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Home » Recipes » Sweets and Bread

Nameraka Purin (Silky Japanese Custard Pudding)

Published: Aug 9, 2020 · Modified: Sep 14, 2023 by Yuto Omura

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This silky no-bake Japanese purin is made with a creamy, melt in the mouth custard poured over a layer of rich homemade caramel. Best of all, it's easy to make and uses easily accessible ingredients!

Japanese style custard pudding (purin) in glass jars

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Jump to:
  • What is "Purin"?
  • Japanese Purin Ingredients
  • Instructions on how to make the best Japanese Purin
  • Storage
  • Nameraka Purin (Silky Japanese Custard Pudding)
  • FAQ

What is "Purin"?

Purin is a popular Japanese dessert made with a sweet custard-jelly served with a thin layer of delicious caramel. There are many different variations of custard pudding all over the world and it goes by many different names such as flan, creme caramel, custard pudding or caramel custard. In Japan, we simply call it "purin".

This dessert is popular with kids and adults and is one of Japan's most well loved sweet treats. You can find it in any convenience store or supermarket and there are many kinds to choose from!

Japanese style custard pudding (purin) in glass jars

History of Purin

It is said that pudding was introduced to Japan in the late Edo period (1603-1868) and early Meiji period (1868-1912). The name "purin" (プリン) comes from the English word "pudding" which was mentioned in a document from around 1872.

Purin gradually appeared on restaurant dessert menus and its popularity spread across Japan. In fact, it became so popular, that by the 60's it had also become a common dessert to eat at home, either homemade or ready-made from supermarkets. Later on, not only steamed puddings but also baked puddings and puddings set with gelatine were introduced, expanding the variety of pudding textures.

To this day, purin is one of the most common desserts to eat in Japan!

Different Types of Purin

There are many ways to make, cook and flavour purin. Here are the main types of purin available in Japan:

  • Purin (プリン) Standard purin made with eggs, milk and caramel then set with gelatine. Some recipes contain heavy cream to make it thicker, richer and more decadent.
  • Mushi Purin (蒸しプリン) Steamed purin with a slightly firmer texture than regular purin.
  • Yaki purin (焼きプリン) Purin made by baking in the oven.
  • Katame Purin (固めプリン) A firm type of purin often turned out onto a serving dish with the caramel sitting on top.
  • Nameraka Purin (なめらかプリン) Soft purin served in a container usually with the caramel sitting at the bottom.

My recipe is for nameraka purin, which is my personal favourite. The texture is soft, silky and only just set which means it needs to be served in a container since it's too soft to hold its shape on its own. Nameraka purin is so soft that it melts in your mouth, it's seriously good!

Japanese style custard pudding (purin) in glass jars side view

Japanese Pudding Cups

One of the most iconic features of Japanese style purin, is the cups that they are served in. They're almost like miniature milk bottles.

If you live in Japan, it's easy to find these purin cups in 100 yen stores (Japanese version of a dollar store) but if you live outside of Japan, you can also order them from Amazon like these ones here.

I recommend using glass jars rather than plastic because in my recipe, I pour hot caramel into the container.

This recipe makes about 550-600ml of purin mixture, I recommend using 6 x 100ml purin cups (3.5 fluid oz) for the best caramel to custard ratio, but alternatively you can also make 4 x 150ml (5.5 fluid oz) containers.

Japanese style custard pudding (purin) in glass jars top down

Other popular purin flavours in Japan

Purin in Japan has a wide variety of flavours! Some of them are available all year around, others appear depending on the season. For example, pumpkin and chestnut are often found in Autumn whereas mango and coconut are more likely to be found in summer. Here are a few other purin flavours you can find:

  • Matcha
  • Pumpkin
  • Chestnut
  • Sweet potato
  • Black sesame
  • Chocolate
  • Mango
  • Coconut

All of these interesting flavours just go to show how much Japanese people love purin! You can experiment with the flavours by switching out the vanilla essence for a different essence, extract or powder!

Japanese style custard pudding (purin) in glass jars

Japanese Purin Ingredients

In this recipe I use the following ingredients:

  • Granulated sugar - to make the caramel and sweeten the custard.
  • Pasteurised eggs - since the eggs aren't fully cooked in this recipe, I recommend using pasteurised eggs that are safe to eat raw (all eggs in Japan are treated and eaten raw regularly). For more information about egg safety, see the American egg board website.
  • Whole milk - the best for making custard!
  • Double cream (38% fat or more) - to make the taste richer and creamier.
  • Vanilla essence - a classic flavour for custard! (If using vanilla extract, use half!)
  • Powdered gelatine - to set the custard.
Japanese style custard pudding (purin) in glass jars 45%

Instructions on how to make the best Japanese Purin

For me, the best purin has to be creamy, soft and melt in the mouth! Here are my step by step instructions on how to make the ultimate Japanese purin from scratch at home including a few tips I use to ensure success every time. (See the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page for ingredient quantities.)

Soak the gelatine

The first step is to pour the milk, sugar and gelatine powder into a microwavable jug for easy pouring later.

gelatine powder in milk

You will need to wait 5-10 minutes for the gelatine granules to "bloom". I use this waiting time to make the caramel.

