Chocolate Pudding is a rich and creamy easy dessert that is ready in 45 minutes! Perfect by itself or you can top it with fruit or sprinkles!
Nothing is more nostalgic than an individual pudding cup from your childhood. Make this delicious Pudding to take you back to the good ol’ days and then give my Vanilla Pudding and Banana Pudding a try too!
Sabrina’s Chocolate Pudding Recipe
This chocolately, rich, creamy pudding is the perfect easy dessert that you can make on busy weeknights that the entire family will enjoy. Make it before dinner so it has time to cool, which is actually the hardest part of this recipe, and it will be ready to enjoy by the time you are done and ready to watch a show! Plus, if anyone wants any extra mix-ins, you can just toss them in.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 2 1/2 cups evaporated milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Instructions
- Whisk the cocoa powder, sugar, cornstarch, salt, and milk together well in a large pot before turning the heat on, making sure there are no lumps.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, whisking constantly until thickened (2-3 minutes) then shut off the heat and add the vanilla and butter whisking it in well.
- Chill in the fridge for a minimum of 30 minutes before serving.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Chef’s Note
You can make this chocolate pudding recipe without cornstarch by substituting in regular all purpose flour and egg yolks. Add the all purpose flour the same way you would add corn starch in this recipe. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Heat the chocolate and milk mixture over medium heat. When the chocolate is hot, pour about a cup of it slowly into the egg while whisking (this is called tempering). Then pour everything back into the saucepan and follow the recipe as usual.
Table of contents
About this Recipe
Chocolate Pudding is a really quick dessert when you want something sweet without a lot of work. Since this pudding is made with pantry staples, you more than likely have everything on hand, so it will be quick to whip up! The presentation of this homemade pudding is impressive, even though it’s so simple. Just divide the pudding into any small, cute serving bowls or ramekins that you have, and top with whipped cream. You might even want to make a double batch, because this never lasts very long!
Ingredients
- ¼ cup, Cocoa Powder, is what gives this dessert it chocolatey flavor. You could also use Dutch Processed Cocoa powder for a darker color and more intense flavor.
- ½ cup, Sugar, is what adds the sweetness that you crave from pudding. Use brown sugar instead of white sugar for a deeper molasses like flavor.
- 2 tablespoons, Cornstarch, is the thickening agent in the pudding. If you don’t have any on hand and don’t want to run to the store, check out my Chef’s Note for an easy alternative method.
- 2 ½ cups, Evaporated Milk, adds the creaminess to this dessert. With a slight hint of caramel flavor, it pairs perfectly with the chocolate notes.
- 2 teaspoons, Vanilla Extract, is the perfect amount to help meld all of the flavors together. You can always use vanilla bean paste, honey, or maple syrup too.
- 2 tablespoons, Butter, is added for creaminess and gives the pudding it’s glossy color. Make sure to use unsalted butter since there is already salt in the recipe. If you only have salted butter, just omit the salt from the recipe so it doesn’t get too salty.
Can this be made ahead of time?
Yes, this pudding will last for a few days in the refrigerator, but try to make it within a 24 hour window so it will be as fresh as possible. If you are going to save it for a few days, place the saran wrap layer directly over the pudding to help keep it from creating too thick of a skin on top.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Wait until your pudding coats the back of a spoon without immediately dripping off before turning off the heat. This lets you know the pudding is thickening properly.
- If your pudding is lumpy from the corn starch, pour it through a strainer before refrigerating.
- This recipe is naturally gluten free when made with corn starch and not flour.
- You can also whip it with an electric mixer before serving to make it lighter, which is perfect when served over fresh fruit.
Serving Ideas
- You’ll love to top this with Easy Whipped Cream or cut up a banana and mix it into the pudding.
- You can even add some chocolate shavings, sprinkles, or a fresh strawberry garnish to dress it up for guests.
- Pour Chocolate Pudding over a Graham Cracker Crust and top with Whipped Cream before refrigerating for a chocolate pudding pie!
