Broadly, custard is anything that is made using a milk or cream base and thickened with egg yolks. The consistency of the custard depends on the amount of thickeners used. The most popular version of custard which is consumed throughout the globe is a sweetened one with the addition of vanilla, topped with seasonal fruits.
The addition of eggs in custard is a crucial element, but what about those who don’t eat eggs or are vegetarian? Can they not enjoy a good bowl of custard? Well, thanks to Alfred Bird, you can! He invented custard powder in 1837 in Birmingham, England. He invented an eggless custard powder because his wife couldn’t eat eggs. Years later, custard powder became a household staple in India as well.
For our review, we picked five brands of vanilla custard powder to test them for their vanilla flavor, consistency, setting abilities, and ease of making. Within the five brands of custard powders we tested, we chose Weikfield Custard Powder as our Top Pick amongst the best vanilla custard powder brands in India.
We Also Recommend the Brown & Polson Vanilla Custard Powder.
Table of Contents
Custard Powder Brands in India – Everything You Need To Know
This section discusses the different flavors of custard powders available in India, their key ingredients, price, nutrition labels, and different custard powder brands.
1. Available Flavours
Some of the most commonly available flavors of custard powder in India are –
- Vanilla
- Butterscotch
- Kesar elaichi
- Kesar pista
- Strawberry
2. Ingredients
A traditional bowl of custard is made using milk/cream, sugar, a flavoring agent like vanilla and egg yolks to thicken the custard. The custard powder version is eggless and contains three prime ingredients – starch, salt, and flavoring substances. A packaged custard powder usually also contains permitted food colors.
3. Price
A 100-gram carton of vanilla custard powder is priced between Rs 35/- to Rs 50/- depending on the brand.
4. Nutrition Facts
A custard powder primarily is made of starch which provides substantial calories and is a source of carbohydrates.
Custard powder is not a source of any vitamins or minerals. It is best consumed occasionally as a treat.
5. Consumption
Custards can be consumed hot and cold.
1. Cold Custard
Custard is usually eaten cold as a dessert with the addition of fresh fruits like bananas, grapes, mangoes, and apples. Custards are often combined with store-bought dry cakes and fruits or crumbled biscuits to make a quick desi trifle. Another popular combination with custard in India is a wobbly jelly. A classic combination of vanilla custard and strawberry jelly brings back vivid childhood memories.
2. Hot Custard
In most Indian homes, when someone has a sore throat, warm custard provides a soothing effect. Custards are often drizzled on other hot desserts as well like apple pie, dry cakes, sticky puddings, and even a strudel to add another layer of texture.
6. Available Brands
Some of the most popular custard powder brands in India are –
- Weikfield Custard Powder
- Brown & Polson Custard Powder
- Tops Custard Powder
- Pillsbury Custard Powder
- Blue Bird Custard Powder
- Kwality Custard Powder
- Happy Chef Custard Powder
- Puramate Custard Powder
7. Available Sizes
Custard powders in India are commonly available in two sizes – 100 grams and 500 grams. For homes that rely a lot on custard powder, the larger pack will be suitable.
Quick Comparison Of Vanilla Custard Powder Brands
In this section, we will discuss the price, net weight, shelf life, and list of ingredients. Here is a comparison table of some of the best vanilla custard powder brands in India.
| Vanilla Custard Powder Brands | Mishry Rating | Buy Now |
| Weikfield | 4 | – |
| Brown & Polson | 3.75 | – |
| Happy Chef | 2.5 | – |
| Kwality | 2.5 | – |
| Blue Bird | 2.5 | On Amazon |
Our Review Factors
Our review process included gauging the custard powder brands for several parameters –
1. Taste And Flavor
First and foremost, how tasty is the bowl of custard made using the custard powder? Can we taste the vanilla notes? Does the vanilla flavor shine or is too diluted?
2. Texture (Creaminess and Lumpiness)
How is the texture of the custard? Is it creamy and silky? Is it lumpy? Custard can sometimes end up tasting too chalky, which is not a desirable quality. We checked the end results for that as well.
3. Consistency
Did the custard powder to milk ratio mentioned on the pack set well? How was the end result? Was the custard too thin and runny? Was the custard too thick and dense?
4. Ease of Making
How easy to tough were the instructions given at the back of the pack to follow? Was the custard easy to make or did any complications arise?
5. Price
Price is always a determining factor in any product review. Is the custard powder priced competitively?
