This Chocolate Pudding Recipe is a smooth, thick, and creamy recipe made with just a handful of ingredients. You will be surprised at how quick and easy this homemade chocolate pudding is to make.
Homemade Chocolate Pudding
This pudding is so delicious and just melts in your mouth with every bite. This easy-to-make recipe uses cocoa powder to make that rich and chocolatey flavor. This can be served by itself or used in other desserts of your choosing.
Key Ingredients You’ll Need
- Cocoa Powder: It’s important to use a high quality cocoa powder because that is the primary flavor of the pudding.
- Corn Starch: To get that thick consistency, corn starch works the best.
- Milk: Whole milk works the best and is the standard for homemade pudding. If you prefer to use 2% or 1% milk instead, your pudding just won’t be as rich. Alternative milks should work fine as well like unsweetened almond, cashew, and coconut milks.
- Pure Vanilla Extract. Vanilla adds important flavor to chocolate pudding. A good quality vanilla makes a huge difference.
How To Make Chocolate Pudding
Step 1. In a sauce pan, add corn starch, sugar, and cocoa powder and combine. Pour in the whole milk and combine once again until smooth.
Step 2. Over medium heat using a whisk, mix until the pudding begins to simmer and thicken. Take off the heat and add in the butter and vanilla. Combine the mixture until melted.
Step 3. Place the mixture in the fridge for 1-2 hours until chilled and set. Top with fresh whipped cream and sprinkle with chocolate shavings.
How To Store?
Place the pudding in an airtight container for the best storage method. This recipe is best when stored in the fridge.
What To Do With Leftover Chocolate Pudding
- You can jazz it up a bit and make our delicious Chocolate Lasagna.
- Use it for a filling for Brownie Cups or Cookie Cups.
- Can be used for Pudding Shots (for Adults).
- Make a Chocolate Pudding Pie by simple adding the pudding into a pre-baked pie crust.
Can You Freeze Chocolate Pudding?
I don’t recommend freezing the pudding because the consistency will change. Homemade pudding mixtures can separate or end up with a grainy texture. The best part about this recipe other than the flavor is the smooth and creamy consistency so refrigerating works best.
More Pudding Recipes:
Chocolate Pudding Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup Corn Starch
- 1 1/3 cup Sugar
- 2/3 cup Cocoa powder
- 4 1/2 cups Milk
- 3 Tbsp Butter
- 1 tsp Vanilla
- pinch of salt
- homemade whipped cream optional
Instructions
- In a sauce pan, add sugar, corn starch and cocoa powder. Add the milk and whisk to combine.
- Over medium heat, whisk until the mixture starts to boil and thicken up for about 1 minute.
- Remove from heat and add the butter and vanilla. Stir until melted.
- Allow mixture to cool completely, stirring every ten minutes or so to avoid a top layer of skin.
- Set in the fridge for 1 hour to serve chilled.
Last Step:
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33 comments on “Chocolate Pudding Recipe”
Hi – wondering if almond milk can be used in your chocolate pudding recipe. When I made the boxed kind in the past you have to cut the almond milk amount. Have you tried it yours? If so, how much to use?
Hi Dian. I have not tried almond milk in this pudding, but I have substituted almond, oat and coconut in many recipes with no issues. I would try 1:1 substitute.
The best pudding I have ever made! Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe!
Thank you Sabrina!
Won’t set up, the pudding has been in the fridge all afternoon. Followed the instructions, and had fresh ingredients.
So sorry to hear that Stephanie. If the ingredient amounts were correct, not setting up can be the result of several things. Underheating, overheating or over-stirring can cause the corn starch not to gelatinize properly. Allow at least a few hours in the fridge to set properly.
This is the best ever chocolate pudding! Since I’ve found this recipe I make no other kind. It makes a lot and is easy to whip up in no time. Very addicting. I can’t get enough!
Glad you liked it Pat!
Definitely a Great Chocolate fix
Thanks Susan!
Delicious even my picky eater loved it! thickened nicely and I lessened the amout of sugar.
Thanks Dee!
This is delicious! I had some left over so I made peanut butter cookie cups in my regular cupcake pan. After they cooled, filled them with the pudding. I crumbled up an extra cookie cup and put the crumbled pieces on top of the pudding. Made another great dessert .
Thanks for the recipe and the suggestions.
Thanks Vicki!
Love the flavor but mine didn’t thicken after cooling. Thoughts?
Hi Katelyn. Sorry to hear that. Without knowing anything else about your process, you may have over whisked, kept on the heat too long or had the heat too high causing the corn starch to not work correctly.
I haven’t made this yet, but just looking over the recipe, I thought the butter part was strange. Might that be why some aren’t setting up?
So good! Thank you for sharing! Love how it makes a large amount.
Thanks Daisy!
In 75 years, this is the best chocolate pudding I have ever had. It is the perfect consistency. Perfect flavor. So much better than the box mix. Be sure to add a small handful of chocolate chips. Makes the texture perfect
So glad to hear that Anna! Thank you!
When do you put the salt in?
Hi Rebecca. The salt is added with the dry ingredients in the sauce pan. I will update this. Thanks!
I made this with skim milk, since I had some that I needed to use up. It still tasted rich and delicious. I am going to serve it to my grandkids in flat bottom cones, top with whip cream and add a few multicolored sprinkles on top!
They will love that Janet. Thank you!
Yum
Easy to put together but I wish more recipe authors would include chilling time to the total time in the recipe for busy moms like me who get things going then read it has to chill for an hour after cooling off instead of being more on the quick side.
Hi Jennifer. I understand. I just added the cooling time to the time in recipe card. Thanks.
Super good! Makes a large amount too.
This was really easy to make and the flavor was so rich.
It sure sounds easy enough. Great ingredients and making it, will be hard not to dig in. It looks awesome and I will make this tomarrow.
COULD YOU PLEASE TELL ME WHAT THE EGG IS FOR? I DON’T SEE WHERE IT IS ADDED IN RECIPE AND DON’T REMEMBER EVERY NEEDING AN EGG IN PUDDING. THANKS FOR THE HELP.
I grew up eating it hot and still prefer it that way. Very tasty!