Ruth’s Chris Corn Pudding Recipe (Easy Thanksgiving Copycat)

This Ruth’s Chris corn pudding recipe gives you the steakhouse’s famous side at home: soft and custardy in the middle, golden at the edges, a little sweet, with a quiet kick of hot sauce. It’s the corn side I make every Thanksgiving, and it disappears faster than the turkey.

If you already love my Slow Cooker Ruth’s Chris Creamed Corn, think of this as its holiday cousin. Same sweet-corn-and-cream flavor, but baked with eggs until it sets like a savory crème brûlée you can scoop.

Best of all, it’s a dump-and-stir recipe. Two kinds of canned corn, cream, eggs, a little flour and sugar, then into the oven. No fresh ears to shuck, no stovetop babysitting during the busiest cooking day of the year.

Why You’ll Love This Copycat Corn Pudding

• Tastes like the restaurant. It’s built on the same formula Ruth’s Chris catering shared with a Florida TV station: kernel corn, creamed corn, heavy cream, eggs, and a dash of Tabasco and dry mustard.
• Pantry ingredients. Everything comes from cans or the fridge, so you can buy it all a week ahead.
• Made for Thanksgiving. You can assemble it the night before and bake it while the turkey rests.
• Feeds a crowd. One pan serves 8 to 10 as a side, and it’s easy to double.
• Kid-approved. It’s sweet, creamy, and spoonable, so even picky eaters go back for seconds.

Ruth’s Chris Corn Pudding Ingredients

• Whole kernel corn: One can, well drained. It gives the pudding its pops of sweet, tender kernels.
• Cream-style corn: Two cans. This is the secret to the silky, custardy base.
• Heavy cream: Makes it rich like the steakhouse version. Half-and-half works in a pinch, but the pudding sets softer.
• Eggs: Two large eggs bind everything into a sliceable custard.
• All-purpose flour: Just enough to keep the pudding from weeping.
• Granulated sugar: The restaurant version is sweet. Use the full amount for copycat flavor or cut it in half for a more savory side.
• Kosher salt and black pepper: Balance the sweetness.
• Dry mustard: A pinch you won’t taste on its own, but it makes the corn taste more like corn.
• Tabasco sauce: Adds warmth, not heat. Start with 1 teaspoon.
• Butter: For greasing the dish.

How to Make Ruth’s Chris Corn Pudding

Step 1: Preheat and prep. Heat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 2½-quart baking dish (an 11×7 or deep 9×9 works). Set a roasting pan or 9×13 pan nearby and put a kettle of water on to boil.

Step 2: Mix the corn base. In a large bowl, stir together the drained kernel corn, cream-style corn, flour, sugar, salt, pepper, dry mustard, and Tabasco until no dry flour remains.

Step 3: Add the cream and eggs. Whisk the eggs in a small bowl until smooth. Pour the eggs and heavy cream into the corn mixture and whisk well.

Step 4: Fill the dish. Pour the mixture into the buttered baking dish and set it inside the roasting pan.

Step 5: Add the water bath. Place the pans on the oven rack, then carefully pour hot water into the roasting pan until it comes about halfway up the sides of the baking dish.

Step 6: Bake. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until the edges are set and golden and the center jiggles only slightly when you nudge the pan. A knife inserted an inch from the center should come out clean.

Step 7: Rest. Lift the baking dish out of the water and let the pudding rest 10 minutes. It finishes setting as it cools.

Tips for the Best Corn Pudding

• Don’t skip the water bath. It’s how Ruth’s Chris gets that smooth, crème brûlée texture. Without it, the edges overcook and the eggs can turn grainy.
• Drain the kernel corn well. Extra liquid is the number one cause of a watery pudding.
• Pull it while it still jiggles. The center keeps cooking from carryover heat. Overbaked corn pudding gets spongy.
• Want a golden top? Dot the surface with 1 tablespoon of butter before baking, or broil for 1 to 2 minutes at the end. Watch it closely.
• Using frozen corn? Swap the can of kernel corn for 1½ cups thawed frozen corn, patted dry.

Make-Ahead Corn Pudding for Thanksgiving

Oven space is the real Thanksgiving problem, so here are two ways to get ahead:

• Assemble the night before. Mix everything, pour it into the buttered dish, cover, and refrigerate up to 24 hours. Let it sit on the counter 30 minutes, then bake. Add 5 to 10 minutes to the bake time since it starts cold.
• Bake a day ahead. Bake as directed, cool, cover, and refrigerate. Reheat covered with foil at 325°F for 25 to 30 minutes, until hot in the center. It slides right into the oven while the turkey rests.

If your oven is full, make my Slow Cooker Ruth’s Chris Creamed Corn instead. It cooks in the crockpot and frees up a rack.

What to Serve With Corn Pudding

This is a classic with roast turkey, glazed ham, and prime rib, so it works for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter. To keep it steakhouse-style, serve it next to a seared ribeye or filet with mashed potatoes and green beans.

Planning a corn-lover’s spread? Put this pudding next to my Copycat Lawry’s Creamed Corn and let everyone pick a favorite. For a more bread-like side, try my Easy Pioneer Woman’s Corn Casserole or Air Fryer Creamed Corn Cornbread.

How to Store and Reheat

• Refrigerate: Cover leftovers or move them to an airtight container. They keep 3 to 4 days.
• Reheat: Microwave single portions 45 to 60 seconds, or warm the whole dish covered at 325°F until heated through.
• Freeze: Freeze baked, cooled pudding up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating. The texture will be slightly looser, but the flavor holds up.

Ruth’s Chris Corn Pudding Recipe FAQs

What is the difference between corn pudding and creamed corn? Creamed corn is cooked on the stovetop or in a slow cooker and stays loose and saucy, like my Slow Cooker Ruth’s Chris Creamed Corn. Corn pudding adds eggs and a little flour, then bakes until it sets into a soft, scoopable custard.

Is Ruth’s Chris corn pudding sweet? Yes, the restaurant version leans sweet, which is why kids love it. For a more savory side, cut the sugar to ¼ cup.

Why is my corn pudding watery? Usually the kernel corn wasn’t drained well or the pudding came out of the oven too early. Bake until only the very center jiggles, then let it rest 10 minutes before serving.

Can I make corn pudding without heavy cream? Yes. Use half-and-half or whole milk and add 1 extra tablespoon of flour so it still sets.

Can I double this recipe? Yes. Bake it in a deep 9×13 dish set in a large roasting pan, and start checking at 60 minutes. Larger batches can take up to 75 minutes.

Does Ruth’s Chris corn pudding have Jiffy mix in it? No. The steakhouse-style version uses flour, not cornbread mix, which is why it’s creamy instead of cakey. If you want the Jiffy style, make my Easy Pioneer Woman’s Corn Casserole.