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”.
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.
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.
Your chocolate 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 incorporate it into the pudding.
Pour the pudding into individual 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.
Congratulations, you just made a delicious Homemade Chocolate Pudding! Enjoy!
Homemade Chocolate Pudding
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
So sorry, forgot to say…Bunny, Thank You! Your time & care in posting this shows your love for food & friends both. Thank you for sharing. I can’t wait to explore your other recipes.
Thank you Judy!!
When I was a kid I lived on a small farm in eastern Ky, Im talking the 60s,, and 70,s. We raised tobacco to pay for groceries. My mom would run a credit account at the local country grocery, hardware, feed store, you name it he supplied it. but anyway we would raise our crop of tobacco and when it sold she would hand over the tobacco check to pay our yearly grocery- hardware bill and she would do that every year to feed her family. she would buy her staples like flour sugar corn meal and etc. in bulk and at Thanksgiving and Christmas I remember one of the things she did every year was make each child, there was four of us by the way, there favorite cream pie. Mine was butterscotch, one brother liked chocolate and the other liked coconut cream. the only sister and the oldest of us kids liked lemon meringue. I would love to see a recipe for home made butterscotch pudding. those pies were delicious, and those memories of watching all day in anticipation of biting into my own personal pie is something Ill never forget. can you post if you have it, a recipe for butterscotch and lemon pudding. also is there a set amount of liquid to add for when you want to just eat your pudding out of a bowl as a desert? I myself if Im gonna eat a cream pudding out of a bowl as a desert by itself, I like it a little thinner than when I am putting it into a shell for a pie, is it best to just finish the pudding and add a small amount of liquid, such as milk in chocolate and butterscotch and lemon you would probably add water, but add the liquid after the pudding to a thinner consistency , or add a lttle more liquid at the beginning cooking stage?
Lawrence a lot of people here where I live in Ky still raise tobacco. When I first came to Ky I met one of our neighbors and her husband that were in there 70’s back then. She worked along side her husband hanging tobacco in the barn with 2 little ones behind her. She would make a meal everyday for the farm hands, work the vegetable garden, clean the house and everything else she had to do for her family. Wonderful woman, seriously the sweetest soul you’d ever meet. I’m going to look up a butterscotch pudding recipe Lawrence and make it. Can’t tell you when I’ll get it up but I’m going to do that. I have a homemade chocolate pudding recipe you can see here…https://bunnyswarmoven.net/homemade-chocolate-pudding/. Let me know what you think Lawrence.
Thank you for posting this recipe! The only thing I did a little different was to temper in 3 egg yolks (I’m sorry, but it’s what my grandma used to do) and I was back in her kitchen as a little girl again. Thank you again!
Oh now see you just peeked my curiosity with the egg yolks Dawn!! I’ve never done that before! You have to tell me more sweetie!!
Holy cow. I JUST made this and it is AMAZING! I like warm pudding so I poured me a bowl and put the rest in bowls in the fridge for later. This is the BEST pudding I’ve ever had! Thank you for sharing the recipe! I can’t wait to make it again. Plus it being this simple is a win! I’m gonna go finish my bowl now haha
Thank you Ashley
If you sift the cocoa through a strainer first there will not be any lumps.
Thank you Doug.
Thank you for posting this recipe. I’ve been making it since my late teens and I’m now 63. My Mum got this from my best friend’s Mum and it’s been a keeper all these years. I do have to tell you, though, that I make it on medium or just barely above in a good heavy saucepan. But I do stir it almost constantly once it gets warm. I can also tell you that I have made it with whole milk, 2% milk (my regular) and I’ve also made it with 1 cup milk and 1 cup of water and it still works but is a little chocolatey-er. I’ve even made it out of instant powdered milk in tough times. It still works.
Csthi tomorrow I turn 64!! But you have me beat, I haven’t been making it as long as you have. Wow! It even works using powdered milk! I never would have thought to do that Csthi! Thank you so much for taking the time to come back and comment, I appreciate it.
Hi there! I made this recipe last year, and it took for-ev-er to thicken. I stood over my stove for over an hour, low heat, sore arm and feet (haha). But I’m far too stubborn and cheap to give up on quality ingredients, so I stuck it out… and it was literally the best homemade chocolate pudding I’ve ever made or eaten. Ever, ever, ever. Hubby and kidlets agreed, wholeheartedly. I’m back to make this again as a filling for crepes for my 14 yr old’s bday this weekend. I’m going to try to raise the temp a bit more this time (crossing fingers!) but regardless of the time spent, this is THE best recipe for chocolate pudding… whether eating warm or cold (I preferred it warm). For those who try it and it hasn’t thickened yet while in the pan- well, it will! As Dory says, just keep swimming!
Thank you for the wonderful recipe!!
