Chocolate Pudding
Posted Feb 10, 2023, Updated Mar 14, 2025
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This easy chocolate pudding recipe is made from scratch with no eggs and no straining in 10 minutes. It’s smooth and rich and significantly more delicious than store-bought varieties. Serve topped with homemade whipped cream!
It’s time to ditch store-bought pudding (loaded with undesirable ingredients) and make this delicious homemade chocolate pudding! (Also try homemade vanilla pudding).
This chocolate pudding recipe is the best I’ve ever tasted. Made with two forms of chocolate, it’s rich, creamy and absolutely irresistible. Try making it into a chocolate pudding pie – yum!
Plus, it’s easy to make with 7 ingredients, no eggs and no straining! So, there’s really no good reason not to say goodbye to your “snack packs” forever and only make homemade pudding from now on!
Chocolate Pudding: Ingredients & Substitutions
- Whole milk/heavy cream. this chocolate pudding recipe calls for 2 cups of liquid dairy. Higher fat content yields a richer pudding, so while you can use different ratios, I do not recommend using “low-fat” ingredients. So, you can use 2 cups of dairy and it can be a mixture of whole milk, heavy cream, and/or half and half. I have included the ratios of whole milk and heavy cream that I tested and are the best.
- Granulated Sugar. Brown sugar or coconut sugar are good substitutes. I use organic cane sugar.
- Cornstarch. Tapioca flour/starch is a good substitute for cornstarch.
- Salted Butter. Unsalted butter works well.
- Chopped Chocolate. Choose your favorite variety – milk, dark or semisweet. For a vanilla version, make this homemade vanilla pudding.
How to Make Chocolate Pudding
Let’s walk through how to make chocolate pudding step-by-step, and don’t forget to watch the video.
Begin by brining the milk, cream sugar, salt, cornstarch and cocoa powder to a boil in a medium saucepan. Be sure to whisk often so the mixture cooks evenly.
Once the mixture is boiling, reduce the heat to simmer and whisk until slightly thickened 1-2 minutes.
When the mixture has thickened, turn off the heat and add chopped chocolate, butter and vanilla. Whisk until everything is melted and smooth.
Then, transfer the chocolate pudding to a glass jar, a glass bowl with a lid, or individual ramekins and chill for at least 8 hours (preferably overnight).
Serve
I suggest serving this chocolate pudding chilled with some homemade whipped cream, fresh berries or some chocolate shavings!
Ore use it to make chocolate pudding pie!
Store
Store the homemade chocolate pudding in a glass storage container (glass jars, glass food storage containers, ramekins with lids, etc.) in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Freeze
Or, freeze it in a class container with a lid for up to 2 months.
I suggest freezing in individual portions so you can pull some out and let it thaw overnight in the refrigerator to enjoy the next day!
Chocolate Pudding Recipe FAQs
1 week in the refrigerator and up to 2 months in the freezer.
Yes, pudding keeps longer and tastes the best when it’s refrigerated.
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Homemade Chocolate Pudding Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups whole milk
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
- Pinch sea salt
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- 2 Tablespoons salted butter
- 4 ounces semisweet chocolate*
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Bring milk, cream sugar, salt, cornstarch and cocoa powder to a boil. Whisking constantly.
- Once boiling, reduce heat to simmer and whisk until slightly thickened 1-2 minutes.
- Turn off heat and add chopped chocolate, butter and vanilla and whisk until everything is melted and smooth.
- Transfer the chocolate pudding to a glass jar, a glass bowl with a lid, or individual ramekins and chill until ready to serve.
Video
Notes
- Whole milk/heavy cream. this chocolate pudding recipe calls for 2 cups of liquid dairy. Higher fat content yields a richer pudding, so while you can use different ratios, I do not recommend using “low-fat” ingredients. So, you can use 2 cups of dairy and it can be a mixture of whole milk, heavy cream, and/or half and half. I have included the ratios of whole milk and heavy cream that I tested and are the best.
- Granulated Sugar. Brown sugar or coconut sugar are good substitutes. I use organic cane sugar.
- Cornstarch. Tapioca flour/starch is a good substitute for cornstarch.
- Salted Butter. Unsalted butter works well.
- Chopped Chocolate. Choose your favorite variety – milk, dark or semisweet.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This chocolate pudding is absolutely delicious!! I made it for my husband and usually he doesn’t like any sweet foods but he raved about this and has asked me to make this again. Very smooth, creamy and yummy! 🤤 Excellent chocolate flavour without being too sweet – highly recommend!!
This is my go-to recipe for chocolate pudding. I often have a quart of raw milk I have to use up at the end of the week and this is the best way to enjoy it. I grew up on chocolate puddings at my Oma’s house and this super easy recipe brings me right back.
Thank you!