Vegan Chocolate Custard Pudding is an old-fashioned dessert that has been a family favourite for generations and evolved from old-fashioned medieval custards and the old classic chocolate hasty puddings. This dairy and egg free Chocolate Custard Pudding is easy to make and can be ready to eat hot in 20 minutes or chilled for later. We use custard powder but this can easily be replaced with cornstarch for a tasty Gluten-Free Chocolate Pudding.
Even if you don't usually like custard, this chocolate version might surprise you as it's similar to the the silky-smooth chilled chocolate pudding you can buy at the supermarket. Or if you like Alpro Dark Chocolate Soya Desserts, you'll love this home-made copycat, which can be easily prepared as soya-free.
Oh and if your looking for a Vegan Chocolate Custard Sauce to pour over cakes, steamed puddings, or pies we have included an easy method as well!
This easy and quick vegan chocolate custard pudding can be jazzed up with some fresh berries and a dollop of plant-based whipped cream, and enjoyed with a crispy Scottish Shortbread Biscuit. So delicious for a vegan dinner party or special occasion pudding, or served chilled for refreshing summer time dessert.
Origin of Chocolate pudding
Chocolate pudding is a dessert that has its origins sometime during the 16th-18th century, when it started as a variation on English "hasty pudding," a type of porridge, however the origins of chocolate pudding can be traced even further back to the simple medieval style egg custards. For more information about medieval custards check out our Pineapple Custard Tart recipe post.
Hasty Puddings
Hasty pudding is a type of pudding that originated in England in the 16th-17th century which in turn evolved from medieval porridge type meals. Even though it has the name pudding the first hasty puddings was a savoury meal, as old British recipes state a recipe is a pudding despite containing little sugar or honey, and were not served as a dessert.
Hasty pudding is usually made with a mix of cornmeal, milk, water, and perhaps salt, and it was often cooked over an open fire by the working classes and served for breakfast or dinner.
In the 17th century, chocolate was introduced to England, and it began to be used in hasty pudding recipes. The addition of chocolate made hasty pudding a more luxurious meal, and so was more popular among the wealthy classes.
In the 18th century, hasty pudding was introduced to the United States by British colonists where the pudding was adapted to American ingredients, and it became known as Indian pudding. Indian pudding is made with cornmeal, milk, water, molasses, and spices.
In the 19th century, chocolate pudding became even more popular in the United States partly due in part to the invention of the chocolate factory, which made chocolate more affordable and accessible. Chocolate pudding was also promoted as a good food for stimulating invalids appetites as well as providing useful calories for children.
In the 20th century, chocolate pudding became even more popular with the invention of chocolate pudding mix such as Jell-O in 1936. Pudding mixes made it easy to make chocolate pudding at home, and they were soon a staple in American households.
In the UK a similar product called Angel Delight was manufactured in 1967 and even though its still available in the shops its now considered a retro pudding and is vegetarian as it does not contain gelatine, but sadly it is not vegan as it contains dairy milk and doesn't seem to whip up to a thick pudding using plant-based milks.
So, while hasty pudding and chocolate pudding are not exactly the same dish, they are both types of pudding that originated in England and were later adapted to American ingredients.
Our Vegan Chocolate Custard Pudding can be made even more indulgent by simply whisking some dark chocolate through the finished pudding, the pudding will set even thicker and richer elevating the chocolate experience!
Old-fashioned baked or steamed chocolate puddings
Another type of old-fashioned chocolate pudding was made using suet (animal fat), flour, sugar, and chocolate, placed into a cloth bag or pudding bowl and steamed either over an open fire or on the stove-top in a big pot filled with gently boiling water. However, these puddings were more dense, compared to a chocolate custard, and resulted in a heavier sponge type pudding.
For more information about steamed puddings have a look at our Steamed Jam Pudding recipe and our Steamed Spotted Dick Pudding which are certainly not heavy in texture but incredibly light and delicious!
For a Gluten-Free Chocolate Pudding simply replace the custard powder with cornstarch for the best Gluten-free Chocolate Pud!
Old fashioned egg custards
Modern day chocolate pudding also evolved from the British medieval egg custards.
The first known recipe for chocolate pudding was published in 1685 in a cookbook called "The Queen-Like Closet." This chocolate egg custard called for chocolate, sugar, eggs, and milk to be cooked together until thickened.
