I've been trying vanilla pudding recipes but they're all too sweet for our liking.
I want to change the amount of sugar from 3/4 cup to 1/2. Is that a culinary no-no, or should I use a substitute?
Seasoned Advice is a question and answer site for professional and amateur chefs. It only takes a minute to sign up.
Sign up to join this communityI've been trying vanilla pudding recipes but they're all too sweet for our liking.
I want to change the amount of sugar from 3/4 cup to 1/2. Is that a culinary no-no, or should I use a substitute?
For this answer I am assuming the flan-type of pudding, where a liquid (e.g. milk) is cooked with starch until thickened.
Sugar is for the thickening process pretty irrelevant, which means you can even make a pudding completely without sugar or sugar substitute. So feel free to adjust the recipe to your and your family’s liking.
However, if you are making batter-based puddings, you can’t simply eliminate the sugar, because it’s not only for the sweetness, but a structural component for the cake (or pudding). You typically can leave out some of the sugar, but will soon reach a point where you need to make further adjustments. Follow the same rules as for pound cake and similar batters.