Silky smooth and wonderfully rich gluten free chocolate pudding is a snap to make. Heavy cream, good chocolate, and a few egg yolks combine for a celebration-worthy dessert.
When my girls were small, we read the Henry and Mudge series over and over again; my particular favorite was the title "Henry and Mudge in the Sparkle Days." This book features a fancy Christmas Eve dinner Henry's family makes each year (Mudge gets his own plate), and when we moved to California, I instituted our version of the fancy Eve meal. My menu always consists of an English roast complete with homemade Yorkshire Puddings and gravy, and it's finished with little cups of sweet, dark gluten free pudding.
This recipe, while worthy of a celebratory occasion, is not complicated. I love, though, that it feels fancy without being over the top. It's beautifully rich, relying on a base of cream and egg yolks that are swirled with bittersweet chocolate to create a gorgeous, impossible-to-resist dessert. Top the pudding with plenty of whipped cream and enjoy.
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Why I Love Making Homemade Chocolate Pudding
I love the ease of making this pudding. All it takes is a bit of heating, whisking, mixing, and chilling. It's not technically a last-minute dessert (I turn to any fruit crisp when I need something really fast), but it's something you can prep and have ready in 2 hours or less. It's deliciously decadent and so special - we love it as a finish to a Valentine's Day dinner, but it's also lovely as a dessert after a long day when you need a little pick-me-up. Easy ingredients and a simple preparation method make this a recipe I rely on.
- Naturally gluten-free. What makes a gluten free chocolate pudding different than a regular chocolate pudding? Probably not much! However, we're talking about this specific recipe, and you can be assured that every ingredient here is gluten-free.
- Simple ingredients. Rely on egg yolks to thicken the pudding with no need to whisk in cornstarch or flour; a beautiful alchemy occurs when hot cream is cooked with the yolks, and the pudding emerges beautifully thick and rich.
- Gloriously rich. Look, I like a lighter dessert like one-ingredient banana ice cream as much as anyone, but sometimes I like to lean into a super decadent vibe. Lush with cream and plenty of chocolate, this pudding more than fits the bill.
Ingredients Needed
Every ingredient counts here because it's such a minimal ingredient list. Use fresh cream and good-quality chocolate for the best results. Don't forget to scroll down to my recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full ingredient amounts and instructions.
- Heavy cream - I advocate for using heavy cream here for the ultimate richness, but you can definitely use half-and-half if needed.
- Granulated sugar - Swap maple syrup or coconut sugar for a naturally sweetened option.
- Salt - A bit of fine sea salt or table salt will accentuate the richness of the pudding.
- Egg yolks - Save your egg yolks when you make a gluten free angel food cake and make this pudding!
- Chocolate - I prefer semisweet chocolate chips or a bar for this pudding; for a sweeter, different taste, milk chocolate may be used. Try to use good-quality chocolate if possible.
How to Make Gluten Free Chocolate Pudding
Here's an overview in photos of how to make this easy dessert:
1. Heat cream: In a double boiler, heat the cream and mix in the sugar until dissolved. Add the salt.
2. Temper eggs: Whisk a few spoonfuls of the hot cream into the egg yolks.
3. Combine: Mix the eggs into the hot cream mixture and cook for a few minutes.
4. Add chocolate: Mix in the chocolate until melted and smooth.
5. Strain: Pour the pudding through a strainer.
6. Chill: Cool the pudding, then chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour before serving.
Do I Need to Temper the Egg Yolks?
Tempering eggs is the process of whisking a bit of hot liquid with eggs in order to raise the eggs' temperature without scrambling them. Once this smooth and stable mixture is created, it can be added to the larger amount of hot liquid. I highly recommend this step, shown in the photo above, to help achieve the smoothest pudding.
Pudding Tips & Tricks
- You can use some milk. Using all heavy cream creates the richest pudding. But, I have used half cream and half whole milk with great results. If you want to lighten it up a bit or just don't have enough cream, use ¾ cup of heavy cream to ¾ cup of whole milk.
- Make sure to strain the pudding. Even after tempering the eggs, some slight lumpiness can remain. Pour the cooked pudding through a fine mesh strainer in order to remove any lumps.
- Double up. This recipe makes four respectable servings. If you wish to make more portions, go ahead and double the ingredient amounts.
- It will set as it cools. Don't worry if the pudding still seems quite liquid after it's done cooking. It will thicken and set as it chills.
- Try a different chocolate. Use the measurements in this recipe as your base for trying other types of chocolate, including from your favorite chocolate bar!
- Go dairy-free. Use coconut cream in place of the heavy cream for a dairy-free pudding.
- Can I make it vegan? I haven't tried making this pudding in a vegan version because the egg yolks are instrumental in creating the custard base. You could experiment with aquafaba (chickpea liquid) in place of the egg yolks, or simply find a vegan (and gluten-free) chocolate pudding recipe.
- To serve: Homemade or store-bought whipped cream, sliced strawberries, raspberries, mini chocolate chips, or chopped nuts!
Proper Storage
Pudding may be stored in the fridge, tightly covered with a piece of plastic wrap pressed onto its surface to prevent a skin from forming, for up to 3 days. Serve cold from the fridge. You can store the pudding in a container to portion out later, or portion it out, cover it, and store.
More Easy Chocolate Recipes
Happy baking! If you make this recipe, I'd love to know. Please leave a comment below, reach out with any questions, and tag me on Instagram @Cucina Nicolina ❤️
Recipe
Gluten Free Chocolate Pudding
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 3 egg yolks
- 3 ounces dark chocolate , as chips or chopped
- Whipped cream to serve , optional
Instructions
- Set a bowl over a saucepan half-full of simmering water. Pour in the 1 ½ cups heavy cream and warm it for 3 minutes, then whisk in the ¼ cup granulated sugar and ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt, whisking until the sugar dissolves.
- Place the 3 egg yolks in a small bowl. Spoon hot cream into the egg yolks, then pour the eggs into the double boiler. Stir continuously for 3 minutes.
- Stir the 3 ounces dark chocolate into the hot cream until it melts and thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Pour the mixture through a fine mesh strainer to remove any lumps.
- Spoon the custard into ramekins or cups. For larger portions, you will get 4 servings. For smaller portions, divide into 6 ramekins or cups. Cover each with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour until set. Serve with whipped cream if you like.
Notes
- You can use some milk. Using all heavy cream creates the richest pudding. But, I have used half cream and half whole milk with great results. If you want to lighten it up a bit or just don't have enough cream, use ¾ cup of heavy cream to ¾ cup of whole milk.
- Make sure to strain the pudding. Even after tempering the eggs, some slight lumpiness can remain. Pour the cooked pudding through a fine mesh strainer in order to remove any lumps.
- Double up. This recipe makes four respectable servings. If you wish to make more portions, go ahead and double the ingredient amounts.
- It will set as it cools. Don't worry if the pudding still seems quite liquid after it's done cooking. It will thicken and set as it chills.
- Try a different chocolate. Use the measurements in this recipe as your base for trying other types of chocolate, including from your favorite chocolate bar!
- Go dairy-free. Use coconut cream in place of the heavy cream for a dairy-free pudding.
- Can I make it vegan? I haven't tried making this pudding in a vegan version because the egg yolks are instrumental in creating the custard base. You could experiment with aquafaba (chickpea liquid) in place of the egg yolks, or simply find a vegan (and gluten-free) chocolate pudding recipe.
- To serve: Homemade or store-bought whipped cream, sliced strawberries, raspberries, mini chocolate chips, or chopped nuts!
I'd love to hear from you! Please leave me a note.