Custard Powder

Custard Powder
© Denzil Green
Custard Powder is not actually custard which has been dried into a powder. It's mostly a starch that has been coloured yellow, sweetened and flavoured so that when hot milk is added the starch will make not only thicken the liquid, as a starch is bound to do anyway, but to give it the right colour, taste, and aroma for a custard-like sauce.
There are several name brands of Custard Powder, and many stores sell their own brands as well. When you mention Custard Powder, though, it's probably very hard for someone not to picture the red, yellow and blue cardboard tins that say "Bird's" on them.
Bird's Custard Powder is based on corn starch. The starches that other Custard Powder brands use include tapioca or sago starch. The ingredient list for a British tin, as of 2010, reads: cornflour (aka cornstarch), salt, colour (annatto), flavouring. The container also says, "Contains no artificial colours."
Some say the version of Bird's made in North America doesn't taste as good as the version made in Britain.
Whatever the brand of Custard Powder, though, whether Bird's or another, the ingredients are very similar to a North American Vanilla Pudding Mix.
Cooking Tips
Because Custard Powder has no eggs in it, there is no danger of it curdling on you as real custard can.
Substitutes
![]() | ![]() | Amount |
Calories | ![]() | 98 |
Fat | ![]() | 3.5 g |
Saturated | ![]() | 2.2 g |
Carbohydrate | ![]() | 14.1 g |
Sugars | ![]() | 9.6 g |
Protein | ![]() | 3 g |
![]() | ![]() | Amount |
PointsPlus™ | ![]() | 3 |
2 points if prepared with skim milk |
* PointsPlus™ calculated by CooksInfo.com. Not endorsed by Weight Watchers® International, Inc, which is the owner of the PointsPlus® registered trademark.
History Notes

Instant Custard Powder
© Denzil Green
Literature & Lore
Custard
Crema Calatana; Crème Brûlée; Crème Caramel; Crème Pâtissière; Custard Powder; Custard; Flan; Frozen Custard; Instant Custard Powder; Junket; Migaine; Pastry Cream; Pots de CrèmePlease share this information with your friends. They may love it.
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