A single-serving microwave version of purin pudding, a Japanese-style custard pudding. This silky, creamy is an easy dessert perfect for one or two people.
During my trip to Japan, I fell in love with Japanese puddings. They can be found just about anywhere, including all the local convenience stores. We would stop in every store and purchase all the different puddings to taste.
What is Purin Pudding?
Purin pudding is a Japanese egg custard pudding, similar to a flan. The pudding is made with eggs, milk and sugar, served chilled with caramel sauce.
There are two main ways to make purin pudding. One is to bake it in the oven. The other is a no-baked version made with gelatin to firm up the pudding. Today I’m sharing a quick and easy microwave version which is similar to the baked version but faster and makes a smaller amount.
Like most Japanese desserts, purin pudding is much lighter and not as sweet as traditional flan or custard pudding. It’s often enjoyed as an afternoon snack. It has a silky, creamy light texture. On its own, the pudding has very little sugar. However, it is served with a caramel sauce to add sweetness.
The caramel sauce is also not like the caramel sauce you are probably used to. Usually, caramel sauce is made with sugar and cream or butter. However, this caramel sauce is made with only sugar and water. It’s more of a syrup.
The syrup sits at the bottom of the custard mold and then the pudding batter is poured on top. When the custard is flipped over the syrup runs down the pudding.
Tools Needed to Make Purin Pudding
- To get the custard shape, you will need a microwave-safe ramekin, kitchen prep bowl, or similar bowl that can hold about 8 oz of liquid. You want a circular bowl with a flat bottom. The top of the bowl should be slightly wider than the bottom of the bowl, to achieve the pudding shape.
- The bowl needs a flat bottom so that the caramel syrup can sit on top of it.
- The top of the bowl needs to be wider than the bottom because when the bowl is flipped upside down, some of the syrup will run down the custard, flavoring the entire custard.
- You will also need a fine mesh strainer to strain the custard batter through.
Tips for Making the Caramel Sauce
Cooking caramel sauce in the microwave can be a little tricky. If you cook it too long or with too much power, the caramel will burn.
- To make sure the caramel doesn’t burn, you need to set your microwave cooking power to 500 watts.
- Microwave it initially for 2 minutes. This will get the caramel syrup hot but it should still be clear in color. Then you microwave at 10 second intervals so you don’t overcook it.
- When the caramel starts to turn an amber brown, that is when it is ready. You do not need to wait for all of it to turn completely brown, only about half of it. You will swirl it around to make the color uniform.
- The caramel will harden quickly after it is removed from the microwave. It will soften and turn back into liquid when you put the custard on top.
How to Lower the Wattage on your Microwave
Both the caramel sauce and the custard pudding cook at 500 watts which may be lower than what your microwave cooks at when using full power. In the US, microwaves usually to range between 700-1100 watts. In Japan they typically use lower wattage microwaves. It is important that the recipe cooks at a low wattage so that it does not overcook.
It is easy to lower the wattage on your microwave. First, you need to find out what wattage your microwave cooks at when it cooks at full power. This is usually written on a small label just inside the door of the microwave. Your microwave also should have the ability to change the cooking power level. If you have a 1000 watts microwave and you are trying to change it to 500 watts, you would choose the setting to cook at 50% (1000 x 50%= 500), to have the microwave cook at 500 watts.
How to Make Japanese Custard Pudding in the Microwave Two Ways
I came up with two ways to make this pudding.
Version 1
The first way produces a result most similar to the traditional method, where the caramel sauce is placed in the bottom of the custard mold.
With this method, some of the caramel sauce soaks into the custard while the rest runs down the custard when it is flipped over to be served. It produces a lovely two-tone colored custard.
This is the method I prefer, except that it doesn’t come out as pretty as the baked or gelatin method. Because the custard is cooked in the microwave, some of the bottom of the custard gets cooked and mixed with the caramel sauce, so the top of the pudding doesn’t look as nice.
Version 2
The second method keeps the custard pudding and caramel sauce separate. The syrup is then poured over the custard at the end. This version has a prettier presentation because the custard doesn’t cook into the caramel sauce. However, the downside is that the sauce doesn’t soak into the custard at all, so it doesn’t have the two-toned color and the custard isn’t quite as sweet.
If you like this recipe, you might like my Microwave Lemon Curd and Japanese Milk Pudding, too.
Microwave Custard Pudding
Ingredients
Custard
- 120 ml whole milk
- 1 large egg
- 1 tbsp granulated white sugar
Caramel Sauce
- 1 tbsp granulated white sugar
- 1 tsp water plus an additional 1 tsp water for version 2
Instructions
Version 1 (Traditional method with syrup sitting at the bottom when custard cooks)
- First, make the caramel sauce. Add 1 tbsp granulated sugar and 1 tsp water to your microwave safe bowl. Stir until sugar dissolves completely into the water.
