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This homemade Chocolate Cornstarch Pudding is creamy, smooth, rich, and full of chocolate perfection.
Here are a few more chocolate desserts: Chocolate Sour Cream Pound Cake, Chewy Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies, Chocolate Pancakes, Chocolate Waffles, and Chocolate Beignets.
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One of my favorite things to eat as a kid was Jell-O chocolate pudding. It didn't matter if the pudding was hot, cold, or room temperature. If you left me alone with your chocolate pudding, I wouldn't eat yours as long as I had my own.
You couldn't leave a six-year-old me alone with that kind of temptation.
I wish I had this recipe years ago when I had all my wisdom teeth removed and put on a pudding diet. This would've eased the pain much better than the medicine the doctor prescribed to me.
This homemade chocolate pudding is made with milk, egg yolks, sugar, salt, two types of chocolate, pure vanilla extract, and unsalted butter. I also top it off with homemade whipped cream and Oreo cookies.
I'm going to show you how to make chocolate pudding so incredible you'll never use an instant pudding mix again.
Chocolate Pudding History
According to food historians, custard dates back to the Middle Ages. It was eaten on its own or used as a filling for pies, tarts, and pastries, and the earliest printed reference was in 1730. The thick and creamy chocolate custard dates to the 19th century.
These delicacies were consumed by the wealthy. In the late 1800s, some American social reformers and food manufacturers attempted to popularize these items as health foods.
But recipes for chocolate pudding existed as early as the 1900s. You can find cornstarch and egg-based versions in Mary Harris Frazer's Kentucky Receipt Book', or Fannie Farmer's Boston Cooking School Cook Book.
Key Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you'll need for my homemade chocolate pudding recipe.
Half and Half
I love the flavor and creaminess of half-and-half compared to whole milk.
Egg Yolk
Egg yolks will bind the pudding but also add richness to the dish.
Sugar
We need granulated sugar for the chocolate pudding and powdered sugar for the whipped cream.
Cornstarch
A little cornstarch goes a long way to thickening up this pudding.
Chocolate Bar
I know most chocolate pudding recipes you find will call for cocoa powder, but the rich, creamy chocolate flavor comes from semi-sweet and unsweetened chocolate bars.
Whipped Cream
The pudding's richness and lightness come from making homemade whipped cream.
How to make Homemade Chocolate Pudding Recipe?
I want my homemade chocolate pudding recipe to be fun, scrumptious, and not as challenging as you think.
Chocolate Pudding: In a medium pot over medium heat, add half-and-half and bring to a simmer until it's warm to the touch. At the same time, the half-and-half is heating up. Mix egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a medium bowl until smooth.
Once half-and-half is warm, pour half into the egg mixture and combine. Stir mixture back into the pot and cook for 8-10 minutes, over medium heat, constantly stirring until pudding thickens. Remove from heat, and stir in chocolates, vanilla extract, and butter until the chocolates and butter have melted and the pudding is glossy. Check pro tips and tricks for an amazing time-saving tip. Fill a large bowl halfway with ice water. Set the pot inside of the bowl for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. The ice bath will save 2 hours.
In a medium bowl, mix heavy cream for 2-3 minutes with a hand mixer until light and fluffy. Once the chocolate pudding has cooled off, whisk in condensed milk, then gently fold in whipped cream. Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and press the plastic wrap directly onto the pudding to keep pudding skin from forming. Pop in the fridge for 4 hours minimum or overnight.
Whipped Cream: In a medium bowl, mix heavy cream, powdered sugar, and salt for 2-3 minutes with a hand mixer until fluffy and thick.
To assemble: Place ⅓ of chocolate pudding in a glass, cookies, and whipped cream, and repeat and garnish with a dollop of whipped cream and cookies.
Pro Recipe Tips & Tricks
Here are a few notes I had from making this chocolate delight.
- Fill a large bowl halfway with ice water to make an ice bath. Set the pot with the cooked pudding inside the bowl for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. The ice bath will save 2 hours.
- Continuously stir the custard every 20-30 seconds to prevent it from sticking or burning.
- You can use whole milk, almond milk, or any milk as a substitute for half-and-half.
- If your milk is too hot, wait for it to cool before adding your eggs. If you don't do this, the combination of hot milk and eggs will become scrambled eggs.
- To avoid curdling, use the tempering technique. Eggs are tempered by gradually adding heated liquids to bring their temperature up.
- Cornstarch is gluten-free. So, this pudding recipe is gluten-free.
- If you use salted butter, remove the salt from the recipe.
- A whisk is more effective for helping to make sure you don't have lumpy pudding.
- You can substitute for the Oreos with your favorite cookies, shortbread, or chocolate wafers.
- You can use chocolate chips instead of chocolate bars.
- I didn't find using cocoa powder to have the depth of chocolate flavor I desired.
