While pudding can be both sweet or savory, this article will focus on dessert pudding brands. These are the ready-to-eat puddings often found in school lunches or whipped up for an after dinner treat.
Here are some of the most popular pudding brands that you should consider trying for your next dessert! If you have a favorite pudding brand, be sure to vote for it in the poll at the end of this article.
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Jell-O is the pudding brand that needs no introduction. It dates back to 1897 when Pearle Bixby Wait launched the gelatin flavors lemon, orange, raspberry, and strawberry. It is famous not only for its boxed pudding and gelatin powders, but also its ready-to-eat products. The Jello-O brand has been owned by Kraft Foods since the early 1920s.
Interestingly, Jell-O is most consumed in Utah out of any other state. There is a belief (stereotype) that the Mormon culture in largely responsible for the huge sales of Jell-O in Utah since they make up the majority of the population there. However, as Business Insider explains, the sales appear to be tied to marketing and not so much with faith.
Snack Pack is a product of Conagra Foods. They specialize in producing ready-to-eat pudding. The pudding is sold in small plastic cups (currently 3.25 oz.) that are most often purchased as a four-pack. Their convenient size makes them a popular choice for school or work lunches.
The first Snack Pack products were introduced in 1968 and came in metal tins that could be opened with a ring tab on top of the lid. The problem with the lids was that they were reportedly dangerous and cut a few tongues in their day. Let’s be thankful kids now have the safety of plastic Snack Pack containers.
See some of the first Snack Pack commercials below featuring Mister Ed, the horse.
Swiss Miss is another brand of Conagra Foods that is based out of Menomonie, Wisconsin. They make cocoa powder and pudding products with milk that is sourced locally for freshness. The pudding flavors at the time of this article were tapioca, butterscotch, vanilla, milk chocolate, chocolate vanilla swirl, and triple chocolate.
Godiva is one of the iconic chocolate manufacturers available for purchase in the United States. The company began in 1926 in Brussels, Belgium. However, it wasn’t until 1966 that the products hit the market in America. Shortly after Godiva reached the United States, the company was purchased by the Campbell Soup Company. In 2008, Campbell Soup sold Godiva to a Turkish company called Yidiz Holding.
Godiva makes chocolate pudding mixes that are ready in five minutes. They can be found in the baking aisle of the grocery store.
Kozy Shack was started by Vincent Gruppuso who was a bread deliveryman in the 1960s. He fell in love with a rice pudding at one of his deli delivery stops in Brooklyn called Cozy Shack Deli. Gruppuso bought the recipe for this pudding and the Kozy Shack brand was born. The company eventually grew into the top maker of tapioca and rice pudding in North America.
Hershey’s is known much more for producing candy bars rather than being a pudding brand. However, they make tasty puddings that are available in plastic cups or as boxed instant pudding. The popular flavors include chocolate, cookies n creme, and white chocolate.
My-T-Fine is a brand of Jel Sert. Jel Sert has been around since 1926 specializing in a range of food products such as freezer pops, drink mixes, and, of course, pudding. My-T-Fine makes cook & serve pudding mixes and has been doing so for over 90 years. Their pudding flavors include chocolate, vanilla, lemon, butterscotch, and chocolate fudge.
Yes, Sonic, the American fast food restaurant, has a line of pudding products. Similar to My-T-Fine above, Sonic pudding is made by Jel Sert. The current Sonic pudding flavors are vanilla shake, banana shake, chocolate shake, and strawberry shake.
Royal is yet another brand associated with the Jel Sert Company. The company believes that “everyone deserves to be treated like royalty!” when it comes to their pudding. They makes both instant and cook & serve boxed pudding. The flavors they makes are chocolate, vanilla, banana cream, pistachio and butterscotch.
Simply Delish is known for their plant based desserts that are sugar-free. Their product are naturally sweetened with Stevia, are non-GMO, gluten-free, and vegan. The Simply Delish pudding flavors include chocolate, banana, strawberry, and vanilla.
Ensure is a brand of Abbott Laboratories and first came out in 1973. According to the company, they are the top recommended brand by doctors for oral nutritional products. The flavors of Ensure pudding include chocolate and vanilla that are ready-to-eat. Each pudding cup (4 oz) has 24 essential vitamins and minerals, 4 grams of protein, and 170 calories.
Pot de crème is a traditional dessert in France that was brought to America stores in 2014 with the launch of Petit Pot. Pot de crème is traditionally made with eggs, milk, and cream as the main ingredients. The traditional pot de crème flavors produced by Petit Pot are dark chocolate, madagascar vanilla, salted caramel, lemon curd and French rice pudding. The company also makes plant-based puddings.
This pudding brand uses organic and non-GMO ingredients. According to the company’s website, they are the top organic baking mix in North America. Their pudding flavors are chocolate, vanilla, butterscotch and banana. The pudding can be found at popular grocery stores such as Whole Foods, Kroger, Publix, and Shop Rite.
Boost is a nutritional pudding made by Nestle. It provides 24 vitamins & minerals, 7 grams of protein, and 230 calories per container. It is available in chocolate and vanilla flavors.
Dr. Oetket began as a baking powder brand in 1891. It’s safe to say they have grown quite a bit since those early days with its now production of over 4,000 products. In the U.S., try its original pudding made in vanilla and chocolate. These are traditional cooked puddings that are excellent for pies or similar desserts. They are ready in about 1-2 hours after firming up in the refrigerator.
Poll: What is your Favorite Pudding Brand?
Please place your vote for your favorite pudding brand in the poll!
