This pudding is the ultimate comfort food. It’s silky, made with dark chocolate and couldn’t be any easier to make. The only hard part is waiting for it to set in the fridge but I promise it’s worth the wait. I like mine bittersweet but you can certainly make it sweeter. I also think it’s a terrific summer dessert since it needs to be eaten chilled!
This is the third time I’ve made this pudding for the blog and it just never gets old! I first saw this recipe years ago on Smitten Kitchen, which turns out, is based on a recipe in The Essence of Chocolate. Since then I’ve wanted to update the photos and rewrite the recipes as well. This pudding, thickened with a little cornflour and generous amounts of chocolate, is milk-based and therefore rich, but not overwhelmingly so. I scaled it down to make two generous servings or four more realistic ones.
It was a humid, humid day when I was trying to whip the cream to top the pudding, so it’s less of a dollop than I would have liked, but I do recommend adding it! It balances out the dark chocolate and honestly, just because whipped cream is never a bad idea.
Because it takes little effort to make, and no effort to eat, this pudding is basically something to make all day, every day! It does need to be eaten chilled for the best texture and flavour, so don’t skimp on that. I hope you love this!
Chocolate Pudding
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp cornflour or cornstarch
- 1/4 cup caster sugar (50 gms)
- A pinch of salt
- 1 and 1/2 cups milk (375 ml)
- 85 gms dark chocolate, finely chopped (I like 70% to 75%)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, combine the cornflour, sugar and salt. Pour in 1/2 cup milk in a thin stream, whisking with a balloon whisk as you go, till the cornflour has dissolved completely. Pour in the rest of the milk and mix well.
- Place the saucepan on low heat, stirring often. Scrape the sides and bottom with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon, to ensure there are no lumps and the milk isn't burning. Stir till it begins to thicken enough to coat the back of the spoon, about 5 minutes. The milk should have just begun to simmer.
- Add the chocolate and stir till it is completely melted and the mixture thickens much more. Turn off the heat, add the vanilla and mix well. Pour the hot mixture through a sieve into a bowl so that any lumps can be discarded.
- Let the pudding cool uncovered at room temperature (it will thicken further), for about 30 minutes, then refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight, again uncovered. The longer you chill it the thicker it will be. If you want to avoid 'pudding skin' that forms as the pudding cools, place a piece of clingfilm directly on the surface of the pudding although I don't like the idea of plastic on hot pudding!
- Before eating, give the pudding a good whisk (this breaks down the pudding skin too) for the silkiest texture. Add an optional but recommended dollop of whipped cream and some grated chocolate or cocoa on top! Store the pudding in the fridge for 2 to 3 days, preferably without the cream. Enjoy!
Notes
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Reema Gurjar says
Hi Gayatri, is this pudding quite thick or is it nice and luscious? I want a decadent chocolate pudding to fill a tart shell. Will this pudding work you think? Or will it make the shell soggy?
TIA
the desserted girl says
Hi, the longer you keep it chilled the more it’ll thicken so it should be ok but I’d recommend filling the shells just before you serve, I can’t promise they won’t soften if done too much in advance !
Beejal says
Lovely simple recipe. Thanks Gayatri. I am a terrible cook but I drool through your recipes and try a really easy one once in a while.
I wanted to know if this could be made with dark chocolate morde compound instead of proper chocolate. Thanks
the desserted girl says
Hi Beejal, you can use compound chocolate although it has additives that might affect flavour and the way it melts which is why I usually avoid it. Let me know how it goes 🙂