My Grandma’s Best Dessert Came From a Boxed Mix

Some of my favorite memories as a child are standing on a step stool over the stove in my grandma’s house, mixing up a batch of her chocolate pudding. Of course, getting to lick the spoon was the best part of all, and I hold those memories close to my heart to this day.

As I grew older, it occurred to me that while she was a wonderful cook, my nana wasn’t making this pudding from scratch. It started with a box—and no, not Jell-O—as so many of grandma’s best treats do. Every once in a while, I’d find said box in my mom’s grocery store haul, a surefire sign that she was craving that same nostalgic taste of her childhood. That old reliable family favorite? My*T*Fine pudding.

My Grandma’s Go-To Pudding Mix

While Jell-O gets all the attention, our go-to pudding mix sits right next to Jell-O mixes on the shelf, yet gets largely overlooked by shoppers. It used to be available in a wide variety of flavors, but these days, My*T*Fine Pudding & Pie Filling mix comes in just three flavors: vanilla, chocolate, and lemon. And the packaging pretty much says everything you need to know about it; Retro and perfect, My*T*Fine is the real deal.

According to its website, My*T*Fine has been around for more than 90 years, but according to a 2023 article in the New York Times, the brand has actually been around for over a century.

In fact, according to that article, My*T*Fine was actually the first to manufacture powdered pudding mix in the United States. Powdered instant pudding was first invented in England, and made its way to the states in 1918. My*T*Fine, like its English counterparts, relies on cornstarch as a thickener instead of the traditional eggs.

In the brand’s own words, “For generation upon generation, families have trusted My*T*Fine cook-and-serve puddings to bring rich and creamy pudding desserts to the table.” And that has certainly been the case for my family. We’ve passed this box down from generation to generation, especially the chocolate pudding.

How to Make My Grandma’s My*T*Fine Pudding

The My*T*Fine box has instructions for both pudding and pie filling, as it can be made to either thickness and specification. For pudding like my grandma made, all you need is cold milk, whisked with the pudding mix, then heated until it thickens. Simply pour into bowls, mugs, or ramekins and cover with cling wrap. If you don’t cover it, it will form a skin (which I love, but many people do not). Refrigerate or enjoy warm, straight from the pot.

Hot tip: for the easiest chocolate mousse, whip up some heavy whipping cream, then gently fold it into the cooled pudding. Top with even more whipped cream, a strawberry or a few raspberries, maybe some chocolate shavings, and you’ve got the easiest dessert ever.

This brings me to my favorite part of making My*T*Fine pudding—fighting to lick the mixing spoon. That spoon alone was enough of an incentive to behave perfectly throughout the day at my grandma’s in order to beat out my sister for the privilege. To this day, I still relish the opportunity and look forward to the day when I can pass on this chocolatey tradition to the next generation of our My*T*Fine family.