Chocolate Pudding Pots – for all your dinner party dessert needs! Think – a richer, more luxurious Chocolate Mousse, with a fraction of the work. Tastes sophisticated. Easy to pretty up. Make ahead 5 days!
Chocolate pudding pots
These little Chocolate Pudding Pots are everything I love in a dessert – luxurious yet not overly rich, not too sweet, and elegant enough for a fancy dinner, yet dead easy to make. It’s the sort of dessert that makes people think you’ve done something clever, when really it’s just a matter of whisking a few things together then chilling.
It’s essentially a no-bake version of Pots de Crèmes, the French chocolate custards. The texture and flavour is the same – softly creamy, melting into a river of chocolate in your mouth. But best of all, these keep beautifully for days. I stash them in the fridge and sneak spoonfuls whenever I pass by …… until I find my pot mysteriously empty. Who ate my pudding pot?!!
And yes, the “keeps for 5 days” part also makes it an excellent ready-to-go dessert, not just standby snacking food. 😀
Ingredients
While nostalgic chocolate puddings of years gone by were set just using cornflour / cornstarch, I like to use egg yolks as well which also makes it a little more luxurious without leaving a greasy mouthfeel. Plus – real chocolate, not just cocoa powder, for rich chocolate flavour. Essentially, this chocolate pudding is a variation of chocolate French pastry cream (Crème Pâtissière). 🙂
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70% cocoa chocolate (bittersweet chocolate) will give this a rich chocolate flavour that’s not too sweet, as well as the dark brown chocolate colour that makes this look quite sophisticated, I think! I like to use the block form and chop it up so it melts effortlessly. The chocolate also does the bulk of the heavy lifting to set the pudding, so don’t cut down on the chocolate. Also see FAQ below for using other types of chocolate as you will need to use more cornflour / cornstarch to set the pudding.
Chocolate types FAQ
Regular dark chocolate (semi-sweet chocolate in the US) can absolutely be used in this pudding! It still provides a terrific rich chocolate flavour, and as it is commonly sold in chips or melts/discs, it makes this pudding even easier to make as you don’t need to chop up a block.
Recipe adjustment – However, you will need to use a little more cornflour /cornstarch to set the pudding as dark chocolate is not as hard as 70% cocoa chocolate (this pudding relies on chocolate to help it set). Also consider reducing the sugar in the pudding by 1 tablespoon as dark chocolate is also a little sweeter than 70% cocoa.
What’s the difference between dark chocolate and 70% cocoa chocolate? Dark chocolate is ~45% cocoa so the chocolate flavour is less intense. It is also a little sweeter, the colour of the chocolate is not quite as dark brown so the pudding will be a little lighter. And dark chocolate is a little softer (rule of thumb is: less cocoa % = softer chocolate), which is why we need more cornflour to help the pudding set (per above).
This recipe isn’t designed for these as they are softer and sweeter. As mentioned above, this pudding relies on chocolate to help it set, I’d need to tweak cornflour and sugar amounts so the pudding sets properly and isn’t overly sweet.
If your chocolate comes in the form of chips or melts / discs / wafers / buttons (so many names!), there is no need to chop the chocolate. Buttons/discs are designed to melt easily, whereas chips are designed to hold their form when baked (like in Chocolate Chip Cookies) but actually, they melt fine too!
Typically (at least, here in Australia), better quality chocolate for baking comes in block form.
70% cocoa is my preference because the chocolate flavour is richer, the pudding colour is darker and it just generally makes this dessert seem more sophisticated. Having said that, I will never hesitate to make this with regular dark chocolate instead because it is still soooo good, plus it’s even faster to make using a packet of chips or melts/discs as there’s not need to chop up a block.
Chocolate blocks from the confectionary aisle made for eating is typically not suitable for cooking where the chocolate is intended to be melted. This is because eating chocolate is actually designed to not melt easily (think – chocolate bars left in your car!).
The exception to this rule – at least here in Australia – is Lindt chocolate which is a brilliant cooking chocolate but sold as an eating chocolate. Lindt chocolate blocks are tempered, a characteristic of high quality chocolate which gives it that signature glossy finish, clean “snap”, and smooth melt. Lindt is my go-to high quality chocolate for cooking purposes – like in these Chocolate Puddings!
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Cocoa powder – Regular unsweetened cocoa powder, though dutch processed will work fine here too (I’d probably reduce to 1 1/2 tablespoons). Make sure you sift it, cocoa powder is notoriously lumpy!
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2 large egg yolks – Use the yolks of large eggs, which are eggs ~50-55g/2oz each from cartons labelled “large eggs” (it’s a standardised industry term). Separate the yolk while fridge cold, it’s easier.
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Milk and cream – The liquids for the pudding. I like using more cream than milk (1 1/2 cups cream and 1 cup milk) for a slightly richer finish. If you wanted to cut down on calories, you could absolutely make this with just low fat milk (but increase the cornflour slightly to help it set better, see recipe notes).