Chocolate pudding quickly became popular in England and spread to other parts of Europe and during the 18th century, chocolate pudding was introduced to the United States by British colonists with the first known American recipe for chocolate pudding published in 1796 in a cookbook called "The Art of Cookery." by Hannah Glasse. The recipe for Glasse's Sham Chocolate:
''TAKE a pint of milk, boil it over a flow fire, with fome whole cinnamon, and fweeten it with Lifbonj fugar, beat up the yolks of three eggs, throw all together into a chocolate pot, and mill it one way, or it will turn. Serve it up in chocolate cups''
[pg 345]
ONLINE SOURCE: https://library.si.edu/digital-library/book/artofcookerymad00glas
Invention of custard powder
As for vegan chocolate pudding, it's a relatively recent invention, as more people have adopted plant-based diets. Traditional dairy ingredients are replaced with non-dairy alternatives, like almond milk, coconut milk, or soya.
With the invention of custard powder in 1837 by the British chemist Alfred Bird, who created the powder as an egg replacement, an almost instant egg free custard was able to be created.
The simple addition of cocoa powder transformed the egg free custard into a chocolate custard pudding. For more information about the origins of custard powder, as well as custard powder substitutes do check out our delicious Pineapple Custard Tart recipe post.
June the 26th is National Chocolate Pudding Day! And National Chocolate Day is July 7th! The perfect excuses for delicious chocolate custard pudding.
How to prepare chocolate custard pudding
This chocolate custard powder couldn't be more easy or quicker. There is no need for a blender or food processor to achieve the smoothest, silkiest, velvety, dark chocolate pudding.
A hand whisk or balloon whisk works perfectly well and once the pudding starts gently bubbling on the stove top its ready in just 2 minutes to decant into dishes or enjoy warm.
First prepare your ingredients. We used Moma Oat milk for this batch of chocolate custard pudding but we have used soya and almond milk for previous custards and they are just as tasty.
Sift the custard powder and cocoa powder into a saucepan.
Stir through the sugar and mix well.
Stir through a small amount of plant-based milk into the dry mixture to create a smooth liquid.
Keep whisking and add the rest of the milk and the vanilla.
Bring to a gentle boil and simmer for 2 minutes.
The custard will start off thin but will suddenly become very thick. Decant the pudding into the serving dishes and either enjoy warm or chilled. As the pudding cools it will become even thicker.
Decorate with a single raspberry for a simple but amazing pudding. Or for a more indulgent dessert a scoop of dairy-free cream adds extra light freshness that is so tasty. Also a few extra fresh berries go beautifully with the silky velvety smooth dark chocolate pudding. For a crisp texture one of our delicious thin crisp Scottish Shortbread Biscuits is perfect.
The vegan cream we used was Elmlea Double Plant Cream which can be found in most UK supermarkets. This dairy-free cream whisks up beautifully thick with an electric hand whisk, but it could be whisked with a balloon whisk as well it just takes a bit longer!
Chocolate Pudding Recipe Notes and FAQ's
Storage
Leftover chocolate custard pudding can be stored in the fridge for 3 days within a covered container. Individual pots about the size of a small yogurt pot are idea for storing single servings of chocolate custard pudding.
Any plant-based milk is fine for dairy-free custard pudding including soya, oat, pea, almond, coconut, and cashew. Just keep in mind that different milks will change the flavour of the finished custard pudding, such as coconut may bring a coconutty flavour but paired with the chocolate this may be a good thing! We tend to use soya, oat, or almond for our desserts.
Absolutely, chocolate custard pudding is delicious enjoyed as a hot dessert.
Custard pudding is just the same as custard, with the main difference being that custard pudding is thicker than custard which is intended for pouring over cakes, crumbles, and pies.
Although do note that the custard pudding thickens more as it cools so the hot pudding will be a little thinner than it will be once cooled.
Of course, chocolate custard pudding is even better chilled especially when the pudding is divided into individual servings the size of small yogurts. If you like Alpro dark chocolate soya desserts then you'll love chilled chocolate custard pudding.
The main key to avoiding lumpy custard is stirring constantly with either a mixing spoon, such as a wooden spoon, or a small balloon whisk or hand whisk. If your thick custard does become lumpy if doesn't affect the flavour but if preferred the custard can be passed through a sieve or briefly blended with a hand or stand blender.
