Time-Tested Delight: How to Make a Delicious Vintage Brownie Pudding

Discover the timeless joy of preparing a delectable vintage brownie pudding with our step-by-step recipe. This indulgent dessert combines the best of both worlds, with a rich, fudgy brownie layer atop a velvety chocolate pudding, resulting in a truly unforgettable treat.

Growing up, our pantry rarely held store-bought sweets, but it always brimmed with baking essentials. As an avid young baker, I often seized the opportunity to whip up something delightful.

A vivid memory takes me back to a day when my best friend and I yearned for a chocolate fix. Rummaging through my mom’s Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook, we stumbled upon a treasure: the recipe for brownie pudding. Promising a delicious brownie top and a decadent chocolate pudding bottom, we thought that would be perfect for our chocolate cravings. 

At that point, my baking prowess was well-honed, and the recipe appeared deceptively simple. However, there was a twist that made us question its success. The instructions called for pouring a water mixture over the batter without stirring it! As we reached this peculiar step, we exchanged bewildered glances, exclaiming, “It looks like dirty dishwater!” Doubts clouded our minds, doubting that this mess would transform into the divine layers we envisioned. Nevertheless, we mustered courage and entrusted the oven with our creation. And like a stroke of enchantment, the result was perfection itself.

Over the years, we revisited this delightful recipe time and again, cementing its status as one of my all-time favorite desserts. However, the passage of time had caused it to slip into the recesses of my culinary repertoire. It came to mind recently and I decided to prepare it for my birthday celebration this year. And what better occasion to share this nostalgic gem with all of you?

Join me on this voyage down memory lane as we delve into the remarkable journey of crafting vintage brownie pudding.

The History of Brownie Pudding

This recipe first appeared in an issue of Better Homes & Garden Magazine in 1944. I have since seen it in multiple issues of the magazine from the 1940s-1950s. There are slight differences in the recipe but overall they are very similar.

The recipe is also in my Grandma’s 1953 version of the Better Homes & Garden Cookbook and in my 2002 version. I’m not sure what version my mom has but it was there as well. If a recipe has made it this long you know it has to be good! 

How to Make Brownie Pudding?

This recipe is quite easy to make, something I find was generally true of wartime recipes. It also is an egg-free brownie recipe so perfect for anyone with an egg allergy or if you need a dessert and find you don’t have any eggs on hand.

Scroll down to find the full recipe card. There is a printable version as well!

What you will need to make brownie pudding:

• All-Purpose Flour
• Sugar
• Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
• Baking Powder
• Salt
• Milk
• Oil
• Vanilla
• Brown Sugar
• Boiling Water

You will mix the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt, milk, oil, and vanilla. This will make a thick batter that you will spread in a pan. Over that, you will pour a mixture of boiling water, brown sugar, and more cocoa over the top. This is when you have to trust the process.

After that you bake and when you pull it out there will be a delicious brownie on top with a creamy chocolate pudding underneath. And a quick note, while the pan in these photos looks burned it’s not, this can happen but just soak in hot water when you are done enjoying the browning pudding and it will be easy to clean. 

What Should You Serve with Brownie Pudding?

Brownie pudding is great on its own served hot or cold. You can also serve it with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, caramel syrup, nuts, or anything that you enjoy with brownies.

My favorite way to eat it is warm with vanilla ice cream. It’s the perfect combo. Especially because the dish isn’t overly sweet and has a lot of chocolate flavor.

However you want to serve it, I highly recommend that you make it very soon! It will likely become a family favorite as well.

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Vintage Brownie Pudding

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This indulgent dessert combines the best of both worlds, with a rich, fudgy brownie layer atop a velvety chocolate pudding, resulting in a truly unforgettable treat.

Cook Time 40 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons cooking oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 cups boiling water

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a medium mixing bowl combine flour, sugar, 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.
3. Stir in milk, oil, and vanilla.
4. Pour the batter into a greased 8x8x2 baking pan. It will be thick, just spread it over the pan as well as you can.
5. In a small bowl mix together brown sugar and 1/4 cup cocoa powder. Stir in the boiling water carefully.
6. Pour this water mixture over the brownie batter, carefully.
7. Bake in a 350 degrees oven for 40 minutes. Let cool for 45 to 60 minutes. Serve warm.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 251Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 202mgCarbohydrates: 51gFiber: 1gSugar: 36gProtein: 3g

Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.

More Vintage Recipes

Old-Fashioned Apple Recipes

Easy Cream Cheese Sauce for Spaghetti (1950s Recipe)

Easy Chocolate Coffee Pudding (1960s Recipe)

Retro Berry Punch Recipe (1940s Recipe)