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!
This was delicious and so easy to make!!
Should this recipe done with 2% milk?! I only buy skim and tried to make it with skim as there was nothing directing to a type of milk, and I ended up with chocolate soup. It may not be the milk, but I followed all the instructions and it didn’t set up. Any tips or tricks for dealing with troubles like this?
2% or 3% works well for the pudding for a richer flavor. That being said, any type of milk should thicken at these ratios. I can’t say for sure why it didn’t work, sorry Amanda.
This is your grandma’s chocolate pudding! It’s absolutely perfect. I saw a comment about unsweetened cocoa… is sweetened cocoa a thing? I’ve never heard of it. I made it exactly per the recipe, and once it was done I put the pot in a large bowl of ice water (whisking frequently) to cool. Spot on! Will be making this many more times ❤
Do you have instant pot recipes
Please find the instant pot recipes here!
SKIP THE BUTTER AND BRING MILK TO VERY WARM BEFORE ADDING THE CHOCOLATE CORNSTARCH,SUGAR MIXTURE MIXED UP WITH A BIT OF MILK, LESS COOKING TIME, LESS STIRING AND DO NOT ADD VANILLA TILL THE PUDDING IS COOKED.vERY GOOD PUDDING BUT A LARGE RECIPE, BETTER TO MAKE LESS AT A TIME FOR A SMALLER FAMILY. ALSO ADJUST THE COCOA AMOUNT FOR DARKER OR LIGHTER PUDDING TASTE.
This pudding is delicious and so easy to make. You have to be patient while whisking. I read in the comments that Becki mentions a 10-12 minute whisking time and that was spot on. Thanks for sharing your recipe!
You’re welcome Holly!
Very nice
I wish that I had read the comments before making this pudding. This was my first time making pudding. I have made cakes and even chocolate mousse with great success but this pudding is sweeter than any pudding I have ever eaten. Please read the comments and adjust down.
Sorry to hear that you didn’t enjoy the pudding Shirley. Thanks for trying it.
Can you use unsweetened cocoa powder?
Hi Sarah, we haven’t tried this recipe with unsweetened cocoa powder but it should work well. Let us know how it turns out for you!
My go to recipe included egg yolks. This recipe is much simpler and just as delicious! It’s now my new go to!
I made this pudding vegan by subbing milk for oat milk and the butter for Earth Balance vegan butter, and it still came out great! I also put some in a popsicle mold and stuck them in the freezer to make pudding pops. I would cut down on the sugar and cocoa powder next time, but it’s otherwise a tasty, easy to follow recipe.
Thank you for sharing Amanda!
Super easy and delicious recipe. Needed a sweet treat fix so tried it out. I cut the recipe in half, used two cups 2% milk and added 1/4 cup whipping cream to make it more rich. Also added in a bit of chopped dark chocolate. Turned out great, bf asked why I didn’t make more! Guess I’ll make a full recipe next time!
Thick and creamy? Yes! Easy to make? Yes!
Just too much chocolate in this pudding recipe for my family of 9. We love our chocolatey desserts, but this one will not get remade unless we reduce the cocoa powder.
my mixture never thickened up although i am quite sure that I followed every step
I made this for a chocolate cream pie, The basic recipe is fine, good thickness nice color but it is just too terribly sweet and I really like things sweet. I doubled check all my measures before adding to mixture, so cook’s error wasn’t the trouble. I had to add more cocoa, cornstarch and milk to make it usable. I’ll make it again but compare it to other recipes I have for the sugar content. Probably cut it down to 3/4 of a cup and go from there. I’ll find the right adjustment.
Agree, too sweet, wish I had read comments first. It’s a good pudding but not for a pie. I did add egg yolks and used whole organic milk. I went back and added more corn starch with a little milk and I think it is thick enough to work for a pie. Probably should state that it is only a pudding not for a pie Thanks
If you’d like a chocolate pie recipe, try this chocolate silk pie. This recipe is for homemade pudding. Hope that helps.
Hello,
This is my first time every trying out a homemade pudding recipe. I definitely did something wrong because the pudding has formed into tons of tiny lumps, and the butter seems to be pooling up on the surface of the pudding.
I used heavy whipping cream because I thought that was a better alternative to the soy milk I had. Guessing that was a bad decision..? Lol
I’m sorry this didn’t work out for you. Heavy whipping cream has a lot of fat so it will not work the same as milk. I think soy milk would work better in this recipe.
I would like to state that if your pudding doesn’t set then you didn’t cook it properly! I use several recipes because I make pudding pie as well and it takes yolks and a little less filling to fill my pie pan, plus a much firmer set. I love this particular recipe because it’s great for a light just creamy pudding. I am lactose intolerant and I don’t even use “milk”, I use lactaid 2% and still get a perfect set every time. It’s all in proper cooking time. Know what texture you are seeking and expect 10-12 total minutes of whisking time and at least 1-2 boil time on low. Add your vanilla and butter after you turn the heat off. Do NOT over boil … That too can break down your starch and cause it to break. Once you make a successful pudding you will know the feel and never fail again. This recipe is excellent pudding… Not pie. You need a more sturdy set for pie.
This is a big recipe, but I put in 8 8oz cups and they are excellent with whipped cream after dinner. They save for days so it is just the best easy treat!
The pudding taste was great. Although, it didn’t thicken. Do you think this is from over or under cooking?
Hi Bonnie, it could be from either under or overcooking it. You want to boil it long enough to thicken however, in a tip from another reader, overcooking starch can cause it to gelatinize and be unable to thicken properly. I hope this helps!
One of the best ever yorkshire pudding recipe i have ever tried so far. Thanks for sharing this recipe with all of us.
This is not yorkshire pudding?
By far the easiest and BEST homemade pudding I have ever made. I’ve tried a lot of recipes, and this one works perfectly every single time!!
Super Yum!! I have a small army at home with 2 teenage guys and husband that all love chocolate pudding. Made recipe with no alterations and it was divine. I like mine warm with blueberries and chocolate chips on top. Really easy to make and therapeutic stirring and watching the chocolate mixture become thick and silky. A keeper!