Homemade Chocolate Pudding
Smooth stovetop chocolate pudding made from cocoa, milk and real chocolate, chilled until set.
- Measurements grams + cups
- Cuisine American
Why You'll Like This Recipe
- Both cocoa powder and chopped chocolate go in, which gives depth that a cocoa-only pudding never has.
- Fifteen minutes of actual work, then the fridge does the rest.
- Everything is whisked together cold, so there is no tempering and no separate bowls.
Recipe
Homemade Chocolate Pudding
Smooth stovetop chocolate pudding from pantry basics.
Ingredients
Ingredients scaled. The method below still refers to the original quantities.
Instructions
- Step 1. Whisk the milk, sugar, cocoa, cornstarch, salt and egg yolks together in a saucepan until completely smooth, with no dry cocoa clinging to the sides.
- Step 2. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly and reaching into the corners, until the mixture thickens and comes to a bubble.
- Step 3. Keep cooking at a bubble for 1 full minute, then remove from the heat.
- Step 4. Stir in the chopped chocolate, butter and vanilla until melted and glossy.
- Step 5. Divide among four dishes. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface if you would rather it did not form a skin.
- Step 6. Chill for at least 2 hours before serving.
Notes
- Whisk everything together cold before the pan goes on the heat. It removes any need to temper the eggs and prevents cocoa lumps.
- The full minute at a bubble is not optional. Cornstarch needs it, and a pudding pulled off the moment it thickens often loosens again in the fridge.
- Whisk into the corners of the pan. Custard scrambles at the edges first, where the whisk does not reach.
- Press wrap onto the surface for no skin, or leave it uncovered if you like one. Both are legitimate — just decide before it goes in the fridge.
Homemade Chocolate Pudding — Simple Table Recipes · https://simpletablerecipes.com/recipes/homemade-chocolate-pudding/
Ingredient Notes
- Cocoa powder
- Provides the base chocolate flavour and some of the colour. Whisk it in while everything is cold — added to hot milk it clumps and will not disperse.
- Chopped chocolate
- Added off the heat at the end. This is where the richness comes from; cocoa alone gives a thinner, more one-dimensional flavour.
- Egg yolks
- Two yolks give body and a silkier mouthfeel. The pudding will still set without them but tastes noticeably more like a starch pudding.
- Cornstarch
- Must reach a full bubble to thicken. This is the single most common reason a homemade pudding refuses to set.
Equipment
- Medium saucepan
- Whisk
- Four small serving dishes
Substitutions
- Semisweet chocolate
- Dark chocolate makes a less sweet, more intense pudding. Milk chocolate makes it sweeter and softer — reduce the sugar by about 20 g if you use it.
- Whole milk
- Works with semi-skimmed, though the set is softer. Oat milk is the most reliable plant-based option here.
- Egg yolks
- Leave them out and increase the cornstarch to 40 g. The texture is a little more bouncy and less silky, but it sets reliably.
Storage & Freezing
Storing: Refrigerate, covered, for up to 4 days.
Freezing: Not recommended. The starch structure breaks on thawing and the pudding turns grainy and weeping.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did my pudding not set?
Almost always because it never reached a proper bubble, or it was not held there for the full minute. Cornstarch does not thicken until it boils, and chilling will not fix a pudding that was undercooked.
Why is my pudding lumpy?
Either the cocoa or cornstarch was not fully dissolved before heating, or the egg scrambled at the edges of the pan. Pushing it through a sieve while still warm rescues it either way.
How do I stop a skin forming?
Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the warm pudding so there is no air gap. A skin is harmless if you like it.
Can I make it dairy free?
Yes. Use oat milk, dairy-free chocolate and a plant-based butter block. The set is slightly softer but it works.
Can I double the recipe?
Yes. Use a wider pan so it heats evenly and expect a few extra minutes to reach the bubble. Whisk more, not less, in a bigger batch.
Why does it taste chalky?
Usually undercooked cornstarch, which has a raw, powdery taste. The full minute at a bubble cooks it out.
Did you make this?
Let other people know how it went. One tap, nothing to fill in.
Thanks — that helps.
