Homemade Vanilla Cream Pudding

This is a fairly healthy option for dessert when made with either palm sugar (this is the best option) or maple syrup. You could actually substitute a little stevia for some of the sugar and it would even be better. Of course the eggs are a great source of protein and the whole milk and butter provide healthy fat. Anyway, it is a heavenly dessert. If you've only eaten those powdered pudding mixes with chemical flavors, you will be quite delighted when this pudding lights on your taste buds for the first time.

3/4 cup palm sugar or 2/3 cup pure organic maple syrup
3 tablespoons arrowroot powder or cornstarch or 1 teaspoon glucomannan
1/4 teaspoon real sea salt or Redmond's Real Salt
3 cups whole milk (non-homogenized)
3 egg yolks, slightly beaten
2 tablespoons butter
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions: Mix sugar, cornstarch and salt in a medium saucepan. Gradually stir in milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils. Boil 1 minute. Remove from heat. Gradually stir at least half of hot mixture into egg yolks. Then blend into hot mixture in saucepan. Boil 1 minute more, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Blend in butter and vanilla. Pour immediately into single serving dishes. Let cool. Serve by itself or with a little whipped cream on top.  

Chocolate Pudding: Make above recipe, except increase palm sugar to 1 3/4 cups and add ½ cup of unsweetened cocoa, stirred into sugar, arrowroot powder (or cornstarch) and salt, then proceed with recipe as instructed.