Salted Chocolate Pudding

Chocolate pudding is a classic dessert. It’s decadent and rich, yet simple and nostalgic. The texture is creamy and delightful, making it the perfect way to end a meal. We love this recipe because it’s easy to make and doesn’t require a ton of prep. It’s a good choice for a last-minute dinner party, dish to take to a friend, or sweet treat to end a long week! 

Choosing the Right Ingredients 

While it may seem like any chocolate will work, our recipe uses bittersweet because it gives the pudding a richer, more intense flavor of chocolate. The best kind of bittersweet chocolate to use when baking are the higher-quality bars with a higher percentage of cacao.  

As for the salt, we always suggest going with Kosher to bake or cook. It’s got a clean flavor and, due to its size, is easy to measure and control. It also dissolves easily, which makes for an all around better cooking experience.  

For garnish, we choose flaky sea salt. Its flavor is just enough to complement the sweetness of the pudding and it gives the dessert an elevated, gourmet look.  

What You’ll Need 

• 6 oz bittersweet chocolate—chopped
• 1½ oz cream
• 1½ oz whole milk
• ¼ cup raw cacao
• ¾ cup sugar
• 3 egg yolks
• 3 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp vanilla
• ½ tsp salt
• Whipped cream
• Flaky salt
• Mint sprigs for garnish
• Berries for garnish 

How to Make It 

1. Place the chocolate in a medium glass bowl.
2. In a pot, heat the cream, milk, cacao, and 6 tbs sugar over medium to high heat. Whisk until the mixture is just simmering, about 7 to 10 minutes, then set aside.
3. In another large glass bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch, and vanilla until the color is pale. Add a bit of the hot cream into the eggs and whisk constantly while continuing to add little pours of cream.
4. Slowly whisk in the remaining yolk and cream into the pot. Turn the heat to medium and continue whisking until you have a thin custard. This takes about 3 to 5 minutes.
5. Immediately pour over the chocolate and cover it with a plate. Let sit for 5 minutes. Whisk until smooth and creamy. Transfer to a pudding or baking dish to refrigerate for at least two hours, though overnight is best.
6. To serve, we recommend whisking the pudding and transferring it to pudding cups. Top with whipped cream, a pinch of flaky salt, berries, and a sprig of mint. 

A Perfect Pairing 

For a bold pairing with surprising balance, we recommend enjoying a glass of Stags’ Leap Winery Napa Valley Petite Sirah with the Salted Chocolate Pudding. The wine’s aromas of bramble berry fruit, freshly baked blackberry pie, boysenberry, black plum, black cherry cobbler, and hints of graham cracker crust will exemplify the pudding’s flavors, while the pudding’s texture will complement the wine’s elegant mouthfeel.