My simple No-Bake Purin (Custard Pudding) recipe is silky, creamy, and rich in caramel flavor. This variation on the popular Japanese chilled dessert is easy to make at home using gelatin and my tips for a foolproof caramel sauce.
Growing up in Japan, three O’clock meant Oyatsu no Jikan, which means “time for snack” in Japanese. I ran home every day after school and looked forward to the day’s oyatsu (snack) that my mom prepared.
Once in a while, she would surprise my brother and me with our favorite No Bake Purin (ゼラチンプリン). It’s a popular chilled dessert in Japan and I’m excited to share this easy homemade recipe with you.
What is Japanese Purin?
It is a custard dessert with a layer of soft caramel on top. As it’s enjoyed throughout the world, you may call this dessert custard pudding, crème caramel, caramel custard, flan, or a different name in your language.
Normally the custard, the mixture of sugar, eggs, and milk (and sometimes heavy cream), is baked in the oven in a bain-marie [ban mah-REE] (hot water bath) before being chilled.
In Japan, we have 3 types:
- Yaki Purin (焼きプリン) – Baked in a bain-marie (water bath) in the oven. A hot water bath allows this delicate dessert to cook more evenly and gently, preventing cracking, curdles, or small bubbles around the edges.
- Mushi Purin (蒸しプリン) – Cooked on a stovetop in a steamer or in a bain-marie in a pot.
- Gelatin Purin (ゼラチンプリン) – aka No Bake Purin; Not baked or cooked on a stovetop; a custard is solidified with gelatin! The majority of packaged purin you can get at supermarkets are mostly made this way. Have you tried the popular Pucchin Purin (プッチンプリン) by Glico?
You can find my recipe for the #1 and #2 methods here.
I also want to mention that Japanese Purin is sometimes called “custard pudding” (カスタードプリン) in Japan, especially when emphasizing the custard component and comparing with other types below:
What is No-Bake Purin?
Japanese “Purin” that you can purchase at supermarkets and convenience stores in Japan is all made with gelatin. We sometimes call this type of purin Gelatin Purin (ゼラチンプリン). They are not baked or steamed. If you’re a big fan of those packaged Japanese custard puddings like Pucchin Purin (プッチンプリン), today’s recipe is for you!
The texture of Gelatin Purin is similar to gelatin desserts like panna cotta, French dessert Bavarian Cream, or Bavaria (ババロア). It’s silky smooth and slightly firm, with a gentle wobble.
The best part about Gelatin Purin is that you can enjoy the silky panna cotta texture with rich custard flavors, just like creme caramel or flan.
This delicious dessert is a simple recipe, but it requires some techniques for the following important steps in the recipe.
- The caramel sauce has to have the right consistency so that when you invert the ramekin, the caramel sauce pours down nicely over the Purin.
- Gelatin has to be bloomed correctly so that the texture of Purin comes out perfectly.
- The custard mixture needs to be cooked to the correct temperature before being chilled.
I apologize for my lengthy recipe but I hope my tips are helpful. Please read the entire recipe at least once before trying to make the recipe.
This post was originally shared in 2011 and it was my guest post shared on my friend Jill’s blog Mad About Macarons’ Egg Yolk Recipes series. Jill makes amazing macarons and she published her macaron cookbooks (Mad about Macarons! and Teatime in Paris!).
With the leftover egg whites from this recipe, you can make Jill’s macarons! I hope you enjoy making this No-Bake Purin recipe.
Wish to learn more about Japanese cooking? Sign up for our free newsletter to receive cooking tips & recipe updates! And stay in touch with me on Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, and Instagram.
No-Bake Purin (Custard Pudding)
Ingredients
For the Caramel Sauce
- 2 Tbsp boiling water
- ⅔ cup sugar
- 2 Tbsp water
For the Custard
- 4 gelatin sheets (0.35 oz, 10 g; I love using PerfectaGel Gold gelatin sheets; or use 1 pouch (7 g, about 2½ tsp) Knox gelatin powder)
- ¼ cup water
- 4 large egg yolks
- 80 g sugar (⅓ cup + 1 Tbsp)
- 1¾ cups whole milk (divided)
- ½ cup heavy (whipping) cream
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Before You Start: Please note that this recipe requires a chilling time of 2–3 hours. Now, gather all the ingredients. You will also need 8 ramekins that are 4 oz (½ cup, 120 ml) each.
To Make the Caramel Sauce
- Prepare some boiling water (you‘ll need only 2 Tbsp) and a cold damp towel (for Step 4).
- Combine ⅔ cup sugar and 2 Tbsp water in a heavy-bottomed small saucepan over medium heat. Gently shake the saucepan to evenly distribute the sugar, then do not touch until the mixture starts to turn golden brown on the edges of the pan. When the sugar starts to caramelize, you will see lots of small bubbles. Swirl and tilt the pot to blend the dark-colored and light-colored sugars but do not use a utensil because it will crystallize the sugar. Soon, the bubbles will become larger as the sugar mixture caramelizes more and turns an amber color (like a darker honey color), about 5–6 minutes.
