The Best Chocolate Pudding

With cocoa powder, milk chocolate, and dark chocolate, this chocolate pudding is rich, creamy, and feels like an elevated take on your favorite childhood chocolate pudding!

How to improve Chocolate Pudding?

There are a few things that can take chocolate pudding from good to great! One of my favorites is using a little espresso powder to enhance the chocolate flavor (don’t worry you don’t taste it, it’s more like adding vanilla extract and salt, they help season the pudding). Additionally I use cocoa powder, milk chocolate, and dark chocolate for a creamy, sweet, and rich flavor!

How to make creamy chocolate pudding?

The key to a creamy chocolate pudding comes down to a few things. First is the cornstarch as it will help thicken the pudding. Next is the egg yolk which not only thickens but also gives it a rich flavor. And finally, using a combination of heavy cream and milk makes this chocolate pudding creamy without making it too heavy.

Can I make pudding in advance?

Yes! I would the pudding needs to sit in the fridge for at least a couple of hours anyway so it is the perfect make ahead dessert! Just be sure to lay plastic wrap on the actual surface of the pudding to prevent it from drying out and forming a skin.

Additional Recipes to try:

• Donauwelle
• Kalter Hund – No bake chocolate biscuit cake
• Chocolate Bavarian Cream

Tips for making the best Chocolate Pudding

• To prevent clumps in your pudding, make sure to whisk the cornstarch in with the other dry ingredients before adding the wet!
• While cooking the pudding, whisk constantly, if you walk away the cornstarch and egg yolk could start to clump leaving you with a clumpy pudding.
• Use high quality chocolate – this will make all the difference in a chocolate pudding. Don’t use chocolate chips with additives which prevent them from melting. I like to use Ghirardelli chocolate bars!
• Be sure to chop the chocolate finely so that it has no problem melting into the pudding once you take it off the stove.
• Don’t forget to lay plastic wrap on the surface of the pudding while it chills to prevent it from forming a skin.

Ingredients

• Corn Starch: corn starch will help thicken the pudding, if needed arrow root starch can be used instead!
• Granulated Sugar: This is standard white sugar, it dissolves in the pudding to give it that classic sweet taste and balance out the cocoa powder.
• Cocoa Powder: For this chocolate pudding, dutch processed or natural cocoa powder will work!
• Espresso Powder: 1/2 a teaspoon of espresso powder goes a long way in enhancing the chocolate flavor!
• Salt: A pinch of salt balances out the sweetness of the pudding and pairs perfectly with chocolate.
• Milk: I used cow’s milk in this recipe and haven’t tried it with any plant based milks. Anything from skim to whole milk will work!
• Heavy Cream: I like to add a little heavy cream for an extra creamy pudding but in a pinch you can substitute it with more milk.
• Egg Yolk: The egg yolk not only adds to the rich flavor but it also helps thicken the pudding. I use standard large eggs from the store.
• Dark Chocolate: Anything from 60% to 75% chocolate will work for this pudding, just be sure it is a bar meant for baking and not chips as they have extra additives which prevent them from melting as well.
• Milk Chocolate: As previously mentioned, I like a combo of dark and milk chocolate for this pudding. Same as with the dark chocolate, be sure it is a bar meant for baking and not chips as they have extra additives which prevent them from melting as well.
• Vanilla Extract: It may seem counterintuitive but vanilla extract enhances chocolate flavor in the pudding.
• Butter: last but definitely not least, butter is added in at the end to really thicken and add to the creaminess of the pudding.

How to make Chocolate Pudding

• Finely chop both the milk chocolate and dark chocolate and set aside.
• In a small sauce pot, whisk together the cornstarch, sugar, cocoa powder, espresso powder and salt.
• Pour in 125 milliliters of milk and whisk to combine. Then pour in the remaining milk and heavy cream and whisk again.
• Drop in the egg yolk and whisk once more.
• Place the pot over medium heat and whisk. Continue to whisk until the mixture starts to bubble and thicken. If it starts to bubble vigorously, turn the heat down. Whisk and cook for about 2-3 after the mixture has started bubbling and thickening.
• Remove the pot from the heat and pour in both chopped chocolates, whisk until they have melted in.
• Cut the butter into 3 pieces. Then, add in the butter and vanilla and whisk again until the butter has fully melted.
• Pour the pudding into your desired serving dishes.
• Lay a piece of plastic wrap over the surface of each pudding and place in the fridge to chill for a minimum of 2 hours but up to overnight. Chilling time will vary depending on the size of your serving dishes.

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