Does German Pudding Mix Need Cooking?

Some German pudding mixes need cooking; others do not. Dr. Oetker Original Pudding Mandel is a cooked dessert mix. Backfeste Puddingcreme is a vanilla-flavored baking cream mixed with milk without cooking. Check the exact product name and preparation directions before you start.

The word Pudding on two packets does not mean they use the same method. Here is how to choose between two options in European Deli’s baking cupboard.

Which pudding mix should you choose?

• For a spoonable dessert or a pudding mold: choose Dr. Oetker Original Pudding Mandel, an almond-flavored cooked pudding supplied in a three-pouch pack. You add milk and sugar.
• For a quick pastry filling or fruit-tart layer: choose Dr. Oetker Backfeste Puddingcreme. It is prepared without cooking and can also be baked in suitable recipes.

Choose for the job first, then the flavor. A bowl of dessert and a filling that needs to hold in a pastry are different starting points.

How do you prepare a cooked pudding powder?

The manufacturer’s Original Pudding Mandel directions use 500 ml milk per pouch. Mix the powder and the packet’s specified sugar quantity with a little of that cold milk until smooth. Heat the remaining milk, take the pan off the heat to whisk in the mixture, then return it to the heat and cook while stirring for at least one minute.

For a pudding you plan to turn out of a mold, the manufacturer specifies at least four hours in the refrigerator. Allow for that setting time when planning dessert; mixing time is not the whole schedule. Follow the pouch you receive for the exact quantities and method.

Does “backfest” mean you must bake the cream?

No. It means the cream is suitable for baking, not that baking is required to prepare it. Dr. Oetker’s Backfeste Puddingcreme instructions call for whisking the powder with 250 ml milk for one minute, then using it immediately. Suggested uses include a layer under fruit on an Obstboden or a Bienenstich filling.

Keep those directions with that product. Do not use its milk quantity for an Original pudding pouch, or assume another cold-mixed dessert cream is equally suitable for baking.

What should you check before opening the packet?

• The method: look for cooking instructions or ohne Kochen, meaning “without cooking.”
• The additions: measure the milk and check whether sugar is added separately.
• The recipe: note whether it asks for dry powder, prepared pudding or a specific baking cream.

German pudding mix FAQ

Can you swap the two products packet for packet?

Do not assume so. They have different preparation methods and milk quantities. Use the product your recipe specifies, especially for a cake filling.

Does a three-pouch pack make one batch?

The featured Original Mandel pack contains three separate pouches. Its preparation directions apply to a single pouch; count how many you are using before measuring the milk.

Is Backfeste Puddingcreme already prepared?

No. The packet contains a powder that you mix with milk. “Without cooking” describes its preparation method; it does not mean the cream is ready to use straight from the packet.