Chocolate Pudding from Scratch
This silky, from-scratch pudding takes mere minutes to make using minimal ingredients and is proven to make even the worst of days better. The quality of the cocoa powder and chocolate make a big difference in terms of flavor, so use the good stuff. You can use any kind of milk you like, although I think whole milk gives the best texture. If I’m not serving kids, I like to booze it up a bit by adding a tablespoon of bourbon or coffee liqueur to the pudding when I add the chocolate, as well as to the whipped cream before serving. Ahh, for me this is perfection.
Servings: 3 -4 (depending on the type of day you've had)
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons good quality cocoa powder or raw cacao powder
- 3-4 tablespoons organic cane sugar (depending on how sweet you like it)
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1.5 ounces chopped dark chocolate (about ⅓ cup chopped)
- Lightly sweetened whipped cream , for serving
Instructions
- In a medium pot (off-heat) whisk together the cocoa powder, sugar, cornstarch and salt. Add the milk and whisk until everything is dissolved (make sure to get into all the corners where the dry mixture likes to stick). Measure out the vanilla and chocolate to add later on.
- Put the pot over medium-high heat and cook, whisking often, until it reaches a rolling boil (about 6-8 minutes). Cook 1 minute longer while whisking. Remove the pot from the heat and add the vanilla extract and chocolate. Whisk until the chocolate is completely melted and the pudding looks satiny smooth.
- Pour the pudding into individual ramekins or cups. Cover the cups with plastic wrap, placing the wrap directly on the surface of the pudding (this will prevent a skin from forming). Refrigerate for 45 minutes - 1 hour, to let the pudding set. Do Ahead: The pudding can be covered and refrigerated for up to 4 days.
- Serve the pudding with a dollop of whipped cream. If you’re really feeling fancy, you could even shave some chocolate over top.