- Set your microwave cooking power to 500 watts. Microwave caramel sauce for 2 minutes. Stop microwave and then microwave at 10 second intervals (still at 500 watts), checking the sauce after each 10 seconds, until caramel starts to turn color. About half of the sauce should turn a light amber color while the rest remains clear. (It should take between 3 minutes to 3 1/2 minutes total cooking time including initial 2 minutes to reach this color).
- Working quickly, remove sauce from microwave and swirl a few times until the color evens out. Allow caramel to harden.
- While caramel is setting, make the custard. In a small bowl, add custard ingredients and whisk until smooth.
- Pour custard through a fine mesh strainer and into bowl. The custard should sit on top of the hardened caramel.
- Set your microwave to 500 watts cooking power again. Microwave custard for about 2 minutes and 30 seconds. The top of the custard should be hardened and no longer liquid. If custard is not completely cooked, you can cook another 30 seconds.
- Place custard into the fridge to set for at least 2 hours or until completely chilled. While custard is chilling, it will develop some water around it. This is normal. Do not drain the water out because it will mix with the caramel sauce so that there is enough sauce to cover the custard and plate.
- When ready to eat, place a plate over the bowl. Flip bowl upside down so that the custard falls onto the plate. The custard should slide out and the caramel sauce should pour over the cake.
Version 2 (Cooking Custard Separately from Caramel Sauce)
- First, make the custard. In a small bowl, add custard ingredients and whisk until smooth.
- Pour custard through a fine mesh strainer and into microwave-safe pudding bowl.
- Set your microwave to 500 watts cooking power. Microwave custard for about 2 minutes and 30 seconds. The top of the custard should be hardened and no longer liquid. If custard is not completely cooked, you can cook another 30 seconds.
- Place custard into the fridge to set for at least 2 hours or until completely chilled.
- While custard is chilling, make the caramel sauce. Add 1 tbsp granulated sugar and 1 tsp water to a microwave safe bowl. Stir until sugar dissolves completely into the water.
- Set your microwave cooking power to 500 watts. Microwave caramel sauce for 2 minutes. Stop microwave and then microwave at 10 second intervals (still at 500 watts), checking the sauce after each 10 seconds, until caramel starts to turn color. About half of the sauce should turn a light amber color while the rest remains clear.
- Working quickly, remove bowl from microwave and add in 1 tsp of water while the caramel sauce is still very hot. Be careful because this will cause the sauce to bubble. While the sauce is bubbling, stir until all the liquid is even in color. Allow caramel sauce to cool and thicken.
- When ready to eat, place a plate over the custard bowl. Flip bowl upside down so that the custard falls onto the plate. Pour syrup over custard before serving.
Notes
- You must cook at 500 watts, otherwise you will overcook the custard and caramel.
- There are detailed tips and photos provided in the post, including photos of how the caramel sauce should look.
- To get the custard shape, you will need a microwave-safe ramekin, kitchen prep bowl, or similar bowl that can hold about 8 oz of liquid. You want a circular bowl with a flat bottom. The top of the bowl should be slightly wider than the bottom of the bowl, to achieve the pudding shape. (See photos and tips in the post for reference).
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
Can i use two egg yolk instead of one whole egg to make creamier?
We have not tested this recipe with two egg yolk instead of one egg so we are unsure what the results would be!
I’ve made this recipe twice now and although it’s very tasty, I’ve had some issues with demoulding it! I find that I’m left with a disk of caramel at the bottom of the bowel I’m using. What could be causing my issues?? Do I need to use a bowl/ramekin with a wider bottom maybe?
The caramel should be more like a syrup – if yours is thicker and sticking to the bottom, it might be overcooked. Did you adjust your microwave wattage as suggested in the post? That might help.
Hi, thank you for sharing this recipe it’s very easy to make but I have had a few problems when using this recipe no matter how many times I try: 1. The custard always turns put tasting like an omelet instead of custard, 2. The caramel does not turn a light Amber and the sugar always remain transparent. Maybe it’s just me because I do not understand how to set my microwave to 500 Watts but I do not like this.
We’re sorry you had issues – it sounds like your microwave is not at the correct wattage. We have tips about this in the post, or you could try googling your microwave model to get more info about how to adjust the wattage.
Do you think brown sugar would work with out making it to heavy, I just ran out of white – Hopefully this will work, if so ill be back to let you know.
