How To Make Custard Powder

Name: How To Make Custard Powder
Prep time: 2 min
Total time: 2 min
Ingredients: 1 cup milk powder; 1/2 cup cornflour (cornstarch); 6 tsp vanilla sugar (see notes); pinch of yellow food colour powder (optional - see notes)

Jump to Recipe

Learn how to make custard powder in just 2 minutes and using only 3 ingredients (milk powder, cornflour/corn starch and vanilla sugar).

You won't believe how quick and easy it is to prepare custard powder and then use it to make creamy homemade vanilla custard!

Perfect for pouring over your favourite desserts, puddings, pies, cakes, crumbles and more!

An overhead show of a spoon in a bowl of milk powder with sugar and cornflour.

Once you've made your own custard powder (and realised how incredibly easy it is!), you'll never buy store-bought custard powder again!

Plus, it's so easy to turn your homemade custard powder into creamy vanilla custard... simply by adding milk and sugar and stirring on the stove-top.

The serving options for vanilla custard are endless... pour it over your favourite dessert (think apple pie, chocolate pudding, blueberry crumble, pecan pie and more!) or use it in homemade trifle or custard tarts.

Why You're Going To Love This Recipe
What You Need
Equipment Required
Step By Step Instructions
- Step 1 - Combine The Ingredients
- Step 2 - Store
Serving Suggestions
Expert Tips
FAQ's
How To Make Custard Using Custard Powder
Related Recipes

Why You're Going To Love This Recipe

There's so much to love about making your own custard powder from scratch:

Budget-friendly - making your own is SO much cheaper than buying pre-made custard powder.
Most popular dessert - warm custard is so delicious served on it's own... or take it to the next level by serving it with your favourite dessert, fruit or jelly.
Versatile - custard can be used in everything from trifles to tarts, poured onto sweet pies, puddings, crumbles, cakes and more!

What You Need

It couldn't be easier (or cheaper) to make homemade custard powder from scratch!

Here's what you need:

Note: Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom for the ingredients quantities and full detailed method.

Milk powder - milk powder can be bought from any supermarket or grocer. You can use either skim or full cream milk powder, however, for the creamiest custard I recommend using full cream milk powder. Milk powder is a budget-friendly ingredient - a large 1 kg bag will cost around $8.
Cornflour - also referred to as cornstarch. This acts as the thickening agent in the custard.
Vanilla sugar - also known as vanillin sugar. You can use store-bought vanilla sugar (such as Hoyts or MasterFoods brand). This can usually be found in the spices section of the supermarket. Alternatively, you can make your own homemade vanilla sugar using sugar and vanilla beans.
Yellow food colour powder (optional) - if you would like your custard powder to have a traditional yellow look to it, then you can add a pinch of yellow food colour powder. Food colour powder can be quite difficult to find in supermarkets and doesn't alter the flavour, so it's completely fine to omit it entirely.

Equipment Required

Preparing custard powder requires very little equipment.

You will need:

A food processor or Thermomix or sieve - the ingredients are mixed together using either a food processor or Thermomix. If you don't have a food processor or a Thermomix, you can simple sift the ingredients using a sieve. Ensure you sift 3-4 times to completely combine the ingredients.
An airtight container - for storing the custard powder.

Step By Step Instructions

It takes just 2 minutes to make your own custard powder at home!

Note: Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom for the ingredients quantities and full detailed method.

Step 1 - Combine The Ingredients

Place the milk powder, cornflour, vanilla sugar and food colour powder (optional) into a food processor or Thermomix.

Mix on high speed to combine.

TIP: If you don't have a food processor or a Thermomix machine, you can simply sift the ingredients 3-4 times using a sieve and a large mixing bowl.

An overhead shot of a mixing bowl filled with a fine cornflour powder.

Step 2 - Store

Transfer the powder into an airtight container and store at room temperature in a cool, dry place (such as the pantry).

Serving Suggestions

Homemade custard or vanilla sauce is the perfect accompaniment to your favourite desserts.

Here's some popular custard serving suggestions:

Use homemade custard for the custard layer in a classic strawberry trifle (or adults-only Baileys chocolate trifle)
Pour it over your favourite dessert pudding - like chocolate, butterscotch, sticky date or apple sponge pudding
Serve it with fresh or tinned fruit
Serve with jelly or ice-cream
Add it as the filling to sweet custard tarts
Pour it over your favourite fruit streusel, crumble or cake.

An overhead shot of homemade custard powder.

Expert Tips

I recommend using full cream milk powder for the creamiest custard (not skim or light milk powder).
Food colour powder can be difficult to source - it's completely fine to omit it as it is only used to alter the colour of the custard powder, not the flavour.
If you don't have a food processor or a Thermomix, you can sift the ingredients together 3-4 times using a sieve.
Store the homemade custard powder in an airtight container in a cool, dry place (such as the pantry) at room temperature.
Homemade custard powder can be stored for as long as the expiry date on the milk powder packet. I recommend writing the expiry date onto your container of homemade custard.

FAQ's

Can you make custard without custard powder?

It is possible to make homemade custard without custard powder. You can find my recipe for 'custard without custard powder' here.

Are milk powder and powdered milk the same thing?

Yes. Milk powder, also called powdered milk, dried milk, or dry milk is made from dehydrated, pasteurised milk. The main purpose of drying milk is to preserve it as milk powder has a far longer shelf life than liquid milk. It also does not need to be refrigerated, due to its low moisture content.

Are cornflour and corn starch the same thing?

It depends. In Australia, cornstarch and cornflour are the same product and therefore can be used interchangeably in recipes, whereas in other parts of the world, like the US and UK, they are different products. In the US, maize is used to make cornflour but in Australia, it is made from wheat which is why it often reads “wheaten cornflour”. In the US, corn flour is finely ground cornmeal.

What do you serve custard with?

Any of your favourite desserts... pies, crumbles, puddings or trifle. Or simply with fresh or tinned fruit, jelly or ice-cream.

A wooden spoon filled with powder and held above a bowl.

How To Make Custard Using Custard Powder

Now that you've got your homemade custard powder... let's turn it into custard!

Simply place ½ cup of your homemade custard powder into a medium saucepan. Add 2 and ½ cups of milk (full cream is best) and 2 tablespoons of caster sugar.

Whisk to combine.

Heat the custard over low heat, stirring constantly until thickened.

Serve immediately or store in the fridge for up to 3 days with a layer of plastic wrap directly on top of the custard (to avoid it from developing a 'skin' on top.

Pour your creamy, homemade custard over one of these delicious desserts!