American
Chocolate Pudding
A stovetop cocoa pudding thickens with cornstarch and finishes with chopped chocolate and butter. It is cooked through, then chilled until it holds a spoon.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 12 min
- Total
- 22 min
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- Easy
Why you’ll love it
- Cornstarch has to reach a full boil for a minute or the pudding tastes starchy and will not set.
- Cocoa and chopped chocolate together taste deeper than cocoa alone.
- Butter and vanilla go in off the heat so they stay fragrant.
- A cover pressed on the surface stops the skin while it chills.
Ingredients
Ingredient amounts scale. Oven temperature and cook time do not. Salt, spices, and leaveners are a starting point after you scale. Taste and adjust.
Check the ingredients you still need, then add them. If nothing is checked, the full list is added. Saved on this device.
Instructions
- 1
Whisk the sugar, cocoa powder, cornstarch, and salt in a saucepan.
- 2
Whisk in the milk a little at a time until the mixture is smooth, with no dry lumps.
- 3
Set the pan over medium heat. Stir constantly with a whisk or a heatproof spatula.
- 4
When it starts to bubble, lower the heat slightly and boil gently for 1 full minute, still stirring. It should turn thick and glossy.
- 5
Take the pan off the heat. Stir in the chopped chocolate, butter, and vanilla until the chocolate melts and the pudding is smooth.
- 6
Spoon into six cups. Press plastic wrap directly on the surface of each one.
- 7
Cool 20 minutes, then refrigerate at least 3 hours, until cold and fully set.
- 8
Peel off the wrap and serve cold.
Pro tips
- If you stop before the minute of bubbling, the pudding will be thin after it chills.
- A flat spatula reaches the corners of the pan so the cornstarch does not scorch.
- Whole milk gives a softer set than skim. Do not expect a firm gelatin texture.
Easy substitutions
- whole milk
- 2 percent milk
- semisweet chocolate
- milk chocolate for a milder pudding
- unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
Storage and reheating
Storage
Refrigerate covered, with wrap on the surface, up to 4 days.
Reheating
This is served cold. If you want it warm, stir it in a saucepan over low heat with a splash of milk until hot and smooth.
Nutrition
Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.
- Calories
- 250
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 34 g
- Fat
- 10 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
Budget friendly · Stovetop
You might also like
Chocolate Mousse
A cooked custard base melts into chocolate, then folds into whipped cream for a light set mousse. The eggs are heated to 160°F before the mousse is chilled.
37 min · Medium
View recipe
Creamy Coconut Rice Pudding
Short-grain rice simmers slowly in coconut milk until thick and silky. A pinch of cinnamon and a drizzle of honey finish each bowl.
40 min · Easy
View recipe
Molten Chocolate Lava Cakes
Small chocolate cakes bake around a frozen ganache center that melts in the oven. The cake batter itself is baked until the eggs are set.
39 min · Medium
View recipe
Banana Cream Pie
A baked graham crust holds sliced bananas and a cooked vanilla custard. The yolks and cornstarch are boiled until thick, then the pie is chilled.
55 min · Medium
View recipeStill hungry?
More in the same lane, not a random mix.
Brookies
A chocolate chip cookie layer and a brownie layer bake in one pan until both are set. The middle is fudgy, not a pool of raw batter.
57 min · Medium
View recipe
Chocolate Chip Cookies
This batch makes 24 cookies, and the nutrition and servings are written for 12 servings of 2 cookies each. Butter, both sugars, and chocolate chips bake at 350°F until the edges are set and the centers still look soft.
32 min · Easy
View recipe
Chocolate Layer Cake
A two-layer cocoa cake mixed with hot coffee, then filled and covered with chocolate buttercream. The coffee does not make it taste like coffee. It makes the chocolate louder.
1 hr · Medium
View recipe
Flourless Chocolate Espresso Cake
A dense, fudgy chocolate cake lifted with espresso powder and no wheat flour. It slices cleanly once chilled and tastes rich in small wedges.
50 min · Medium
View recipeFind something else
From the kitchen
Kitchen tools we love
Practical tools these recipes actually use. This is not a review roundup, and these are not paid placements. If affiliate links are added later, they will be labeled and disclosed.
A heavy 12-inch skillet
Most of the chicken and steak recipes are written for one pan that holds heat. Stainless or cast iron both work.
An air fryer with a real basket
The air-fryer recipes expect a single layer. A crowded basket steams instead of browning.
A half-sheet pan
Drumsticks, potatoes, sausage, and carrots all use one. A dark pan browns faster than a very shiny one.
A sharp chef’s knife
These recipes do not need a specialty blade. A sharp 8-inch knife is faster and safer than a dull one.
A large cutting board
Big enough that the onion and the raw chicken are not sharing the same puddle.
Dry cups and a liquid cup
Desserts in particular expect level dry measures and a separate cup for milk.
An instant-read thermometer
Use it for poultry, pork chops, and meatloaf. Color is a weak guide.
Read the affiliate disclosure.