Chocolate Pudding is a classic favorite dessert! This easy, kid friendly treat is a cinch to prepare and a great make-ahead option!
My family loves fruit desserts like Rhubarb Crisp and Strawberry Pie but sometimes I just need my chocolate fix! Light, creamy, rich, and chocolatey, this easy chocolate pudding recipe goes perfectly with fruit or on its own!
How to Make Chocolate Pudding
This chocolate pudding recipe takes no time at all on the stovetop, and then a quick chill while you’re eating dinner and voila! Homemade chocolate pudding can be made in advance and stored in the fridge until you’re ready to enjoy it.
To make homemade chocolate pudding:
- Combine dry ingredients (sugar, cocoa powder, cornstarch). Whisk in milk.
- Bring to a low boil and remove from the heat as soon as the pudding has thickened.
- Cool the chocolate pudding completely.
Tips for Making Pudding
- Use medium heat and sugar and milk can scorch or burn at a higher temperature.
- Whisk constantly while it comes to a boil.
- To keep the pudding from having a skin, place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pudding while it cools.
How Long Does Homemade Chocolate Pudding Last
Homemade chocolate pudding has to be stored in the fridge. I like to store it in serving-sized plastic containers for ease. It will last 5-7 days.
This recipe makes a pretty good amount so it’s perfect for packing in lunches. Grab some single-serving plastic containers and you have delicious chocolate pudding to send with your kids (or yourself) for the whole week.
Chocolate pudding can change texture when frozen because of the corn starch so it’s not great to defrost but it does make great drip-free pudding pops!
More Chocolate Love
- Caramel Chocolate Trifle – always impresses
- Best Ever Chocolate Cake – decadent!
- Chocolate Macaroons (No Bake) – so easy
- Easy Triple Chocolate Cookies – kid approved
- Easy Chocolate Truffles – a holiday favorite!
- Oreo Dirt Cups – fun snack or dessert
Did you enjoy this Chocolate Pudding? Be sure to leave a rating and a comment below!
Ingredients
- 1 ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ⅔ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ⅓ cup cornstarch
- pinch salt
- 4 ½ cups milk
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a saucepan, combine sugar, cocoa powder, salt, and cornstarch. Mix well. Add in cold milk, whisk until combined.
- Turn heat to medium, stirring constantly until mixture reaches a boil*.
- As soon as the pudding has thickened, remove from the heat and stir in butter and vanilla.
- Allow mixture to cool completely, stirring occasionally to avoid a skin forming on the pudding.
- Serve chilled or warm.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Dessert
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Even More Chocolate Desserts You’ll Love
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
- Chocolate Ganache Frosting – Just 2 ingredients.
- Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies – Popular recipe!
The consistency was great! But it was way to sweet and over chocolatey.
Any idea if a sugar substitute can be used? Both my brother and hubby are diabetic and love their sweets/chocolate!
Sorry Patricia, we have not tried this recipe with a sugar-substitute but I would love to hear how it turns out if you try it!
WOW…I had all the ingredients, easy peasy. I will never buy boxed pudding again. This tasted fabulous, I whipped up some heavy cream for topping, my family loved it. BUT, there was so much, I might cut the recipe in half next time.
How long did it take in the refrigerator?
Hi Alaijah, I would chill it for 20-30 minutes but it is also delicious warm so you can enjoy it at any time after making it! Even if not completely cooled.
I absolutely LOVED this recipe! It was super easy to make and after I chilled the pudding, it tasted soo good! It has a very rich chocolate flavor and is very tasty!
I made this today. I cut the recipe in half. It made 4 full custard cups. My daughter raved that this is the best chocolate pudding ever! She was having a bad day and this was the highlight of her Tuesday!!! I sent it over to her house. She thanked me three times.
Aw, I am so glad she loved them! Thank you for sharing that Yvonne. Food is definitely the way to lift our spirits too!