Most ordinary custards once cooked and left to sit for a while can form what is known as a skin over the surface which can make many people shudder! However, our chocolate custard pudding once decanted into serving dishes does not form a skin, rather it sets thick so the top looks set and firm, but it is not a skin as such, and under the surface is a thick, silky smooth dark chocolate pudding.
Custard forms a skin when it's exposed to air during cooling and this is a common in recipes that contain starch and proteins, such as custards and puddings.
The process of skin formation begins when the custard starts to cool and water begins to evaporate from its surface. This evaporation leaves behind a concentrated layer of proteins and starch on the surface of the custard.
As the custard continues to cool, this layer dries out and solidifies, forming a skin.
However, if you wish to prevent the skin from forming on your custard, you can place a piece of plastic wrap or baking paper directly onto the surface of the custard immediately after cooking as this creates a barrier that prevents evaporation and keeps the surface moist, thereby preventing a skin forming.
For our chocolate custard pudding we have never had an issue with a skin forming on the puddings but we always keep the puddings covered in their dishes while in the refrigerator, although there is no need to place the cover directly onto the pudding surface.
Yes, you can replace granulated sugar with a different sweetener. Options could include caster sugar, brown sugar,date syrup, maple syrup, agave nectar, or sugar substitutes like Stevia or Erythritol.
However, it's important to note that each sweetener has a different level of sweetness compared to granulated sugar so do adjust the quantity of sweetener used to achieve the desired taste.
If you're using a sugar substitute like Stevia, check the package for the equivalent amount to use as it can be much sweeter than sugar.
Bird's custard powder does not contain gluten as an ingredient, however, it is not certified gluten-free because it is not made in a dedicated gluten-free facility and there is a risk of cross-contamination with gluten-containing products during manufacturing.
However, on the Bird's website they state that some of their custard products are actually prepared in an environment with controls in place to minimize any gluten contamination and these products are mainly the custard powder that comes in 300g/350g and 600g tubs. [Please note: information retrieved 14th June 2023, so always check the ingredients on the packaging and check the manufacturers website for up-to-date information].
Yes, chocolate custard pudding can be easily prepared as gluten-free. If you can't access gluten-free custard powder then simply use cornstarch which is naturally gluten-free.
You can use cornstarch as a substitute for custard powder. For every tablespoon of custard powder use a tablespoon of cornstarch. Also add a pinch of salt and extra vanilla and sugar to the custard for flavour.
A chocolate pudding prepared with cornstarch rather than custard pudding is prepared the exact same way as the custard version but with a few tweaks to the recipe ingredients.
The tweaks are required because custard powder is made with cornflour [maize starch] which is the same as cornstarch, but it also contains vanilla flavourings, salt and a colour to give it the usual custard colour.
Here is the revised ingredients for a cornstarch chocolate custard pudding:
* 6 tablespoons of cornstarch
* 3 tablespoons of cocoa powder
* 6 tablespoons of granulated sugar [or your preferred sugar, syrup or sweetener but you will have to adjust the quantities to taste]
* large pinch of salt or about a 1/16th of a teaspoon
* 570ml of plant-based milk
* 1 tablespoon of vanilla essence or extract
Follow the method given within the main recipe for the best delicious vegan chocolate pudding made with cornstarch.
Use our chocolate custard pudding recipe and once the pudding is ready simply whisk through a little extra plant-based milk to thin the pudding out to a pouring consistency or the consistency that you prefer.
Vegan chocolate custard sauce would be a delicious accompaniment to our British Old-School Dinners Jam and Coconut Traybake as well as our classic Steamed Jam Pudding or for double the chocolate pour some chocolate custard over this incredibly easy Old-Fashioned Chocolate Vinegar Cake also known as Wacky Cake, World War 2 Cake, or Great Depression Cake!
More Vegan Traditional Chocolate Pudding and Dessert Recipes
My family loves puddings especially ones that feature chocolate so our chocolate flavoured puddings and desserts recipes are always being added to. For your next delicious chocolate dessert do check out our traditional Vegan Puddings and Desserts Recipe collection.
***please note: for US measurements click the 'US customary button' within the recipe and the measurements will switch to tablespoons, cups, and ounces.***
Recipe
Vegan Chocolate Custard Pudding
Equipment
- sieve (only really required if custard powder or cocoa powder has lumps that need sifted out]
- non-stick saucepan
- hand-held balloon whisk a cutlery fork will work in a pinch, or a mixing spoon, but to avoid the potential for lumps a hand-held whisk is best
- 4 individual pudding bowls or ramekins
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoon custard powder I use the Birds brand which is commonly found in UK supermarkets. In the US Walmart stocks this brand.
