Easy Chocolate Pudding
This rich, chocolatey pudding is ultra-creamy and smooth, super easy, and the best pudding you will ever eat.
You need to make homemade pudding. Why? Because homemade pudding is made with real, all-natural ingredients. Plus, it’s more custard-like, so it’s thick, rich and crammed with chocolate flavor.
Since we use real cocoa, this pudding is perfectly chocolatey. We don’t rely on excess sugar or fake flavors here, it’s simply cocoa, eggs, milk, sugar and vanilla!
I topped my pudding with whipped cream, but you don’t need it. This pudding is perfectly sweet all by itself, so you don’t need the whipped cream. If you want, you can add some fun toppings, like crushed cookies and colored sprinkles!
This pudding can be made in advance. Cover this pudding with plastic wrap and it will last up to 4 days in the refrigerator. But it’s so delicious, it likely won’t last that long!
Easy Chocolate Pudding
Ingredients
- 2 large egg yolks
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 cups whole milk, divided
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a medium, heat-proof bowl, whisk the egg yolks for about 1 minute, until light yellow and increased in volume. Whisk in the cornstarch and about 1/4 cup of the milk. Whisk until smooth and set aside.
- In a medium saucepan, combine the remaining milk, sugar, cocoa, and salt. Set the pan over medium-high heat and “scald” the mixture, which means heat until little bubbles appear around the edges of the pan – before the liquid comes to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat.
- While whisking the eggs, very gradually add the hot milk mixture – the goal is to heat (temper) the eggs slowly, not scramble them.
- Return the milk-egg mixture to the pan, set the pan over medium heat and bring to a boil, whisking constantly.
- Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes, until the mixture thickens, whisking constantly.
- Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the vanilla.
- Transfer the pudding to a bowl, cover with plastic, and press the plastic onto the surface of the pudding to prevent a “skin” from forming. Refrigerate until chilled.
- Alternatively, you can serve the pudding warm!