How to Store
- Serve: Do not leave Chocolate Pudding at room temperature longer than 2 hours. It is best to keep refrigerated until serving.
- Store: This is a dairy-based dessert, so it needs to be refrigerated. Leave the plastic wrap on the container loosely, so the plastic is touching the top of the pudding. The plastic wrap stops the pudding from forming a skin. This pudding will last 3-4 days in the refrigerator.
- Freeze: You can freeze pudding when wrapped tightly for 2-3 months. You can also freeze this pudding in popsicle molds to make pudding pops.
Variations
- Dairy: Substitute heavy cream or whole milk for the evaporated milk if that’s what you have. The higher the fat in the milk, the creamier the pudding will be.
- Creamier: Whisk two egg yolks into the milk before adding it to the pudding. This will create a custard-like consistency, which adds a thick and creamy texture to the pudding.
- Toppings: Top with coconut flakes, semi-sweet chocolate chips, or chocolate shavings for garnish. The possibilities are really endless here.
- Extra Flavor: Add a tablespoon of instant espresso while cooking, or a splash of Irish cream for an adult version.
- Spices: Add more flavor to this chocolate pudding recipe with ½ teaspoon of cinnamon and a dash of nutmeg, or ¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper.
- Chocolate Strawberry Pudding Pop: For a twist on the classic pudding pop, freeze them with cut up strawberry pieces for a chocolate strawberry pudding pop.
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We just got our kitchen back after a pipe burst. The kitchen had been out of order since the first week of June 🙁 As I was putting everything back in its’ place I noticed a can of ever-so-slightly out of date evaporated milk. Made this recipe and have to say it was soooo easy and fast! Thank you for sharing!
Goodness, that’s the worst. I know what it’s like to have water in the kitchen and it is NO FUN. Thanks so much for trying our Chocolate Pudding recipe and for the 5 star rating!
Made the oven fried chicken. Was great. Easy.
Good! Made it to send out to the field during harvest. Easy dessert!
Love it
This is so good. I was so happy to have all the ingredients. Will definitely be making again and again
This is a great dessert to make without a trip to the local supermarket in
search for ingredients!!
Thanks again Sabrina
This is a super easy and yummy recipe. We made it tonight and subbed applesauce for the butter (we’d run out otherwise would have used) and used flour for cornstarch (out of that as well ; doubled the flour). It turned out excellent! Will make this way for sure again.
Just yummy. I used Droste cocoa and followed the recipe exactly. The pudding had a marvelous deep chocolate flavor and a wonderful consistency. It was hard not to eat the whole pot myself!
Hi there. Can the sugar be substituted with stevia?
I’ve not tested it but if you decide to try, I’d love to know how it turns out. Thanks!
I found this recipe when I was searching for a way to use up some evaporated milk before it expired. This recipe is so good! I have made this a few times now, and it’s a keeper. Really a hit with the hubby (and me).
Yay!! Love not wasting products too.
Can you freeze this pudding?
Yes 🙂
It says add milk, but doesnt say how much, because it’s not in ingredients…
Sorry for the confusion. I was referring to the evaporated milk. Hope this helps!
Is that whipped cream on top?
Yes! It’s good without it too. Enjoy!
Amazing recipe! I used it to make a batch of pudding squares with marshmallows on top for my kids. They really loved it.
Yum! What a fun treat for the kiddos!
So we’re trying to make a chocolate lasagna and it calls for chocolate pudding. Do you know how much this recipe makes? Thanks, the recipe looks amazing!
It makes about 3 cups.
What does 2T cup of cornstarch mean? Is the amount of cornstarch just 2 Tablespoons?
Thank you for catching that. Looks like the recipe card had a glitch and added the cup part. I’ve fixed it so hopefully it sticks. It should read 2 tablepoons.
This pudding looks so creamy and luscious!
Thanks, Natalie!