Rich, chocolatey, and ultra creamy, this delicious healthy chocolate pudding recipe is surprisingly easy to make at home!
A classic chocolate pudding recipe with no tofu, no banana, and no avocado!
Not that there is anything wrong with avocado, but sometimes you just want traditional homemade chocolate pudding without any surprise ingredients.
As much as I love recipes where you can’t taste the hidden vegetable, such as in the famous Sweet Potato Brownies, my everyday meals are usually much more simple.
This thick and healthy chocolate pudding can be soy free, sugar free, egg free, gluten free, nut free, and dairy free.
Also be sure to try these Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
Creamy vegan chocolate pudding
In sixth grade, I went through a chocolate pudding phase, where I’d make a package of Jell-O chocolate pudding, add an obscene amount of Cool Whip to the top, and savor it slowly with a small spoon as I watched the Dallas Stars games.
(Hockey was another of my sixth-grade obsessions. I am a girl of many obsessions!)
Today’s recipe is a homemade version of that packaged chocolate pudding. And like most homemade recipes, it is so much better than anything that comes in a box.
This healthy chocolate pudding is super creamy, chocolatey, and absolutely fantastic!
If you want to avoid the hydrogenated oils, artificial flavors, high fructose corn syrup, and hard-to-pronounce ingredients found in store bought Cool Whip, try topping the dairy free chocolate pudding with Coconut Whipped Cream or Coconut Ice Cream.
Healthy chocolate pudding ingredients
Here is what you need: milk, cocoa, sweetener, salt, cornstarch, and vanilla extract.
A few readers have substituted arrowroot for cornstarch and say it works if you use less arrowroot. I have not personally tried this substitution.
For healthy chocolate pudding with no cornstarch, try my Vegan Chocolate Mousse or this sugar free and paleo Keto Chocolate Mousse.
Feel free to test out different milks in this recipe to find your favorite taste and texture. If you use canned coconut milk, it is super thick and velvety like chocolate mousse.
I also love making the dairy free pudding with almond milk or cashew milk.
You can also change up the flavor if you wish, by adding a few drops of pure peppermint extract, maple extract, or even coconut extract along with the vanilla.
Still craving chocolate? Make your own Chocolate Truffles
How to make the healthy dessert
Start by heating two cups of milk in a small pot with the salt, cocoa powder, and sweetener of choice.
Meanwhile, whisk the cornstarch and the remaining half cup of milk in a small bowl until the cornstarch is completely dissolved.
When the mixture in the saucepan is warm, whisk in the milk with cornstarch and bring to a boil. Once boiling, stir constantly with a whisk or spoon for two minutes.
Lower the heat to a simmer for an additional minute, then turn off the heat and add the pure vanilla extract. If using the optional chocolate, stir it until completely melted.
Transfer the chocolate pudding to the refrigerator to thicken. It gets thicker and thicker the longer it sits and will be ready to eat after a few hours or overnight.
*If you do want a recipe with avocado, make this Avocado Chocolate Mousse.
Watch the healthy chocolate pudding video above
Healthy Chocolate Pudding
Ingredients
- 2 cups milk of choice OR canned coconut milk
- heaping 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup dutch cocoa powder
- 1/3 cup sweetener (sugar, pure maple syrup, erythritol, or honey)
- 1/2 cup milk of choice + 3 tbsp cornstarch
- optional 3 oz chocolate chips or broken-up bar
- 3/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Healthy Chocolate Pudding Recipe: Heat the 2 cups milk of choice in a saucepan with the salt, cocoa powder, and sweetener. Meanwhile, whisk the cornstarch and 1/2 cup milk in a small bowl until dissolved. When the 2 cups milk are warm, add the cornstarch mixture and bring to a boil. Once boiling, stir constantly for 2 minutes. Lower to a simmer for an additional minute, then turn off the heat. Once the heat is off, stir in the vanilla and broken-up chocolate pieces until the chocolate melts. Transfer the pudding to the refrigerator to thicken. It gets thicker the longer it sits and will be ready to consume after a few hours or overnight. *Note: I’ve not tried arrowroot and have only tried this recipe with Dutch cocoa powder so can’t vouch for the taste if regular unsweetened cocoa powder is used in its place. But you are always free to experiment!View Nutrition Facts
Video
Notes
More Healthy Desserts
Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies
I just found this recipe, and I must say. It’s awesome!! I used Hershey’s cocoa powder, since it’s what I had on hand. Absolutely delicious! I’m currently making a double batch since my Dad begged for my first batch.
I’m still feeling hungry seeing this photo. Thnaks for this recipe. My friend Nancy will like this and I will tell her to make this for me.
Made this with almond milk, unsweetened cocoa powder, splenda, and I used 2oz of chocolate. It turned out excellent, and I enjoyed with some wild blueberries on top 🙂
I used arrowroot powder, but it was way too thick. So I tried mixing it with a whole cup of milk… CHOCOLATE milk! That was perfect! Also used coconut milk for the initial 2 cups, and used 1/3 cup xylitol with a Tbsp of honey for sweetener. Now it’s grandkids applauded! Thank you, Katie!!!
i actually made this- using almond milk and the honey option- it did not turn out at all like the picture but pretty good. i think i will try it next time with regular lactose free milk, see if that is different. thank you- it is a great starting point for a non- box alternative 🙂
Easy recipe. Turned out great. I added an extra heaping tablespoon of cocoa and same with sugar. Thanks for sharing. I did use arrowroot powder and not cornstarch. Arrowroot is smoother and has health benefits.
Thank you.
Kathy
I’m definitely not an adult and I managed to make this by myself. I did notice cornstarch clumping at the bottom of the pan while it was boiling, but by the time I turned the stove off, the cornstarch wasn’t a problem at all. It turned out really well! I used unsweetened cocoa powder and 1/3 cup sugar.
I just finished the recipe ( unsweetened Cocoa, sugar, regular milk and a little dark chocolate) and the texture looks great… My 3-year-old Will be able to enjoy chocolate pudding without all the junk that’ s into the store-bought stuff ! Thank you !
Thank You for sharing this. What is the caloric value of the pudding? Thank you.
I just made this recipe using unsweetened cashew milk and unsweetened chocolate. I don’t think this recipe calls for enough sweetener if you’re using unsweetened chocolate. I wish that you had said what kind of chocolate you had used. I think I’m going to have to scrap the entire batch. Which is extra unfortunate since nut milks and pure chocolate aren’t exactly cheap… I absolutely have to use the unsweetened because my infant has MSPI and can’t tolerate any dairy.