Believe it or not, this is the one of the first times I’ve ever made pudding not from a box. Shocking, I know.

I think it’s because in the grand scheme of desserts, pudding kind of falls by the wayside for me. It’s great when I eat it, but I don’t crave it the way I do chocolate chip cookies or ice cream.

However, the best thing about pudding is that it’s a vehicle for pretty much any flavor. It’s an especially good way to show off summer produce, which I did in this sweet corn vanilla pudding.

We’ve all had, or at least heard of, corn pudding, but usually that’s a side dish at Thanksgiving. This pudding is the sweet variety. It has a good helping of vanilla bean paste, which pairs well with the savory and sweet flavors in the corn, and it has lots of cream and sugar.

There are also small flecks of corn kernels in the pudding. If you’re not a fan of this texture, I would recommend straining the pudding before you put it in the fridge to set. Personally I didn’t mind a few small pieces here and there, but you might want a smoother texture.

I topped the pudding with stewed blackberries but any summer fruit would work well here. I bet blueberries or strawberries would also be super delicious.

Whatever fruit you use, make sure that it’s top quality and nice and juicy. The dish is simple but it gets a boost from fresh, seasonal ingredients. Trust me; you can taste a difference.

Here’s a song to get you started on your sweet corn vanilla pudding journey. It comes recommend from my friend Julicia, whom I trust for most things music.

Sweet Corn Vanilla Pudding with Blackberries

Ingredients

for the pudding:
1 Tbsp cornstarch
3 cups fresh, uncooked yellow corn kernels
2 cups heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
1/4 cup honey
pinch of kosher salt

for the blackberries:
1 cups fresh blackberries
1/4 cup granulated sugar

Directions

Combine the cornstarch with 1 Tbsp water in a small bowl and set aside. Combine the corn, cream, honey, salt, and vanilla extract in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Add the cornstarch mixture to the saucepan. Reduce the heat to low and let the mixture simmer for a minute. Remove from heat and allow the mixture to cool to a warm room temperature.

Once the mixture has cooled, transfer it to a blender and puree until the corn is smooth. If you want an even smoother texture with no corn kernels, strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer. Divide the mixture between six pudding cups, cover them with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least six hours or overnight.

Make the blackberry topping well ahead of serving so it has time to cool. Add the blackberries and sugar to a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook them, stirring with a heatproof silicone spatula, until the sugar has dissolved. Remove the saucepan from heat and cool the mixture to room temperature. Put the cooked berries in tupperware and store in the fridge until you’re ready to serve.

Serve the pudding by placing some of the blackberry mixture on top. Enjoy!