When was the last time you had real, homemade chocolate pudding? Too long ago, no doubt. But it need not be that way. It is easy to make homemade chocolate pudding, and with this chocolate pudding recipe, it's healthier too. No hydrogenated oils, trans fats, or additives to lengthen the shelf life of this chocolate pudding. Just pure chocolate heaven.
This chocolate pudding recipe is adapted from a Cooking Light recipe for chocolate mint pudding. In this version, there isn't any mint, and regular unsweetened cocoa is replaced with dark cocoa for an extra rich flavor (and an extra antioxidant boost, too).
Top this chocolate pudding with fresh strawberries or sliced bananas for a tasty after-school snack or a healthy dessert. For more healthy chocolate dessert recipes, see also Ghirardelli Chocolate Brownies, Chocolate Brownies with Peppermint, Flourless Chocolate Cake, and Dark Chocolate Brownies.
Dark Chocolate Pudding Recipe
Ingredients:
- 3 large egg yolks, beaten lightly
- 3 cups non-fat milk
- 2/3 cup granulated white sugar
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 3 Tbsp. unsweetened dark cocoa (such as Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa)
- 1/8 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 2 oz. dark chocolate chips (such as Ghirardelli 60% cacao dark chocolate chips)
Procedure:
- Crack egg yolks into a medium bowl and beat lightly. Set aside.
- In a heavy saucepan, heat milk over medium-high heat to 180 degrees or until tiny bubbles form around the edges. Immediately remove from heat. Strain milk through a sieve into a large mixing bowl. Discard any solids. Pour the milk back into the saucepan and add the sugar, cornstarch, dark cocoa powder and salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly to ensure a smooth texture.
- When the chocolate mixture thickens, remove it from the heat and take about a cup of it and whisk it into the egg yolks slowly to make sure the yolks don't cook. Pour the egg yolk and chocolate mixture back into the saucepan with the rest of the chocolate mixture. Return it to the stove and bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly. When the pudding becomes thick, remove it from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract and dark chocolate chips.
- Serve immediately or transfer the pudding to a storage container or glass bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing all the way down onto the pudding so there are no air bubbles. This will prevent a skin from forming on the pudding. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Makes 6 servings.
Per serving: 208 calories 4 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 107 mg cholesterol, 37 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 6 g protein, 14% vitamin A, 2% vitamin C, 27% calcium, 8% iron
Stephanie Gallagher - Stephanie Gallagher is a veteran journalist and author. In addition to writing for Suite 101, she is the Cooking for Kids columnist for ...
