Creamy, rich, chocolatey, and oh so good,
Homemade Chocolate Pudding from Scratch is a true chocolate lover's
treat. Not as hard to make as people often think, the flavor and texture
result is totally worth the homemade effort. It's so good, you'll never want to use boxed pudding again!
Making chocolate pudding from scratch isn't nearly as difficult as most people think. In fact, it's actually surprisingly easy.
Yes admittedly, there's a bunch of whisking involved in making homemade chocolate pudding. But truly the process itself is not hard at all. In a nutshell, you simply whisk together a handful of dry ingredients, whisk together a couple of wet ingredients, whisk the two together until smooth, and then whisk away over controlled heat while the mixture slowly cooks to work its amazing pudding magic.
And the flavor and texture result? Oh, it's totally worth the homemade effort.
Not as hard to make as people often think, the flavor and texture of chocolate pudding from scratch is totally worth the homemade effort.
Homemade chocolate pudding's flavor is truly fabulous. With both baking cocoa and melted semi-sweet chocolate in its mix, this particular homemade chocolate pudding recipe delivers up incredibly deep, rich chocolate flavor in every bite. It's a deep chocolate flavor that simply puts the boxed stuff to shame.
As for texture? -- This homemade chocolate pudding's silky creaminess is a beautiful thing, too, achieved through a combination of the pudding's dairy base and the thickeners of choice. We use half-and-half, which has more than double the milkfat of whole milk, as the pudding's base ingredient. And then supplement that with both corn starch and egg yolks as thickeners, rather than relying on simply corn starch alone. This ingredient combination gives the pudding that lusciously creamy texture we all want, crave, and love in a pudding.
Creamy, rich, chocolatey, and oh so good, Homemade Chocolate Pudding from scratch is truly a chocolate lover's dream. It's so good, you'll probably never want to use the boxed stuff again!
What's to Love About This Recipe?
- Deep, rich chocolate flavor - With both baking cocoa and melted semi-sweet chocolate in its mix, this homemade chocolate pudding delivers up fabulously deep, rich chocolate flavor in every bite.
- Silky-smooth creamy texture - Using both corn starch and egg yolks gives this chocolate pudding the lusciously smooth and creamy texture we all want and crave in a pudding.
- Easier to make than you think - Yes, there's a bunch of whisking involved in making chocolate pudding from scratch, but the process itself is not hard at all! Making homemade pudding is way easier than most people think. -- And that flavor and texture result? It's totally worth the homemade effort.
- Enjoy as it is, or use as an element in other desserts - Homemade chocolate pudding makes for an amazing dessert just as it is. But it also makes for a fabulous element in other desserts, as well! -- Perhaps some Brownie Parfaits or Kahlua Mocha Parfaits, anyone?
Homemade Chocolate Pudding Ingredients:
The ingredients to make Homemade Chocolate Pudding from scratch are actually pretty humble. -- Truly nothing fancy here. To whip up a creamy batch, you'll need:
- Half-and-half - The dairy base of the pudding. A mixture of half heavy cream and half milk (with a fat content of 10.5-18% milkfat), half-and-half creates a nice rich and creamy pudding. Whole milk can be substituted and will still make chocolate pudding with a nice texture. Though with a fat content of 3.5% milkfat, the pudding will not be quite as rich and creamy as one made with half-and-half. We do nor recommend using low-fat 2% milk (fat content of 2%) and skim milk (fat content of 0%) for making homemade pudding.
- Baking cocoa- Powdered baking cocoa whisked together with the half-and-half creates a nice chocolate background-base within the pudding mixture.
- Semi-sweet chocolate - Chopped semi-sweet chocolate, melted, and stirred into the pudding base brings rich, deep chocolate flavor to the finished pudding. Look for baking bars of semi-sweet chocolate in the baking aisle of the grocery store, typically near the chocolate chips.
- Granulated sugar - Regular granulated sugar nicely sweetens the pudding, dissolving in the pudding's hot mixture as the pudding cooks.
- Corn starch - The primary thickening agent in the pudding.
- Egg yolks - Brings added thickening and tender creaminess to the pudding. Using both corn starch and egg yolks, rather than corn starch alone, gives the pudding a lusciously creamy texture.
- Salt- A small pinch of salt enhances and rounds out the pudding's flavor.
- Vanilla extract - Brings depth of flavor to the finished pudding. Use 100% pure vanilla extract, rather than imitation, for the best flavor and result.
- Butter - Finishing the pudding with unsalted butter adds fat that smooths out the pudding, as well as brings richness and a silky sheen.
How to Make Homemade Chocolate Pudding from Scratch:
As we've said, making homemade chocolate pudding from scratch isn't as difficult as most people think. In fact, it's actually pretty easy.
