Chocolate Pudding Recipe (4 Ingredients)
A homemade Chocolate pudding that is deliciously quick to make with only 4 ingredients – cocoa powder, cornstarch, milk and sugar. Yes, this pudding is made from scratch and without eggs in about 15 minutes and with a few hours to set it. If you have an egg allergy or do not eat eggs, then this eggless chocolate pudding recipe is for you.
About Chocolate Pudding Recipe
If you love chocolate, you will sure love this eggless chocolate pudding recipe. There is a smooth creaminess, velvety texture and the lovely chocolate flavor. The flavor deepens as it chills and sets in the refrigerator.
This homemade pudding recipe uses cocoa powder which is easily available in our kitchens. So this is not a very rich version like the pudding made with dark chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate, but good enough to enjoy the chocolate cravings. Even kids will like this dessert.
It takes about 15 minutes of your time to gather the ingredients and cook the cocoa pudding mixture. Then do allow a few hours for the pudding to chill and set in the refrigerator.
If you are allergic to dairy or a vegan, then use almond milk, GMO free soy milk or rice milk to make the pudding. Instead of corn starch which is used as a thickener, you can even use arrow root flour or tapioca starch.
The recipe can easily be doubled or tripled. Serve this egg free chocolate pudding as an after meal sweet dessert. You can also check this recipe of Chocolate Mousse made without eggs yolks.
Making sweets recipes with cocoa powder is a breeze. Earlier I have shared a few more delish desserts made with cocoa powder:
How to make Chocolate Pudding
Make Cocoa Cornstarch Slurry
1.n a bowl take 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder and 3 tablespoons cornstarch (known as cornflour in India).
For a more chocolaty taste, you can add 2.5 to 3 tablespoons cocoa powder. But do add some more sugar than what is specified in this recipe.
2. Add ¼ cup whole milk. The milk can be cold or at room temperature. Do not add warm or hot milk.
3. Whisk to a smooth slurry using a small wired whisk. There should be no lumps in this mixture. Set aside.
Cook Choco Pudding Mixture
4. Take 2 cups whole milk in a heavy medium saucepan. Heat the milk on a medium-low heat and let it become warm or slightly hot in the pan. You don’t need to boil the milk.
5. When the milk becomes warm or slightly hot then add ⅓ cup sugar. Feel free to reduce or increase the sugar according to your taste preferences.
6. With a wired whisk mix and stir until all of the sugar granules are dissolved.
7. Keep the heat to its lowest and then add the cocoa powder and the cornstarch slurry which we had prepared earlier.
8. As soon as you add the slurry, begin to stir and mix with a wired whisk so that lumps are not formed.
9. Mix very well and simmer the pudding mixture on a low heat. Do not cook on medium heat or high heat as the mixture can get lumps.
10. Keep on stirring continuously till the pudding mixture thickens.
11. You will see that the color deepens and the consistency of the cocoa pudding mixture will thicken.
12. Cook until the pudding mixture thickly coats the back of a spoon well. It should coat the back of a spoon neatly and should slowly drop or fall from the spoon.
13. The consistency will be medium-thick. If you see that there are lumps in this mixture, then you have the option to pass it through a fine mesh strainer/sieve or blitz the entire mixture in a blender or mixer until smooth and even.
14. Switch off heat and add ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract or ¼ teaspoon vanilla essence. You can opt to add 1 to 2 teaspoons of instant coffee at this step.
Opt to add a few ground spices like a dash of grated nutmeg or ground cinnamon or allspice if you prefer.
15. With a wired whisk mix very well.
16. Immediately pour the chocolate pudding mixture in small to medium heat proof glass bowls.
17. With a spatula scrape everything and add the pudding clinging at the sides of the pan also to the bowl. The pudding mixture clinging at the sides of the pan will be slightly thick.
Set Chocolate Pudding
18. Cover the bowls with a foil or lid or wax paper. You can also cover with clingfilm or plastic wrap. If you prefer, you can let the pudding cool without a lid or foil.
Remember that if you cover with foil or lid when the pudding is hot, then a few water droplets (from condensation) will be be seen on the surface of the pudding after it sets..
19. When the pudding cools at room temperature, then keep in fridge to set and chill it for 2 to 4 hours or overnight. The below photo is of the eggless chocolate pudding that is set.
The chocolate pudding will be wobbly once it sets. You can choose to serve it hot or warm if you prefer. But keep in mind that the eggless chocolate pudding thickens nicely after being set.
20. Once the chocolate pudding is set well, then serve chilled or cold. While serving eggless chocolate pudding add some grated chocolate, chocolate chips, whipped cream or chopped dry fruits or nuts if you prefer.
You can also pair it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream of chocolate ice cream.
Expert Tips
- Richer flavors: For a richer pudding, feel free to add some heavy cream or whipping cream in the pudding mixture. You can also add 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter.
- Type of cocoa powder: This recipe also works well with unsweetened drinking chocolate. You can also use dutch processed cocoa powder or raw cacao powder. The color of the pudding will vary with the type and quality of cocoa powder you use.