Very easy recipe, my whole family devoured it. Tastes like a thick milk chocolate pudding.
Listening to other reviewers, I halved the whole thing and used very scant measures of the sugar and cocoa besides. It still filled 6 medium-sized dessert cups no problem!
I served it topped with a dollop of cream cheese/sugar/whipped cream blended together and a sprinkled of crushed up digestive biscuit with sea salt. So yummy & easy to throw together and set while I was making supper.
My pudding didn’t ever firm up. I wonder what I did wrong
Hi Jessie, did you let us boil for the full minute? That helps to thicken the pudding up.
The best chocolate pudding I have ever made. It was so easy with no egg yolks to mess with. The perfect chocolate pudding!! My husband raved about it.
As is, I only give this recipe a 2.
The good: this recipe came out a great consistency. I used whole lactose free milk. Those who said their pudding didn’t set might not have used whole milk. The vanilla and salt content is perfect too.
Improvements needed for me to make again and improve the score: less cocoa powder and less sugar. This is much too sweet and has too much chocolate flavor (and I’m a chocoholic). I could probably cut both in half and keep the current milk amount. So, be careful and taste as you’re cooking. This made enough pudding for a small army. If there are only a few people in your house eating pudding, definitely start by cutting the whole recipe in half. Then make additional cuts on the cocoa powder and sugar.
Glad you enjoyed it, Jamie! We love this recipe as is, but you can definitely try reducing the cocoa and sugar to your preferences!
If your used to instant or premade pudding like I am this isn’t the recipe for you. It did set into a pudding. I used Hershey cocoa powder. It just tastes like dark chocolate which I personally do not like.
I’m bummed I used almost 5 cups of milk on the recipe. For anyone who is unsure I would do half recipe to try it out.
Sorry to hear that Veronica, this definitely tastes a little different than instant pudding.
Can you substitute flour for the cornstarch?
Hi Matthew, we have not tried this recipe with flour but would love to hear how it turns out!
I did and its came out fine
Excellent…I have a surprise to my mother of this pudding as she loves it alot
Can you substitute like a 1/2 of milk with coffee
Ooo, I have never tried but I would love to hear how it turns out Tricia! That would be delicious.
This was perfectly tasteful.
Only thing is on step 2 it states ‘increase heat’ and I wondered at what point was the heat turned on?
That is when the heat is turned on. The ingredients are put into the pan cold. Glad you enjoyed it!
Any ideas if this can be made sugar free?
Sorry Brandy, we have only made this recipe as listed. But if you do make it sugar-free or with a sugar substitute please let us know how it turns out!
In Poland, I always make a recipe for pudding on 4 ingredients, milk, potato starch, sugar, cocoa only that the pennants are of great importance and sometimes the ingredients are replaced with something else, for example carob, coconut milk, something like that, you only need to translate, I recommend adding coconut sugar, it deepens the taste.
Thank you for sharing Adam! Sounds great!
Holly in the chocolate pudding recipe can you use 2% milk ?
That should turn out just fine Cyndi! :)
What about oat milk?
We haven’t tried this recipe with oat milk Renae, but I would love to hear how it turns out for you!
Sweet! I would definitely use less sugar (maybe 1 1/4 cup) and not very thick. Somewhat runny after cooking full minute. Taste is ok.
Glad you enjoyed it Leah.
It tastes delicious! One question , it’s think when it’s done cooking but after it cools in gets runnier, any suggestions?
Sorry I can’t say, I have not experienced that issue Kristin with this recipe. Did you boil it for the full minute? This helps with thickening.
Delish!
Hello!
I made the chocolate pudding today and it came out great. Thank you! One question, vanilla is not listed in the ingredients but is included in the instructions to be added along with the butter. Do you have a suggested amount or is this ingredient optional?
Thanks again.
Sorry about that, it should be 1 tsp. The recipe has been updated.
Can I have this recipe? Don’t want to use that much milk right now..
Yes, that should work just fine.