Tip: Sprinkling the gelatine powder over the milk (rather than pouring the milk over a heap of gelatine powder) will help prevent clumps of gelatine sticking together!

Homemade Caramel

The next and probably most difficult part of this recipe is making the caramel.

My top tips for fail free caramel are:
  • Use a silver pan (not black) so you can easily see when the caramel changes colour
  • Heat on medium/medium-low so that it doesn't brown too quickly and burn
  • Do not stir (this can cause crystallisation), instead, tilt and swirl the pan from time to time to prevent burning.
  • Add the water one third at a time (this cools the caramel and prevents burning).
  • Stand back and wear oven gloves when you add the water as it might sizzle and splash.
  • Pour the caramel into the containers while it's still hot

Start by mixing the sugar and a third of the water to a cold sauce pan.

sugar mixed in a saucepan to make caramel

Once it's mixed, place it on the stove and heat on medium/medium low. It might change colour quickly in some areas due to heat spots on your stove or pan, so swirl it gently or tilt the pan to cook it evenly. Do not stir it once it's bubbling as this can cause the caramel to crystallise.

caramel turning golden in a saucepan

When the sugar and water starts to become a little golden, add another third of the cold water. (Be careful of the caramel splashing and sizzling, I recommend standing back and wearing oven mitts to protect your hands.)

golden caramel in a saucepan

Continue to swirl or tilt the pan when necessary, and add the last third of water once the caramel turns amber.

amber caramel in a saucepan

Remove the pan from the heat and swirl it around to help cool it down slightly. Then pour it into your heatproof purin containers and set aside for later.

caramel in purin cups

Once they've cooled, feel free to store them in the fridge to help set the caramel further.

Melt the gelatine

Once the gelatine has "bloomed", it's ready to be melted. To avoid watering down the purin, I like to melt the gelatine directly in the milk. This means you have to be careful not to overheat the milk, otherwise it might scold and create an unpleasant taste. At the same time, you need to heat it enough so that the gelatine powder melts.

Milk is best heated to around 60-70℃ (Approx 140-160°F). It's also important to note that gelatine starts to lose its setting properties if heated above 75℃.

grains of gelatin in milk
After microwaving for 2 minutes, you might still see granules of gelatine powder in the milk.

Start by microwaving the milk for 2 minutes at 600W. Mix it and then keep heating in 20-30 second intervals, mixing thoroughly each time. This should stop the milk from getting too hot, and allows you to check to see if the gelatine is melted properly.

melted gelatine in milk
After heating in 20-30 second intervals 2-3 times, the gelatine should be completely melted.

Alternatively, you can heat the milk in a saucepan on a medium-low heat until the gelatine has melted. Just be careful not to let it boil and remove it from the heat if small bubbles start to form around the edge.

Heat the milk in intervals

After microwaving the milk for 2 minutes, heat in 20-30 second intervals stirring each time. This will help prevent scolding the milk. Alternatively, heat it in a saucepan for more control.

Mix the eggs and cream

Crack the eggs into a heatproof bowl and whisk until the yolks and whites are combined.

eggs cracked in a glass bowl

Next, add the heavy cream and vanilla essence and whisk again.

eggs with cream and vanilla essence

Temper the eggs

Once the eggs are whisked with the cream, add the hot milk. If you pour it in all at once, the eggs might cook and become scrambled. To avoid this, temper the eggs by adding a little bit of hot milk at a time. In the beginning, less is better, add it as gradually as possible while gently whisking.

gradually stirring hot milk into egg mixture
Add the hot milk gradually

Prevent scrambled eggs by adding the hot milk little by little.

Strain the mixture

Once you've mixed everything, pour through a fine mesh sieve, This will catch any lumps of gelatine powder or egg that you might have missed, making your custard extra smooth and silky.

pouring purin mixture through sieve
Remove any lumps

For the smoothest, silkiest purin, be sure to pour it through a sieve before pouring it into your containers!

Pour the mixture into the purin cups

Finally, pour the mixture into the purin cups over the caramel. Leave a little bit of space at the top to prevent spills.

If your purin cups came with lids then place them on top, if not, seal the top with plastic wrap. Place them in the fridge and allow to chill until set.

Set and enjoy

Purin generally takes about 3-4 hours to set enough to eat. If possible, refrigerate over night for the best texture and flavour.

set purin with spoon

Enjoy this extra silky and creamy Japanese purin!

Storage

Purin can be kept in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.

Freezing is not recommended.