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Cornflour / cornstarch – This helps the pudding set, though as noted above most of the setting is from the chocolate itself.
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Caster sugar / superfine sugar – Regular white sugar is fine too, caster sugar is just my default because the grains are finer so they dissolve more easily.
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Vanilla extract – Better than imitation vanilla essence!
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Pinch of salt – Brings out the chocolate flavour, standard practice in baking these days to include a bit of salt!
How to make Chocolate Pudding Pots
In summary – whisk everything except the chocolate in a saucepan, heat to thicken, melt chocolate through, pour into pots and chill. In case you missed it above – keeps for 5 days!
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Whisk everything – Put the yolks and sugar in a medium saucepan (about 20cm / 8″ wide). Whisk to combine (it will seem thick at first but then the sugar liquifies). Add the cornflour, vanilla, cocoa powder (I sift it straight in) and salt with a small splash of milk (~2 tablespoons). We need a bit of milk else the mixture is dry and clumpy. Then mix the milk and cream in – it should be a pale brown watery mixture.
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Warm to thicken – Put it on a medium stove. As the mixture warms up, it will thicken slightly – not much, because the pudding is mostly set from the chocolate which we add later. Whisk every now and then at first, then more regularly as it gets warmer as it will thicken on the base.
Bubbles – Once you see bubbles breaking the surface (~ 5 minutes), keep stirring for another 15 seconds then take it off the stove.
⚠️ Don’t be impatient like me and make the heat too stronger to speed things up, or even think you can start high then go low. You will pay the price when you’re eating scrambled egg lumps. 😭
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Melt chocolate – Add the chopped chocolate and stir until fully melted. If it’s not melting fully (which could happen if some chunks were a little big!), put it back on a low stove to give it a helping hand.
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Pour – Working quickly, pour the mixture into 5 glasses or other serving vessel. For 5 servings there is just shy of 1/2 cup per person, so uses glasses a little larger than this (my cocktail glasses are 3/4 cup (180 ml). You could also use one large dish – there’s 1.25 litres (5 cups) of custard so use a dish a little larger.
TIP: The faster you pour, the smoother the surface of your puddings as the mixture thickens quickly in the saucepan which will leave “ripples” on the surface of your pudding. Not a big deal, it will be hidden by cream anyway, and actually I think it looks quite nice. 🙂
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Chill to set – Let the puddings cool for around 15 minutes on the counter then in chill in the fridge for 3 hours to fully set. Don’t cover as it will cause condensation which will drip onto the surface of the pudding. The pudding will set to a texture that is soft enough so it melts effortlessly into a river of chocolate in your mouth, but holds its form when you take a scoop out. As in – pudding perfection! 🙂
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Decorate with a little (or a lot!) of whipped cream and a sprinkle of chopped chocolate.
I kept the garnish for this simple with just cream and a little chopped chocolate (which was originally grated chocolate but I really like the texture of chopped instead). But there’s so many more options! Here are some ideas:
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A raspberry or halved strawberry and a small spring of mint;
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Sprinkle of crushed nuts, pralines, leftover toffee pecans from last weeks’ layered pumpkin cake, peanut brittle or similar;
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Spritz with gold dust or a little piece of edible gold foil;
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Sprinkle with freeze dried strawberries or raspberries; or
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Add something crunchy like a biscotti, shortbread, tuille or wafer balanced on the glass or served on the side.
What do you think? Love to know what other ideas you have for toppings! – Nagi x
Chocolate Pudding Pots FAQ
Ah yes, time to reveal my tinkering! 🙂
Old-school chocolate pudding is set with just cornflour / cornstarch and sometimes only use cocoa powder for chocolate flavour.
I wanted one that was more luxurious with a richer chocolate flavour. I don’t like to use all cream because the mouthfeel is just too greasy, so I use egg yolks instead. This also thickens the pudding so I dial the cornflour amount way back to just 1 tablespoon.
And lastly, I use real chocolate rather than just cocoa powder, for indulgent chocolate flavour!
They are virtually the same – the same texture, the same flavour and same mouthfeel. The difference is that Pots de Crèmes are baked and rely solely on eggs to set. Traditionally chocolate puddings relied solely on cornstarch. This pudding recipe I’m sharing today is a hybrid of the two as I use both eggs and cornstarch. See commentary below on development notes!
What are Pots de Crèmes? These are a classic French dessert – rich, silky smooth custards that sit somewhere between a pudding and a mousse, made with just cream, eggs, sugar, and good chocolate.
I’ve had a couple of readers say theirs did not set properly and I am worrying people are not using the right chocolate so I’ve emphasised it more! The recipe as written calls for 70% cocoa chocolate which will set into a pudding texture with 1 1/2 tablespoons of cornflour / cornstarch. Dark chocolate (called semi-sweet chocolate in the US) has less cocoa (in the 45% region) so it is is softer than 70% and therefore won’t set the pudding as much. So the cornflour needs to be increased to 3 tablespoons.