6. Availability
How easy was it to buy a particular brand of custard powder? Was it easily available online and offline?
Who Is This Review For?
Making custard from scratch requires a precise recipe and technique which takes time to master. This review is for everyone who likes the convenience of a dessert mix. This review is also for vegetarians who would like to have an egg-free version of the desert.
Brands We Picked
We picked five custard powder brands that have a prominent presence on online or offline platforms. We did not pick custard brands, however popular, that were too difficult to find in local stores or grocery shopping portals. We picked the custard powder in vanilla flavor for all the brands as vanilla custard is the most popular choice across the nation.
The brands we picked are –
- Weikfield Custard Powder
- Brown & Polson Custard Powder
- Blue Bird Custard Powder
- Kwality Custard Powder
- Happy Chef Custard Powder
Best Vanilla Custard Powder Brands – Review Process
Our review process included a dry inspection of the custard powder. We then turned the custard powder into a paste by adding cold milk. Tip – Custard powder should be mixed with cold milk only to avoid lumps.
Once our ‘slurries’ were made, we started turning them into custards by following the exact recipes given at the back of the pack. In case the recipe given on the box did not mention the sugar quantities, we added them according to taste. We used Amul Toned Milk to make the custards.
Once the custard started to thicken in the pan, we poured it into bowls and let them cool at room temperature for 15 minutes. Post this, they were kept in the refrigerator to achieve a chilled temperature.
We tasted the custard with fresh strawberries. We did not add any tinned fruits to our custard taste test as we wanted to minutely rate the vanilla intensity in each brand. This also helped us gauge the texture and setting abilities of the custard very well.
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Best Vanilla Custard Powder Brands – Detailed Review
1. Weikfield Custard Powder
A 100 gram box of Weikfield Custard Powder, Vanilla is priced at Rs 37/-. While making the slurry, the dry custard powder dissolved easily in the cold milk. No lumps formed during this stage. For our review, we mixed the custard powder slurry with 125 ml milk and 2 Tbsp sugar. We noticed that this is a very quick cooking custard.
We cooled down the custard at room temperature and then placed it in the refrigerator to cool it down even further. Upon cooling down, the custard became thicker, with just the right consistency one expects from a bowl of chilled custard. The custard was a dark yellow in color.
We followed the recipe given at the back of the pack and found that the custard powder to milk ratio works well. The custard does not become too lumpy and, in fact, we got a smooth mousse-like consistency.
Taste-wise, the chilled Weikfield custard has a pleasant vanilla flavor that does not taste synthetic. It has a rich and creamy taste which paired well with the mild sourness of the strawberries.
If you like a flowy custard, then you might want to adjust the recipe. You can adjust the consistency by decreasing or increasing the amount of custard powder.
- The custard has a very fresh vanilla flavor.
- It set well and has a smooth silky consistency with just the right amount of thickness.
- The vanilla flavor does not taste synthetic.
- It has a deep yellow color, making it rank high on the visual appeal too.
- No lumps formed while making the custard.
- There were no cons in this for us.
This custard powder is best suited for people looking for a tasty bowl of vanilla-flavored custard that you can make at home. The recipe at the back is simple and fool-proof. This ensures that even first-timers and cooking novices can try their hand easily at making this dessert at home.
Lastly, a bowl of custard is a popular summer dessert that is enjoyed by millions at home when the temperatures rise. If you are one of them too, then this review will be helpful in selecting the best brand of custard powder for you.
2. Brown & Polson Vanilla Custard Powder
A 100-gram box of Brown & Polson Custard Powder is priced at Rs 35/-. For our review, we made the slurry using ¾th Tbsp custard powder. In 125 ml milk, we mixed the custard powder slurry along with 1 Tbsp sugar.
The custard has a bright yellow color and a flowy consistency while mixing. As the custard cooks, it begins to thicken. Upon cooling, the custard has a perfect consistency.
Taste wise, the Brown & Polson custard powder has a lovely, fresh vanilla flavor. Although, when compared with our Top Pick (Weikfield), we felt the vanilla flavor fell short by just a little bit.
3. Happy Chef Custard Powder
A 100-gram carton of Happy Chef Custard Powder is priced at Rs 45/-. We made the slurry using ½ Tbsp custard powder. The color of the powder is light yellow. For our review, we made the custard using 125 ml milk and 1 Tbsp sugar.
