Purin (Japanese caramel custard pudding)
A wobbly, silky baked custard with a dark bitter caramel, the classic Japanese cafe and convenience store pudding.
- Time1 hr 15 plus chilling
- LevelMedium
- Costabout £0.55 a head
- Oven150°C (130°C fan)
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.
Method
- 1
Heat the oven to 150°C (130°C fan). Put 4 ramekins in a deep roasting tin and boil a kettle.
- 2
Heat the caramel sugar and 2 tablespoons water in a small pan over a medium heat without stirring. Swirl until it turns deep amber, about 5 minutes.
5 min - 3
Take off the heat, carefully add 1 tablespoon hot water (it will spit) and swirl. Pour quickly into the ramekins.
- 4
Warm the milk with the custard sugar until steaming but not boiling. Stir in the vanilla.
- 5
Whisk the eggs and yolk gently so you do not make bubbles. Slowly pour in the warm milk, stirring. Strain through a sieve into a jug.
- 6
Pour into the ramekins. Pour hot water into the tin to come halfway up the ramekins. Cover the tin loosely with foil.
- 7
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until just set with a slight wobble in the middle.
37 min 30 s - 8
Cool, then chill for at least 3 hours. Run a knife round the edge and turn out onto a plate so the caramel pools over the top.
Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.
