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 treat. It’s silky-smooth, full of rich chocolate flavor, and so much better than the instant kind. Making it from scratch is surprisingly simple—the hardest part is waiting for it to chill. Unlike most recipes that rely on just cocoa powder, this one uses both cocoa powder and real chocolate, so it’s extra luscious and chocolatey. Kids always love it, but there’s plenty of nostalgic appeal for grown-ups, too. Bonus: it’s naturally gluten-free.
Love chocolate pudding? Take it up a notch with my chocolate cream pie—or try my chocolate mousse or homemade chocolate ice cream for more chocolatey goodness.
“Chocolate desserts are our thing, and this easy chocolate pudding recipe has wonderful texture and depth. Sometimes we top with strawberries—chef’s kiss!”
What You’ll Need To Make Homemade Chocolate Pudding
- Sugar: Sweetens the pudding and balances the cocoa’s natural bitterness.
- Cornstarch: Gently thickens the pudding so it turns out smooth and spoonable.
- Whole Milk: The creamy backbone of the pudding—whole milk keeps it velvety and rich.
- Natural Unsweetened Cocoa Powder & Semi-Sweet Chocolate: Team up to deliver deep, layered chocolate flavor—use good-quality chocolate, such as Ghirardelli, for the best results.
- Vanilla Extract: Rounds out the chocolate with warm, aromatic notes for a well-balanced flavor.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1: Combine the dry ingredients. In a heavy medium saucepan, whisk together the sugar, cocoa, cornstarch, and salt.
Step 2: Gradually add the milk. Add half the milk and whisk until smooth, then add the rest of the milk and stir to incorporate.
Step 3: Cook the Pudding. Set the pot over medium heat and cook, whisking constantly, until the pudding thickens and starts to bubble—about 8 minutes. Let it boil for 1 more minute, whisking the whole time.
Step 4: Finish. Off the heat, whisk in the chopped chocolate and vanilla until the pudding mixture is completely smooth.
Step 5: Chill. Pour the contents of the pot into a medium bowl and press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the pudding to prevent a skin. Refrigerate until the pudding is set—it will take 5 to 6 hours.
Step 5: Serve. Give the chilled pudding a good stir, then spoon into dessert bowls and top with a dollop of whipped cream or chocolate shavings if you’d like. For a fun twist, line the bottom of the bowls with crushed cookies like biscotti, Oreos, or graham crackers, or sprinkle some on top. Chocolate pudding keeps well in the fridge for up to 3 days. I don’t recommend freezing it, but leftover pudding is perfect for pudding pops if you have molds!
More Chocolate Recipes You May Like
Chocolate Pudding
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 oz semi-sweet chocolate, best quality such as Ghirardelli, finely chopped
- 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
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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I Love this Recipe! I use the same ingredients with a bit more milk and sometimes heavy cream! Delicious!
This was excellent! It tastes just like the chocolate pudding that my mom used to make, and brought back many happy and yummy childhood memories. It’s what I used to call a real homemade pudding, as opposed to the Jello Instant variety. This recipe was delicious. Came out nice consistency. Thanks for this!
Nothing better than homemade pudding! Kids bring the best imaginations!
Just made this with 70% chopped chocolate and skim milk and it’s bittersweet and delicious! Thanks, we love it!
Is there a vanilla flavor version of this recipe?
Unfortunately, I don’t have a vanilla version of this (yet) — sorry! I do have this banana pudding and these Lemon Berry Parfaits. Hope you enjoy if you try either one of these.
yum- I have two girls that would LOVE this- and you are sooooo right about homemade chocolate pudding- It is so much better!
Sarah, The chocolate pudding sounds great for a dinner party. Unfortunately, vanilla is a bit more involved to make and I don’t have a go-to recipe that I can pass on to you. Most good homemade vanilla puddings call for eggs. You might try this recipe: http://www.joyofbaking.com/VanillaPudding.html …I haven’t made it myself but everything else I’ve made from the site has been good. Good luck!
Oh, I love it. I have never made pudding before, isn’t that pathetic. Thanks for the recipe!
What a wonderful idea for the kids! Such a nice alternative to the classic ice cream sundae.
The pudding recipe itself looks yummy, perhaps it would make for a good filling in a chocolate pie 🙂
Thanks for the recipe!
This looks awesome! Reading this made my mouth water!
I love this idea and think I will use it for an upcoming dinner party. I would also like to offer a vanilla option – would I just leave out the cocoa powder and chopped chocolate?
I am loving your blog – I check it daily to see if there are new posts and the recipes have all turned out wonderfully!