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Impress for less and make this delicious chocolate pudding from scratch. It takes less than 15 minutes of prep time and 4 basic ingredients that work like magic!
It’s super easy, no-bake, gluten-free, it doesn’t require gelatine and tastes so good. What’s not to love?
Saying that I make this chocolate pudding recipe often is an understatement. We love it, and it makes a quick yet delish dessert with such a small effort, perfect when we have friends over!
I usually refrigerate it, if I want to unmold it nicely for a more impressive result. However, if I run out of time, I pour it into nice glasses and serve it warm, at room temperature, chilled, whatever I like. Easy peasy.
Serve with fresh berries or a fancy sugar twirl, or even on its own with that delicious caramel syrup. Trust me, it’s a hit!
What ingredients you need
- Milk
- Unsweetened cocoa powder
- Sugar
- Cornstarch
How to make it
- Sift cocoa powder and corn starch into a saucepan
- Add milk and sugar
- Cook gently until you get a luscious chocolate batter
- Pour into the ramekins, I love these stainless steel sauce cups: they allow the pudding to release easily, they’re oven-safe and last forever!
- Refrigerate, and unmould them after a couple of hours
- Decorate with fresh berries or toasted nuts, if you like
- Sit, relax and enjoy!
Recipe notes & tips
Extra bonus? It’s healthy and packed with milk and unsweetened cocoa powder, one of the most potent antioxidants on the planet. it contains nutrients such as calcium, copper, iron, and magnesium. Cocoa powder is also a good source of protein, dietary fiber, and antioxidants called flavonoids.
No boxed mix required… only deliciousness.
Caramel syrup
If you want to unmold the pudding nicely as shown in the pictures, you need to glaze the bottom of the ramekins with a small amount of caramel syrup.
And making caramel syrup is easier than you think.
Basically, you need a tiny amount (as small as a coin) of this hot caramelized sugar at the bottom of each ramekin.
- You can unrefined cane sugar: it melts fine but it leaves a little hole on the top of the pudding if you serve it upside down.
- You can use refined or regular sugar: it will give you a better result, smoother finish, and more caramel sauce if you want a sweeter and more indulgent dessert.
(Recipe updated: originally posted in November 2018, I’ve tweaked the post adding more notes and new pictures).
Chocolate pudding variations
This pudding recipe works well with different flavors.
You can add instant coffee, cinnamon, rum, vanilla essence, or almond essence.
If you like a twist, go for it and add 1 tsp of the extra ingredient to the milk.
How long does it keep?
It keeps well in the fridge for up to 2 days.
More recipes featuring cocoa powder
- Ferrero Rocher chocolate truffles
- Chocolate zucchini bread
- Beetroot and chocolate cake
- Vegan chocolate cake
If you make this super easy chocolate pudding recipe, let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, or tag a photo #theclevermeal on Instagram. I would love to hear from you!
Easy Chocolate Pudding Recipe
Equipment
- Saucepan
- 4 ramekins or glasses
Ingredients
Caramel syrup
- 3 Tbsp (45 grams) sugar (optional)
Chocolate pudding
- 1/3 cup (40 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 Tbsp (30 grams) cornstarch (level spoons)
- 1/3 cup (70 grams) sugar
- 2 cups (473 ml) milk
Instructions
Caramel syrup, optional (see notes)
- Heat the sugar in a heavy saucepan over low/medium heat until it melts and begins to brown. You don't stir the pan at all, just wait and keep an eye on it, since it's a small amount of sugar the caramelization will happen quickly, in about 7-8 minutes.
- When the sugar is caramelized with a brown/amber color and runny consistency, pour it immediately into the 4 prepared ramekins (I use stainless steel ramekins). The amount of sugar will be approximately 1 tsp per each ramekin. Be careful, it's HOT!
Chocolate pudding
- Sift cornstarch and cocoa powder into a saucepan to avoid any lumps (you can use the same saucepan you used for the caramel).
- Add milk and sugar to the sauce pan and whisk it well.
- Place the pan over a high/medium heat and bring to a boil, keep stirring.
- Then reduce the heat from medium to low, and keep stirring for a further 2 minutes (set a timer if you can). You have now a luscious and thick chocolate batter.
- Pour it immediately into the prepared ramekins. You can serve it warm or, you if prefer to serve it unmoulded with the caramel syrup (as shown in the pictures) let it cool down a bit and then refrigerate for a couple of hours.
Serve it
- To unmold, run a sharp knife around the edge of each mold. Place the serving plate over the mold, invert, and tap the mold. The chocolate pudding slips out onto the plate along with the sugar syrup. Decorate with fresh berries if you like, enjoy!
Notes
- It keeps well in the fridge for up to 2 days.
- CARAMEL SYRUP: a tiny amount (as small as a coin) of this hot caramelized sugar at the bottom of each ramekin will help the release. I leave it optional since the chocolate pudding is enjoyable even without caramel, however, the caramel adds sweet notes and extra moisture.
When you make the caramel syrup, take your time. Don’t add any water and don’t increase the heat, just look at it and it will melt in about 8 minutes.
Plus, Keep in mind hot sugar is VERY hot. When you pour it into the ramekins, it gets hard in seconds, it’s normal, but it turns into syrup when you unmold the pudding. - NOTE: nutritional values are estimates only (calculated per serving, including the caramel syrup).
Laura
Hi,
Is there any substitution that I can use for cornstarch – I don’t have any in my cupboard
Thank you 😊
Katia
Hi Laura, I’ve never tested the recipe with another ingredient, sorry if I can’t help. x
Lauri
This is exactly the kind of recipe I love to make, easy quick healthy cheap and versatile! Not many recipes end up in my recipe bible – they have to fit all that criteria – but this ones going in there for sure. Looking at this website there’s a few more recipes I’m looking forward to trying too 🙂
Katia
Hi Lauri, thanks for stopping by! I’m very happy to share these fuss-free recipes with you: easy, quick, healthy and cheap meals mean a better life for me 🙂
Btw, this is a fairly new blog and I’m going to add more recipes soon 😉 x
Eloisa
We loved it!
Katia
I’m glad you tried it! 🙂