• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • About Me
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • Youtube
Sugar Spun Run
  • All Recipes
  • Desserts
    • Cookies
    • Candy
    • Bars & Brownies
    • Cake
    • Pies
  • Breads
  • Savory
  • Breakfast
    • Muffins
    • Scones
  • Seasonal
    • Cozy Winter / Holiday Treats
    • Easter / Spring
    • Fall Recipes
    • Summer Recipes
  • Shop
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • About Me
  • All Recipes
  • Contact/Work with Me
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • Youtube
  • ×
    You are here: Home / Desserts / Homemade Chocolate Pudding

    Homemade Chocolate Pudding

    March 28, 2018 Updated November 18, 2019 BySam 152 Comments

    This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure policy.
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Homemade Chocolate Pudding

    Toss out the snack packs and learn how to make homemade chocolate pudding completely from scratch, no box-mix required. This is an easy recipe that has been a hit with my family and is a richly chocolate treat that’s a far cry from the artificially flavored snack packs you can buy at the supermarket.

    A bowl of homemade chocolate pudding topped with whipped cream and chocolate flakes

    For some reason, I thought I’d lost my taste for chocolate pudding years ago. It was one of the first desserts I learned to make on my own when I was a kid, mostly because it was so easy — just open the little brown box, shake out a packet of chocolate powder into a bowl full of milk, and whisk until smooth.

    Somewhere through the years I lost my interest, sure it was easy, but it wasn’t exactly great, and so I moved on to cookies and cakes and other desserts.

    It wasn’t until I shared my chocolate pie recipe late last year that I realized how rich, chocolatey, and un-artificial real, homemade pudding could really be, and  so I decided it might be time to give chocolate pudding another chance, just maybe without the little brown box of powder involved.

    A bowl of pudding topped with whipped cream

    This is a more sophisticated chocolate pudding than the one you might have made yourself as a kid. The flavors are more authentic, deeper, darker (and you can make it even richer and darker by using a higher percentage cocoa chocolate bar!).

    Sure, there is a bit more work involved than shaking chocolate gelatin powder into a bowl of milk, but not that much more work and the taste improvement is worth every extra second of stirring.

    There are just a few things to know before you get started, and knowing these tips and keeping them in mind will ensure your chocolate pudding comes out perfectly every time, so let’s get to it.

    First, let’s talk about the back-of-the-spoon test.

    Chocolate pudding mixture coating the back of a spoon to show that it's done thickening

    Since everyone’s oven and stovetop is going to run slightly different from mine, I love it when a recipe has visual/textural cues that indicate a dessert is progressing as it should.  Most cookies will have slightly golden brown edges, cakes should spring back to the touch, and homemade chocolate pudding should coat the back of a spoon before removing it from the stovetop, and not a second sooner.  This is essential, if your pudding does not reach this thickness, it is never going to firm up correctly in the refrigerator, and you’ll be left with a runny mess.

    How long it will take for the pudding to reach this consistency will vary depending on your stovetop and where exactly you set the dial for “medium low”, but for me it has taken 10 minutes and even longer.

    Let’s talk more tips, like why you can’t crank your heat up to high to speed up the cooking process and why I recommend covering your pudding with cling wrap as it cools.

    Cling wrap over the surface of homemade pudding

    More tips for making homemade chocolate pudding

    • Gather all of your ingredients before you begin. Once the pudding has thickened, you’ll want to work quickly and add your chocolate, butter, and vanilla immediately so that they melt, so have them prepped and ready to go.
    • Do NOT increase the heat of your burner to speed up the cooking process.  The pudding needs a low heat to ultimately thicken to a pudding consistency. If it doesn’t reach this consistency, your pudding will never firm up and you’ll essentially be left with a chocolate soup.
    • As mentioned above, you can tell that the pudding has reached appropriate thickness when it coats the back of a spoon and no metal can be seen showing through.
    • The cornstarch in this recipe is essential, but it can also cause some small lumps in your pudding. I personally prefer a smooth texture, and so I recommend pouring your pudding through a fine mesh strainer once it’s finished cooking to eliminate any lumps. This is the one I use (affiliate).
    • Placing plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the pudding will prevent a skin from forming over the surface as it cools.