- Sweetness: If you use sweetened cocoa powder or sweetened drinking chocolate, then add sugar according to your taste preferences.
- Cooking: Make sure to cook the cocoa pudding mixture on a low heat, so that no lumps are formed. Also use a heavy pan so that milk or the pudding mixture does not burn from the bottom.
- Coffee flavor: To make the flavor of chocolate deeper in the recipe, add about 1 to 2 teaspoons of instant coffee. Add coffee when you add the vanilla extract.
FAQs
Can I use any other thickener in place of cornstarch?
Yes of course. Cornstarch is used a thickener in this recipe to thicken the pudding. If you are out of cornstarch, then add arrowroot flour, tapioca flour or rice flour.
But keep in mind that you may need to increase the amount of these thickeners if you do not get a thick coating of the pudding mixture on the back of the spoon. Each thickener will work differently.
How to make a vegan chocolate pudding with this recipe?
To make a vegan chocolate pudding, use oats milk, cashew milk, almond milk, rice milk or soy milk. I would not recommend coconut milk as it may split or separate due to longer heating.
Can I make this pudding with baking chocolate?
If you have baking chocolate bars like dark chocolate or bittersweet chocolate, then this recipe may not work. Some experimentation and testing will be needed to make the pudding with dark chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate.
Step by Step Photo Guide Above
Ingredients
For cocoa slurry
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder – unsweetened
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- ¼ cup whole milk – at room temperature or cold
More ingredients
- 2 cups whole milk – at room temperature or cold
- ⅓ cup raw sugar or white sugar, add as required
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract or ¼ teaspoon vanilla essence – optional
Instructions
Making cocoa powder slurry
- In a bowl take cocoa powder and and cornstarch. For a more chocolaty taste, you can add 2.5 to 3 tablespoons cocoa powder. But do add some more sugar than what is listed in this recipe.
- Add the whole milk. Note that the milk can be cold or at room temperature.
- Whisk to a smooth slurry. Set aside. There should be no lumps.
Making Pudding Mixture
- Take milk in a heavy sauce pan. Heat the milk on a medium-low flame and let it become warm or slightly hot. Do not boil the milk.
- When the milk becomes warm or lightly hot then add the sugar.
- Mix and stir until all the sugar is dissolved.
- Keep the heat to its lowest and then add the cocoa powder and corn flour slurry.
- As soon as you add the slurry, begin to stir and mix with a wired whisk.
- Mix very well and simmer the pudding mixture on a low heat.
- Keep on stirring continuously till the pudding mixture thickens.
- Cook till the chocolate pudding mixture thickly coats the back of a spoon. It should coat the back of a spoon and slowly drops or fall from the spoon. The consistency will be medium thick.
- Switch off heat and add the vanilla extract or vanilla essence.
- With a wired whisk mix again to combine the vanilla with the rest of the pudding mixture.
- Immediately pour the chocolate pudding mixture in small to medium heatproof glass or steel bowls.
- With a spatula scrape everything and add the thick pudding clinging at the sides of the pan also to the bowl.
- Cover the bowls with a foil or lid. You can let the pudding cool and then cover with foil.
Setting Chocolate Pudding
- When the pudding cools at room temperature, then keep in the fridge to set for 4 to 5 hours or overnight.
- The pudding will be wobbly once it is set.
- Serve chocolate pudding after it has set.
- While serving chocolate pudding add some grated chocolate or sliced dry fruits or nut on top. You can also serve it with some whipped cream.
Notes
- You can make this chocolate pudding recipe with dutch processed cocoa and even raw cacao powder.
- If you use sweetened cocoa powder or drinking chocolate, then add sugar according to your taste preferences.
- You can also opt to add 1 to 2 teaspoons of instant coffee to this pudding. Add the instant coffee when you add the vanilla extract and stir to mix.
- Instead of cornstarch, you can use arrowroot flour, rice flour or tapioca flour. You may need to increase the proportion of these flours if needed.
- For a vegan version use plant based milks like almond milk, cashew milk, rice milk or oats milk. Coconut milk can separate, so I do not suggest using it for this recipe.
- Scale this recipe easily to make a larger serving for small parties.
Nutrition
Chocolate Pudding recipe from the archives was first published on December 2017.
Hi, I’m a coffee lover, hence would like to know if the same pudding can be made as a coffee pudding.
Do let me know.
Thank you.
You could give a try. But add about 2 to 3 teaspoons of instant coffee. My only concern is that the milk should not split or separate due to the coffee.
I love cacao so much and would love to try this recipe !
Do try and I hope you like it.
Hi, I love to follow your recipes. Its easy and turns out good. No need to go to restaurants . My daughter loves to eat what ever I make now. Thank you and happy I found your site. I am good cook now. Will try this pudding .
Welcome Suchitra. Glad to know that you are happy with the site and the recipes. If your daughter is loving the recipes then it means the effort we are putting in the website is worth it. Thanks for your positive feedback.