Just keep in mind, whisking is one of the keys to producing a fabulously-textured, creamy pudding. -- Whisking the dry ingredients, whisking the wet ingredients, whisking the two together, and continuously whisking the pudding mixture as it cooks. All this whisking keeps lumps out of the picture, and helps produce the silky, creamy pudding texture we all know and love.
To get a batch of homemade chocolate pudding going, first whisk together baking cocoa, sugar, corn starch, and salt in a saucepan (off heat) until they're well combined and there are no clumps. In a separate bowl, whisk together half-and-half and some egg yolks until they're well combined. Then add the egg yolk mixture into the cocoa/sugar mixture a little at a time, whisking thoroughly after each addition.
Place the saucepan on the stove and bring the pudding mixture to a boil over medium heat, gently whisking it constantly. -- This will take about 10-12 minutes. Once it reaches a boil, let the mixture boil for 1 minute, whisking it constantly as it does. The pudding will thicken as it cooks, and reach a texture where it will cling to the whisk.
Remove the saucepan from the heat, and stir melted semi-sweet chocolate, a bit of butter, and some vanilla extract into the pudding.
Spoon the pudding into individual dishes. Then cover each dish with plastic wrap, pressing the plastic wrap directly onto the pudding's surface to prevent a skin from forming on the top as the pudding cools.
Pop the pudding in the refrigerator and let it chill for at least 3 to 4 hours before serving. Then you're ready to dig into the rich, creamy, and oh-so-good Homemade Chocolate Pudding deliciousness!
Recipe FAQs:
- How do I keep my homemade pudding from being lumpy? - Indeed, homemade puddings can get lumpy, and fortunately it's a pretty easy problem to prevent. -- Whisking is the key to keeping lumps out of your homemade pudding! To prevent lumpy pudding, first whisk all the dry ingredients together in a saucepan until no clumps remain, not even small ones. Then gradually add the half-&-half (or whole milk)/egg yolk mixture a little a time, whisking thoroughly after each addition. -- Make sure the mixture is smooth each time. Then as you're cooking the pudding, whisk it constantly as it comes to a boil. Whisking out any lumps to begin with and then keeping that pudding mixture moving as it cooks will keep those unpleasant lumps at bay.
- Can I use 2% or skim milk to make homemade chocolate pudding? - We recommend sticking with half-&-half to get the best smooth and creamy texture with your homemade chocolate pudding from scratch. If a substitution is needed, whole milk will also still produce a nice result. Milk that's 2%, 1%, or skim will result in a thin pudding that's simply lacking in pudding's expected creaminess.
- Can I use an alternative milk to make this homemade chocolate pudding recipe?- Alternative milks, such as soy, almond, oat, and coconut milk, will not work in this chocolate pudding recipe, as they do not thicken in the same manner as the recommended dairy-based ingredients.
- Can I use semi-sweet chocolate chips to make my homemade chocolate pudding, instead of chopped semi-sweet baking chocolate squares? - Yes, you can substitute semi-sweet chocolate chips for the chopped semi-sweet baking chocolate squares. Use 1/3 cup of chocolate chips in place of the 2 ounces of chocolate called for in this pudding recipe. The chocolate chips just may not melt as readily as the baking chocolate, requiring a little extract stirring.
Check out these other chocolate dessert favorites:
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Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Homemade Chocolate Pudding from Scratch
Creamy, rich, chocolatey, and oh so good, Homemade Chocolate Pudding from Scratch is a true chocolate lover's treat. Not as hard to make as people often think, the flavor and texture result is totally worth the homemade effort. So good, you'll never want to use boxed pudding again!
Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 15 MinInactive time: 3 HourTotal time: 3 H & 30 M
Ingredients
- 3 T. baking cocoa
- 2/3 c. granulated sugar
- 2 T. corn starch
- 1/8 tsp. salt
- 2 & 1/2 c. half-&-half
- 3 egg yolks
- 2 oz. semi-sweet chocolate squares, chopped
- 2 T. unsalted butter
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a saucepan, whisk together baking cocoa, sugar, corn starch, and salt until well combined and there are no clumps.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together half-&-half and egg yolks until well combined. Whisk egg yolk mixture into cocoa/sugar mixture a little at a time.
- Place saucepan on stove and bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly (this will take about 10-12 minutes). Boil for 1 minute, whisking constantly. Remove from heat.
- Melt chocolate in a small saucepan over low heat (or, microwave about 45 seconds in a glass bowl).
- Add melted chocolate, butter, and vanilla extract to pudding; whisk in.
- Spoon pudding into individual dishes. Cover each with plastic wrap, pressing plastic wrap directly onto the pudding's surface to prevent a skin from forming on the top of the pudding.
- Refrigerate for at least 3 to 4 hours before serving.
No question about it: the homemade is FAR superior!
ReplyDeleteWe are glad you enjoyed the pudding and find that it is worth making homemade pudding.
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