How to Make Chocolate Pudding

Making chocolate pudding from scratch is easy to do at home and only requires a handful of basic ingredients.

By Joanne OzugPublished: Aug 27, 2023

4.7

18 Ratings

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Although store-bought chocolate puddings are actually pretty decent in terms of flavor and quality, I absolutely love to make my own chocolate pudding at home. It’s one of the easiest and quickest desserts you can make, and it's heavenly eaten on its own or as a component in other desserts.

Since pudding travels so well, I have many times taken it on picnics for dessert or brought it to friends' houses for parties. In those cases, I'll usually do something more elaborate, like making a pudding parfait with a graham cracker layer on the bottom, chocolate pudding on top, whipped cream, and chocolate shavings. Or roasted marshmallows! You can do anything with it, really.

A lot of chocolate pudding recipes only call for cornstarch as the thickener, but I like to use both cornstarch and egg yolks, bringing in a little bit of that French custard feel to the pudding. I find that using both gives the pudding the best silky, thick, luscious texture that we all want when we’re eating chocolate pudding!

From Joanne Ozug of Fifteen Spatulas.

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Yields:: 4 serving(s)
Prep Time:: 10 mins
Cook Time:: 10 mins
Total Time:: 20 mins

Ingredients

2
Large Egg Yolks
2 tbsp.
Cornstarch
2 c.
Whole Milk, Divided
1/2 c.
Sugar
1/4 c.
Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
1/4 tsp.
Salt
2 tsp.
Chocolate Extract (or Vanilla Extract)

Directions

1. Step 1In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks for about 60 seconds until light yellow and increased in volume, then whisk in the cornstarch and about 1/4 cup of the milk. Once smooth and incorporated, set aside.
2. Step 2Place the sugar, cocoa, salt, and remaining milk in a saucepan, and bring to a scald over medium-high heat, which is when the liquid is about 180-190ºF. This is before the mixture comes to a boil, and in this stage you will see little bubbles start forming on the sides of the pan. Remove the pan from the heat and, while whisking constantly, dribble the hot cocoa into the egg cornstarch mixture very gradually. We are tempering so we don't scramble the eggs. Pour everything back into the saucepan and cook over medium high heat, whisking constantly, until the pudding comes to a full boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and continue whisking for a couple minutes until the pudding is thickened.
3. Step 3Remove the pudding from the heat and stir in the chocolate or vanilla extract. Pour the pudding into a bowl and press plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pudding so a skin doesn't form. Refrigerate for an hour or two until chilled. Serve and enjoy!

To start, place two egg yolks into a bowl.

Whisk the egg yolks vigorously for about 60 seconds, until the yolks lighten in color and thicken to a frothy, foamy texture.

Add cornstarch and some milk to the egg yolks.

Whisk until fully combined, then set aside.

In a small saucepan, combine sugar, cocoa powder, salt, and milk.

Heat this mixture to a scalding temperature, then whisk it into the egg cornstarch mixture.

Pour everything back into the saucepan and cook over high heat until the pudding thickens into a luscious, silky consistency. Then remove the pudding from the heat and stir in chocolate or vanilla extract for extra flavor.

Pour the chocolate pudding into a big bowl to chill.

Then I press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the pudding, so a skin doesn’t form. Pudding skin gives me the heebie jeebies, and no one wants the heebie jeebies, right?