    A small bowl of homemade chocolate pudding

    I pour my chocolate pudding into a large bowl and chill it that way, then portion it out into separate serving dishes when I’m ready to serve. If you prefer you can portion it directly into the serving cups and chill it that way (still cover with cling wrap), do whichever is easier for you!

    I like to top my pudding off with homemade whipped cream, but that is completely optional.

    Enjoy!

    How do you Make Homemade Chocolate Pudding

    Bowl of chocolate pudding, topped with whipped cream

    Homemade Chocolate Pudding

    How to make your own homemade chocolate pudding in a matter of minutes! This recipe comes together easily.
    4.82 from 37 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 5 minutes
    Chilling Time: 2 hours
    Total Time: 2 hours 20 minutes
    Servings: 6 people
    Calories: 339kcal
    Author: Sam Merritt

    Ingredients

    • ¾ cup granulated sugar (150g)
    • 3 Tablespoons cornstarch
    • 2 Tablespoons natural cocoa powder
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • 3 cups milk (710ml)
    • 4 oz dark chocolate bar, chopped into small pieces I use 60% dark chocolate (113g)
    • 2 Tablespoons butter cut into pieces
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • Homemade Whipped Cream for topping, optional
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Read through the recipe and prepare and gather all of your ingredients before beginning.
    • In a medium saucepan, whisk together sugar, cornstarch, cocoa powder, and salt.
    • Add milk and transfer to stovetop over medium-low heat and whisk ingredients together.
    • Whisk ingredients frequently on medium heat until ingredients begin to thicken (this will take several minutes).  Do not increase the heat to expedite the process, as it is important that the sugars melt for the pudding to ultimately reach the desired consistency.
    • Once mixture has thickened (it should be approaching a pudding consistency and be able to coat the back of a spoon so that no metal shows through) whisk constantly, the mixture will come to a boil (again, don't increase heat, this will take several minutes but the mixture will eventually come to a boil) and continue to whisk for 60 seconds (use a timer) before removing from heat (still whisking constantly).
      Chocolate pudding batter on spoon over saucepan
    • Immediately add chopped chocolate, butter, and vanilla extract.
    • Whisk until ingredients are smooth and chocolate and butter are completely melted.
    • Pour your pudding through a fine mesh sieve (optional, but this will eliminate any lumps) into a medium-sized heatproof bowl. Allow to cool for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent skin from forming.
    • Cover the surface of your pudding with clear plastic wrap, making sure that the clear wrap is pressed against the surface of the chocolate to prevent a skin from forming.
      Plastic wrap pressed onto chocolate pudding in bowl
    • Refrigerate at least 4 hours to allow pudding to cool completely before serving, topped with homemade whipped cream (if desired).

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 339kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 23mg | Sodium: 187mg | Potassium: 324mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 36g | Vitamin A: 322IU | Calcium: 155mg | Iron: 3mg

    Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.

    Tried this recipe? Show me on Instagram!Mention @SugarSpun_Sam or tag #sugarspunrun!

    Homemade Chocolate Pudding Recipe

    « Carrot Cake Cookies
    Ramen Noodle Salad »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Miriam Rose Blanar

      February 23, 2022 at 3:31 pm

      5 stars
      Such a great and easy recipe! I’m using this pudding in a chocolate lasagna instead of instant pudding, and can’t wait to see how it turns out!

      Reply
      • Emily @ Sugar Spun Run

        February 23, 2022 at 5:13 pm

        That sounds amazing, Miriam! We hope the pudding works perfectly for you 😊

        Reply
    2. Cindy

      February 01, 2022 at 12:32 pm

      I use this recipe all of the time, I love it and it always turns out perfectly. Yesterday I decided to try making it dairy free, I used unsweetened almond milk and dairy free chocolate and it turned out really well, using it to make dairy free, gluten free dirt and worm pie.

      Reply
    3. Amy Wonder

      April 17, 2021 at 6:07 pm

      5 stars
      what kind of butter did you use? salted or unsalted

      Reply
      • Sam

        April 18, 2021 at 10:06 pm

        Hi Amy! Either will work here. 🙂

        Reply
    4. Carol

      November 12, 2020 at 1:13 pm

      I used to make chocolate pudding all the time years ago. I’ve never added the butter. In recent years the pudding thickens nicely as cooking but once it has cooled it turns to chocolate water. I use organic milk, either 2% or whole. The milk is ultra pasteurized. I wonder if this is the problem. What milk do you use? Is it organic? Ultra pasteurized? Thanks!

