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LunaCafe’s Ultimate Chocolate Pudding

LunaCafe's Ultimate Chocolate PuddingWhen I decided to include the ultimate chocolate pudding in the All Chocolate All Month celebration at LunaCafe, I thought the post would be a slam-dunk. Chocolate pudding is a cinch, right? Whatever was I thinking?

LunaCafe's Ultimate Chocolate PuddingTonight, after many evenings and weekends of maniacal pudding research and testing, there are dozens of books scattered across the floor of our work studio, each with one to several post-it flags marking the pertinent content around chocolate pudding. There are notes strewn everywhere. Premium chocolate bars and cocoa powders cover every surface of the kitchen. An alarming amount of our grocery budget is now in the hands of chocolate merchants. (What magic spell is causing me to cheerfully exchange $11 for 6 ounces of Scharffen Berger cocoa powder?)

LunaCafe's Ultimate Chocolate Pudding on the StoveThe refrigerator is crammed with chocolate pudding: glossy, dark, fragrant, quivering, irresistibly spoonable chocolate pudding. Tonight, there’s Burnt Sugar Chocolate Pudding; Cardamom, Chipotle Chile, & Orange Chocolate Pudding; and Mexican Mocha Pudding. And there’s this wild haired woman cautiously stepping over the cookbooks, muttering something about how hard it is to find Mexican vanilla within walking distance (4-mile radius) of downtown Portland. Oh wait, that’s me.

This is what my quest for the ultimate chocolate pudding has come to.

LunaCafe's Ultimate Chocolate Pudding in RamekinAfter the first couple of baffling and disappointing tests in the OtherWorldly Kitchen, I hauled out my “big gun” and changed my mindset from slam-dunk to get-it-right-or-else. Well, I know that seems a little extreme, but, truly, every good cook should have a perfect chocolate pudding in their repertoire, and I realized after those early tests that I did not.

The “big gun” I am referring to here is a methodology I developed for the Northwest Culinary Academy, called The Recipe Grid. The purpose of the grid is to compare ingredients and methods across a number of credible recipes (from credible sources) in the same category, in this case, basic chocolate pudding. I ended up researching and closely comparing 16 high-profile chocolate pudding recipes. I tested a fair share of these as well. You can see the results on the page titled, Recipe Grid: The Ultimate Chocolate Pudding.

As soon as I began the testing, I realized that I needed a better understanding of the many available premium cocoa powders on the market today. That led to a cocoa tasting adventure that is highlighted on the page titled, Choosing the “Best” Cocoa Powder.

So, that’s quite a lot of research you might say, but “where’s the meat?” Here it comes:

LunaCafe’s Ultimate Chocolate Pudding Tips and Tricks

  • For over-the-top, fantabulous chocolate pudding, purchase the best tasting unsweetened cocoa powder and 65%-75% bar chocolate that you can afford.
  • The combination of unsweetened cocoa and bittersweet bar chocolate makes the most complex and delicious chocolate pudding, with a full range of flavor notes and a wonderful, silky mouth feel.
  • To ascertain what the “best” cocoa powder is for you, purchase several cocoa powders (some alkalized-process, some natural process) and taste them. The process is outlined here.
  • Although several methods were represented in the sampling of recipes I choose to explore, the one that works the best is also the simplest. I call it the Basic Pudding Method. It requires a small bowl, a saucepan, a whisk, and a silicon spatula. No whisking or blending is called for after the pudding has set and a strainer is rarely required. Although the cornstarch and milk mixture are brought slowly to a bare simmer, this does not require 20 minutes or a double boiler, as specified in some recipes. The egg yolks are added after tempering to the thickened pudding and the pudding is not brought back to a boil, which helps to ensure that the egg yolks will not curdle. Finally, the chocolate is added after the pudding is off the stove and stirred until melted.
  • Heat kills enzymes in raw egg yolks, which will otherwise break down the starch bonds and thin the custard. Pudding must be brought to just under a simmer (208º) after adding the egg yolks.
  • I notice a barely perceptible “grit” when I use egg white in custard, thus I prefer egg yolks only.
  • Most puddings are too thick to strain through a fine mesh strainer, regardless of what the recipe says. If you have a single mesh strainer, you might try that. If you follow the directions below carefully, however, no straining will be necessary.
  • I encountered a couple of recipes in which an immersion blender or processor is used to whip the pudding after thickening. From a food chemistry point of view, whipping the pudding at this point should break the gel. Plus, what a mess. The texture of my pudding is so smooth and silky, I see no point in actually trying this.

Now, let’s make the best chocolate pudding you’ve ever eaten, shall we?

LunaCafe's Ultimate Chocolate Pudding in Balloon Glass

LunaCafe’s Ultimate Chocolate Pudding

I tested this formula again and again to get the right consistency and sweetness level. (Yes, I also wanted an excuse to eat chocolate pudding for five days straight.) My goal was a pudding that could be eaten hot right off the stove or cold after several hours or even days of refrigeration.

