This is the BEST chocolate pudding recipe you’ll ever find! Rich and chocolatey, it’s super easy to make, with no eggs and NO added sugar. Take just 5 minutes to whip up this delicious treat!
This homemade chocolate pudding recipe is AMAZING. I kid you not, I ate two jars of it while taking the pictures!
Which seems to be the trend anytime I’m re-making some of my childhood favorites…
Like Homemade Cheez-its? Ate them all.
Black Bean Brownies (that taste like Little Debbie Fudge Brownies)? Ate them all, too…
And my favorite frozen treat growing up? I made a homemade version of that too, and between me and the kids, they were gone in less than two days.
I’d say it’s a good thing when I make something so good that I can’t help but eat it all. It means the recipe is a winner and there’s a high probability that your family will like it, too. And this yummy chocolate pudding recipe just got added to that list!
EASY CHOCOLATE PUDDING RECIPE
Let’s be honest, who doesn’t love to eat chocolate pudding? But for this homemade chocolate pudding recipe, I was looking for a few specific things. I wanted:
- Something fun. Something that I could make for the kids, totally surprise them, and make them feel special.
- It NOT to be loaded down with sugar. Especially when we’re on a constant quest to quit sugar, I know I’m on the right track when my daughter (who LOVES sugar) says hot chocolate from the local coffee shop is a bit too sweet for her.
- Something easy. Most recipes I’ve seen for chocolate pudding (like Pioneer Woman chocolate pudding) call for lots of ingredients, including egg yolks, cocoa powder, and cornstarch. They just seem like a lot of work. In this season of life, that’s not happening.
- Something that was like what I had growing up. Did you ever have those Snack Pack pudding cups as a kid? I did, and so did all of my friends, and I wanted to replicate that classic flavor.
When it’s all said and done, this homemade chocolate pudding recipe is definitely easy, fun, less sweet pudding, and EERILY similar to the kind I had as a kid. (Dare I say better?!)
INGREDIENTS FOR THE BEST CHOCOLATE PUDDING
Here’s what you need so you can enjoy chocolate pudding too!
- Cold Milk
- Gelatin (I use Perfect Supplements gelatin)
- Chocolate Chips (I used semi-sweet)
- Vanilla Extract (store-bought or homemade)
- Salt (a tiny pinch, optional)
There are only 4 main ingredients in this simple recipe for chocolate pudding (plus one optional), which means all of them are important, so let’s break them down.
MILK
I used 2% milk because my husband went to the store for me, and that’s what he brought home. I actually wanted to test this using whole milk, but knowing it works with 2% means I have NO DOUBT it would be just as good (possibly better!) with whole milk.
For dairy-free chocolate pudding, I suggest using Coconut Milk. You’ll probably want the lite version, as the full-fat version will make an incredibly rich chocolate pudding. This isn’t a bad thing, but it will be a bit more indulgent than the pudding snacks we had as kids.
CHOCOLATE CHIPS
There is no added sugar in this recipe, so choose your chocolate chips wisely. I used semi-sweet chocolate chips, and as I mentioned, I ate two servings of pudding without batting an eyelash.
Here’s how to choose your chocolate chips:
- If your family is used to sweeter things, you might consider using milk chocolate chips or a combination of semi-sweet and milk chocolate.
- If your family is quitting sugar, you might consider using a blend of semi-sweet chocolate chips with dark chocolate chips. That’s my plan the next time I make this!
- And if you don’t have chocolate chips, chopped up chocolate bars or chocolate shavings would work just as well! Give them a rough chop and measure into the measuring cup.
- For dairy free chocolate pudding, choose dairy-free chocolate chips (we like these).
Note: I tested this chocolate pudding recipe using fewer chocolate chips, and to me, it just wasn’t chocolate-y enough. Have you ever had watered-down hot chocolate? It was kind of like that. Unappealing and not worthy of a second bite. (My kids agreed!)
Bumping up the chocolate chips fixed that right up to give me the best decadent chocolate flavor!
GELATIN
This is THE KEY ingredient to delicious homemade chocolate pudding and surprisingly, it’s good for you!
Gelatin is essentially cooked collagen. You’ve heard of collagen before, right?
