Chocolate Pudding
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Why settle for store-bought or instant chocolate pudding when homemade is so easy to make? This chocolate pudding recipe is the answer to your chocolate cravings—rich, creamy, and oh-so-chocolatey!
If you’ve never had homemade chocolate pudding, you’re in for a real treat. It’s silky-smooth, intensely chocolatey, and miles better than the instant kind. Making it from scratch is surprisingly simple—the hardest part is waiting for it to set in the fridge. Unlike most chocolate pudding recipes that rely on just cocoa powder, mine includes both cocoa powder and real chocolate, making it extra rich and decadent.While kids always love this pudding, its nostalgic appeal makes it perfect for grown-ups, too. Bonus: It’s naturally gluten-free!
If you’re a chocolate lover and love the rich creaminess of chocolate pudding, you can take it up a notch with my chocolate cream pie. Or for more more chocolatey indulgence, try my chocolate mousse or homemade chocolate ice cream—both are just as creamy and satisfying!
“Something this chocolatey and decadent shouldn’t be so easy to make. This recipe is so easy and so delicious!”
What You’ll Need To Make Homemade Chocolate Pudding
- Sugar: Sweetens the pudding, balancing the cocoa’s bitterness and enhancing its flavor.
- Unsweetened Natural Cocoa Powder: Provides the deep, rich chocolate flavor that defines the pudding.
- Cornstarch: Acts as a thickening agent, giving the pudding its smooth and creamy consistency.
- Whole Milk: Forms the base of the pudding, contributing to its velvety texture and richness.
- Semi-Sweet Chocolate: Intensifies the chocolate flavor and adds depth—use good quality chocolate, such as Ghirardelli.
- Vanilla Extract: Enhances the overall flavor profile with warm, aromatic notes.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step Instructions
Combine the sugar, cocoa, cornstarch, and salt in a heavy medium saucepan and whisk to combine.
Add half the milk and whisk until smooth, then whisk in the remaining milk.
Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the pudding thickens and comes to a boil, about 8 minutes. Boil for 1 more minute, while continuing to whisk.
Remove from heat and add the chopped chocolate and vanilla. Whisk until smooth, then pour into a medium bowl. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming.
Refrigerate until set, about 5 to 6 hours. Before serving, whisk until smooth.
Spoon into four dessert bowls. Top with a dollop of whipped cream, if desired, and serve. For an extra touch, you can line the bottom of the glasses with crushed cookies like biscotti, Oreos, or graham crackers—or simply sprinkle them on top.
Chocolate pudding can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. I don’t advise freezing it as the texture won’t be the same when thawed (but if you have leftovers and popsicle molds, they’d make great pudding pops)!
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Ingredients
- ⅔ cup sugar
- ¼ cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder, such as Hershey's
- 2½ tablespoons cornstarch
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 2½ cups whole milk
- 1½ ounces semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped (best quality, such as Ghirardelli)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Homemade whipped cream, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Whisk the sugar, cocoa, cornstarch and salt in a heavy medium saucepan. Add half of the milk and whisk until the mixture is smooth. Whisk in the remaining milk. Continue whisking over medium heat until the pudding thickens and comes to boil, about 8 minutes. Continue to boil 1 minute longer, whisking constantly.
- Remove the pudding from the heat. Add the chopped chocolate and vanilla; whisk until the chocolate melts and the pudding is smooth. Pour the pudding into a medium bowl and place a piece of plastic wrap directly over the pudding to prevent a film from forming at the top. Cool in the refrigerator until set, 5 to 6 hours. Whisk the chilled pudding until smooth, and then spoon it evenly into 4 dessert bowls. Top each pudding with a dollop of whipped cream, if desired, and serve.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (4 servings)
- Calories: 310
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated fat: 5 g
- Carbohydrates: 55 g
- Sugar: 47 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Sodium: 142 mg
- Cholesterol: 15 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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Way too much sugar. 2/3 cups is that an error? There is no need to have more than a tablespoon or two of sugar per one cup of milk.
This is in the fridge cooling down. Followed the recipe and the dark chocolate I had on hand was Lindt dark chocolate with orange and almond slivers. (the almond slivers took me by surprise when I licked the pot, I hadn’t read the fine print to see that ingredient). The pudding thickened up after the timed whisking and is looking great. Early Valentine’s Day chocolate treat that I’ll put in small ball jars and gift.
Next pudding will be butterscotch recipe in Jenn’s second cookbook – who can resist salted caramel.
This is delicious. I used one ounce of 56% cacao chocolate and 1/2 ounce of 72%. It was a little bit sweet. I wonder if it would affect the texture of the pudding if I reduced the sugar to about 100 grams? I know sugar plays a role in the texture. Jenn & Team, what do you think?
Thanks
Disregard my previous comment. I had been tasting the pudding while it was still warm; now that it’s chilled, it’s perfect!
I consider myself something of a chocolate pudding connoisseur (ok, basically I just love chocolate pudding). This is the best chocolate pudding I’ve ever had. I substituted dark chocolate for semisweet, but otherwise stuck to the recipe. It’s rich and satisfying.
Hi Jenn,
I have to rave about this chocolate pudding recipe as it is absolutely delicious. Not having all the ingredients, though, I had to tweak it a bit. I did not have whole milk so I used 1/3 cup heavy cream and the rest 2% milk. I also did not have semi-sweet chocolate so I used a mixture of 72% dark chocolate and milk chocolate (Trader Joe’s Belgian chocolates), as well as adding a scant amount of espresso powder. My family is asking when I will make it again with the hopes it will be very soon. Thank you for your sharing your recipes with us.