Brown sugar should work, so let us know how it goes!
when I’m ready to eat the custard should I just take it out or warm it first so the caramel melts
You don’t need to warm it after it’s chilled. While custard is chilling, it will develop some water around it. This is normal. Do not drain the water out because it will mix with the caramel sauce so that there is enough sauce to cover the custard and plate.
I made this about 10 months ago and I decided to remake it since the first time it turned out great and another time it turned out as pudding (my fault haha). For some reason, a year later it took me about 10 minutes to make one instead of an hour ? This is my go-to recipe and I’m sure my mom will love it as a Mother’s Day gift! Thank you Kirby!
Glad you love the recipe!
Can I make this Keto using Lakanto monk fruit sweetner?
I’m not sure. I think it would work for the custard but I don’t know about the caramel
When preparing the custard, it get mixed with the caramel and the content doesn’t solidfy. It boils watery
What do you mean by preparing the custard? Do you mean when you are cooking it? Because when you are preparing it, it should be prepared in a separate bowl and then added to the hardened caramel only when it’s ready to be cooked. You also need to make sure your caramel layer is hard before adding the custard. If it is hard, the caramel will not blend into the custard ingredients in such a short time
This happened to me as well. And the caramel layer was completely hardened. Any other ideas on what could have happened?
Did you set the microwave to 500 watts?
Hello Kirbie!
Hope you and your family are keeping well during the raging Covid-19 pandemic.
I’ve made this twice and it’s come even better the 2nd time! So simple and easy…thanks for sharing 🙂
Have a question though, can I double the recipe and the time and make it in a single helping? Will that be ok? Or must it be made separately in 2 bowls?
I’m glad you enjoy the recipe. You don’t want to double and make it in a single helping. You will want to make them separately. Microwave cooking can heat things very unevenly, so your custards won’t cook right if you try to make more than 1 at a time.
This is crème caramel by any other name.
Look up crème caramel and you’ll see that other names for it are flan, caramel pudding or caramel custard. Different parts of the world have their own variations. In Japan, it is called custard pudding or purin which is the version I am sharing and which I explain in my post.
Just made it! Is the caramel supposed to harden, then be put in the same bowl as the custard to melt? That’s how mine turned out. Overall it’s a great recipe.
yes, exactly!
Tried the first version and it turned out really well. Only that the cooking time for me was quite more than what is mentioned in the recipe. But it’s so easier than the traditional method of making this. Thanks for the recipe! ?
I’m glad it worked out for you!
Thanks Kirbie
This is bloody awesome!! What an easy treat…
perfect instructions
We’re glad you enjoyed it!
It’s easy and delicious. Don’t know what else to say.
I’m so glad you liked it!
Jennifer: Thank you! My niece and her husband are coming soon for “Christmas in January” and we both love flan. I just didn’t want to find the room in the fridge for a whole flan. I tried two recipes for flan for 1 and flan for 2 that baked in the oven. No part of a flan should be chewy. It then crossed my mind to look for a microwave recipe. Duh!
I found your two versions last night, and so far, I have only done version #1, but I will try #2 later today, I think. I am out of milk as well, and I despise non-fat dry milk. I have been getting a dried whole-milk powder which works very well in recipes, and which I will drink, as well. It worked very well in this, and version 1? Perfect. I grew up 2-hours east of San Diego, so I have been around flan all of my life, and this is good flan. I am going to make two and surprise my niece with them. These recipes are pure genius. I also intend to try the Japanese Milk Pudding recipe.
I also forgot to add that my microwave/convection oven does NOT have the wattage near the door. It’s only in the back of the extremely lame owner’s manual under “Specifications.” It is a 900 Watt at full power, so 50% is 450 Watts. 60% is 540 Watts. Online it says that 50% is for warming custard, so I used that rather than 60%. Both would probably work, but given that custards need a lower temperature, I went with the 50% power, and it gives me less of a chance to overcook the custard.
Hi Kathy, Thank you so much for taking the time to share your experience with the recipe. I’m glad it worked out for you and I hope you get to try the other version and the Japanese milk pudding recipe. Enjoy your Christmas in January!
I tried this recipe for the first time when I had been fasting & dieting for a week and wanted to give myself a little treat after a workout session… so while the Purin sat in the fridge, I did my workout and afterwards, the it was ready to eat. The sweetness, the syrup, the slight egg taste and consistency was so satisfying, I was almost moved to tears! (going one week without eating any sweets or snacks is a big deal for me lol. I have a bad sweet tooth… so imagine how nice this milky, sugary treat tasted while I was still in my gym clothes…)
Very simple, quick recipe for a small serving that is just right as a treat/dessert in my opinion.
I’ve been craving to make it again, but this is the sort of recipe I wanna savor as motivation & to treat myself, haha…
The recipe is easy to follow & the ingredients are stuff you literally ALWAYS have at home… I really love it! 🙂
Thank you so much for sharing.
thank you for taking the time to leave this lovely comment. I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipe!