(If not, it’s the secret to strong hair, long nails, and healthy skin. I add one Tablespoon to my coffee or tea every day! You can read more about my personal experience with collagen here.)
Gelatin is the key ingredient to making homemade gummies – Elderberry Gummies and Charcoal Gummies and Homemade Gummy Bears – and it’s also the secret to making amazing homemade chocolate pudding.
Just like collagen, not all gelatin is created equal. I did a side-by-side test of two popular brands of collagen. One failed miserably, and one blew my expectations out of the water.
Because of that test, I only recommend Perfect Supplements brand collagen and gelatin.
I know you work hard for your grocery dollars, and I certainly don’t want you wasting it on things that won’t work like you expect them to!
HOW TO MAKE CHOCOLATE PUDDING INSTRUCTIONS
Making chocolate puding is easy, but it does require your constant presence. Pull out your ingredients and get cooking!
Step 1: Measure milk into a small measuring glass or bowl (I use this one-cup glass measuring cup.)
Step 2: Pour ¾ cup of milk into a small saucepan.
Step 3: Sprinkle the gelatin over the top of the remaining ¼ cup of milk still in the measuring cup. Let it sit to bloom.
Step 4: Meanwhile, heat the milk in the saucepan over medium heat and add the chocolate chips. Using a flat whisk, stir the chocolate chips until they begin to melt.
Step 5: When the chips are melting, whisk well until they’re completely dissolved, and then immediately remove the milk from the heat. You don’t want it to boil.
Step 6: Whisk in the vanilla extract and salt, if using.
Step 7: Stir the measuring cup with the bloomed gelatin so it’s mixed well. While whisking constantly, pour the gelatin mixture into the chocolate milk. Whisk well.
Step 8: Pour the chocolate mixture evenly between four 4 oz mason jars. Place a piece of plastic wrap over the surface of the pudding to prevent a thick film from forming. This doesn’t have to be perfect, but do your best to avoid any significant air pockets.
Step 9: Place chocolate pudding cups in the refrigerator and let them chill for 2 hours. At that point, you can serve or keep it for later.
Step 10: To serve, remove the plastic wrap and top with Homemade Whipped Cream, Homemade Chocolate Whipped Cream, fresh fruit, or just enjoy them plain.
Psst! Want to kick this up a notch? Try finishing this recipe with a pinch of finishing salt to bring out the sweetness! I love Ava Jane’s Kitchen because it doesn’t have microplastics (gross, right?) and it’s SO GOOD! Plus, you can get an 8-oz bag for FREE!! (Just pay shipping.) Get your bag of salt on this page.
This chocolate pudding recipe will keep in the fridge for 2-3 days. I recommend portioning the pudding into 4 oz mason jars, keeping the plastic covering on top, and then putting the mason jar lid on top of that, in order to keep the pudding from getting a weird film on top.
TIPS FOR CHOCOLATE PUDDING WITH CHOCOLATE CHIPS
My number one tip for the best chocolate pudding: Do not add extra gelatin!
In my recipe testing, I made chocolate pudding using three different amounts of gelatin: less, normal, and more.
The difference between each of the recipes was just ½ teaspoon, but let me tell you – that half teaspoon makes a HUGE difference! When the chocolate pudding was made with:
- Less gelatin, it was too runny. It barely stayed on the spoon. Boo.
- More gelatin, it was WAY too thick. Literally, it tasted like chocolate jelly. I had my kids try it, and sure enough, they agreed. They thought it was weird, weren’t fans, and went outside without asking for a second bite.
- The normal amount of gelatin, it was absolutely perfect. It gave me the best pudding consistency! (Maybe that’s why I ate two servings?)
MACRO-FRIENDLY CHOCOLATE PUDDING
Do you think that if you’re trying to meet certain nutrition goals, you can’t have chocolate pudding? I have news for you…you absolutely can!
This small-batch chocolate pudding recipe is perfect for enjoying an indulgent treat without overloading on sugar.
Each serving will give you a small amount of protein from the milk and gelatin, a bit of fat from the milk, and some carbohydrates from the sugar in the chocolate chips. The overall amount of each is easy to fit into your macro goals for the day, so you can feel good about adding this treat to your food plan for the day!
