Easy Chocolate Pudding Recipe

This post and recipe was created for #HalloweenTreatsWeek! I was sent samples by some of the sponsor companies but as always opinions are 100% mine.

Today I have a wonderful chocolate pudding recipe for you guys. I call it easy chocolate pudding because it doesn’t have any eggs in it. And if dairy is an issue for you, I have a kinda surprising non-dairy alternative for you as well.

If you love pudding like I do, you may also enjoy my butterscotch pudding, roasted banana pudding, and my caramel chocolate pudding.

Read on, not only for this recipe, but to see everyone else’s recipes for today and to of course enter the Halloween Treats Week giveaway!

2 jars of easy chocolate pudding decorated for Halloween

What You'll Find in This Post Click to view ToC

What Makes This Recipe Work

I have been a pudding afficianado for years, and I’ve made all kinds of pudding.

I like to think I’ve perfected this recipe.

Here’s what’s great about this recipe:

It uses both cocoa powder and chocolate chips for well-rounded chocolate flavor
This is a no-egg recipe, so it’s great for folks who can’t have eggs.
You can make it with either flour or cornstarch, so it also works for gluten free folks
It uses brown sugar for a deeper flavor than using granulated sugar
It makes 4 servings, although it is easy to scale up to serve more if you need to
It’s equally delicious chilled or warm

How to Make It

Pudding is a pretty straightforward dessert, and it’s often my go-to for a comforting dessert.

You probably own most of these ingredients already:

Ingredients

cornstarch: you can also use flour if you prefer. If using cornstarch, boil the pudding for 2 full minutes. If using flour, boiling for 30 seconds or so will do
salt: I use kosher salt. You can also use table salt, but only use 1/4 teaspoon
milk: I use whole milk. You may also use 2% or 1% milk or a plant based milk
brown sugar: I like brown sugar for the deeper flavor it provides, but you can use granulated sugar as well. Dark or light brown will work equally as well
cocoa powder: I wanted a pretty dark chocolate pudding, so I went with Hershey’s special dark cocoa powder which is a mixture of Dutch process and regular cocoa. Any cocoa powder will do here.
chocolate chips: To stick with the theme, I also used Hershey’s special dark chocolate chips, but again, any dark chocolate chips or even chopped dark chocolate will work just fine
vanilla extract: the vanilla rounds out the chocolate nicely.

Procedure

As I said, it’s a really straightforward and easy process. I’m listing all the steps here so you know what to expect, but the short version is stir, bring to a boil, strain, and then pour into jars.

Put chocolate chips and vanilla in a bowl.
Heat milk, brown sugar, cocoa powder, and salt together.
Bring to a boil, whisking constantly.
Strain into the bowl with the chocolate chips.
Stir until the chips are melted and the pudding is smooth.
Pour into containers for serving.

How to Spooky Up Your Chocolate Pudding for Halloween

two plates, one with corn syrup on it and one with Halloween sprinkles

Ever rimmed a margarita glass with salt? Then you’ll have no problem with this technique.

Instead of lime juice, wet your dessert glass rims with corn syrup.
And instead of salt, rim your glasses with Halloween sprinkles.

Go ahead and pour your pudding into your glasses while it’s warm, but wait until it cools down before putting any decorations on top, like candy eyes. They might melt!

PRO TIP: Don’t add candy decorations to your pudding until it cools or they may melt!

close up of easy chocolate pudding in a dish with Halloween sprinkles and candy eyes

More Tips for Success and Equipment Recommendations

Tips and tricks are all from me. Any equipment recommendations are Amazon links, and I will earn a small commission on any sales through those links. Your price is unaffected.

Keep the pudding moving so it doesn’t scorch. I like to use a pan with sloped sides like a saucier and a nice balloon whisk to keep things from sticking.
I always recommend straining any pudding, whether it has egg or not. It ensures that it’s silky smooth. I use a fine mesh strainer for all my custards.

Pudding Q & A

overhead shot of a spoonful of chocolate pudding against a blue patterned plate

Can I double this recipe?

Absolutely. Pudding recipes are easy to double. No weird math. Just multiply the amount of all ingredients by 2. You can also make a ton by tripling or even quadrupling this recipe.

Can I make chocolate pudding with water?

The surprising answer is yes! I tried it with water, and the chocolate flavor is a bit more intense without the dairy to mellow it, and I really liked it. The pudding doesn’t set up quite as thick, so you can add an additional 1-2 teaspoons of cornstarch or flour to make up for that.

Is this recipe vegan?

