If you are offered pudding for dessert, do you feel disappointed? To me pudding is a boring dessert. It’s what you eat when you have a sore throat, or it’s what is offered on the menu at a hospital. Pudding is not a dessert of great excitement.

Or so I thought. I now have found ways to turn pudding from a “no thank you” dessert to a “I’d love to have seconds” sort of treat. Keep reading to learn three different ways to transform this simple dessert.

Boost the flavor

When I think of pudding, it is either vanilla or chocolate. Sure, vanilla and chocolate are fine flavors, but for a bowl of pudding, it just feels really plain. However, there is no reason that pudding has to be one of those simple flavors. There are so many more options out there:

• Spiced pumpkin pudding– Get real pumpkin spice in this dessert, as it combines all of those fall baking spices along with actual pumpkin. There is so much flavor, you will be surprised.
• Butterscotch pudding- I have to confess this pudding is a tad too sweet for me, but it is incredibly popular with almost everyone else I know. Give it a try. It has all of the sweetness of butterscotch without all of the stickiness in the candy or sauce. Plus, if you offer some pretzels on the side, you can balance out the sweet with a little salt.
• Chocolate peanut butter pudding- Chocolate on its own? It is kind of boring as a pudding flavor. Add some peanut butter to that recipe, and you have a much more interesting flavor. Now you have the sweetness of the chocolate blended with the salty notes of peanut butter. Yum!

Add some texture

I think my biggest issue with pudding is that it has no textural contrast. Sure, it can be delightfully creamy, almost satin-like, but that is one note. I like more diversity in the textures of a dessert.

A simple way to do that with pudding is to add texture into the pudding itself. An old-fashioned and greatly cherished way to do that is a recipe for easy rice pudding. Yes, it still is a vanilla pudding, but the addition of rice brings so much texture, that it is like it has become a whole different dessert.

Build layers

There are plenty of great recipes for both vanilla and chocolate puddings. You can start with those and then build a dessert that is delicious and memorable. Think about the flavors pairing you like, and then start layering!

Some ideas for vanilla pudding:

• Go with a classic- slice a banana, and break vanilla cookies into smaller pieces. Alternate layers of pudding, banana, and cookies
• Bring on the berries- Choose blueberries, raspberries, and/or strawberries. Cut into similarly sized pieces. Then layer pudding and berries for a beautiful and tasty treat.

Some ideas for chocolate pudding:

• Chocolate overload- Bake or buy a small pan of brownies; cut into bite-sized pieces. Layer pudding and brownie bites. Top with a dollop of whipped cream.
• Get nutty- Purchase peanut butter sandwich cookies. Place in resealable bag, and crush with a rolling pin. Layer pudding and cookie crumbles. Top with chopped, salted peanuts.

Pudding does not need to be on the boring dessert list. Choose one of these fun and flavorful recipes to give pudding a new spot on your dessert menu!