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Savoring spoonfuls of Rich Double Chocolate Pudding garnished with crisp cookies or berries and cream makes a delicious indulgence!

This luscious Chocolate Pudding Recipe is flavored with both cocoa powder and semisweet chocolate making it the perfect treat for chocolate lovers!

Rich Double Chocolate Pudding in shot glasses on a white tray.
Table of Contents hide
1 Why You Must Make
2 Ingredient Notes
3 How to Make Chocolate Pudding:
4 Cooking the Pudding
5 Chilling and Garnishing
6 Frequently Asked Questions
7 You May Also Like:
8 Rich Chocolate Pudding Recipe

Why You Must Make

  • When you need to treat yourself, chocolate is always a viable option!
  • Individual servings of homemade chocolate pudding offer portion control which is often needed when chocolate is involved.
  • The double dose of chocolate makes this chocolate pudding recipe extra rich and delicious.
  • And garnishing this homemade pudding with fresh berries, whipped cream, mint, and/or cookies makes this comfort food fancy enough for company or special occasions.
Labeled Chocolate Pudding Ingredients on a sheet pan.

Ingredient Notes

  • Kitchen Staples – Sugar, Salt, Butter (salted is fine)
  • Dutch Processed Cocoa Powder – Droste is a brand you can find at many grocery stores. Dutch-processed cocoa is treated with an alkali or base that helps neutralize its natural acidity. It’s richer and darker than regular cocoa.
  • Cornstarch – A thickening agent that must come to a boil to do its job. It’s usually mixed with a liquid first to minimize lumps.
  • Half and Half – A mixture of half whole milk and half cream. It contains 10-12% milk fat.
  • Egg Yolks – Separate the whites and yolks while the eggs are cold as the yolks are less likely to break.
  • Whole Milk – Contains the same fat content as when it came out of the cow, about 3½%.
  • Semisweet Chocolate – I use Ghirardelli bars. Chocolate chips have additives to help them keep their shape so the quality isn’t as good, but they will work.
  • Vanilla Extract – Make sure the label says real vanilla extract, not imitation.
Double Chocolate Pudding in highball glasses topped with cream, berries and mint.

How to Make Chocolate Pudding:

  • I love making mini desserts–something that will satisfy that sweet tooth without breaking the calorie bank. My hubby doesn’t get the appeal, but I’m thrilled with a few spoonfuls of creamy, decadent double chocolate pudding or one or two.
  • I put half of this batch of pudding into pretty shot glasses and the rest into man-sized portions for the husband.
  • The larger version was garnished with Dark Chocolate Milano Cookies.

Cooking the Pudding

  • First, whisk together the dry ingredients in a large saucepan to combine.
  • Then whisk in the liquids (half and half, yolks, milk) before stirring in the melted chocolate.
  • This old-fashioned chocolate pudding is made with eggs and must be cooked to thicken. Once the mixture is brought to a boil, the temperature must be dropped so the pudding simmers until thickened, which will happen at about 200°.
  • PRO-Tip: Because eggs are involved, you will occasionally find tiny bits of cooked egg in the mixture. For this reason, the pudding must be run through a sieve or (affiliate links) mesh strainer to remove any cooked egg. This makes for a silkier textured pudding.
  • If too much egg is cooked (you’ll notice lots of egg in the sieve after straining the mixture), the pudding will not set properly, so follow the recipe instructions carefully and whisk the mixture constantly while it thickens.
  • Adding a little butter at the end of the cooking time also adds some richness. Plus, some real vanilla extract adds a nice flavor.

Chilling and Garnishing

  • Pour your pudding mixture into serving glasses, ramekins, small bowls or shot glasses for mini versions.
  • Place some plastic wrap across the surface of the pudding to prevent skin from developing across the top of the pudding as it chills. Of course, if you love skin on top of your pudding, skip this step.
  • To garnish, whip some heavy cream with powdered sugar to taste and a splash of vanilla, then spoon or pipe a dollop on each pudding. Top with a single raspberry or half a strawberry and a sprig of mint if desired.
Chocolate Pudding Step 1 process shot.
Whisk the dry ingredients.
Chocolate Pudding Step 2 process shot.
Whisk in half&half, yolks, milk.
Chocolate Pudding Step 3 process shot.
Add chocolate allow to boil.
Chocolate Pudding Step 4 process shot.
Cook until thickens.
Chocolate Pudding Step 5 process shot.
Strain.
Chocolate Pudding Step 6 process shot.
Add butter and vanilla.
Chocolate Pudding Step 7 process shot.
Pour into serving dishes.
Garnished double chocolate pudding on a white tray.
Ready to eat!

Frequently Asked Questions

Is chocolate pudding gluten-free?

It depends on the recipe, so check the ingredients. Often flour is used as a thickening agent, but this recipe uses cornstarch which is gluten-free. This pudding recipe is gluten-free.

What to make with chocolate pudding?

Besides serving pudding as is, consider using it in a layered trifle recipe, as a pie filling, in a dirt dessert, or in a layered no-bake dessert.

Is Chocolate Pudding Healthy?

With eggs and dairy as ingredients, there is some protein in the pudding. But there is also sugar and saturated fat from the butter, whole milk, and half and half, making it high in calories and not exactly healthy food.

Why is My Pudding Lumpy?

This happens when eggs are added right to the hot custard without warming them up first. The proteins in the eggs will curdle or coagulate when they hit the hot liquid.

Instead, make sure to temper your yolks, by slowly drizzling in some of the hot custard while whisking continuously. This warms up the yolks so they will not curdle when added to the custard.

How Can You Fix Lumpy Pudding?

Try using an immersion blender, that is, a stick blender. It may not be perfectly smooth, but it will help break down most of the lumps.

Overhead view of double Chocolate Pudding in glasses on a white rectangular tray.

You May Also Like:

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Rich Double Chocolate Pudding in shot glasses on a white tray
The Recipe:

Rich Chocolate Pudding Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Yield 6 servings

A rich pudding with a double dose of chocolate. Adapted from The Best Recipe cookbook.

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons Dutch processed cocoa
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • ⅔ cup sugar
  • Dash of salt
  • 1 cup half and half
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 6 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled slightly
  • 1 tablespoon butter, at room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla

Instructions

  1. Sift cocoa, cornstarch, sugar, and salt into a large saucepan.
  2. Whisk in half and half, then the yolks, followed by the milk. Stir in chocolate (don't worry if it clumps a bit).⅔
  3. Bring mixture to a boil, whisking constantly, till pudding thickens.
  4. Reduce heat and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon or spatula for a couple more minutes till the pudding thickens even more (should reach 200º).
  5. Pass the pudding through a sieve into a medium bowl.
  6. Stir in butter and vanilla. May divide into individual bowls.
  7. Serve warm or chilled, but cover the surface of the pudding with plastic wrap before chilling to prevent skin from forming on top.

Notes

Garnish with whipped cream, berries and mint for company.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 387Total Fat: 20gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 120mgSodium: 108mgCarbohydrates: 50gFiber: 2gSugar: 44gProtein: 7g

Thatskinnychickcanbake.com occasionally offers nutritional information for recipes contained on this site. This information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although thatskinnychickcanbake.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased can change the nutritional information in any given recipe. Also, many recipes on thatskinnychickcanbake.com recommend toppings, which may or may not be listed as optional and nutritional information for these added toppings is not listed. Other factors may change the nutritional information such as when the salt amount is listed “to taste,” it is not calculated into the recipe as the amount will vary. Also, different online calculators can provide different results. To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in any given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information obtained is accurate.

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© Liz Berg
Cuisine: American / Category: Desserts