Thank you Lindsey
Probably on your stove medium would be appropriate or just under medium. On my stove, and because I’ve been making it for 43 years, I can control it at just above medium. It shouldn’t take forever.
My son had separaters placed yesterday so I was looking in my pantry for jello & pudding to make for him. Alas, no pudding, so came to Pinterest for a recipe & yours popped up first. Just finished it – have an electric stove so after whisking on low for 15 minutes, turned it up to medium & that did the trick. Licked the spatula clean of the little that was left in the bowl, OMG! It is divine. No more boxed pudding for this family!
Thank you Robin!
Great pudding. I sifted the dry ingredients first and did not get any lumps.
Wonderful Jen, thank you for taking the time to comment and share your sifting tip. It’s so helpful for others who would like to make the pudding.
Oh my goodness! I just made this in the microwave; two minutes and stir , times four, and perfect pudding, plus I added some dark chocolate chips! It doesn’t get any creamier, chocolaty or yummy than this, thank you!
Wow Debra, never made it in the microwave, fantastic tip! Thank you for sharing!
I love making desserts but never made home made chocolate pudding until yesterday. Was going to double recipe because I had a lot of milk close to expiry but decided it may not turn out well? Oh my it did take a while to cook on my stove (will adjust setting wee bit) but was it worth it in the end! My husband and I enjoyed it with whip cream and graham crumb topping He said” it was the best chocolate pudding he has ever eaten” and I agree! I will be trying more of your recipes in coming days…..great instructions, thank you for sharing!
Thank you Anita.
I’ve tried a few chocolate pudding recipes because it’s my husband’s favorite-I will look NO further because this one was the best we’ve ever had (I’m so glad I doubled the recipe)!
Thank you!
Thank you Rachel
We are currently undergoing kitchen renovations and I am seriously in dessert withdrawal. We have been cooking on a camp stove outside (yes, seriously) for nearly two weeks. I came across your recipe and all I could think of after that was pudding!
Well, I gave it a try and followed your instructions explicitly. I kept the camp stove on low since it is difficult to moderate the heat. It took about 15 minutes to boil, and then another 2 to thicken. I think it speaks volumes about your recipe that I made it outside, on a camp stove, and it was still exceptional. Thank you!!
Thank you Ilyse
Hi Bunny
First of all it’s better in MY opinion than 5 stars. This was my second attempt at making pudding, first time not your recipe and yes you guessed it! I had soup, tasty soup but still soup!😂. This time I tried your chocolate pudding with success! However I followed your directions to a T and after 50 minutes of stirring on low(not kidding either) I broke your rule and turned up the heat to like a high simmer on stove as I figured at that point I had nothing to lose and low and behold it made delicious yummy pudding ‼️😋. So thank you very much. Now do you have a vanilla pudding that don’t call for eggs that I could try?!thanks again Tim.
I’ve been making this pudding for about 45 years. I use an electric stove and can let you know that if you are using a good saucepan, you can turn your heat up to almost medium. I turn mine to one notch lower than straight up medium. It only takes about 10-12 minutes total. And it’s worth it!
Wonderful! I used 1/2 cup sugar and substituted 1 cup of milk with almond milk. Still came out great! Especially good with graham cracker crust.
Wonderful Missy, thank you for stating your changes, it’s always helpful to someone else!
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! My child and I made your pudding today. It was so easy to prepare, yet it turned absolutely delicious! Also thank you for all the little tips, I’m sure they made all the difference.
I love it that your little one helped you! How awesome is that! Thank you for coming back to tell me, you made my day!
This is always my “go to” pudding dessert. Thank you so much for posting this delicious recipe!
Hello again Bunny!
I 1st commented on this recipe 5/16/18 when I shared that I used your wonderful pudding recipe in a special layered chocolate treat for a dear friend’s birthday treat & I have been loving it ever since. I just HAD to post again when I found yet another way to use this gem of chocolate bliss! I made the pudding to enjoy as pudding, I so often do, & I put the rest in the fridge to enjoy today. Well, it is a damp rainy day which embedded a bit of a chill about the house & I was so wanting a cup of hot cocoa to warm me up. I thought of your pudding that was sitting in my fridge awaiting indulgence & the lightbulb exploded. Thin it out with milk. It was the absolute BEST cup of hot cocoa ever! No need for cream or marshmallows here! Honestly, try it. It’s that good. Thanks Bunny!
Wow, that is amazing!!!! Thanks so much for sharing Judy!
This is the best pudding recipe if you follow the directions exactly. At first it seemed a little too sweet for me but, by the next day was perfect. So hard not to at least share one with hubby after dinner. Have made this quite a few times, this recipe is a keeper.
So glad you enjoyed the homemade chocolate pudding!