Homemade Chocolate Pudding Recipe (2024)

Homemade Chocolate Pudding Recipe

Baking from scratch and making homemade desserts has always been a love of mine. When I started this blog I hoped that I could share that love with you and show you how easy and economical it is. Homemade chocolate pudding is one of the best examples of that.

Not to mention better for you as well. Not better for you as in “stuff yourself with homemade cakes and puddings because it’s homemade” better for you. (Even though you may want to after trying this chocolate pudding.)

It’s better for you in that you’ll know what’s in it. There won’t be any ingredients that you can’t pronounce in this homemade chocolate pudding recipe.

Baking or making homemade desserts from scratch isn’t hard, it’s just a matter of taking things one step at a time. Always read through the recipe at least once all the way through before you start and mentally imagine the steps in your head. This will save you a lot of time, effort, and frustration in the long run.

Have your ingredients measured out ahead of time to save yourself some confusion while mixing the recipe. I’ve decided to do more tutorials this year to help beginner bakers become acquainted with baking from scratch and making homemade desserts.

Veteran bakers, any words of wisdom on a tutorial recipe to help beginner bakers would be much appreciated. Leave your tips and words of encouragement in the comment section.

Let’s get started with the first tutorial recipe of the year. All you have to do is make homemade chocolate pudding once to get the feel of it. After that, chocolate pudding is a breeze!

First, read the ingredients and instructions and get acquainted with the chocolate pudding recipe. Measure out all your ingredients. Place the sugar, cornstarch, cocoa powder, and salt in a heavy-duty saucepan.

Whisk the ingredients together. Take the butter and vanilla and place it near the stove so it’s measured out and ready when you need it.

After whisking the ingredients together you may see clumps in the mixture, they are cocoa clumps. Take the back of a kitchen tablespoon and press the large clumps out.

With a whisk in one hand, slowly pour the milk into the pan while whisking.

Place the pan on a burner turned to low to medium heat and whisk the mixture slowly. Why low to medium heat ? Your chocolate pudding has to thicken SLOWLY. This is where you need a little patience. I have a gas stove that doesn’t have markings on the knobs for low, medium or high heat like an electric stove would. I start the chocolate pudding out on low heat and if need be turn the flame up a little more to medium when I make this.

It’s going to take about 10 minutes for the chocolate pudding to start to thicken and come up to a boil while you whisk. Turning the heat up to speed the process won’t help.

You may run the risk of burning it or it may boil quickly but the pudding will not have thickened. What you’ll be left with is hot chocolate soup.

If the pudding hasn’t thickened and come up to a boil in the saucepan, it won’t set up in the refrigerator either. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve read comments on recipes where someone said…”It came to a boil but never set up in the refrigerator”.

Homemade Chocolate Pudding

Learn to make Homemade Chocolate Pudding from scratch with this delicious Chocolate Pudding recipe. The post includes a picture tutorial plus video.

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Ingredients

2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
2-1/4 cups milk
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Whipped topping as a topping optional

Instructions

1. First, read the ingredients and instructions and get acquainted with the recipe. Measure out all your ingredients. Place the sugar, cornstarch,cocoa powder and salt in a heavy duty saucepan . Whisk the ingredients together. Take the butter and vanilla and place it near the stove so it's measured out and ready when you need it.
2. After whisking the ingredients together you may see clumps in the mixture, they are cocoa clumps. Take the back of a kitchen tablespoon and press the large clumps out.
3. With a whisk in one had, slowly pour the milk into the pan while whisking.
4. Place the pan on a burner turned to low heat and whisk the mixture slowly. Why low heat? Your pudding has to thicken SLOWLY. This is where you need a little patience. It's going to take about 10 minutes on low heat for the pudding to start to thicken and come up to a boil while you whisk. Turning the heat up to speed the process won't help. You may run the risk of burning it or it may boil quickly but the pudding will not have thickened. What you'll be left with is hot chocolate soup. If the pudding hasn't thickened and come up to a boil in the saucepan, it won't set up in the refrigerator either. I can't tell you how many times I've read comments on recipes where someone said..."It came to a boil but never set up in the refrigerator". Why would that happen? The heat was up to high, the mixture boiled , before it thickened. It will always thicken first, then boil. Patience Grasshopper, it's a virtue.
5. When the pudding does thicken, it will happen fast and all at once. With in seconds it will start to boil. Large bubbles will come to the surface and erupt like little volcanoes. Whisk for one more minute.
6. Your pudding should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon without seeing the metal on the spoon through the pudding. Take the pudding off the burner and add the butter and vanilla , whisk to incorporated it into the pudding. Pour the pudding into 4 dessert cups, a graham cracker crust or a pie crust depending on how you want to serve it. Press plastic wrap onto the pudding surface so it actually touches the surface of the pudding. This prevents a "skin" from forming on the top of the pudding when it cools. Refrigerate for about 2 hours until cooled. Top with whipping cream if desired and serve.

