This Chocolate Pudding Recipe is one I’ve been wanting to make for years, and now I’m happy to share its perfection with you! Watch the video showing you how to make this recipe. Scroll to the bottom to print out the complete recipe so you can make it at home!
To be perfectly up front here, chocolate would not be my flavor of choice for homemade pudding. It would be butterscotch for me! Butterscotch pudding has always been a huge draw for me on restaurant dessert menus. I must order it every single time I spot it!
But this chocolate pudding recipe I’m sharing with you today was made especially for the boys in my house. My husband and my son are big on chocolate, and a homemade chocolate dessert like this is met with great enthusiasm!
What’s the difference between chocolate mousse and chocolate pudding?
Chocolate mousse is definitely similar to chocolate pudding, but it’s lighter and airier than pudding. Its airy texture comes from folding whipped egg whites or whipped cream into the base mixture. This is what “thickens” the mousse. Chocolate mousse tends to be very rich.
Chocolate pudding is typically made using cornstarch as a thickener. It’s much creamier and dense than chocolate mousse.
What is chocolate pudding made of?
When you take a peek at the list of instructions below, you’ll notice that it’s very short. Chocolate pudding is made of egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, milk, chocolate, vanilla extract and a touch of salt. This chocolate pudding could not be simpler to make.
If you’re one who tends to buy the prepared chocolate pudding cups at the store (guilty here!), you don’t need to do that any more. Making it homemade is so very easy to do. And believe me when I tell you that it’s 110% better than anything you’d buy at the store too!
Did I mention how creamy this pudding turns out? Yes. The texture is super C.R.E.A.M.Y!
What’s the difference between bittersweet and semisweet chocolate?
The type of chocolate you choose to use will have an affect on the flavor. Use bittersweet for a deeper, richer chocolatey flavor, and use semisweet for a more traditional chocolate flavor. I usually use bittersweet chocolate for this chocolate pudding recipe, and there are zero complaints.
Top it all off with a little bit of freshly whipped cream and some chocolate shavings to give it some “fancy.” Every dessert needs some sort of fancy garnish, right?
Here are a few more chocolate dessert recipes you might enjoy:
- Chocolate Mascarpone Brownies
- Heavy Chocolate Brownies
- Chocolate Pudding Cake
- Easy Chocolate Cheesecake Bars
- Chocolate Glazed Cake
- Hershey’s Perfectly Chocolate Chocolate Cake
- Hot Chocolate Cookies
- Chocolate Cream Cheese Mousse
Chocolate Pudding Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1/2 cup granulated white sugar
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 3 cups whole milk
- 5 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
- pinch of salt
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- whipped cream and chocolate shavings, for topping (optional)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks, sugar and cornstarch.
- In a medium saucepan, combine the milk, chocolate and salt and warm over medium-heat; stir until the chocolate melts. Gradually whisk the hot chocolate mixture into the egg mixture (1/4 cup at a time), whisking quickly, until you have warmed up the egg mixture. Pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan and keep whisking until thickened- 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in the vanilla, then divide among 6 serving cups. Cover each with plastic wrap and refrigerate until well set (at least 2 hours).
Notes
- To make whipped cream: use an electric mixer to whip 1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream in a medium bowl. When it begins to thicken, add 1 tablespoon of powdered sugar and continue to mix until it reaches "whipped cream consistency."
- If you are preparing this recipe as GLUTEN-FREE, just be sure to use brands of chocolate and vanilla that are known to be GF.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hello, I saw this recipe and was excited to make it with my daughter, and we did, but even after whisking on the stove for more than 20 min, the mixture never thickened. Is there something that I could have done wrong? I followed the recipe to the t and had no luck.
Thank you,
Crystal
Did you use three tablespoons cornstarch? That should thicken it right up!
Me encantó su receta de pudding! Mil Gracias!
New zealand has white sugar castor sugar which one is more like your granulated sugar would it be castor
I’m not sure… probably worth it to try googling your answer as I’m not familiar with either of those.
Love this friend. So good and trying soon. Yummed and pinned.
thank you so much for this recipe! Super easy and yummy!!
I used semi-sweet and it was WAY too sweet for me & my family. Other than that it worked perfectly.
Hi Lori,
I made this for dessert last night and it was delicious. I used the semi-sweet chocolate and 1% milk. I don’t usually keep whole milk at home and I figured it had plenty of richness with the chocolate. It was perfect. Very smooth and yummy. Thank you for a wonderful, old-fashioned recipe. You are the best!
My fiance just had oral surgery, and needs to eat soft, not-too-intense foods for a while. He’s getting sick of Jell-o, so I made him this pudding. It was awesome! Total comfort food, delicious, and perfectly smooth texture. Yum! Thanks for sharing your healing powers of pudding with me. 🙂
so very happy to hear that it turned out to be a good healing recipe!