The best results for this goal turned out to be a combination of cocoa powder (for depth of chocolate flavor), small amount of cornstarch (for ease and textural stability), modest amount of bar chocolate (for luxurious mouth feel), and egg yolks (for richness and best texture after chilling). I did not find it necessary to add a final bit of butter to the pudding, although that is certainly an option for a slightly richer version.

This elegantly simple formula has perfect balance in my estimation. It is not extreme in any direction, yet has a multi-dimensional, vibrant flavor and luxurious mouth feel. This pudding is delicious and beautifully textured whether served warm or cold.

The formula is also easy to remember: For every cup of milk, use 1 tablespoon cornstarch, 1 tablespoon cocoa powder, 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 egg yolk, and 1 ounce bittersweet bar chocolate. No fussy half measures here.

Note   This pudding is too soft for pie, where you want to cut clean slices. To adjust for pie filling, use 4 large egg yolks and 4 tablespoons of cornstarch.

3 large egg yolks

3 tablespoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons best-quality unsweetened cocoa (In tests, I used Scharffen Berger, Green & Black’s and Valrhona cocoa powders; all were excellent)
6 tablespoons sugar

3 cups cold, whole milk

3 ounces best-quality 65%-72% bittersweet bar chocolate, roughly chopped (scant 3/4 cups chopped) (In tests, I used Scharffen Berger 70% cacao bittersweet chocolate bar and E. Guittard 72% cacao bittersweet chocolate wafers; both were excellent)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt (don’t even think about leaving this out)

Garnish
1 cup heavy cream, whipped and lightly sweetened

  1. In a medium mixing bowl, add the egg yolks, and whisk briefly to lighten. Set the bowl and the whisk next to the stovetop.
  2. In a 3- to 4-quart saucepan, whisk the cornstarch, cocoa, and sugar until all lumps are removed, and then slowly whisk in the cold milk, a little at a time to ensure no lumps form. Scrape the bottom and sides of the saucepan with a silicon (heatproof) spatula.
  3. Over medium-low heat, continue stirring the pudding until it thickens to the point that it lightly coats the back of the spatula, about 5 minutes. (We aren’t using enough cornstarch here to get a thick coating. Cornstarch begins to thicken quickly at 203º, turning the sauce from opaque to translucent in the process.)
  4. Continue cooking and stirring constantly as the pudding comes to a gentle simmer, about 2 minutes more. Reduce the heat to low.
  5. Ladle a ½ cup of the hot pudding into the egg yolks and whisk rapidly. Repeat two times. Now add the egg yolk mixture back to the saucepan.
  6. Bring the heat back up to about 208º, just below a simmer, stirring continuously. Remove from the heat.
  7. Add the chopped chocolate and continue stirring for about 1 minute, until the chocolate is melted and well combined with the other ingredients.
  8. Stir in the vanilla extract and sea salt.
  9. Immediately pour the pudding into a medium mixing bowl or 4-cup glass measuring cup.(If you think you may have lumps, pour the pudding through a single mesh strainer, using a plastic spatula to push the pudding through.)
  10. Quickly press a small piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the pudding to prevent a skin from forming.
  11. Let cool, and then refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours.
  12. Spoon pudding into six, ½-cup ramekins.
  13. Top each serving with a generous mound of whipped cream and a strip of orange peel.
  14. Serve immediately.

Makes 3 cups, or six ½-cup servings.

More LunaCafe Chocolate Recipes 

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. i developed the recipe grid methodology, too, a couple of years after i started cooking. it’s nice to know that my cooking education is up there with culinary academy students 🙂 at least in that respect.
    now i’m going to follow your blog since i know your style is so similar to mine. thanks for all the work you do on it!

    • Aa, great question and thanks for asking. I amended the recipe with a note for using this recipe for pie filling. Simply increase egg yolks to 4 and cornstarch to 4 tablespoons. I will test as soon as I can, but that should do the trick. Let me know how it turns out for you. 🙂

  3. I love the idea of a recipe grid. When I am looking to learn a new recipe, I can find so many different versions. I pick and choose what I think will work best from each. Now I know a better way to do it. This is one luscious chocolate pudding.

  5. Wow. Susan this looks incredible! I love how you did all the hard work for me here 😉 I have had TERRIBLE outcomes when it comes to chocolate puddings!

  6. Hi Susan… I made both your ultimate vanilla and chocolate puddings for a special occasion dessert and my guests and I agree with you. The puddings are indeed the best in the universe. Thank you for these posts and your attention to detail. Following your instructions was a breeze. I wrote about my experience and posted at http://www.salvationsisters.com. Thanks and happy 4th of July… Michelle

    • Thanks for your kind comments and for spreading the Pudding Love, Michelle. 🙂 It really was a labor of love to perfect these recipes. I enjoyed your article. All the best…Susan

  9. I love this recipe! It is so easy to remember and sounds sooo good already! I dont have chocolate although I do have 3 egg yolks sitting in my fridge. Do you think I can just skip the chocoate and make this cocoa only?

