Easy Chocolate Pudding is a quick sweet or a fancy dessert! Make your favorite creamy childhood snack from scratch! Full of rich chocolate flavor, and best served with some whipped cream on top, this homemade version will be a family favorite.
(This recipe was originally published in 2017. The images were updated in 2021. The recipe is still the same!)
Easy homemade
chocolate pudding
My kids love chocolate pudding. Me? Not so much. I love a good chocolate mousse, a Pot de Créme, or devils, even a pop pudding. But, real pudding is usually a solid pass for me. So, I let my kids take the lead with this recipe. They helped me do it, test it and also gave me the final seal of approval.
However, what started as a favorite snack ended up with me “cleaning” the edges of the saucepan. With a spoon. Hey, adults can taste the taste too, don’t let your kids tell you something different!
Getting back to the point, this sweet chocolate pudding recipe is insanely simple and insanely delicious. It’s the perfect texture (thick but not too dense), and it’s sweet without being too sugary. Plus, chances are you have everything you need in your kitchen to do it right now.
Easy and creamy chocolate pudding is great for after-school snacks, last-minute dessert emergencies (yes, that’s one thing!), chocolate cravings… You understand the essence.
Why make pudding from scratch?
Once you dip a spoon into your bowl, you’ll see why. But on top of that, don’t you feel so fulfilled when you make your own treats? There’s something about making, from scratch, a recipe that you’d normally lean on a box mix for.
Here are a few more reasons why I like making homemade pudding
:
- It’s super easy: There are many versions of chocolate pudding in the universe. Some start with chopped chocolate, some have heavy cream, etc. But the beauty of this recipe is the simplicity of the ingredients. It takes minimal effort to mix sugar, cocoa powder, cornstarch, and a couple of other essentials.
- It’s fast: 10-minute dessert, anyone? That’s right. 10 MINUTES. Why do you keep reading this when you could be halfway through making this pudding recipe? Just kidding, he jokes, we have a little more to cover first.
- It’s customizable: If you like your simple pudding, that’s fine. However, if you have a great sweet tooth like I do, you’ll add whipped cream or crushed bars of Oreos or Kit Kat to your pudding. (Technically, you could also do this with store-bought pudding, but it tastes better when you make it yourself, because you know what’s in it!)
What
you’ll need What
does a batch of homemade chocolate pudding include? There are 7 ingredients needed. Let’s be exact though: here are the details of what you’ll need to round
up:
- Sugar: Stick with the granulated sugar for this pudding recipe.
- Technically you could use chopped chocolate for chocolate flavor, but using cocoa powder is very easy
- Cornstarch: This will thicken the pudding for you
- Salt: I like to use Kosher salt, as it enhances the sweet taste of chocolate.
- Milk: Whole milk is the creamiest pudding, as are half and half, but any milk you have in your fridge is fine.
- Vanilla: For an extra sweet taste!
- Butter: This adds an extra creamy goodness to your pudding. Make sure it is at room temperature before starting.
Unsweetened cocoa powder:
.
.
How to make chocolate pudding
Let’s recap for a second. This creamy chocolate pudding takes 10 minutes to make, is a total fan favorite, and will instantly cure your chocolate cravings. Who could say no?
Here are the quick steps you’ll need to follow to mix it
:
Combine the ingredients: In a medium saucepan, mix the sugar, cocoa powder, cornstarch, and salt. Over medium heat, slowly add the milk, beating constantly.
<img src="https://cookiesandcups.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Chocolate-Pudding-2.jpg" alt="
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Let the mixture
thicken: Bring the mixture to a boil and continue beating for an additional minute. The mixture will be thick at this point. Remove from heat and add vanilla and butter until melted. Pour into individual plates if desired.
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Tips for success
Looking for subtle tips and tricks to improve your pudding skills? Gotcha! Here are a couple of ways to make your chocolate pudding shine
:
- Really try to beat consistently: If you don’t whip the pudding enough while adding the milk, it could start sticking to the pan. It’s okay if you have to stop for a moment, but be sure to keep an eye on the mix.
- Refrigerate before serving: Cool your pudding for at least an hour before serving to make it fresh and refreshing. Also, don’t forget to press your adhesive wrap directly onto the pudding so it doesn’t form that weird pudding skin.
- Mix your pudding before serving: This makes it pleasant and creamy, it can be a bit dense when you try to eat it straight from the fridge.
- : I highly recommend some whipped cream on top of your pudding! It’s an essential pudding that you won’t want to leave out. 🙂
Serve with whipped cream
How to store
pudding
Store your homemade pudding in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can also store individual pudding bowls, well covered with plastic wrap, for a day or two if you wish.
Print more chocolate dessert ideas
to try
Looking for simpler chocolate dessert recipes? I have a few for you to try
: Chocolate chip cookies Chocolate crackers
- and cream crackers
- Cup of chocolate chip peanut butter Cookie sandwiches Chocolate chip cookie cake
- Banana scones
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