When I was working on my teaching credential, I spent some time in a kindergarten classroom. It was Thanksgiving time, so the teacher had multiple stations for the kids to complete projects. One station had what I found to be the easiest pumpkin pie pudding DIY for kids. I loved the simplicity of it, as well as the taste. I hastily scribbled down the recipe for future use.
Flash forward many years and kids later. I wanted to have the kids in my co-op class make the pudding. I wasn’t sure where my handwritten recipe was, but I figured I’d find it easily via Google. Boy was I mistaken. I found many recipes for pumpkin pie pudding, but none of them were the same as the one I had had in that class. The ones I found involved crushing up graham crackers or making one big bowl of pudding and dividing it up among the kids. None of those recipes measured up to “easiest pumpkin pie pudding DIY for kids” status.
I gave up on Google and Pinterest and combed through piles of clipped recipes. Wonders of wonders, I found it! What, you ask, makes this recipe so special? I love it because it’s so easy and kids can assemble it themselves in their own cups.
The ingredients
There are four ingredients to this pudding with an optional fifth: instant vanilla pudding mix, Cool Whip (or other whipped cream, but who has time for that), milk, pumpkin pie mix (in the can that is already sweetened and flavored). Chocolate chips (mini chips are best) are the optional ingredient. The original recipe called for raisins, but why would you do that?
The process
When I have used this recipe with a group of kids, I set out the ingredients in assembly line fashion. Each measurement is in tablespoons, so I put one tablespoon with each ingredient. The kids then proceed down the line of ingredients, making sure to stir well (you don’t want pudding powder to be clumped up on the bottom of the cup).
The printable
I created this printable mostly so I won’t lose this recipe again! I also thought it would be useful to put two to a page to give to parents. You can find it along with many other printables in the free resource library.
If you are interested in more DIY recipes for kids, makinglearningfun.com has a large collection of “pictorial recipes.” The recipes are in pictures, so kids can follow the recipe by looking at the pictures. Recipes can be printed out and are free.
I hope you give this recipe a try!