Strawberry Pudding
by Sommer Collier — last updated on Apr 10, 2025 
Utterly irrisistible Homemade Strawberry Pudding Recipe! If you like Banana Pudding, you will LOVE this Easy Pudding Recipe made from scratch, with real berries.
Sommer’s Recipe Notes
If you are crazy over the creamy decadence of southern-style banana pudding layered with fresh bananas, vanilla wafers (or shortbread cookies), and whipped cream, you are going to absolutely love our strawberry southern pudding recipe today.
That’s right, it’s like nostalgic banana pudding, but made with real strawberries and milk, instead of extracts or powdered pudding mix.
Plus, this homemade strawberry pudding recipe is easy to assemble a day or two before an event, for an impressive and comforting treat.
Strawberry Pudding Recipe (From Scratch)
Because instant pudding mixes are readily available, most people don’t realize how easy it is to make pudding from scratch.
What is pudding, really? Milk, sugar, a thickening agent, and flavoring. That’s pretty much it.
Our easy made-from-scratch strawberry pudding requires just a handful of ingredients, mostly found in your pantry. The secret ingredient in this recipe, used for flavor and additional thickening, is cream cheese.
The cream cheese gives the pudding a lovely strawberry cheesecake flavor, and allows the pudding to set a little more firm than normal puddings, so it can be easily lifted out of the pan.
Ingredients You Need
For the Strawberry Pudding:
- Frozen sliced strawberries in syrup – I like to keep these in the freezer so I can make this pudding on the fly. Make sure to thaw before using.
- Whole milk
- Cream cheese – For flavor and thickening.
- Granulated sugar
- Cornstarch – For additional thickening.
- Vanilla extract
- Salt – Just a little!
For the Whipped Cream:
- Heavy cream
- Granulated sugar
For Assembly:
- Pepperidge Farm Chessmen Cookies – Instead of vanilla wafers.
- Fresh strawberries – To garnish the top.
How To Make Old Fashioned Strawberry Pudding
Find the full Strawberry Pudding recipe with ingredient proportions and detailed instructions in the printable form at the bottom of the post.
Tips & Tricks
- Use your favorite cookies as the cookie layer! You can use vanilla wafers, shortbread cookies, or switch it up with chocolate wafers!
- If you just have frozen strawberries on hand that aren’t stored in syrup, add one cup of sugar to the mix.
- Taste the strawberry pudding before letting it cool to make sure it has the right amount of sweetness! If you want it sweeter, add more sugar.
Frequently Asked Questions
Homemade pudding can be made from scratch by combining the flavoring, milk, cornstarch, and sugar. Then simmer until thick. Learn more about it in the recipe below.
Pudding usually lasts for up to a week. Make sure to cover and refrigerate it until ready to serve.
Cornstarch is a traditional thickening agent for pudding, and some recipes include flour. In this recipe, we are combining cornstarch and cream cheese for thickening.
Sure! You can use 1 pound of fresh raspberries, blueberries, or blackberries instead of frozen strawberries in syrup. Then increase the sugar to 1 cup.
Yes! Wrap it well with plastic. Then freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, thaw in the refrigerator for 6-8 hours.
Sure! Simply swap the Chessmen cookies for gluten-free shortbread cookies. The rest of the recipes in already gluten-free.
More Amazing Pudding Recipes & Creamy Desserts
- Best Ever Tiramisu
- Vanilla Pudding Recipe
- Easy Magic Custard Cake
- Mini Banana Cream Pie Recipe
- Chocolate Espresso Pots de Creme
- Layered Banana Pudding Cake
- Fluffy Banana Cream Pie
- Creamy Lavender Flan
- Swedish Cream
- Yogurt Panna Cotta with Berries
Strawberry Pudding Recipe
Ingredients
For the Strawberry Pudding:
- 16 ounces frozen sliced strawberries in syrup, thawed
- 3 1/4 cups whole milk
- 6 ounces cream cheese
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
For the Whipped Cream:
- 2 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
For Assembly:
- 14.5 ounces Pepperidge Farm Chessmen Cookies (2 bags)
- 1 pint fresh strawberries
Instructions
- For the Strawberry Pudding: Set a medium saucepot on the stovetop, and pull out a blender. In the blender, combine the strawberries in their syrup, milk, cream cheese, sugar, cornstarch, vanilla extract, and salt. Cover and puree until very smooth. Then pour the mixture in the saucepot.
- Simmer the strawberry pudding over medium heat, stirring consistently until the mixture is smooth and thick. Remove from heat. (Note: The pudding will thicken more as it cools, so don't let it cook too long. 5-6 minutes at the most.)
- For Assembly: You will need 15 small whole strawberries or 15 large strawberry halves for the garnish. If needed cut large strawberries in half.
- Pull out a 9X13 inch baking dish. Arrange one bag of Chessmen cookies in a single layer on the bottom of the baking dish.
- Scoop the strawberry pudding over the Chessmen cookies. Spread it out into an even layer. Arrange the second bag of Chessmen cookies over the top of the pudding.
- For the Whipped Cream: In a stand mixer, combine cold heavy cream and sugar. Using the whip attachment, whip the cream on high until firm.
- Once the pudding has cooled 5-10 minutes, spread the whipped cream over the top of the cookies. Top the whipped cream with 15 strawberries. Chill for 1-2 hours before serving. The pudding should be firm enough to cut and lift out of the pan, supported by the cookies.
Is it possible to eliminate the second row of cookies and put the whipped cream on top
of the pudding ? Thank you.
Hi, is it possible to use fresh picked strawberry’s instead of frozen?
Hi Reese,
Yes! However, the frozen strawberries in syrup are sweetened quite a bit and floating in juices. So make sure to slice the fresh strawberries and toss them with 1/4 cup of sugar. Allow them to rest for at least 15 minutes to release their juices.
Is there something you could replace the cream cheese with? I’m not a cream cheese fan, but it looks and sounds so good other than that!
Yum! This is sooo good! Sometimes when I see a recipe on line I’m driven to try it out right away. I saw this recipe yesterday, went to the today to pick up what I needed and we had it for dessert tonight. Two thumbs up – one from me, one from my husband! Thanks!
Delicious! Made it for my husband’s birthday. He LOVED it.
Hi
How to make frozen strawberries packed in syrup ?
Is it possible to buy it in store?
Thanks
Prerna
Hi Prerna,
Frozen Strawberries Packed in Syrup is a common freezer item in American grocery stores. Where do you live… Maybe I can offer a suggestion.
Looks so delicious, can’t wait to make it. Thanks for making the recipe available.
What can I use instead of Chessmen cookies? am in the UK and haven’t been able to find them anywhere…
Hi Ana,
Any sort of crisp butter cookie (biscuit) will work! :)
I use Chessmen cookies in Banana Pudding too. Because, you know, they are just better, being made with real butter. And have you seen the darling little mini size Chessmen cookies? Too die for. Good for layered desserts made individually.
Oh my gosh, I am not a fan of banana pudding, but I could eat the whole pan of this strawberry pudding! It is so good!