A decadent, creamy, chocolate pudding that is easy to make from scratch and perfect to keep in the fridge for your next chocolate craving.
Why You Should Make this Recipe
My promise to you is that this recipe will beat any store-bought pudding, and will have you wanting to make it over and over again.
Instead of using cornstarch as the thickener in this recipe, we are using arrowroot (link opens in new tab) which contains dietary fiber and more calcium than cornstarch for added nutrition.
As an alternative way to serve this, you can blind bake a pie crust, fill it with the pudding, and refrigerate overnight for a chocolate pudding pie!
Ingredients
arrowroot powder - you can substitute with cornstarch.
turbinado sugar - has a slight caramelized molasses flavor that is fantastic in this recipe. If you cannot find it, regular cane or granulated sugar work in this recipe.
cocoa powder - use unsweetened cocoa for this recipe. We are adding our own sugar and don't need any extra fillers and additives.
How to Make this Recipe
Whisk 3 cups of milk, turbinado, and cocoa in a ceramic or anodized stainless steel saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to simmer. Remove from heat.
Whisk 1 cup milk, arrowroot, salt, egg yolks, and vanilla in a medium to large bowl. Then, temper the egg mixture by whisking while slowly adding it into the cocoa mixture.
Pour entire mixture back into the saucepan and whisk constantly over medium-high. When it comes to a full boil you will notice the mixture thickening. Reduce the heat to simmer and continue whisking until thick (~3 minutes).
Split between 8 cups/bowls/ramekins.
Optional: cover with parchment paper or plastic wrap. I don't do this because I like the film that forms on top of the pudding. Try both and see which you like.
Refrigerate for at least 6 hours.
Note: You can serve this chocolate pudding hot or cold and is delicious, and different, both ways!
Chocolate Pudding FAQs
There are two main differences between mousse and pudding: mousse is not cooked and uses egg whites, and pudding is cooked and uses egg yolks.
Pudding is made by tempering a milk mixture with egg yolks, sugar, and cornstarch or arrowroot base and cooking it until thick. Mousse is made by folding beaten egg whites and whipped cream.
You can thicken pudding using cornstarch, arrowroot powder, flour, tapioca powder, or rice starch.
Pudding, Mousse, and Chocolate
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Chocolate Pudding
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 quart whole milk
- 3/4 cup turbinado
- 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 8 tsp arrowroot
- 6 large egg yolks
- 4 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Whisk 3 cups of milk, turbinado, and cocoa in a ceramic or anodized stainless steel saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to simmer. Remove from heat.
- Whisk 1 cup milk, arrowroot, salt, egg yolks, and vanilla in a medium to large bowl.
- Temper the egg mixture by whisking while slowly adding the cocoa mixture.
- Pour entire mixture back into the saucepan and whisk constantly over medium-high.
- When it comes to a full boil you will notice the mixture thickening. Reduce the heat to simmer and continue whisking until thick (~3 minutes).
- Split between 8 cups/bowls/ramekins. (Optional: cover with parchment paper or plastic wrap. I don't do this because I like the film that forms on top of the pudding. Try both and see which you like.)
- Refrigerate for at least 6 hours.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
This post was originally published in January of 2017, but was republished with new photos, step by step instructions, a new video and tips November of 2020.
Oh my....I can never resist this one. My all time favorite is chocolate pudding. It's so easy to make and soooo delicious!
So glad to hear you liked it, Jo!
Well, I just shouted out to my husband. "honey, look, a fantastic chocolate pudding recipe, we can make it at home!" You guessed right, chocolate pudding is his favorite dessert of all time, and he only has had store-bought for as long as we are together. His mom used to make it, and we both never thought of asking her for the recipe—too late now. Anyhow! Your recipe is fabulous! I will make a batch today to enjoy after dinner. Thanks so much, we both can't wait.
I'm so glad to hear you liked it, Jenny!
Oh my, I had no idea chocolate pudding was so easy to make from scratch! What a great recipe, my kids flipped out when I told them what we are making again this afternoon!
That makes me so happy to hear Aleta... enjoy!