Homemade Chocolate Pudding
This homemade chocolate pudding is rich, smooth, and easy to make. It comes together with simple ingredients for a creamy dessert everyone will love.
Our homemade chocolate pudding is rich, smooth, and made with simple ingredients you probably already have on hand.
It’s the kind of classic dessert that’s easy to make yet delivers a deep chocolate flavor and velvety texture that store-bought versions just can’t match.
I’ve made this recipe plenty of times, tweaking it along the way to get the right balance of sweetness and chocolate flavor. The heavy cream adds a bit of richness, and the bittersweet chocolate gives it just the right depth.
If you enjoy homemade desserts that are simple to make, this one’s a great addition to your recipe collection.
Looking for more chocolate desserts? Try our chocolate molten lava cake, chocolate filled pastry, or hot chocolate cupcakes.
How to Make Homemade Chocolate Pudding:
Making pudding from scratch is easier than it seems. The key is to prep your ingredients in advance, since the process comes together quickly.
Combine dry ingredients: In a medium saucepan, whisk together the sugar, cocoa powder, cornstarch, and salt.
Add liquids: Gradually whisk in the milk and heavy cream until smooth. Place the saucepan over medium heat.
Cook the pudding: Stir constantly until the mixture thickens and begins to bubble, about 6–8 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and continue stirring for another 1–2 minutes.
Temper the egg yolks: In a small bowl, lightly whisk the egg yolks. Slowly add a tablespoon at a time of the hot pudding mixture to the yolks, whisking constantly to avoid scrambling them.
Incorporate yolks: Pour the tempered egg yolks back into the saucepan, whisking to combine. Cook for another 1–2 minutes until the pudding thickens further.
Add chocolate and vanilla: Remove the saucepan from the heat. Stir in the chopped chocolate and vanilla extract until smooth and fully melted.
Cool and set: Pour the pudding into individual serving dishes or a large bowl. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
Serve: Top with whipped cream, fresh berries, or chocolate shavings if desired. Enjoy!
Learn From Our Experience
What’s the saying? Practice makes perfect? That’s definitely true when it comes to making homemade pudding. Here are a few things we’ve learned along the way.
Strain for extra smoothness: If you’re not comfortable tempering eggs or want an ultra-smooth pudding, pour the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve before chilling. You’ll need to press it through using a spoon or spatula. The first time we made this pudding, we noticed tiny bits of egg in the final texture. Straining fixed that instantly.
Cornstarch is key: It’s essential for thickening the pudding properly. Be sure to whisk it well with the other dry ingredients before adding liquids to prevent lumps. We learned this the hard way when a batch turned out too thin because we opted to skip the cornstarch.
Don’t rush the cooking process: Stirring constantly over medium heat helps prevent scorching and ensures an even texture. If you see small lumps forming, a quick whisk can help smooth them out.
Tips and Variations
- For a deep chocolate flavor, use dark chocolate with at least 70% cocoa.
- If you prefer a lighter texture, fold in some whipped cream after chilling. This gives you a texture similar to chocolate mousse.
- Adjust the sweetness by adding more or less sugar to taste.
Storage
- Refrigerator: Store extra pudding covered in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freezing: Not recommended, as pudding can become grainy once thawed.
Ingredients
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups whole milk
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 2 large egg yolks
- 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Whipped cream or fresh berries, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Combine dry ingredients: In a medium saucepan, whisk together the sugar, cocoa powder, cornstarch, and salt.¾ cup granulated sugar¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder3 tablespoons cornstarch½ teaspoon salt
- Add liquids: Gradually whisk in the milk and heavy cream until smooth. Place the saucepan over medium heat.2 cups whole milk½ cup heavy cream
- Cook the pudding: Stir constantly until the mixture thickens and begins to bubble slightly, about 6–8 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and continue stirring for another 1–2 minutes.
- Temper the egg yolks: In a small bowl, lightly whisk the egg yolks. Slowly add a a tablespoon at a time of the hot pudding mixture to the yolks, whisking constantly to avoid scrambling them.2 large egg yolks
- Incorporate yolks: Pour the tempered egg yolks back into the saucepan, whisking to combine. Cook for another 1–2 minutes until the pudding thickens a little more.
- Add chocolate and vanilla: Remove the saucepan from the heat. Stir in the chopped chocolate and vanilla extract until smooth and fully melted.4 ounces bittersweet chocolate1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Cool and set: Pour the pudding into individual serving dishes or a large bowl. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the pudding to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- Serve: Top with whipped cream, fresh berries, or chocolate shavings if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
- The calories listed are an approximation based on the ingredients in the recipe card and a serving size of 1 pudding cup assuming the recipe is divided into 6 equal portions. Actual calories will vary.
- This post was updated on 2/9/25. The recipe was modified slightly to ensure the recipe clarity and consistency. New photos were also added.