- Immediately remove from the heat and set the saucepan on a cold, damp folded towel. Add 2 Tbsp boiling water. It will create a huge splash, so please be careful. You can shield with a lid or wear oven mitts to protect your hands. Swirl the saucepan to combine. This will slightly thin out the caramel sauce and ensure that it doesn’t become too thick in the ramekins.
- Briefly dip the ramekins in hot water to warm up. This will prevent the caramel from solidifying (just shake off the excess water; no need to dry).
- While the caramel is still hot, pour the caramel from the pot into the 8 ramekins, evenly dividing the sauce. Set aside and let the caramel thicken naturally (which is why the caramel will not mix with the custard mixture later).
To Prepare the Gelatin
- Cut 4 gelatin sheets into thin, ½ inch (1.3 cm) strips. Place them in a heat-resistant glass bowl that‘s wider than the opening of your saucepan (to use in a double boiler later). Add ¼ cup water and set aside for 5–6 minutes until the gelatin “blooms“ or expands.
- If you’re using powdered gelatin, combine 3 tsp (10 g) gelatin powder and ¼ cup water and let stand for 1 minute. Then, microwave on High for 30–40 seconds and stir. Now, it’s ready to use.
- Once the gelatin sheets bloom, bring 1 inch (2.5 cm) of water to a simmer in a saucepan. Set the bowl with the gelatin on top of the saucepan to create a double boiler. Steam will immediately warm up the bowl and start to dissolve the gelatin. Once completely dissolved, turn off the heat and set it aside. Tip: If somehow you take a long time to finish the next steps and the gelatin sets solid before you can add it to the custard mixture, you will need to melt the gelatin into a liquid again over the double boiler.
To Make the Custard Mixture
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 4 large egg yolks and 80 g sugar (⅓ cup + 1 Tbsp) until pale and creamy.
- In a medium saucepan, heat half of the milk (200 ml or ⅚ cup) over medium heat until warm to the touch. (Keep the remaining milk to use later.)
- Now, temper the egg mixture. Slowly add the warm milk, a little at a time, whisking constantly.
- Pour the mixture back into the saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly at all times; otherwise, the mixture will burn on the bottom. Cook until the mixture coats the back of a spoon with a thin film and reaches 160ºF (71ºC). You‘ll also see small bubbles start to form at the edges of the pan.
- Add in the liquid gelatin mixture and mix well. Remove from the heat.
- Strain the custard mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean bowl.
- Add the rest of the milk (200 ml or ⅚ cup), ½ cup heavy (whipping) cream, and 2 tsp pure vanilla extract and whisk all together. We’re adding them at the end to help the mixture cool down.
To Chill
- Divide and pour the custard into the 8 ramekins. Using a long-stemmed utility lighter (candle lighter), burn off the bubbles on the surface of the custard by quickly touching them with the flame. You could also pop them with a toothpick or scoop them off with a spoon, but those are both time-consuming methods. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 2–3 hours or up to 3 days. The caramel on the bottom will become thinner after the moisture from the custard transfers to the caramel.
To Serve
- To loosen the custard, run a small, sharp knife or toothpick around the edge of each ramekin. Quickly invert each custard with caramel sauce onto a plate. If it doesn’t release right away, gently shake the ramekin a few times to help loosen it.
To Store
- Store in the refrigerator for up to 2–3 days. Consume sooner as the quality degrades over time.
Nutrition
Editor’s Note: The original post was shared on June 10, 2011. The post is updated with new content, images, and video in September 2016.
I halved the recipe and it can only make two
Hi Lydia, Thank you for trying Nami’s recipe!
What is your ramekin size?
This recipe is for 8 of the 4-oz ramekins (4 oz is ½ cup or 120 ml). If you use bigger size ramekins, you might make fewer servings.
We hope this helps!
[…] It’s known in the rest of the world as Flan, particularly in South America and the Philippines. The French Crème Caramel is similar (if not the same) as flan but it doesn’t use sweetened or condensed milk. In Japan, there’s purin, a gelatine no-bake version and, thanks to my friend Nami who guest posted here before she hit super stardom, check out her Japanese recipe for Purin at JustOneCookbook. […]
hi your recipe called for 2.5 tablespoons of gelatin but your written recipe says “combine 3 tsp”. i think there is a typo. Also, i used 2.5 tablespoons of gelatin and it was too hard. i was reduce it by 1 tablespoon. the flavor was there but i would adjust the gelatin ratio.
Hi, irene! Thank you very much for trying Nami’s recipe, and bringing this to our attention.
One pouch of Knox gelatin powder is 7 grams, about 2 ½ tsp. But if you are using a different brand, you can use 10 grams, about 3 teaspoons.
We hope this helps!
hello i was wondering how long does the pudding stay in shape in room temperature? Thankyou before hanf
Hi Kanya! Thank you very much for reading Nami’s post and trying her recipe!
The time will depend on your room temperature, but we recommend storing this Purin in the refrigerator or with ice.
We hope this helps!
