Chocolate Pudding
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.
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
What fun is life without chocolate pudding? This from-scratch version is the ultimate chocolate comfort food.
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
Powered by 
- 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.
See more recipes:
Comments
Add a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Can you use this recipe for chocolate cream pie?
Hi Mel, It’s not firm enough for chocolate cream pie. I’d use this recipe instead.
This recipe is absolutely delicious and so easy! The only substitutions I must make for my family is to use gf ingredients and full-fat oat milk. I use Dutch cocoa powder or natural cocoa powder, whichever I have on hand, and it always tastes scrumptious either way. I add 1/4 tsp. espresso powder, if I have it. A non-dairy whipped topping is fun, but I also sprinkle each cup with Andes Creme de Menthe Baking Chips, or Andes Crushed Peppermint Baking Chips, both of which are gluten free, no cross-contamination. (Amazon) I have also made it many times now using an entire chopped Ghirardelli (4 oz.) white chocolate baking bar instead of the cocoa powder and the dark chocolate baking bar, and, of course, no espresso powder either. (White chocolate dreamy!) Thank you, Jenn for another family favorite recipe that is in constant rotation at our house, and even the adults at family gathering just love!
Quick and easy dessert, delicious. A big hit with small kids
Was looking for a quick and simple dessert and this hit the spot! I never would have thought about adding whipped cream and sprinkles to pudding and the kids thought it was great. The recipe and instructions were spot on.
When I made this, the pudding did not thicken up enough. It was very runny. Still delicious though! I only had 1% milk. Is that the reason why it stayed thin? I am going to make it again with whole milk, but was wondering if I should add more cornstarch?
Hi Anna, It should thicken up using whole milk; I wouldn’t add any more cornstarch. You may also need to let it set up in the fridge a bit longer. Hope that helps!
In answer to another comment I believe any milk will do. I used coconut milk (in a carton, not the canned type-that might be too rich) and I would not hesitate to use almond milk also. I used half black cocoa (the ultra-Dutched kind) just because I’m trying to use it up and it was perfect. The only problem was I ate too much pudding!
My pantry is getting a much needed workout. That being said, conventional wisdom out the door! In other words you gotta take chances on subbing when you can no longer just run out to the store. Good quality chocolate chips for high cocoa % chocolate bar was the substitute and it worked with mixed results. Constant stirring to break down the chips was needed but eventually the pudding smoothed out beautifully. Also the texture was much looser but was perfectly delicious served over fruit or ice cream.
I made half the recipe in a small saucepan, with turbinado sugar and semi-sweet mini morsels (what I had on hand). The pudding still was smooth and delicious, both warm and cold.
Jenn,
Would I be able to substitute semi sweet chocolate chips for the chocolate in this recipe?
Lynda
I’d recommend sticking with the solid chocolate here – chocolate chips are made with stabilizers to help them retain their shape when heated, so they’re not the best option for this. Sorry!
I made this with erythritol which is a sugar substitute and Lily’s extra dark chocolate which is sweetened with Stevia. The recipe was so simple to make, came out with a creamy perfect texture, thickness, and wonderful chocolate flavor. Without question I would make this recipe again. I like that it does not use eggs and there is no chance of scrambling the eggs while trying to incorporate them. I thought it wouldn’t be creamy enough without the egg yolks but I did not miss them at all. In fact you wouldn’t know it did not contain the egg yolks. Thanks for another great recipe.