the bakery they would serve Grape Nut Custard. That’s where I first encountered this wonderful dessert. Then my mom started making it at home and I would get in trouble for eating it all.
im from Boston,Masss ….my Mom made this,but she baked it in a bowl.i made some a long time ago and then lost the recipe. is this just a New England thing?
Hi Deirdre,
Grape Nut pudding is a classic New England recipe that I believe was first published in Yankee Magazine (which explains the regional focus). I’ve seen instructions for making it in a bowl too – we just prefer cutting it into squares for serving.
It was….and this weekend when I started craving it (I grew up in Fall River, MA), I bought the cereal and was disappointed NOT to find the recipe on the box. LOL…had to do my own research.
Hi Linda,
Glad you found a solution. Hope you enjoyed it.
I have never made this pudding before but your instructions seem pretty easy to follow. thank you.