Recipe: The Best Chocolate Pudding You’ve Ever Had {Dinner: A Love Story}

Bar none.

And I know that’s quite a claim.

But I feel confident enough that you’ll agree after you try this recipe.

When it comes to pudding, I can take it or leave it. I definitely don’t seek it out. But the kids? Well, they’re a slightly different story.

When Madeline sees the ready-made packages in the dairy section of the grocery store, she, more times than not, will ask me to buy them. Usually I beg off and buy the box mixes instead. Because it’s considerably cheaper.

But filled with a lot of unpronounceable ingredients.

So it is barely a once-in-awhile treat.

And, for some reason, I’ve never thought to find a recipe to make it from scratch. But then I spied this recipe from Dinner: A Love Story last week, and it looked like the perfect little after dinner treat for the kids, and something I can easily include in their lunch containers.

And so it was.

And after tasting this recipe, I will never buy the box or pre-made pudding packages again.

I can guarantee it.

Smooth, deep chocolate-y flavor that is rich, but oh just perfectly so.

And the bonus? I bet you have all the ingredients in your kitchen right now.

Make this. For the kiddos. You. A neighbor you need to thank. It’s too good not too.

More recipes we’ve loved from Dinner: A Love Story:
These pan-roasted chicken thighs with mushrooms were completely family-approved.
This fruit cobbler recipe is the perfect way to celebrate whatever fruit-is-ripe season.

Don’t have their book yet? BUY IT. Trust me.

Basic Chocolate Pudding
Recipe courtesy of Dinner: A Love Story

Every time I make pudding I think the same thing. That’s it? It might even take more time to make Jell-O’s pudding from the box. Or put it this way: I don’t know how Jell-O’s could be faster than homemade. Makes 4 cups.

2 cups milk
2 egg yolks
2/3 cup sugar
4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Whisk together milk and yolks. (I do this in a measuring cup to save a dish.) In a heavy medium saucepan, whisk sugar, cocoa, cornstarch and salt. Whisk in milk mixture and turn heat to medium. Whisk until pudding thickens and comes to a boil, about 5 minutes. Continue boiling one more minute, whisking constantly so it stays smooth. Remove pudding from heat and add vanilla extract. Divide pudding into bowls or containers and chill for a half hour and up to a week. Top with whipped cream, bananas, or graham cracker crumbles.