- Do not use store-bought whipped toppings in the pudding; they will never taste as good as homemade whipped cream.
- Use a vegetable peeler to make chocolate shavings as a garnish.
FAQs
Here are the top questions readers have about making homemade chocolate cornstarch pudding.
There are a few ways to make chocolate pudding, but one of the simplest is to combine cornstarch, sugar, cocoa powder, and salt in a saucepan and stir in warm milk. Cook over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Cover and cool in the fridge overnight. The recipe below will show you how to make the best homemade chocolate pudding that's creamy and with a silky texture.
No, eggs are not used in chocolate pudding. However, I find that adding egg yolks to chocolate pudding creates a smoother texture and makes the dish richer.
You can do a few things to improve the flavor of your pudding. You can add instant coffee, fresh strawberries, fresh raspberries, sliced bananas, or cinnamon. Try using dark chocolate or bittersweet chocolate instead of unsweetened cocoa powder for a richer flavor.
If properly covered and stored, the homemade chocolate pudding will keep for 7 days in the refrigerator.
Chocolate pudding is best 2-3 days after it is made. However, if you keep it in an airtight container in the fridge, it'll last for 7 days or until someone eats it all in the middle of the night.
More Recipes
If you enjoy chocolate pudding as much as I do, here are a few of my favorite chocolate recipes that are sure to satisfy your sweet tooth.
- Chocolate Banana Pudding
- Peppermint Fudge Brownies
- Chocolate Cream Pie
- Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies
- Chocolate Pumpkin Bread
- Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls
Before You Begin
Before getting started, here are the steps I use to get organized.
Step 1: Get all the ingredients for the chocolate cornstarch pudding on the counter.
Step 2: Measure everything out.
Step 3: Follow the recipe for the best homemade chocolate pudding you've ever had.
This recipe is for you if you're in the mood for chocolate pudding that will knock your socks off. Give it a try, and let me know what you think by leaving a comment and rating below.
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📖 Recipe
Homemade Chocolate Cornstarch Pudding
Ingredients
Chocolate Cornstarch Pudding:
- 3 cups half and half
- 4 large egg yolks
- ¾ cups granulated sugar
- 4 tablespoons cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 oz. semi-sweet chocolate bar chopped
- 4 oz. unsweetened chocolate bar chopped
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup cold heavy cream
- (1) 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 pack of Oreo cookies crushed
Whipped Cream:
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream cold
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
Chocolate Pudding:
- In a medium pot over medium heat, add half-and-half and bring to a simmer, warm to the touch. At the same time, the half-and-half is heating up. Mix egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a medium bowl until smooth.
- Once half-and-half is warm, pour half into the egg mixture and combine. Stir mixture back into the pot and, over medium heat, cook for 8-10 minutes, constantly stirring until the pudding thickens. Remove from heat, and stir in chocolates, vanilla, and butter until the chocolates and butter have melted and the pudding is glossy. Fill a large bowl halfway with ice water. Set the pot inside of the bowl for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. The ice bath will save 2 hours.
- While the pudding is in the ice bath, in a medium bowl, mix heavy cream for 2-3 minutes with a hand mixer until light and fluffy. Once the pudding has cooled off, whisk in condensed milk, then gently fold in whipped cream. Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and make sure to press plastic wrap onto the pudding. Pop in the fridge for 4 hours minimum or overnight.
Whipped Cream:
- In a medium bowl, mix heavy cream, powdered sugar, and salt for 2-3 minutes with a hand mixer until light, fluffy and thick.
To Assemble:
- Place ⅓ of the chocolate pudding in a glass, cookies, and whipped cream, and repeat garnish with a dollop of whipped cream and cookies.
Notes
- Fill a large bowl halfway with ice water to make an ice bath. Set the pot with the cooked pudding inside the bowl for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. The ice bath will save 2 hours.
- Continuously stir the custard every 20-30 seconds to prevent it from sticking or burning.
- You can use whole milk, almond milk, or any milk as a substitute for half-and-half.
- If your milk is too hot, wait for it to cool before adding your eggs. The combination of hot milk and eggs will become scrambled eggs if you don't do this.
- To avoid curdling, use the tempering technique. Eggs are tempered by gradually adding heated liquids to bring their temperature up.
- Cornstarch is gluten-free. So this pudding recipe is gluten-free.
- If you use salted butter, remove the salt from the recipe.
- A whisk is more effective for helping to make sure you don't have lumpy pudding.
- You can use your favorite cookies, shortbread, or chocolate wafers to substitute for the Oreos.
- You can use chocolate chips instead of chocolate bars.
- I didn't find using cocoa powder to have the depth of chocolate flavor I desired.
- Do not use store-bought whipped toppings in the pudding; they will never taste as good as homemade whipped cream.
- Use a vegetable peeler to make chocolate shavings as a garnish.
zidane says
thank you for the information