Dr. Oetker Pudding Cooking Instructions

Last reviewed: September 2026

You have a packet of Dr. Oetker pudding and the instructions on the back are in Turkish, German or Polish. Here is how to make it in English, with US measurements, and the two things on the packet you need to check before you start: how much milk it asks for, and whether it already contains sugar.

The short answer

• The amount of milk depends on the packet. The Turkish packets we checked use 500 ml or 750 ml. The standard German and Polish packets use 500 ml. Always go by the ml number printed on your packet.
• The Turkish packets we checked already contain sugar. You only add milk.
• The standard German Original Pudding and Polish budyń do not. You add about 2 heaped tablespoons of sugar yourself.
• The two types are cooked differently, so check which one you have first.

First, check whether your packet has sugar in it

Turn the packet over and find the ingredient list. Look at the first word.

• If it starts with sugar (şeker, Zucker, cukier), the pudding is pre-sweetened. Do not add sugar.
• If it starts with starch (nişasta, Stärke, skrobia), it is unsweetened. You need to add sugar.

This works better than going by country. In Poland, for example, Dr. Oetker sells both the unsweetened budyń and versions marked "z cukrem" (with sugar) that need none.

These words will help you read the rest of the packet:

English	Turkish	German	Polish	Czech	Hungarian
Milk	süt	Milch	mleko	mléko	tej
Sugar	şeker	Zucker	cukier	cukr	cukor
Starch	nişasta	Stärke	skrobia	škrob	keményítő
Pudding	puding	Pudding	budyń	pudink	puding

How to make Turkish Dr. Oetker pudding (sugar already in)

This is the method printed on Turkish packets of Dr. Oetker Puding. It is the simpler of the two because everything goes into the pan at once. The only thing that changes between packets is the amount of milk.

Packet	Milk	Milk if you want to turn it out of a mould
Bitter chocolate pudding, 111 g	500 ml (2 cups plus 2 tablespoons)	400 ml (1 2/3 cups)
Classic cocoa pudding, 147 g	750 ml (3 cups plus 3 tablespoons)	600 ml (2 1/2 cups)

For any other packet, use the ml number printed on the back.

1. Pour the cold milk into a saucepan and add the whole packet.
2. Cook over medium heat, stirring the whole time.
3. When it starts to boil, turn the heat down and keep stirring for another 2 to 3 minutes.
4. Pour into bowls and serve cold.

Watch the cup conversion. Turkish packets also give the milk in "su bardağı", which means Turkish water glasses. A Turkish glass holds about 200 ml, while a US cup holds about 240 ml. If you read "2,5 su bardağı" as 2.5 US cups you will use around 600 ml instead of 500 ml, and "3,5 su bardağı" as 3.5 US cups gives you around 830 ml instead of 750 ml. Either way the pudding will not set properly. Go by the ml figure.

Two tips from the same packets:

• To turn it out of a mould, use the lower milk amount in the table above. Pour it into moulds rinsed with a little water and let it cool.
• To stop a skin forming, stir it now and then as it cools for about 10 minutes, then divide it into bowls.

How to make German or Polish Dr. Oetker pudding (you add the sugar)

The standard German Dr. Oetker Original Pudding and Polish budyń are unsweetened and use a different method. You mix the powder into a little cold milk first, then add it to boiling milk. Going by Dr. Oetker's own German and Polish instructions:

You need: 1 packet of pudding, 500 ml (2 cups plus 2 tablespoons) of milk, about 2 heaped tablespoons of sugar (30 to 40 g).

1. Mix the pudding powder with the sugar.
2. Take a small amount of the cold milk, about a quarter of a cup, and stir it into the powder until smooth with no lumps.
3. Bring the rest of the milk to a boil.
4. Take the pan off the heat and whisk in the powder mixture.
5. Put it back on the heat and let it boil for at least 1 minute, stirring the whole time.
6. Pour into bowls. You can eat it warm or cold. If you want to turn it out of a mould, rinse the mould with cold water first and chill for at least 4 hours.

Three things that ruin pudding

The wrong amount of milk. The most common cause of runny pudding. Check the ml figure on your own packet rather than using a number from another packet, and do not convert Turkish glasses into US cups.

Putting the tasting spoon back in the pot. This one comes from Dr. Oetker Poland and it surprises most people. The enzyme in saliva breaks down the starch that thickens the pudding, so a spoon that has been in your mouth can make the whole pot go thin. Use a clean spoon each time.

A skin on top. Stir as it cools, or cover the warm pudding with cling film so that the film touches the surface.

One more idea from the Turkish packet: pudding lokum

The back of the classic cocoa pudding packet has a recipe that turns it into bite-sized squares, a bit like Turkish delight.

1. Heat about 400 ml of orange-flavoured fruit juice in a pan and add the pudding packet instead of milk.
2. Cook it the same way: stir over medium heat, and once it boils, turn the heat down and stir for 2 to 3 more minutes.
3. Pour it into a 10 x 20 cm mould rinsed with water and smooth the top.
4. Let it cool to room temperature, then chill for 3 hours.
5. Loosen the edges with a knife, turn it out and cut into cubes.
6. Roll the cubes in ground pistachio, coconut, hazelnut or walnut.

Turkish Dr. Oetker puddings we stock

Check the milk amount printed on each packet before you start, as it changes with the size of the packet.

• Vanilla pudding
• Strawberry pudding
• Banana pudding
• Forest fruit pudding
• Bitter chocolate pudding
• Chocolate chip pudding
• Classic cocoa pudding
• Gluten-free cocoa pudding

What to put on top

• Chocolate sauce or dark chocolate sauce over vanilla pudding
• Fruit sauce over vanilla or strawberry
• Whipped cream mix on anything
• Sugared vanillin to add with the sugar if your packet is the unsweetened kind

Like pudding? Try these next. Dr. Oetker Pastry Cream is a close relative of pudding, made for filling cakes and pastries. Dr. Oetker Trileçe is a milk-soaked cake with caramel sauce and our best-selling Dr. Oetker dessert.

Frequently asked questions

How much milk do I need for Dr. Oetker pudding?

It depends on the packet. The Turkish bitter chocolate pudding (111 g) uses 500 ml and the classic cocoa pudding (147 g) uses 750 ml. The standard German and Polish packets use 500 ml. Always go by the ml number printed on your packet.

Do I need to add sugar to Dr. Oetker pudding?

Only if the ingredient list does not start with sugar. The Turkish packets we checked are pre-sweetened. The standard German Original Pudding and Polish budyń are not, and need about 2 heaped tablespoons (30 to 40 g) of sugar.

Why is my Dr. Oetker pudding runny?

Usually too much milk, or it was not boiled long enough. A common mistake is converting the Turkish glass measure into US cups: "2,5 su bardağı" is 500 ml, not 2.5 US cups. Putting a spoon you have tasted from back into the pot can also thin it.

Is Turkish Dr. Oetker pudding pork-free?

The Turkish bitter chocolate and classic cocoa pudding packs both state that they contain no pork fat or pork-derived ingredients. Wording can differ between products, so check the back of each pack. For more on reading Turkish labels, see our guide to halal Haribo.