The consistency of the custard made is very flowy but has a lot of lumps. Taste-wise, the custard has a certain aftertaste that is not appealing. The taste of vanilla is also very diluted.
The price of the custard powder does not justify the quality of the product.
The custard is very lumpy.
We detected a certain aftertaste. Thumbs down for that!
The vanilla flavor is very diluted.
4. Kwality Custard Powder
A 100 gram box of Kwality Custard Powder is priced at Rs 38/-. For our review, we mixed 125 ml milk, ½ Tbsp sugar along with the custard powder slurry. The slurry was made using ½ Tbsp custard powder. The custard powder mixes well with the cold milk and does not form any lumps.
The consistency of custard is flowy which thickens as it cools. After the custard chilled completely, the custard became lumpier. The custard didn’t set well and it seems like the two ingredients do not gel well together. The vanilla flavor was also very diluted, hence dampening the entire experience. More than vanilla, we could only taste the milk.
- The custard didn’t set well.
- As the custard cooled down, the consistency became lumpier.
- The vanilla flavor is extremely diluted.
5. Blue Bird Custard Powder – Vanilla Flavour
A 500-gram box of Blue Bird Custard Powder is priced at Rs 135/-. To make the custard we mixed the slurry made using 5 grams (1 Tbsp) custard powder along with 125 ml milk and 1 Tbsp sugar.
The heady vanilla aroma that we were looking for was completely missing and whatever we could smell was not pleasant at all. The consistency too was a little lumpy. While some lumps dissolved, some remained which ruined the creaminess of the custard completely.
After the custard was chilled in the fridge, we noticed that there is no evenness in the consistency. In fact, it bordered on looking like curdled milk. The vanilla flavor was missing as well. Flavor-wise, more than that signature vanilla custard flavor, it was all about the milk.
- The vanilla aroma was unpleasant.
- The consistency of the custard is very uneven and lumpy.
- The custard lacked the vanilla flavor.
Our Top Picks & Recommendations
Why did we choose Weikfield Vanilla Custard Powder as our Top Pick?
When someone says vanilla custard, we expect a bold vanilla flavor and a creamy consistency. The custard made using the Weikfield Vanilla Custard Powder had both.
The fresh, bold vanilla flavor was extremely pleasant. Even though the ratio given at the back of the pack made an extremely thick custard, it can be easily altered as per your preferences. But what cannot be altered is the vanilla flavor which showcased itself brilliantly in this custard powder brand.
Why do we Also Recommend Brown & Polson Custard Powder?
We Also Recommend the Brown & Polson Custard Powder for its perfect consistency and fresh vanilla aroma. There was a neck-to-neck competition between Brown & Polson and Weikfield Custard Powder. The only reason Weikfield emerged as our Top Pick was because of its bolder, fresher, vanilla flavor. In a comparative situation, Weikfield surely inched ahead.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some interesting FAQs on Vanilla custard powder brands.
1. Which is the best custard powder?
As per our review of the Best Vanilla Custard Powder Brands in India, Weikfield Custard Powder is the best custard powder. The bold, fresh vanilla flavor was unmatchable. Brown & Polson Custard Powder is also recommended for its consistency and vanilla flavor.
2. Does custard powder have eggs?
No. Custard powder does not contain eggs. Fresh custard is made using egg yolks, milk/cream, flavoring, and sugar. The egg yolks act as a thickening agent. Unlike fresh custard, the powder is made using cornstarch. The flavoring and color are artificial.
3. What is custard powder made from?
Custard powder has two key ingredients – salt and cornflour. Apart from this, it has added flavors like vanilla, strawberry, saffron, cardamom, raspberry, and others. Most custard powders also contain added colors.
4. Is custard powder and cornflour the same?
No. While custard powder primarily is made using cornstarch or cornflour, it also contains salt and added colors and flavoring agents. Cornflour on the other hand is a single ingredient used to thicken soups, sauces, and gravies.
In Conclusion
Our Top Pick, Weikfield Custard Powder, stood tall in our review of the Best Vanilla Custard Powder Brands in India. Weikfield custard had the boldest vanilla flavor. We Also Recommend the Brown & Polson Custard Powder for its creamy consistency and fresh vanilla flavor.
Do you like using custard powders? If yes, which is your go-to custard powder brand? Is vanilla your favorite? Write to us about your opinions in the comment section below.
Our reviews are unbiased and all samples used during the reviews were paid for by us. Read our entire ethics statement here.