  10. I want to thank you for both this recipe as well as the vanilla pudding recipe. In that one, you also go through the different types of stirred pudding/custards/pastry creams and it was very helpful to me, a complete cooking and baking novice. I have made this recipe now 3 times, once using coconut milk. It is by far, the very best chocolate pudding I’ve ever eaten! I’m now waiting for my coconut version to cool, and I think I will use the reserved coconut cream to make coconut whipped cream to garnish! It’s like a Mounds pudding, LOL! Thanks again!

    • Ginny, this is music to my ears! 🙂 Thank you so much for sharing your experience with these wonderful puddings. …Susan

  11. Your blog is more helpful than most and it contains information that has helped me to get to grips with a problem I have had for a while now. Thank you for the LunaCafe’s Ultimate Chocolate Pudding | LunaCafe post. Regards, Gregory

  12. This was delicious! I’ve never ever had such tasty perfection. I think it’s the actual bar chocolate used which makes it sooo delectable. I will definitely use this recipe over and over. Thank you soo much for posting it.

  13. This pudding was amazing, thanks for sharing the recipe. I’ve made several homemade puddings and for some reason chocolate seems more difficult to get right than vanilla. It turned out REALLY great, the perfect flavour and texture, and not too sweet like some chocolate puddings out there.
    I had made a pretty good one from Dorie Greenspan’s Baking, but it was a lot more work (blending, too much cornstarch) etc. This one was much simpler and even better.
    Great blog and love your photos too.
    Cheers!
    .-= Dana ´s last blog ..Lost Dog Update: Kandy has been Found! =-.

    • Thank you so much for this thoughtful response, Dana! 🙂 I was covered in cocoa for a week trying to create the perfect chocolate pudding. As I said in the post, it was a lot more difficult to achieve that I initially expected it to be. I’m so glad others are finding their way to the post and the recipe. Everyone deserves a perfect chocolate pudding in their culinary repetoire.

      On another note, I visited your site and must let you know how deeply you touched my heart today. You saved that beautiful dog and her family who would have grieved for years at not knowing what had happened to her. Bless you and your wonderful family for your inspiring creativity and caring!

  14. I love your recipe grid!

    I think the only thing that could be added would be criteria for judging the results and then give values for each recipe like a decision matrix…I am such a dork…

    Your chocolate pudding looks delicious and your tips sound great.

    • Thanks Sara! You make a very good point. I see now that I didn’t say, in one place at least, what I was after, so here it is: A classic stirred chocolate pudding (not an eggy pastry cream, not a baked custard) with good depth of multi-dimensioned chocolate flavor;creamy, luscious, very smooth mouth feel;not dense like a ganache; spoonable and thick enough to hold it’s shape in a bowl or pie crust; perfect texture whether served warm or chilled; no negative texture change after refrigeration; rich but not too rich. None of the formulas tested met these criteria. A couple that I did not test looked like they might be close.

  16. First time commenter here! Love the site.
    I’ve made Smitten Kitchen’s chocolate pudding recently. It’s very good, but it’s missing my favorite bite: The Skin! Jello cook’n serve (back in the day) made a top skin but Deb’s didn’t. Neither one contained eggs, so I’m at a loss as to why that would be. Any ideas?

    • Thanks Susan! Smitten Kitchen featured John Scharffenberger’s Silky Chocolate Pudding recipe, which has 6 ounces of bar chocolate added to it, which is a very high proportion (check the recipe grid I point to in the post). That might assist in preventing a crust from forming. However, if you look closely at Deb’s photos, her pudding does appear to have a slight crust nonetheless. I am not a pudding crust fan, so I always press plastic wrap to the top of the pudding while it is hot. I plan to retest John’s recipe because my first test produced results that were unpalatable when the pudding was cold. I’ll leave some of it open to see if it forms a crust and report back.

      • Thanks for the reply..I responded to Deb at the time, and it seems I crossed the original Sharffenberger recipe with hers. I used the orig’s 2/3 cup of sugar, but her recipe’s 6oz of bar chocolate. I don’t think that would make a difference for the skin. I’ll check out your grid. I’m not a pro..hopefully I’ll understand what it all means..lol!

  18. Excellent post! Thanks for all of the research, testing & tasting to ensure that my attempts at chocolate pudding will be a success. Appreciate your expertise! btw, amazing photo.

    • JEP, thanks so much! Mastering chocolate pudding has been on my to-do list for a long while, and now that I have a formula I understand and trust, I can’t wait to push the flavor boundaries over this next year. Hope you have fun with this exploration too.

  20. This looks amazing! I attempted Ina Garten’s chocolate pudding recipe not too long ago, and for some reason it didn’t thicken. I’ll try your version next time.

    • Sara, thank you! 🙂 I checked Ina Garten’s formula and it has too much cornstarch in my estimation, so it should have thickened too much rather than not at all. Try my formula and tell me what you think.

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