Stovetop chocolate pudding
Thick, glossy chocolate pudding from milk, cocoa and a handful of chips, whisked on the stove in ten minutes with no eggs and no box.
- 135 min total
- 15 min hands-on
- Anyone can make this
- Serves 4
- About $0.70 a serving
- 280 calories
- Good the next day
- Vegetarian
- Gluten-free
Dolly says: Make the full amount. Whatever’s left keeps for tomorrow.
Ingredients
For 4 servings.
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2½ cups milk
- ½ cup chocolate chips
From your pantry
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 3 tbsp cornstarch
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Each serving has about 280 calories, 7 g protein, 44 g carbs and 10 g fat, and costs about $0.70 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No milk? Half-and-half works.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
the sugar, cocoa, cornstarch and salt in a medium until no lumps are left.
Whisk. Whisking means beating quickly with a whisk or a fork to blend things together. It smooths out lumps and mixes eggs, oil or sauces evenly.
How you’ll know: It all looks one even color and texture, with no streaks or lumps.
Saucepan. A saucepan is a pot with tall, straight sides and one long handle. It’s for things that need depth, like rice, sauces or a few boiled eggs.
How you’ll know: The food fills it about halfway, leaving room to bubble without spilling over.
Dolly’s tip: Mixing the dry things first keeps the cornstarch from clumping when the milk goes in.in a splash of the milk to make a smooth paste, then slowly whisk in the rest.
Whisk. Whisking means beating quickly with a whisk or a fork to blend things together. It smooths out lumps and mixes eggs, oil or sauces evenly.
How you’ll know: It all looks one even color and texture, with no streaks or lumps.
Cook over medium heat, constantly, until it and starts to bubble, about 6 to 8 minutes.
Whisk. Whisking means beating quickly with a whisk or a fork to blend things together. It smooths out lumps and mixes eggs, oil or sauces evenly.
How you’ll know: It all looks one even color and texture, with no streaks or lumps.
Thicken. Thickening means cooking a sauce or soup until it’s less runny, by simmering it down or adding something like cornstarch. A thicker sauce clings to food instead of pooling on the plate.
How you’ll know: It coats the back of a spoon, and a line drawn through it with your finger holds its shape.
Medium heatTimer: 6 min
Let it bubble for 1 minute more, still , so the cornstarch fully .
Whisk. Whisking means beating quickly with a whisk or a fork to blend things together. It smooths out lumps and mixes eggs, oil or sauces evenly.
How you’ll know: It all looks one even color and texture, with no streaks or lumps.
Thicken. Thickening means cooking a sauce or soup until it’s less runny, by simmering it down or adding something like cornstarch. A thicker sauce clings to food instead of pooling on the plate.
How you’ll know: It coats the back of a spoon, and a line drawn through it with your finger holds its shape.
Medium heatTimer: 1 min
Dolly’s tip: Whisk into the corners of the pan. That’s where pudding scorches first.Take the pan off the heat and in the chocolate chips and vanilla until and glossy.
Whisk. Whisking means beating quickly with a whisk or a fork to blend things together. It smooths out lumps and mixes eggs, oil or sauces evenly.
How you’ll know: It all looks one even color and texture, with no streaks or lumps.
Melt. Melting means gently heating something solid, like butter or cheese, until it turns liquid. Low or medium heat keeps it from browning or burning.
How you’ll know: It’s smooth and liquid, and butter may foam a little but hasn’t turned brown.
Pour into 4 cups or bowls and press plastic wrap right onto the surface of each one.
Dolly’s tip: Plastic touching the pudding stops a skin from forming. If you love the skin, skip it., at least 2 hours, then serve.
Chill. Chilling means putting something in the fridge until it’s cold all the way through. No-bake desserts firm up as they chill, and chilled cookie dough spreads less in the oven.
How you’ll know: It feels cold in the middle, not just on top, and it holds its shape when you cut or scoop it.
Set. Set means food has firmed up from runny to holding its shape, from cooking, baking or chilling. Set eggs have no clear, runny white left, and a set pudding stays put when you tilt the dish.
How you’ll know: Tilt the pan or press gently near the middle: it barely wobbles, and nothing runs.
Timer: 120 min
Food safety: Food with mayonnaise, dairy, eggs, cooked meat or cream, like dips, salads and cream desserts, can sit out for 2 hours at most, or 1 hour above 90°F. Keep cold food in the fridge or on ice until serving, and hot food at 140°F or hotter.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop picks a dessert for treat night, puts what you need on the week’s grocery list, and walks you through each step.