Want to learn more about macros, nutrition goals, and accurately tracking what you eat? Grab my free guide here to start achieving your real body goals by eating the foods you love.
CHOCOLATE PUDING FAQS
Can you freeze homemade chocolate pudding?
I haven’t done this – mostly because this pudding recipe makes a small batch, and we devour it before it has a chance to be considered for the freezer – but I’m going to say no.
I made one test batch and intentionally stirred it a lot after it set… and it kind of lost its pudding texture. It became kind of gloopy and not creamy, and it just wasn’t appealing.
My guess is that if you were to freeze chocolate pudding, you’d need to stir it after it thawed, and then it would lose its perfect pudding texture.
Can I make this chocolate pudding without the vanilla?
Absolutely! I thought it tasted better WITH the vanilla, but if you’re out, you can skip it. OR use these ideas for vanilla extract substitutions!
Is chocolate pudding the same as chocolate mousse?
Not quite! Pudding is usually cooked, while mousse is not. They also have different textures – pudding is a bit thicker, while mousse is light and fluffy. This chocolate pudding recipe has all the smooth richness you’d expect from pudding. For a lighter mousse, try my Avocado Chocolate Mousse!
What is instant chocolate pudding mix?
With instant pudding mix, you skip the stovetop part and just whisk the mix with milk. However, this homemade chocolate pudding recipe is so easy you can whip it up in less than 5 minutes! Skip the store-bought with its long ingredient list and make this easy chocolate pudding with chocolate chips instead.
Can I use pudding in a chocolate cream pie?
Not this pudding recipe. This chocolate pudding is best fresh out of the jar. However, I have a Healthier Chocolate Pie Recipe that uses homemade chocolate mousse.
MORE GREAT CHOCOLATE DESSERTS
- Avocado Chocolate Mousse
- Crockpot Hot Chocolate
- 5-Minute Chocolate Hummus
- Black Bean Brownies
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake
- Chocolate Covered Pretzels
- No Bake Brownie Bites
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Homemade Chocolate Pudding
This is the BEST chocolate pudding recipe you’ll ever find! Rich and chocolatey, it’s super easy to make, with no eggs and NO added sugar. Take just 5 minutes to whip up this delicious treat!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours
- Total Time: 2 hours 5 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 cup milk (I used 2%) (244g)
- 1 tsp Perfect Supplements gelatin (2g)
- ½ cup chocolate chips (I used semi-sweet) (87g)
- ⅛ tsp vanilla extract
- tiny pinch of salt (optional)
Instructions
- Measure milk into a small measuring glass (I use this one-cup glass measuring cup.)
- Pour ¾ cup of milk into a small saucepan.
- Sprinkle the gelatin over the top of the remaining ¼ cup of milk still in the measuring cup. Let it sit to bloom.
- Meanwhile, heat the milk in the saucepan over medium heat and add the chocolate chips. Using a flat whisk (I use this flat whisk), stir the chocolate chips until they begin to melt.
- When the chips are melting, whisk well until they’re completely dissolved and then immediately remove the milk from the heat.
- Whisk in the vanilla extract and salt, if using.
- Stir the measuring cup with the bloomed gelatin so it’s mixed well. While whisking continuously, pour the gelatin mixture into the chocolate milk. Whisk well.
- Pour evenly between four 4 oz mason jars. Place a piece of plastic wrap over the surface of the mixture to prevent a thick film from forming. This doesn’t have to be perfect, but do your best to avoid any significant air pockets.
- Place in the refrigerator and let it set for 2 hours. At that point, you can serve or keep it for later.
- When you serve, remove the plastic wrap and top with homemade whipped cream, homemade chocolate whipped cream, fresh fruit, and/or just eat plain.
Notes
- To keep for later, place the mason jar lids on the jars with the plastic still cover the pudding.
Just my opinion, I think that “weird film on top” is the best part of any cooked pudding (this one included.) I’ve always tried to spread the pudding into a shorter but wider bowl to make more surface for the “skin” to form over the larger surface. I scrape it off and eat it first! Yummy!
