Dutch Vla-Style Vanilla Custard Pudding with Lemon and Garlic-Toasted Speculaas Crumb

About This Recipe

Vla is the everyday Dutch pudding — a smooth, pourable custard, thinner than American pudding, that's a staple in nearly every Dutch fridge, usually eaten straight from a cup or bowl for dessert or an afternoon snack. This version thickens it slightly more than store-bought vla so it holds shape in a bowl, and pairs it with a genuinely Dutch topping: crushed speculaas, the deeply spiced Dutch spice cookie traditionally eaten around Sinterklaas, toasted briefly in butter for crunch. The custard is built the classic way, egg yolks and cornstarch whisked into scalded milk and cooked gently until it thickens just enough to coat a spoon, since overcooking will scramble the eggs and turn the texture grainy instead of silky. A quick lemon and berry compote adds brightness against the rich custard, and the crumbled speculaas on top brings warm spices — cinnamon, clove, ginger, nutmeg — plus a satisfying crunch that plain vla never has on its own.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 2.5 cupswhole milk
• 4egg yolks
• 0.5 cupsugar
• 3 tbspcornstarch
• 1 tspvanilla extract
• 1lemon(zested and juiced)
• 1 cupmixed berries
• 2 tbspsugar(for the berries)
• 6speculaas cookies(crushed)
• 1 tbspbutter

Instructions

1. 1

   Temper the base

   Whisk egg yolks, sugar and cornstarch together in a bowl until pale. Scald the milk in a saucepan until steaming but not boiling.

2. 2

   Combine and cook

   Slowly whisk the hot milk into the egg mixture, then return everything to the saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, 5-7 minutes until thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon.

3. 3

   Finish the custard

   Remove from heat, whisk in vanilla and lemon zest. Pour into serving bowls and press plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Chill at least 1 hour.

4. 4

   Make the berry compote

   Simmer berries, sugar and lemon juice together in a small pan 5 minutes until the berries soften and release juice.

5. 5

   Toast the speculaas crumb

   Melt butter in a small skillet, add crushed speculaas, and toast 2 minutes, stirring, until fragrant and slightly crisped.

6. 6

   Assemble and serve

   Spoon the berry compote over the chilled custard and finish with a generous scatter of toasted speculaas crumb just before serving.

Variations

• •

  Chocolate vla: whisk 2 tablespoons cocoa powder into the sugar for a chocolate version, a common Dutch store flavor.

• •

  Fruit swap: use stewed rhubarb or sliced strawberries in place of mixed berries depending on the season.

• •

  Store-bought shortcut: use pre-made vla from a Dutch grocer instead of cooking custard from scratch, and just add the toppings.

Storage

Refrigerate the custard, covered with plastic wrap pressed to the surface, up to 3 days. Store the speculaas crumb separately at room temperature so it doesn't go soft, and add it only right before serving.

Frequently Asked Questions