      Reply
      • Sam

        November 12, 2020 at 1:54 pm

        Hi Carol! I use whole milk and it is not ultra pasteurized.

        Reply
        • Carol

          November 13, 2020 at 9:50 am

          Thanks Sam! I suspect the milk is the problem.

        • Debra

          February 23, 2021 at 7:21 pm

          Would this recipe work with cashew milk ?

        • Sam

          February 24, 2021 at 10:46 am

          Hi Debra! I haven’t tried it but I think it could work. Let me know how it goes. 🙂

      • Theresa

        February 11, 2021 at 10:58 pm

        I made the chocolate pudding and it turned out perfect consistency everything I put in the fridge and four hours later it was liquid chocolate. I used whole milk I don’t know what happened but it sure taste good for liquid chocolate pudding. Anybody that has an tips or
        Ideas please help!!!

        Reply
    5. Shrea

      October 12, 2020 at 8:59 am

      5 stars
      Hi Kindly help me with some of my doubts . The puddings set by th next day . In a day or too starts to leave behind water N becomes watery but taste s good. Please can I know the reason for it?
      What’s the right temperature to chill the puddings ?
      and how long can it be left out of refrigeration.

      Reply
      • Sam

        October 13, 2020 at 4:33 pm

        Hi Shrea! A little separation with this pudding is completely natural. Just mix it back together. I would keep the pudding in the refrigerator and don’t leave it out for much more than an hour. 🙂

        Reply
    6. Rosey Campbell

      October 11, 2020 at 8:59 pm

      5 stars
      another delicious recipe made on a sunday evening watching baseball. snuck a taste before setting for chill and so delicious.

      Reply
      • Sugar Spun Run

        October 12, 2020 at 6:32 am

        A perfect way to spend the afternoon. I am so glad that you enjoyed it, Rosey! 🙂

        Reply
    « Older Comments

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    The author (Sam) in blue shirt holding donut Hi, I'm Sam! I'm dedicated to bringing you sweet, simple, and from-scratch dessert recipes. My life may or may not be controlled by my sweet tooth. Send help (or chocolate). Read more about me.

    Cozy Soup Recipes

    Overhead of two bowls of corn chowder

    Summer Corn Chowder

    Bowl of broccoli cheddar soup with a spoon scooping out a bite.

    Broccoli Cheddar Soup

    CHICKEN tortilla soup in white bowl

    Chicken Tortilla Soup

    bowl of chicken corn chowder topped with bacon and green onions

    Chicken Corn Chowder

    mason jar of chicken broth made from a homemade chicken stock recipe

    Instant Pot Chicken Stock Recipe

    white bowl of hearty homemade tomato soup garnished with parmesan cheese, fresh basil, and cracked black pepper

    Tomato Soup

    Most Popular

    flaky biscuit on white cloth

    Easy Homemade Biscuits

    Pizza dough in glass bowl, after rising

    The Best Pizza Dough Recipe

    one bite missing from a slice of vanilla cake with chocolate frosting

    The Best Vanilla Cake Recipe

    Slice of cheesecake

    The Best Cheesecake Recipe

    Potato soup in bowl, with toppings

    The Ultimate Creamy Potato Soup

    Stack of cookies made from this chocolate chip cookie recipe with melty chocolate chips and a bite missing from the top cookie

    The WORST Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

    places sugar spun run has been featured (Women's Day, Redbook, Good Housekeeping, Country Living, the huffington post, People, Delish, MSN, TLC, Parade, Better Homes & Gardens, Buzzfeed)
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • Youtube

    Privacy Policy|Accessibility Statement

    Footer

    Subscribe To My Newsletter!

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    ABOUT

    • About Me
    • Policies, Disclosure & Privacy
    • Terms of Use

    CONTACT

    • Contact
    • Work with Me!

    © 2020 Sugar Spun Run. All Rights Reserved

    • 73