Homemade chocolate pudding made on the stovetop is a creamy and satisfying dessert. Why use a boxed mix when homemade pudding is so simple and so much better tasting?
Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: The ingredients are so simple and you probably already have everything you need to make this easy wholesome dessert.
How long it takes: 20 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: saucepan
Servings: 4
Homemade chocolate pudding is one of the most satisfying treats you can find. Smooth and rich, warm or cold, chocolate pudding just makes you feel happy. I don’t know what there is about it. It appeals to people of all ages.
Have you ever made pudding with a boxed mix? It’s pretty easy, right? Especially if you use a no-cook, instant kind.
But would you agree that boxed mixes sort of have an off flavor? I checked a box of name brand instant chocolate pudding and here’s what you’ll find in it: Sugar, Modified Cornstarch, Cocoa Processed With Alkali, Sodium Phosphate, Contains Less Than 2% Of Tetrasodium Pyrophosphate, Natural And Artificial Flavor, Salt, Artificial Color, Mono- And Diglycerides, Red 40, Yellow 5, Blue 1.
Yuck! No wonder the box clearly states “Chocolate–Artificial Flavor.” That’s not all that’s artificial in that box.
So, homemade it is. Homemade chocolate pudding is perfectly delicious!
About This Chocolate Pudding Recipe
Natural wholesome ingredients. You can’t go too wrong with ingredients like milk, eggs, cocoa, sugar, vanilla, and butter. There isn’t anything artificial in homemade pudding.
Easy to make. There are lots of recipes for homemade chocolate pudding. Some recipes use cornstarch to thicken the pudding, other recipes will have you using a double boiler, or tempering the eggs. Nice, but why go through extra trouble and make all those dishes dirty?
Why you’ll love it. You’ll love this recipe because it’s easy, it’s made completely in one saucepan, and tastes great. (Plus, it was my grandma’s recipe.)
How To Make Homemade Chocolate Pudding
Mix ingredients in a saucepan. You’ll need one medium sized saucepan. Blend sugar, flour, cocoa, and a pinch of salt in the pan. Add an egg and mix it in well, until the mixture is smooth. Slowly stir in milk.
Cook the pudding. Cook over medium heat until the mixture comes to a boil, stirring pretty much constantly. I find that if I walk away for a couple of minutes, the pudding starts to get lumps. Be prepared to stir for about 15 minutes. Does 15 minutes seem alike a long time to stir? Listen to some music or a podcast, or invite someone into the kitchen for a little conversation. Bribe them with the promise of a bowl of chocolate pudding!
Stir in vanilla and butter. After the pudding comes to a boil, remove it from the heat, and stir in vanilla and a tablespoon of butter. Pour into bowls and enjoy immediately, or refrigerate to enjoy it cold.
Cooking Tip
To prevent a “skin” from forming on top of the pudding, press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the pudding. Skin or no skin is a personal preference. I kind of like it.
Make It Your Own
- Use whatever type of milk you happen to have. Whole milk will make the creamiest pudding, but 2% or non-fat work well, too. I haven’t tested the recipe with nondairy milk.
- Double or triple the recipe. Make sure you have a big enough saucepan.
- Make a chocolate pie. Bake a 9 inch pie shell, make a batch and a half of chocolate pudding, and pour the pudding into the baked pie shell. A graham cracker crust works great, too! Refrigerate until firm. For more specific directions, check out my recipe for chocolate pudding pie.
- Mocha chocolate pudding: Add a couple teaspoons of instant espresso powder to the pudding. Mix the powder with the flour and sugar, blending it in well.
- Mexican hot chocolate pudding. Add a teaspoon of ground cinnamon to the pudding. Serve it with Mexican chocolate shortbread cookies for a special treat.
- Be creative with toppings. Top with a dollop of whipped cream. Sprinkle the pudding with chocolate chips, nuts, or top with fresh fruit, like strawberries or raspberries. This crunchy oat topping is really good, too.
- Not a fan of chocolate? Try homemade vanilla pudding or easy pumpkin pudding.
More Chocolate Desserts
- Chocolate Delight – a popular layered icebox dessert with chocolate pudding.
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie (no bake) – rich and delicious!
- Chocolate Lava Cake Recipe – so easy to make.
- Best Chocolate Cake Recipe (no eggs or butter) with chocolate cream cheese frosting.
- Check out my list of 20 easy chocolate desserts!
