Lemon pie prepared with instant pudding mix

Instant pudding is an

instant food This is a list of instant foods. Instant foods are convenience foods which require minimal preparation, typically just adding water or milk. Some authors define "instant" food as requiring less than five minutes of preparation and "ultra-instant f ...

product that is manufactured in a powder form and used to create

pudding Pudding is a type of food which can either be a dessert served after the main meal or a Savoury (dish), savoury (salty or sweet, and spicy) dish, served as part of the main meal. In the United States, ''pudding'' means a sweet, milk-based des ...

s and

pie A pie is a baked dish which is usually made of a pastry dough casing that contains a filling of various sweet or savoury ingredients. Sweet pies may be filled with fruit (as in an apple pie), nuts ( pecan pie), fruit preserves ( jam tart ...

filling. It is produced using sugar, flavoring agents and thickeners as primary ingredients. Instant pudding can be used in some baked goods.

Manufacturing

Many flavors of instant pudding are produced. Sugar, a flavoring agent, and thickeners are primary ingredients. Instant chocolate pudding mix is manufactured using cocoa. A key ingredient in instant pudding is gelatinized starch, a dried instant

starch Starch or amylum is a polymeric carbohydrate consisting of numerous glucose units joined by glycosidic bonds. This polysaccharide is produced by most green plants for energy storage. Worldwide, it is the most common carbohydrate in human diet ...

that readily absorbs liquids, which causes the pudding to gel when mixed with milk. Additional ingredients sometimes used as a thickener include

gums The gums or gingiva (: gingivae) consist of the mucosal tissue that lies over the mandible and maxilla inside the mouth. Gum health and disease can have an effect on general health. Structure The gums are part of the soft tissue lining of the ...

that are soluble in cold water, such as

carrageenan Carrageenans or carrageenins ( ; ) are a family of natural linear sulfation, sulfated polysaccharides. They are extracted from red algae, red edible seaweeds. Carrageenans are widely used in the food industry, for their gelling, thickening, an ...

s and

alginate Alginic acid, also called algin, is a naturally occurring, edible polysaccharide found in brown algae. It is hydrophilic and forms a viscous gum when hydrated. When the alginic acid binds with sodium and calcium ions, the resulting salts are k ...

Phosphate Phosphates are the naturally occurring form of the element phosphorus. In chemistry, a phosphate is an anion, salt, functional group or ester derived from a phosphoric acid. It most commonly means orthophosphate, a derivative of orthop ...

salts are sometimes used, which contribute to the gelling of the finished product. Some

Jell-O Jell-O (stylized in all caps) is an American brand offering a variety of powdered gelatin dessert (fruit-flavored gels/jellies), pudding, and no-bake cream pie mixes. The original gelatin dessert ( genericized as jello) is the signature of ...

brand instant puddings are

vegan Veganism is the practice of abstaining from the use of animal products and the consumption of animal source foods, and an associated philosophy that rejects the commodity status of animals. A person who practices veganism is known as a ve ...

, such as those in vanilla, lemon, banana crème, and pistachio flavors. Many flavors of instant pudding are produced, with manufacturers including

Kraft Foods Kraft Foods Group, Inc. was an American food manufacturing and processing conglomerate (company), conglomerate, split from Kraft Foods Inc. on October 1, 2012, and was headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. It became part of Kraft Heinz on July ...

and

Jel Sert The Jel Sert Company is a privately held company based in West Chicago, Illinois, United States. Established in 1926, it specializes in making drink mixes, dessert mixes (pudding and gelatin), and frozen novelties. History and Products The Jel ...

whose products are marketed under the

and Royal brand names.

Nutrition information

One serving (one-quarter of a box) of dry Jell-O chocolate-flavored instant pudding contains 110 calories, 430 mg sodium, 8 g carbohydrate, 18 g sugars, and 1 g of dietary fiber. It also contains 4% of the daily

Recommended Dietary Allowance In the U.S. and Canada, the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) is used in nutrition labeling on food and dietary supplement products to indicate the daily intake level of a nutrient that is considered to be sufficient to meet the requirements of 97� ...

of iron. Instant pudding mixes are produced in non-fat and sugar-free varieties.

Preparation

Instant pudding is typically prepared by combining the powdered mix with milk and mixing the ingredients. Puddings may be cooled in a refrigerator before serving.

Uses

In addition to being eaten as-is and used as a pie filling, instant pudding can be used in baked goods such as cakes and cookies. Instant pudding added to cake mix can result in a denser and moister cake compared to cakes prepared without it. The use of instant pudding can cause a cake to fall or shrink as it cools, more than a cake prepared without the pudding. Use of a small amount of instant pudding lessens shrinkage compared to using a whole box. Cookies prepared using instant pudding may be moister compared to those without it.

References

{{Puddings Instant foods and drinks Puddings Food powders

Manufacturing

Nutrition information

Preparation

Uses

See also

References