If you have the problem of a pudding that didn’t set properly, see next FAQ for how to salvage it – it’s easy!
If your pudding did not set properly (see FAQ above), the good news is that it’s an easy fix! Transfer all the pudding into a saucepan. Mix cornflour/cornstarch with a little milk then whisk that in. Warm the pudding to melt on low heat (it will liquify), then heat it on medium until bubbles break the surface. Strain into moulds (to remove any lumps from skins from when previously set) and chill!
Amount of cornflour – Start with 2 teaspoons cornflour with 1 tablespoon of milk, then if it is still too thin once heated (compared it to the video) then add another 2 teaspoons. The pudding can actually take a fair amount of cornflour without getting ruined, I was surprised. Cornflour doesn’t set things into firm rubber like using too much gelatine, it just doesn’t have the same setting capabilities and strength. So the risk of the pudding setting too firmly from using too much cornflour is pretty low, you’d have to use a LOT of cornflour.
Yes, just substitute the milk and cream with lactose free. If you can’t find lactose free cream, use milk instead and increase the cornflour up to 2 tablespoons.
You sure can! There is 1.25L (5 cups) of custard so use a dish that is a little larger than this.
5 days in the fridge. Not suitable for freezing!
This recipe relies on the chocolate to help it set, so you can’t just remove it to make vanilla ones. I’d have to figure out the ingredient ratios to make this without chocolate. I like the idea though! Kind of like no-bake Creme Brûlées!
This is one of those base recipes I’ve known for as long as I can remember, so variations of it are in a number of recipes on this website, including Chocolate Cream Pie, Chocolate Custard Cake, to name a couple.
I just thought it’d be nice to share classic chocolate pudding in individual dessert portions, so that’s what initiated today’s recipe. I must confess though I tinkered with the recipe. In years gone by I used less chocolate, more sugar and less cream. I dialled up the chocolate to get a dark chocolate colour rather than pale brown, I dialled down the sugar to make it just sweet enough to compliment rather than overwhelm the chocolate flavour, and I increased the cream to make it a little richer so you get a nice luxurious mouthfeel.
Watch how to make it
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Chocolate Pudding Pots
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Ingredients
- 2large egg yolks (ie yolks of eggs ~50-55g/2oz each, from cartons labelled “large eggs”)
- 1/3cupcaster sugar / superfine sugar(or regular white sugar)
- 1tspvanilla extract
- 2tbspcocoa powder, sifted (unsweetened)
- 1 1/2tbspcornflour / cornstarch
- 1cupmilk, full fat is best
- 1 1/2cupsthickened cream / heavy cream, or any other regular full-fat pourable cream
- 150 g/5oz70% cocoa chocolate(bittersweet chocolate), finely chopped – see note for dark chocolate / semi-sweet chocolate (Note 1)
- Pinchof salt
Whipped cream:
- 3/4cupthickened cream / heavy cream or any other cream for whipping, fridge cold
- 1/2tspvanilla extract
- 2tspwhite sugar
Garnish:
- 2tbsp70% cocoa chocolate(bittersweet chocolate), finely chopped (Note 1)
Instructions
ABBREVIATED RECIPE:
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Whisk yolks and sugar in a saucepan, then vanilla, cocoa, cornflour and splash of milk. Whisk in remaining milk, cream and salt. Heat on medium (whisk), once bubbles appear keep stirring 15 seconds, then take off stove. Stir in chocolate, pour in glasses, chill. Decorate then serve!
FULL RECIPE:
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Whisk mixture – Put the yolks and sugar in a medium saucepan. Whisk until combined. Add the vanilla, cocoa, cornflour and a small splash of milk. Whisk until lump free. Add the remaining milk, cream and salt then whisk to combine.
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Heat gently – Put the saucepan over medium heat on the stove. Whisk every now and then initially, and more frequently as the mixture heats up as it will thicken on the base. Be sure to get right into the edges.
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Melt chocolate – Once gentle bubbles break the surface (about 5 minutes), stir for another 15 seconds then remove off the stove. Add the chocolate and stir until melted. (Note 2) ⚠️ Do not boil cornflour mixture longer as it may kill the setting qualities of the cornflour.
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Pour quickly and cool – Immediately pour the mixture into 5 small glasses, ramekins etc – if you are too slow, the mixture will thicken and leave ripples on the surface (it’s just a visual thing, we can hide with cream!). Cool on the counter for 15 minutes then refrigerate uncovered for 3 hours until set. (Keep 5 days!) See FAQ for what to do if your pudding is too loose, and what may have caused it.
To serve:
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Whip cream – With an electric beater, whip the cream ingredients for 1 – 1 1/2 minutes on high until softly whipped. (Stabilise the cream if making ahead)
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Decorate – Spoon a dollop on the pudding, sprinkle with chocolate and serve!
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
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