Has anyone tried using cocoa powder?
Hi Evelyn,
You could try cocoa powder, although we haven’t tested it. Without chocolate chips, it won’t be sweet because the chocolate chips in the recipe give it that chocolately semi-sweet taste. To stay low on sugar, we like to use half semi-sweet chocolate chips and dark chocolate chips. Let us know how it comes out if you try it. 🙂
I’ve been looking for a pudding recipe that doesn’t have flour or cornstarch, due to my daughter’s food sensitivities. She also cannot have dairy so we used almond milk and dark chocolate chips. We also used a store brand gelatin. We did not alter the amount of each ingredient when using these substitutions. We loved this recipe…even my boys who complain when recipes have to be altered to suit their sister. Thanks for the recipe, Tiffany.
You’re very welcome, Danae!!
My pudding separated into layers. Did anyone else have that happen? The top layer was awesome (chocolatey and rich). The bottom layer was more like jello. I used whole milk and a different brand of gelatin. The top layer was so good, I want to try again.
Oh no! I’ve never had this happen Danise. My suggestion is to try again for sure, but keep the heat on the chips low – just low enough to melt. If that doesn’t fix it, I’d wonder about your chocolate chips… could there be something in them that would cause the separation?
Curious if I could sub this recipe into a chocolate cream pie recipe for the filling? Have you ever tried it?
Hello Gabi,
This has not been tested. If you make it, let us know how it turns out! Thanks for posting. 🙂
Hi, I wanted to ask if I can use Cornflour instead of the gelatin that the recipe calls for?
Hi Maha! I haven’t heard of cornflour before, but my guess is that it has a very different profile than gelatin and likely wouldn’t give the same results.
Can’t do dairy, so used almond milk, and it turned out creamy and delicious! Got a big thumbs up from my husband. We are trying to cut back on sugar too, so this is a welcome addition to our dessert menu 🙂
YAY! I’m so glad you guys enjoyed this Valerie!
Hi. I made this recipe as written, but it only made, like, 2 servings. If I increase the milk to 2 cups, should I increase the gelatin to 2 tsp? Also, should I still just use 1/4 to bloom the gelatin or use 1/2 cup? I made it this with 1/2 semi-sweet chips and 1/2 unsweetened baking chocolate. It was a bit gritty, but REALLY good!
Hi Mary! As written, this recipe makes four servings. 😉 If you want to make more, you can use the 2x or 3x function in the recipe card to get accurate measurements!
I like to try heavy cream and dark chocolate.
Howuch did the chips weigh (to convert to a bar.)
Do you think the gelatin will bloom in cream or HalfnHalf?
Hi M! It should bloom in either cream or half & half. 1/2 cup chocolate chips weighs 3 1/2 oz, give/take. 🙂
Hi Tiffany,
This recipe looks yummy. I thought I would let you know that you switched the links with the opposite items.
The whisk is under the measuring cup.
thanks for the recipe. 🙂
LOL – thanks for letting me know Dawne! Going to fix that right up! ♥
This seems so easy and quick! But I’m looking for custard with egg yolks. I have a lightweight picky eater who needs full fat & calories! I wonder if I could replace the thickener (flour or arrowroot or cornstarch) with gelatin in my old fashioned stove top stir forever recipe. Thoughts?
Tammy, I make that custard stove top recipe using almond milk, cornstarch, and maple syrup. I think I would try halving the cornstarch, and adding half the collagen for the amount of liquid. I cant guarantee it will work,but it’s worth a try!
I’m going to try it! Thanks!!
You probably could Tammy! Remember that gelatin will not thicken necessarily, but give a jell-o like consistency. I think Janice’s suggestion is spot on, and it’s worth a shot!
👌🏻
On second thoughts, could I use a teaspoon of COLLAGEN instead of gelatine?
Hi Amanda! I’m not sure how many sheets you would use, as I’ve never used sheets before. And unfortunately collagen doesn’t work the same as gelatin when it comes to it’s baking properties. Gelatin will “gel” foods, while collagen will simply dissolve.
My gelatine comes in sheets, not the kind you can measure with a teaspoon. How much would you use?
(in inches)