The person that wrote the original comment was talking about having it ready on hand in small amounts so she could reward herself. I am wondering if I were to pre make the eggs with powdered eggs and powdered milk or cream and powdered sweetener , pre-measured and keep it in a zipper bag in the back of the refrigerator… Do you think that would work? I guess it can’t hurt to try I just wonder if anyone had said anything about using powdered eggs because I did see something about powdered milk. I would try the powdered cream because I think it would lower the carbs
We haven’t tried the changes you’re suggesting – if you do, please let us know how it works!
I made two but cooked them separately of course. Second time worked out better as I lowered the power to 400 watts for a bit longer keeping a constant eye on it till it started lightly bubbling and then chrcked it every 20secs till the tops were firm. The texture is still a bit off but that could be something else.. cold eggs maybe? Thanks for a brilliant recipe!
Hi, I’m glad you got it to mostly work. Definitely egg temperature can make some difference too.
This looks and sounds amazing! I’m busy making it to surprise hubby later. Will let you know how it goes!
I hope it turned out well!
It was yummy but I overcooked it a bit so the texture was a bit off. After having it in the microwave for 2.5 mins the tops were still runny but thick so I tried it for another 10 seconds and they boiled over. This is with the microwave set at 500 watts and everything. Should I have stopped at the runny but thick stage, or do you think I might have the wattage wrong? I’m trying this again today.
Hi, did you make more than one? Your comment seemed to indicate that you may have made more than one, which is fine, except they need to be cooked separately. You can’t cook both of them at once in the microwave because it will result in very uneven cooking, which may have been the reason why it was a little overcooked.
My first try I used 40% power, since I don’t really know how hot my microwave is, but I know its more than 700 watt. But, it wasn’t cooked enough, so I cooked it another 5 min on 50% and it turned out great, …but not as firm as I like, and not very sweet.
So my second try I added another egg and doubled the sugar.
I cooked it at 50% power.
I don’t understand what the straining is for, so I didn’t do it either time.
Anyway, it turned out great, but needed another minute or so.
I think for my 3rd try I will divide the cooking into 3 sections… Or use my little microwave tube cake dish…
thank you for sharing your experience
I JUST made this according to the first method and I have to confess, I got impatient and thought I’d try to eat it while it was still warm. The custard tipped out beautifully and tasted AMAZING but the caramel sauce remained as a hardened toffee in the base of the ramekin though you had said “It will soften and turn back into liquid when you put the custard on top”.. If I had left it to cool for 2 hrs as you instructed, would the toffee have softened during the time it cooled? Or do you think I didn’t microwave it long enough in the first instance? It was only a very pale amber when I stopped heating the sauce because I was worried my microwave was going to blow! I’m thankful just for the custard instructions alone so it’s ok if I can’t get it to work but I’d love to know whether you think the hardened toffee was as a result of my impatience or my not heating it long enough. I’d try it again myself but I’m worried I’ve destroyed my ramekin so your insight would be super appreciated before I try it again! Maybe in future I’ll just stick to Method 2.
Yes the caramel would have softened if you had let it cool for the 2 hours. You don’t need to cook it longer. If it hardened, then it sounds like you heated it just right. Basically, as it cools, the moisture from the custard will soak into the caramel, softening it and turning it back into a liquid.
if you want to clean your ramekin try keeping it in a bowl of soapy water in your sink for an hour or 2 and it should come of pretty easily
Hi! I tried making this recipe as a build-up to creme-brulee, and for the most part, it was alright. However, I was unsure if I was to remove the egg whites so I kept them in and they simply floated to the top and cooked. The mid to bottom part was smooth and creamy, but the scrambled eggs at the top were.. unappetizing. Am I to leave them in and strain or separate the yolks and whites? Thanks 🙂
Hi, the entire egg is used but you need to completely whisk the egg until the mixture is uniform with no unmixed egg whites. If the egg is completely whisked, then the egg whites won’t be loose and float to the top during cooking. Hope this helps!
very very nice
thanks!
This is my favorite dessert, glad finally see a simple version I can try to make it. Thanks!
I hope it turns out well for you!
I loved this tecipe and will try it as soon as I figured
out how to set the microwave at 500 watts.
Does 500 watts means 50 % instead as 100%?
Thank you.
Hi! First, you need to know what wattage your microwave cooks at when it is at full power. This is usually displayed on a small label inside the microwave around the microwave door area. Your microwave should then also have the ability to adjust the power level. If your microwave wattage is 1000 watts, then yes you would set it to cook at 50% power to get it to cook at 500 watts.