If you use a plant-based milk or water as the liquid and check all your other ingredients, this pudding can be vegan.

Can I make it gluten free?

Use cornstarch as the thickener and be careful of your ingredient labels for everything else, and this makes a great gluten-free dessert option.

How long will it last in the fridge?

It’ll be just fine in the fridge for 4-5 days. Make sure you cover each jar/container individually with some plastic wrap so the top of the pudding doesn’t dry out and form a skin.

Can I make pudding pops with this?

Yes you can! Pour your finished pudding into popsicle molds and freeze them. In just a few hours, you’ll have frozen pudding goodness on a stick!

Can I freeze it?

Yes, and if you are going to freeze it, you may as well make pudding pops.

Can I vary the flavor?

Of course. You can add some instant espresso to make mocha pudding. Or just a very few drops of mint oil to make chocolate mint pudding. Grate some orange zest into the pudding and add a little bit of orange extract, and you’ll have chocolate orange pudding.

Questions?

If you have any other questions about this recipe or any other, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

You can leave a comment here, and I will be back in touch in about 24 hours.

If your question in more urgent, you can email me and I answer within about 4 hours.

Either way, I promise to help!

Email Jenni

A Note About Measurements

NOTE: Most of my recipes are written by weight and not volume, even the liquids.

Even though I try to provide you with volume measurements as well, I encourage you to buy a kitchen scale for ease of measuring, accuracy, and consistency.

This is the scale I use, love, and recommend.

I really hope you love this recipe, you guys!

If you make it, please share a photo with me before you devour them, either in the Pastry Chef Online Facebook Group or on instagram by tagging @onlinepastrychef and using hashtag #pcorecipe.

A star rating and a review is also really helpful to readers, so if you make this recipe, please rate and review it!

And leave me a comment, too. I love to hear from you guys, and am always working to make the site better!

I’d also love to have you join my PCO newsletter, The Inbox Pastry Chef!

Thanks, and enjoy!

Remember to keep scrolling after the recipe for the prize descriptions and to enter the #HalloweenTreatsWeek giveaway!

Yield: 4 dishes of pudding

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

This easy chocolate pudding contains no egg and, as the name implies, is super easy to make. Whisk everything together in a pan, bring to a boil, and then pour over chocolate chips and some vanilla.

Decorate it festively for Halloween, or just serve it in pretty classes or cups.

Ingredients

3 oz (1/2 cup) dark chocolate chips (I used Hershey's Special Dark)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
6 oz (about 3/4 cups, lightly packed) brown sugar
1.3 oz (6 Tablespoons) cocoa powder (I used Hershey's Special Dark)
2 Tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon flour or cornstarch
3/8 teaspoon kosher salt
20 oz (2 1/2 cups) whole milk

Instructions

Put the chocolate chips and vanilla into a medium bowl. Place a fine mesh strainer on top of the bowl and set aside convenient to the stove.
Combine brown sugar, cocoa powder, flour or cornstarch, and salt in a medium saucepan.
Whisk in about half the milk, and whisk until the cocoa combines with the rest of the ingredients.
Add the remaining milk and whisk.
Heat over medium to medium-high heat until it comes to a boil, whisking constantly.
If using cornstarch, boil a full 2 minutes. If using flour, boil for about 30 seconds.
Pour the pudding through the strainer into the bowl. The mixture will be thick, so press it all through with a silicone spatula. Don't forget to scrape the underside of the strainer to get all the chocolate goodness!
Allow the mixture to sit for a minute or two so the chips melt.
Whisk until smooth, and pour into four containers.

Notes

To Decorate for Halloween

Pour 2 Tablespoons of corn syrup onto a plate and tilt to allow it to spread.
Pour your favorite Halloween sprinkles out onto a plate.
Dip the rim of your cups or glasses into corn syrup and then into the sprinkles.
Set upright for 30 minutes so the corn syrup becomes tacky. Some of your sprinkles might slide down the inside or the outside of the glass. Just push them back into place right before filling your glasses.
If desired, decorate the top of the pudding with candy eyes.

Non-Dairy Option

Believe it or not, you can make this pudding with water. It will be a bit thinner than pudding made with milk, so you may want to increase the flour or cornstarch by 2 teaspoons.

The bonus is that the chocolate flavor really shines through since there is no dairy to mute the flavor. I made this pudding with both water and with milk to see, and unless I tasted them side by side one after the other, I'm not sure I could tell the difference between the two.

You of course can also use a plant-based milk as a non-dairy alternative if you'd rather.