Homemade chocolate pudding, tightly covered, can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
More Dessert Recipes
Homemade Chocolate Pudding Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- Pinch of salt
- 1 large egg
- 2 cups milk (see note)
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- In medium sized saucepan, blend together sugar, cocoa, flour, and salt. Add egg and mix until well blended. Slowly stir in milk until ingredients are blended.
- Over medium heat, stirring constantly, bring to a boil. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens slightly, 3 to 5 minutes. Pudding will thicken more as it cools.
- Stir in butter and vanilla. If desired, divide into 4 serving dishes. Serve warm or cold.
- To avoid having a skin form on top of the pudding, press plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pudding as it cools.
Notes
- Milk options: Whole milk will make the creamiest pudding, but 2% or non-fat work well, too. I haven’t tested nondairy milks.
- Double or triple the recipe. Make sure you have a big enough saucepan.
- Mocha chocolate pudding: Add a couple teaspoons of instant espresso powder with the flour and sugar, blending it in well.
- Mexican hot chocolate pudding. Add a teaspoon of ground cinnamon.
- Be creative with toppings. Top pudding with a dollop of whipped cream, chocolate chips, nuts, or top with fresh fruit, like strawberries or raspberries. This crunchy oat topping is really good, too.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did You Make This?Share a comment and rating below! I love hearing what you think!
I just made your recipe using oat milk, and it came out just fine. (Other substitutions, because it’s what I had in my kitchen, were whole wheat flour instead of all-purpose and Melt (butter substitute). I’ve been skimming a handful of your other recipes, and I plan to spend some time here. Thank you for sharing such a wealth of ideas and tasty possibilities.
Thank you for the kind words, and for sharing your substitutions! I’m glad you still had success with the recipe!
Way too much cocoa powder. I don’t want to be rude, this recipe is good and was very easy to make. texture was perfect and simple. Might have been my mistake but I found the pudding quite bitter and the cocoa powder overpowering. Will definitely make again but with less cocoa, hopefully will be better.
Thanks for the feedback! May I ask what type of cocoa powder you used?
After looking diligently for a good chocolate pudding recipe, I decided to try yours, Rachel. Being the first time making this dessert, I was thrilled at how easy it was and OMG, it tastes incredibly good. I made this as a surprise for a dear friend who loves chocolate pudding and will be here tomorrow for dinner….and dessert!
Thank you for sharing. : )
I’m so glad you liked it! Thank you for leaving a review, it means a lot!
The weirdest thing happened to me while making this pudding. The last thing I did was add the butter and the the vanilla, but, before I did I tasted it. Heaven! The best pudding, will not go back to the box again. Anyway, I added the butter, then the vanilla and I could see the texture change. Before it was like silk, after I added it turned gritty. The only thing I can think of is I used imitation vanilla, that shouldn’t have made a difference though. (only thing at the store). Thank god it’s a small bottle so didn’t waste to much money. I’ve just never had that happen.
Hmmm, that is strange. I’ve never tested this with imitation vanilla (and I don’t ever use it so I don’t know a lot about it) so that could be what made it happen. It could be your heat was too high otherwise?
Great recipe, easy to follow directions. Turned out fantastic, I’ll never buy boxed pudding again.
Thankyou !
So happy to hear it! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review!
Super easy
That’s why I love it1
SO good. Made it a few nights ago and we ate it all! Can’t wait to make it again. Definitely good enough for making a company dessert. Just add real whipped cream. Yum
So glad to hear you enjoyed it! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review!
Very easy to make!
To address some of the negative comments: make sure to use dutch-processed (alkaline) cocoa powder.
Without getting too much into chemistry, regular cocoa powder is acidic.
So, that mealy texture is likely from an acid-base reaction (curdled pudding, basically).
When dutch-processed cocoa is used, the texture and flavors are simply decadent!
That’s very helpful, thank you!
This is my first time making homemade pudding and I’m blown away! I followed the recipe and instructions exactly and it is perfect. Absolutely no clumps at all and SO DELICIOUS it will be a miracle if we have any left for dessert tonight. My girls are already so excited thinking about all of the toppings they want to put on! :)
So glad you guys liked it! My kids go nuts for it too. Thanks for taking the time to leave a review, it means a lot!
Just made it. My husband is inhaling it warm, right now. Can’t wait to taste it cold. Followed exact instructions, expect pudding took about 10 minutes to boil. This was definitely the least lumpy pudding I’ve made yet, so thumbs up!
I’m so glad you liked it! Thanks for leaving a comment!