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Chocolate

Alice's Chocolate Pudding

by:
June 15, 2021
5
12 Ratings
Photo by Alpha Smoot
  • Prep time 5 minutes
  • Cook time 7 minutes
  • Serves 6 to 8
Author Notes

From Sinfully Easy Delicious Desserts (Artisan 2012). —Alice Medrich

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Ingredients
  • Ingredients for the pudding:
  • 1/3 cup (66 grams) sugar
  • 1/3 cup (28 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably natural
  • 2 tablespoons (17 grams) cornstarch
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1 3/4 cups whole milk, divided
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • 3 to 4 ounces (85 grams to 115 grams) dark chocolate (use the lesser amount for chocolate in the 66% to 70% cacao range and the larger amount for chocolate closer to 60%), very finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon dark rum (optional)
  • 1 cup heavy cream for pouring, or lightly sweetened whipped cream or crème fraiche
  • Equipment:
  • six 4-ounce custard cups or ramekins, or 8 smaller cups
Directions
  1. Whisk the sugar, cocoa, cornstarch, and salt together in a heavy medium-sized saucepan. Add about 3 tablespoons of the milk and whisk to form a smooth paste. Whisk in the remaining milk and the cream.
  2. Using a silicone spatula or a wooden spoon, stir the mixture constantly over medium heat, scraping the bottom, sides, and corners of the pan, until the pudding thickens and begins to bubble at the edges, about 5 minutes.
  3. Continue to cook and stir for 1 minute, then add the chocolate and stir briskly until the chocolate is melted and the pudding is smooth, about 30 seconds longer.
  4. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla and rum, if using.
  5. Divide the pudding among the cups or ramekins. (I love skin on pudding, so I wouldn’t dream of pressing a piece of plastic wrap on the surface for later removal, and you needn’t tell me if you do.)
  6. Serve warm or at room temperature or chilled. The pudding can be covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days.
  7. Serve plain with poured cream or whipped cream or crème fraîche.
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My career was sparked by a single bite of a chocolate truffle, made by my Paris landlady in 1972. I returned home to open this country’s first chocolate bakery and dessert shop, Cocolat, and I am often “blamed” for introducing chocolate truffles to America. Today I am the James Beard Foundation and IACP award-winning author of ten cookbooks, teach a chocolate dessert class on Craftsy.com, and work with some of the world’s best chocolate companies. In 2018, I won the IACP Award for Best Food-Focused Column (this one!).

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25 Reviews

Write a Review
Stefanie A. August 27, 2021
Help! I must have used too much thickener. My pudding is rubbery but the flavor is amazing. Is there any way to fix it?
Stefanie A. August 28, 2021
Ok, I fixed it!
Jul February 1, 2021
Excellent, easy to prepare pudd! Will leave out rum next time--it was distracting from yummy chocolate. We put the pudd in a prepared pie crust and topped with whipped cream for a quick dessert. Will make again!
Rachel July 4, 2020
I have adapted these into fudge popsicles for summer, I just add a little extra milk. They're delicious! Thank you for the recipe.
trysteroo January 12, 2020
Absolutely delicious! Even better after a night in the fridge.
Penny November 7, 2019
Um, I hardly dare say this now but I really detest the skin on puddings. Please bear with me and my handicap...
Has anyone tried to put the pudding in individual mason jars, then covered it just with the lid and no plastic pressed on top? Was this enough to prevent the formation of skin or is the pressed on foil essential?
Rmapofboca October 23, 2019
Wow! What a high reward for minimal effort. It is hard to screw this up if you follow the directions. I used Callebaut cocoa, which is amazing, and Trader Joe’s pound plus chocolate. The texture is silken. My husband, who is thin and disciplined, was literally licking the bowl. That was after he said he would maybe have a spoonful when I said I was making it.
kzmccaff December 26, 2018
I made this for Christmas dessert and it was a major hit! So simple, but really quite spectacular--deep, rich, true chocolate falvor. The hardest part was chopping up the chocolate to mix in (it went everywhere!--next time I might cheat and use my food processor). Rave reviews across the board. I made it day of, chilled it in ramekins, and I DID put some wrap on to keep a skin off, and then did unsweetened whipped cream and raspberries and strawberries on top. Highly recommended!
kzmccaff December 26, 2018
My Mom insists that I come back to amend for any new englanders out there :)--my Dad grew up down the street from a Brighams Ice Cream Shop (RIP) and said it tasted just like the Brighams hot fudge sauce he grew up with. When there was leftover fudge sauce his parents put it in the fridge and the next day the first kid to the fridge won and got to eat it all. :)
KatieZ February 25, 2017
This is my first attempt at pudding (I'm an avid baker) but I ended up with just really delicious liquid chocolate. I followed the recipe exactly. Any tips to thicken?
JuJu September 12, 2017
As this reply is 7 months later, you may have already has success with subsequent batches.
Since cornstarch is the thickener used here, it sounds like the temperature may have been a bit lower in order to thicken the pudding. Cornstarch thickens at 208 F, sea level, so adjust temperature according to your location's altitude.
Many sites may be found on the 'net for altitude adjustments.
Renee K. October 1, 2023
I can confirm this is true—I live in a mountain town and after five minutes, an no sign of thickening, I knew I had to increase the temperature. In just two more minutes, it was perfectly thickened.
Mindy S. May 23, 2016
Fantastic recipe. So simple with just a handful of ingredients! Thanks!
MQAvatar March 23, 2016
I made a triple batch for a birthday party with outstanding results. Thank you!
Caroline C. February 11, 2016
I made this tonight to serve at a dinner party. It was a hit. I followed the directions exactly: easy and superb. I like pouring the heavy cream on the top to mix in as desired. Fabulous!
nickelhn December 16, 2015
I am so gratified that someone else likes the skin on pudding. It has been my favorite since I was a kid and used to sneak into the refrigerator and peel all the skins off the little ramekins of pudding. Knowing that none other than ALICE MEDRICH agrees, means that I will never ever put film on my pudding again!
Susan W. February 9, 2016
Lol. My brother and I used to do the same. First one there always scored the skin.
bonbonmarie February 8, 2018
YES! Love the skin
erick October 17, 2015
I and everybody I know, everybody they know, and everybody on facebook, twitter, instagram and even wechat put plastic film on top so as to avoid the pudding skin.
Pix L. May 26, 2016
If everybody you know and everybody they know and everybody on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and even wechat jumped off a bridge, would you jump off a bridge?
Can I. June 23, 2015
I love this pudding. The first time I made it my husband was away for the weekend and I ate it all before he got home. On purpose. The second time, I doubled the recipe and made a pie with a graham cracker crust and whipped cream on top. So delicious and so easy. Thank you!
Naomi D. April 13, 2015
Best chocolate pudding ever. Decadent and delicious with heavy cream (unsweetened whipped or un-whipped) on top. Thank you for creating perfection!
Nicole O. February 16, 2015
I made this for Valentine's dinner on Saturday for 10 people. It was the best part of the meal... the bomb.com. I stood there and portioned into wine glasses, topped with whipped cream & berries. Retro, I know. Everyone loved it. :-) Thanks!
ChefJune February 11, 2015
Mom used to make a pudding very similar to this. Cannot wait to try it. We're supposed to have some serious snow on Saturday, so I'm getting ready. Going to make copycat (the real) Uno's pizza and this pudding.
bonniedalyan February 11, 2015
Wonderful pudding, and the skin on this is perfection! When making for myself, I put in shallow soup bowls to get the most surface area- Yumm