Japanese style custard pudding (purin) in glass jars
Japanese style custard pudding (purin) in glass jars thumbnail

Nameraka Purin (Silky Japanese Custard Pudding)

Yuto Omura
How to make silky and creamy Japanese custard purin set over a layer of rich homemade caramel. (Makes 6 x 100ml containers or 4 x 150ml containers)
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Saved!
Prep Time 20 minutes mins
Cook Time 10 minutes mins
Total Time 3 hours hrs 30 minutes mins
Course Desserts
Cuisine Japanese
Servings 6 portions

Ingredients
 
 

For the caramel

  • 50 g white sugar
  • 60 ml water

For the custard

  • 300 ml whole milk
  • 50 g white sugar
  • 7 g gelatin powder
  • 3 pasteurized egg
  • 100 ml heavy cream
  • ½ tsp vanilla essence - or half the amount of vanilla extract
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Instructions
 

  • First, pour 300 ml whole milk into microwavable container and stir in 50 g white sugar and 7 g gelatin powder. Mix and leave the gelatin to bloom for 5-10 minutes. While you wait, make the caramel.
    gelatine powder in milk

Make the caramel

  • Start by measuring out 60 ml water. Add one-third of the water to a cold saucepan along with 50 g white sugar. Mix them together before you turn on the heat.
    sugar mixed in a saucepan to make caramel
  • Turn on the heat on a medium/medium-low setting and bring to a bubbling state. Do not mix, but feel free to tilt the pan from time to time if the sugar is starting to color unevenly.
    caramel turning golden in a saucepan
  • When the sugar and water starts to become a little golden, add another third of the cold water. (Be careful of the caramel splashing and sizzling, I recommend standing back and wearing oven gloves to protect your hands.)
    golden caramel in a saucepan
  • Continue to heat the caramel and tilt the pan from time to time to ensure even colouring. Once it starts to turn an amber colour, add the last third of water.
    amber caramel in a saucepan
  • Take it off the heat and swirl the caramel around by tilting the pan in a circular motion. This will get some air into the caramel and allow it to cool down a bit.
  • Pour the caramel into 4-6 heatproof containers and set aside for later. (Once cool, place in the refrigerator to set it further.)
    caramel in purin cups

Make the custard

  • Microwave the jug of milk, sugar and gelatine from step 1 for 2 minutes at 600W.
    grains of gelatin in milk
  • If any grains of gelatine are remaining, continue to heat in the microwave in 20-30 second increments, mixing each time until the gelatine is completely melted. (Be careful not to scold the milk.) Leave to cool slightly.
    melted gelatine in milk
  • Crack 3 pasteurized egg into a heatproof mixing bowl and whisk until the yolks and whites are combined.
    eggs cracked in a glass bowl
  • Add 100 ml heavy cream and ½ tsp vanilla essence and whisk again.
    eggs with cream and vanilla essence
  • Pour a small amount of the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture and mix to temper the eggs. Add the rest of the milk gradually while whisking gently.
    gradually stirring hot milk into egg mixture
  • Rinse out the jug and place a strainer over the top. Pour the custard mixture through the sieve to remove any stubborn lumps of gelatine or egg.
    pouring purin mixture through sieve
  • Pour the custard into the containers, leaving a small space at the top to prevent spills.
  • Cover with lids or plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 3 hours minimum, preferably over night.
  • Serve and enjoy!
    set purin with spoon

Video

Notes

Store in the refrigerator and consume in 2-3 days.
Click here to add your own private notes.

Equipment

Purin Cups
Pyrex Measuring Jug
Pyrex Glass Mixing Bowls
Keywords creme caramel, creme caramel from scratch, custard pudding from scratch, Custard pudding recipe, flan recipe, Japanese custard purin, japanese flan recipe, japanese purin from scratch, Japanese purin recipe, japanese style flan, no bake custard pudding, soft creamy purin, what is purin, what is the difference between purin and flan
Tried this recipe?Let us know what you thought!

FAQ

What is Japanese pudding called?

Japanese pudding is called u0022purinu0022 (プリン).

What is Japanese purin?

Japanese purin is a popular dessert made with set custard topped with caramel. It's essentially a Japanese take on the dessert known as creme caramel, flan or baked custard.

Why is it called purin?

While there's no firm theory on why the dish adopted this name, the word u0022purinu0022 (プリン) comes from the English word u0022puddingu0022.

Are purin and flan the same?

Purin and flan are both desserts made with set custard topped with caramel. They contain similar ingredients, however flan is more commonly baked to set the eggs whereas Japanese purin is more commonly set with gelatine. Baked purin in Japan is known as u0022yaki purinu0022. There is also a steamed variation known as u0022mushi purinu0022.

What is the difference between Japanese purin and Mexican flan?

Mexican flan is often made with condensed milk and baked, whereas Japanese purin is more commonly made with milk, heavy cream and set with gelatine.

How long can I store purin in the refrigerator?

The storage time for purin depends on the recipe. Since my purin recipe contains uncooked eggs, I recommend consuming within 2 days. Baked or steamed purin will last longer.

Can you freeze purin?

While it is possible to freeze purin, I personally don't recommend it for this recipe.

Reader Interactions

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Michelle

    October 31, 2021 at 12:39 am

    5 stars
    Thank you for this recipe. I have been looking for this for over a year. And now i found yours. I made it yesterday and could not put it down. So good, just perfect. But, i made a sugarfree version of it. So, i used almond milk and heavy cream, with the eggs and gelatine, with stevia drops. And minimal effort too.

    Reply
    • Yuto Omura

      October 31, 2021 at 11:34 pm

      Thank you for your comment and generous rating. I'm happy you enjoyed the recipe!

      Reply

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