I am honestly not sure why it took me so long to make chocolate pudding from scratch instead of grabbing a box of instant pudding. Homemade chocolate pudding is a little more time consuming, but the best part about it is that you can customize it to your liking. Want more chocolate flavor? Add more cocoa. Want it thicker or thinner? Adjust the cornstarch. More sweetness? Add more sugar (or less). My husband is a fan of store-bought chocolate pudding and told me it couldn’t be beat with homemade pudding, however when I found a container of homemade chocolate pudding completely emptied out this morning, I think he may have changed his mind. I know I would much rather have the homemade pudding!
You may also enjoy Amish vanilla cornstarch pudding, brownie chocolate mousse cups or Oreo chocolate mousse cups.
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Creamy Homemade Chocolate Pudding
Ingredients
- 3 egg yolks
- 4 tablespoons cornstarch *see note
- 3 cups whole milk
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons butter optional
Instructions
- Place egg yolks in a small mixing bowl, then whisk in cornstarch, 1 tablespoon at a time until smooth and well combined with the egg yolks.
- Place sugar, cocoa powder and milk in a medium sized saucepan. Whisk to combine and heat to roughly 120-130 degrees Fahrenheit, or until hot to touch but not scalding hot. Gradually whisk a little of the warmed chocolate milk into the egg and cornstarch mixture to temper the eggs. Add just enough warm milk to reach a pourable consistency.
- While whisking rapidly, pour the cornstarch mixture into the hot chocolate milk in the saucepan. Bring to a slow boil over medium-low heat (do not heat too quickly) while whisking constantly to avoid burning and clumping on the bottom. Once the mixture has thickened and is beginning to bubble, remove from heat immediately.
- Stir vanilla extract, salt and butter (can be added to smooth the pudding but is optional) into the chocolate pudding. Allow to cool at room temperature for 1 hour while whisking every ten minutes to prevent a skin from forming on top.
- Place plastic wrap on top of the chocolate pudding to prevent a skin from forming and causing lumps. Chill in the refrigerator for 4 hours or overnight to allow the pudding to set properly. Whisk again before serving if needed, then enjoy!
Notes
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Ingredients needed for this homemade chocolate pudding: milk, cocoa powder, salt, vanilla extract, eggs (only the yolks are needed), cornstarch and sugar. Butter can be added but is optional.
A note on cornstarch:
Feel free to play around with the amount of cornstarch added to get the consistency you desire. The perfect consistency for myself was when using 1/4 cup of cornstarch but my husband prefers it a little thicker (more like 1/3 cup). The mixture will thicken a good bit once it is heated and again when it cools, so don’t add too much at first.
Step 1: Place egg yolks in a small mixing bowl, then whisk in cornstarch, 1 tablespoon at a time until smooth and well combined with the egg yolks.
Step 2-3: Place sugar, cocoa powder and milk in a medium sized saucepan. Whisk to combine and heat to roughly 120-130 degrees Fahrenheit, or until hot to touch but not scalding hot. Gradually whisk a little of the warmed chocolate milk into the egg and cornstarch mixture to temper the eggs. Add just enough warm milk to reach a pourable consistency. While whisking rapidly, pour the cornstarch mixture into the hot chocolate milk in the saucepan. Bring to a slow boil over medium-low heat (do not heat too quickly) while whisking constantly to avoid burning and clumping on the bottom. Once the mixture has thickened and is beginning to bubble, remove from heat immediately.
Whisk and whisk some more.
Making pudding is all about that whisking. The best results I have had came from whisking continuously and heating the pudding mixture over a medium heat, not high heat. If the mixture heats too quickly it will burn and clump instead of thickening nicely from a more low and slow heat. You don’t have to turn the temperature all the way down to low and stand there whisking for hours, just keep it on a medium heat or a few digits above medium.
Step 4: Stir vanilla extract, salt and butter (can be added to smooth the pudding but is optional) into the chocolate pudding. Allow to cool at room temperature for 1 hour while whisking every ten minutes to prevent a skin from forming on top.
Why add butter?
Butter can be added to smooth out the pudding and to enhance the flavor. I have made this chocolate pudding without butter and found it to be smooth and flavorful enough without, so adding butter is totally optional.
Step 5: Place plastic wrap on top of the chocolate pudding to prevent a skin from forming and causing lumps. Chill in the refrigerator for 4 hours or overnight to allow the pudding to set properly. Whisk again before serving if needed.
Serve and enjoy! I look forward to topping a chocolate cake with this yummy chocolate pudding tonight. Nothing better than a piece of chocolate cake that is soaked in fresh cow’s milk and topped with creamy cornstarch pudding!
Storage notes:
Keep this chocolate pudding in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. Do not freeze the pudding due to separation from the cornstarch.
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