Video

Did you make this recipe?I'd love to see your pictures on Instagram! Mention @bunnyswarmoven or tag #bunnyswarmoven!

Homemade Vanilla Pudding

Delicious Chocolate Mousse

Panna Cotta

Old Fashioned Rice Pudding

Homemade Chocolate Pudding Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What ingredient makes pudding thick? ›

Pudding Ingredients

Cornstarch: Three tablespoons of cornstarch thickens the vanilla pudding. Salt: A pinch of salt enhances the flavor, but it won't make the pudding taste salty.

View Details ›

How do you make chocolate pudding taste better? ›

Make sure to serve it with whipped cream

Whipped cream really enhances the texture and flavor of pudding, making it all the more enjoyable. It pairs nicely with just about any pudding flavor you can think of, from chocolate to vanilla to butterscotch.

Read The Full Story ›

What is chocolate pudding made from? ›

Stir together sugar, cocoa, cornstarch, and salt in a saucepan. Place over medium heat, and stir in milk. Bring to a boil, and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a metal spoon. Remove from heat, and stir in butter and vanilla.

Know More ›

How do you thicken chocolate pudding? ›

Your best bet would be to mix a tablespoon of cornstarch and a teaspoon of sugar with some of the beverage and add it to the warm pudding. Heat it to a bubble and stir until it thickens.

Does heavy cream make pudding thicker? ›

You can make the whipped pudding thicker or thinner depending on how much heavy whipping cream you add. If you are looking for a thicker consistency (to eat with a spoon, or use as a cake filling), add a little less heavy cream. If you want to use it as a donut filling, use a little more, so that it's easily pipeable.

See Details ›

Can I use condensed milk instead of milk in pudding? ›

Yes, sweetened condensed milk can be substituted for regular milk in instant banana cream pudding.

Get More Info ›

Why is my homemade chocolate pudding grainy? ›

Once the pudding cooled and the fat solidified, any bits that hadn't been thoroughly broken down came across as grainy on the tongue. Vigorously whisking the pudding—or any custard with a generous amount of butter—breaks down the fat into tiny droplets that are too small to detect once the mixture cools.

Read The Full Story ›

What milk is better for pudding? ›

Most boxes will also warn you against using non-fat milk or skim milk. Whole milk tends to produce the best results and is usually what is recommended on the package. The higher fat content gives the pudding a richer flavor and creamier texture, making it more enjoyable to eat.

What's the difference between chocolate pudding and chocolate custard? ›

Both of them are sweet, creamy and thick. The differences between them: Pudding is made with sweetened milk or cream-based mixture thickened with corn starch or flour that is cooked on the stove. Custards are milk or cream-based and uses eggs.

Show Me More ›

Will Cool Whip thicken pudding? ›

I used to make my banana pudding with homemade whipped cream because I do prefer to use from-scratch whole food ingredients. However, I found that when you use the cool whip it helps to stabilize the rest of the ingredients and results in a thicker pudding.

How to improve chocolate pudding mix? ›

Make pudding from a boxed mix creamier by using richer types of milk, such as whole milk, condensed milk, evaporated milk, or something else. You can also give your pudding a refresh by using coconut milk, which will slightly alter the taste of any type of pudding flavor while offering a smooth texture.