Hi! Lovely recipe! I only have powder gelatin right now though, does anyone know if this would work as a replacement for the gelatin sheets? Thank you!
Hi Jessica! Thank you very much for reading Nami’s post and trying her recipe!
One pouch of Knox gelatin powder (7 grams), about 2 ½ Tbsps can be used as a replacement. But the texter will be different depending on the brand of gelatin powder, so please feel free to adjust the amount as you like.
We hope this helps!
Although caramel is nice, my personal opinion is that this recipe is even dreamier with a fairly tart fruity sauce like a raspberry sauce. The acidy fresh sauce with this sweet pudding is a great combination. Though that wouldn’t be ”original” anymore, haha. I’ve made it several times by now, comes out great every time. I like to make them in ramekins meant to eat out of instead of dropping the pudding on a plate, but I guess that’s also just a matter of preference. When you do it like that, you want the caramel on top instead of the bottom, so gotta let it cool a bit and harden before you add the caramel or sauce or it’ll mix with the pudding 🙂 once tried to add it on top without letting it harden first and everything got mixed up, though I guess that’s one way to easily make flavored puddings, just mixing everything together instead of keeping them separate.
Hi Seregosa! We are so happy to hear you enjoyed Nami’s No-Bake Creme Caramel Recipe!
Thank you very much for trying her recipe and sharing your cooking experience with us.
Hi Namiko-さん、
Just wondering if you ever tried making the caramel with brown sugar? There’s this Kobe Purin I like from Japan and the caramel has such a nice deep flavor and wanted to recreate that. Do you think using brown sugar instead of white sugar would work?
Thanks!
彰子
Hi 彰子さん、Thank you very much for reading Nami’s post and trying her recipe!
Yes! You can make Caramel sauce with brown sugar. It will add molasses flavor to the sauce.
We hope this helps!
Hi Namiko San,
Is there a reason you are not using the Japanese Kanten? I would rather use Kanten than something made from pork collagen. If I used Kanten, what is the amount to use?
Hiromi
Hi Hiromi! Thank you very much for reading Nami’s post!
To make the authentic Japanese purin (just like how Japanese purin is sold in Japan), Nami needed to use gelatin. The liquid solidified very differently between gelatin and Kanten. Kanten is always on the firm side, and gelatin hardens with a nice wobbly texture.
To get the Japanese purin texture with Kanten, you probably have to use much less Kanten than you usually use to solidify.
Here is the post where Nami explain the two and ratio: https://www.justonecookbook.com/agar-agar-kanten/
We hope this helps!
When i put the pot onto the cold damp towel, it just sizzled and “boiled” the towel so i took it off as i didnt wanna burn my towel. Was this not supposed to happen did i do something wrong?
Hi Aidan, Thank you very much for trying this recipe! As Nami mentioned in Step 3, It will create a huge splash and sizzled. If the towel is wet enough, it shouldn’t burn the towel, but we recommend using a not pretty/favorite towel if you are worried.😉
Hi!
Im really loving your recipes
I was wondering, if I don’t have any heavy cream, am I able to replace it with something else? Like more milk?
Thanks so much in advance! 🙂
Hi Hoai, Thank you very much for your kind feedback!
Yes, you can replace the heavy cream with whole milk. However, the flavor will be less creamy. We hope this helps!🙂
Hi Nami!
Thanks a lot for sharing this recipe.
My partner and I are waiting for the custard creme to set now. Overnight up to 3 days, hope we have enough patience.
We will replace the caramel with strawberry puree on top.
A question: will it be still ok to store it 2-3 days after it set or after it’s cooked?
Thanks!
Hi Endy, Thank you very much for trying this recipe. The homemade Purin like this is better to consume within the 2~3 day after you cooked, and it shouldn’t take more than overnight to get harden. We hope you enjoy your Purin soon!😊
Is it need all of the ingredient to make purin, cause i found other recipe just using milk, egg, and sugar
Hi Ohkeshivar,
This recipe is for no-bake Purin, so it needs the other ingredient.
However, if you would like to use jus milk, egg, and sugar, here is the recipe for you!
https://www.justonecookbook.com/custard-pudding/
We hope this helps!😊
If you don’t have ramekins or similar things, what can you do?
Hi Laili! You can use any similar cup for this recipe.
I’ve made this twice now, and it is definitely a new family favorite! The puddings are so cute, well-portioned (they’re small but rich and satisfying; you probably won’t need seconds!), flavorful of vanilla, warm milk, cream, and caramel, and the texture is perfectly delightful. The recipe is a little more challenging than I’m used to since I normally stick with easy recipes, but if you are prepared with the ingredients and follow the recipe carefully, you’ll do fine.
In case anyone is curious, each pudding contains about 200 calories.
Hi Lindsay! Thank you so much for your kind feedback. I’m so happy to hear that you enjoy this recipe. Thank you for calculating the calories for this recipe! 🙂
Where did you find your steel ramekins?
Hi Diana! I have these for over a decade…. they are from Daiso (Japanese dollar store) if my memory is correct. Have you checked on Amazon? This one is 4 oz – https://amzn.to/2ZDHKRU.