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
Cuisine American© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
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!
I rarely leave reviews, but after reading some recent low ratings claiming the pudding didn’t thicken, I felt compelled to share my experience. I followed the recipe exactly and kept the pudding at a low boil until it began to thicken. It turned out perfectly, and my family loved it! This recipe is a keeper!
I have never left acomment before on a recipe, but agree with other comments about the note on thickness and over heating being in the recipe.
I’m not a pro but cook mostly from scratch. I’ve made pudding before and used cornstarch to solidify things, just never together. But I tried this for my son’s birthday party tomorrow morning. I just ruined an entire batch because mine was neither boiling nor thickening, so I continued to stir and increased the heat. I checked the recipe, checked the narrative description, and could not figure out what wrong until I read the notes.
Please change the format of this recipe. I know it was ultimately my error (hence the 3 stars, not 1 star). But it is literally a difference of copying and pasting, and would save some of us a lot of time, ingredients, and annoyance.
Hi!
I haven’t made this yet, but have some half and half milk that needs to get used.
What are your thoughts about substituting the whole milk for half and half and leaving out the butter?
I have never tried so I can’t say for sure but I think it should turn out okay. But I would expect a richer pudding that may set a touch softer. I would love to hear how it turns out for you!
I halved the recipe so as not to waste the ingredients and it turned out yummy! I did substitute a sugar replacement for the sugar because some of the folks in my group have diabetes and added back in the butter and the pudding set up perfectly. This is definitely a “do-over”!
so idk about anyone else. But mine never boiled it just started to thicken. and once I felt like it was a good thick consistency I took it off added butter and vanilla and let it rest until warm, stuck it in the fridge after and it was a decently thick pudding 🥰 very yummy! thank you
Where in the recipe does it say to boil for exactly one minute? I don’t see that anywhere but it’s stated in the comments. It would also be much more helpful to include the info about the need to remove from heat in the body of the instructions – it’s too important to be relegated to a note.
Perhaps it’s obvious that the pudding did not set for me.
The recipe does not say to boil for exactly one minute because that’s not what is needed exactly, it’s a guideline for those who may be struggling. You would to boil it until it begins to thicken and then remove from the heat. If you don’t boil long enough, it will not thicken. But if you overboil the starch will begin to break down and it will become watery, which is why one minute is a guideline.
I hope this helps!
I chose this recipe because of the number of stars, but I should have read the most recent reviews first. I did everything according to recipe and it just wouldn’t thicken despite bubbling and obviously didn’t set.
I won’t be using this site for any other recipes. What a shame before Christmas too.
I’m sorry to hear you had problems with this recipe setting. I can’t say for sure what happened if you followed the recipe exactly. Thank you for trying it Bbg.
This is delicious! The second time I made this, I added 2 tsp cinnamon and a dash of cayenne pepper. I enjoyed both versions.
I followed directions exactly but pudding did not set up in my pie crust. Tasted great but too runny, had to scoop out with a spoon.
Oh no! I’m sorry to hear that happened. It should have been fairly thick when removing it from the stove.
I see others have found the recipe pretty sweet. Have you tried it with less or more sugar? If I cut the sugar to 1 cup, will that impact how the pudding sets?
I have only tried the recipe as written but other readers have cut the sugar in half with great success. If you try it I would love to hear how it turns out!
I’ve made this twice, and neither time has it set up. I even added additional corn starch slurry, and it still won’t thicken up.
I’m sorry to hear that Sheila. Did you let it boil for the full minute? That helps it set up properly. And once it had boiled the full minute did you remove it off the heat immediately? Overboiling can break down your starch and cause it not to set as well. I hope this helps!
You mention butter but not when to add it?
The butter is added in step 3.
3. As soon as the pudding has thickened, remove from the heat and stir in butter and vanilla.
Have you ever used this pudding recipe in a chocolate cream pie?
I have never tried but other readers have with good results. I would love to hear how it turns out for you, Gayle!
How would this recipe turn out if you replace the corn starch with gelatin?
I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure Tiffany. If you try it I would love to hear how it turns out!
I made 60, yes SIXTY pudding cups tonight (5X recipe) for my two daughters classrooms tomorrow, they will be topped with crushed oreos and gummy worms in the morning before we drop them off to their respective classrooms for a fun Halloween treat.
This pudding tastes absolutely phenomenal. I must say it ended up being a bit more work than I had anticipated because I let it simmer and not quite boil and it looked very thick so I thought it was fine, but when I woke up this morning it had gone runny overnight. Google said I just needed to reheat it, so I slowwwwwwly brought it back up to heat, and this time I used my laser thermometer to watch the temp as I stirred, and right around. 95-97 C it started to boil. I left it for a couple of minutes and turned it off, this time it set beautifully. I am a seasoned baker and cook and I always trust my gut and I really thought it was ready last night, but I won’t make that mistake again. Just a flag for other folks :) looks can be deceiving! Thanks so much for the recipe! The kids will love this tomorrow ☺️
This is a great pudding recipe if you like super sweet and rich deserts. It reminds me of the filling inside of the chocolate pie at a local bbq restaurant near my house. I love chocolate pudding and I can’t believe I have never made it homemade. I will definitely make it again and tweak it to suit my tastes.
Like George Costanza on Seinfeld, I like the pudding skin! No wrap for me!
that pudding skin is the best part!!!
can this recipe be halved and still turn out well?
I have never halved this recipe but other readers have with good results. I would love to hear how it turns out for you!
I need enough pudding to make a chocolate cake and mousse trifle. Would this be enough or should I double the recipe? Thanks!
Hi Erin, this recipe makes about 4 cups of prepared pudding. You will want to check the recipe you are planning to make to ensure you will have enough.
LOVED this, and so did my boyfriend. I had a craving for chocolate and had the ingredients for this easy recipe on hand. I did have to put it back on the stove because it was runny. It started to boil a little and I freaked out (first time cooking chocolate pudding on the stove) and removed it too soon. It still turned out like chocolate silk even though I had to put it back on after adding the butter. mmm mmm mmm – That was last week and we are still mmm mmm mmm-ing. I’m not exaggerating on the silk part, thank you for the plastic wrap tip.
This is amazing!!! I’ve always loved chocolate pudding and don’t know why I didn’t try making it myself sooner.
very very nice would recommend