- 3 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 5 tablespoon granulated sugar Or less or more depending on how sweet you prefer the pudding, can replace the sugar with your preferred sweetener and adjust to taste]
- 570 millilitres soya milk Or your usual milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla essence Or extract
Instructions
- Sift the custard powder and cocoa powder into the saucepan, and stir the sugar through.Although if your custard powder and cocoa powder are not lumpy then this step can be omitted and the ingredients just mixed well together.6 tablespoon custard powder, 3 tablespoon cocoa powder, 5 tablespoon granulated sugar
- Add 8 tablespoons of the milk and mix well to a smooth liquid.570 millilitres soya milk
- Over a low-medium heat begin adding the rest of the milk a little at a time and whisking to avoid lumps. Stir through the vanilla.1 teaspoon vanilla essence
- Once the liquid looks like it getting hotter stop stirring for a moment and just look for any bubbles that indicate its starting to boil. Keep stirring and pausing to look out for the bubbles.
- Once the liquid is bubbling reduce the heat to low and keep stirring for 2 minutes.The custard will get suddenly lumpier as it heats so the constant stirring is required.
- Keep stirring as the custard will be thin one moment and suddenly thick the next!
- Once the chocolate custard is nice and thick (it will become thicker as it cools) remove from the heat and pour or scoop into the serving dishes.
- The pudding will continue to thicken off the heat and will set quickly so place into the serving dishes immediately. Enjoy warm or place into the refrigerator to chill and set, after the pudding has cooled off.
Chocolate custard sauce:
- For a chocolate custard that is thin enough to pour, perhaps to accompany a cake or steamed pudding, simply add a little extra milk and whisk the milk into the pudding and this will thin the pudding into more of a pouring custard sauce.
Notes
- Nutritional data is for guidance only and is not a strict calculation as ingredients vary.
- Store chocolate pudding in the fridge for up to 3 days within covered containers.
- Small reusable tubs are ideal for storing chocolate pudding in and enjoying with school, college, or work pack lunches or whenever you fancy a quick tasty dessert.
- Bird's custard powder was used for this recipe but any brand of custard powder is fine, although check the ingredients to make sure it is vegan.
- For a gluten-free pudding use a gluten-free custard powder or replace it with cornstarch.
- Continuously stirring the mixture while cooking is important to prevent lumps from forming and to ensure a smooth consistency.
- The pudding thickens as it cools, so keep that in mind while deciding when to remove it from the heat.
- If you wish to make a pourable chocolate custard, simply stir in a little extra milk. This will thin the pudding into more of a pouring custard, which can be used as a sauce for cakes, crumbles, sweet pies, or other desserts.
- Always sieve the dry ingredients to avoid any lumps but f your custard powder and cocoa powder are not lumpy, then this step can be omitted.
- The vanilla essence can be replaced with almond essence for a chocolate almond custard pudding.
- For a cornstarch chocolate custard pudding tweak the recipe ingredients above to the following ingredients:
- * 6 tablespoons of cornstarch
* 3 tablespoons of cocoa powder
* 6 tablespoons of granulated sugar [or your preferred sugar, syrup or sweetener but you will have to adjust the quantities to taste]
* large pinch of salt or about a 1/16th of a teaspoon
* 570ml of plant-based milk
* 1 tablespoon of vanilla essence or extract - Follow the same recipe method as above but use the tweaked ingredients.
- Looking for a Vegan Chocolate Custard Sauce? Use our chocolate custard pudding recipe and once the pudding is ready simply whisk through a little extra plant-based milk to thin the pudding out to a pouring consistency or the consistency that you prefer.
Nutrition
Prepared our delicious Vegan Chocolate Custard Pudding? Do let us know how you got on with the recipe as we love hearing from you. Thanks so much, Jacq x
Anjali
This was such an easy vegan dessert!! We made this with my kids last night and they gobbled it up!
Jacq
Sounds like you all had a great time! And so glad you enjoyed the chocolate custard pudding 🙂
Kate
SO gorgeous! Birds Custard Powder is one of my favourite 'accidentally vegan' treats - love the addition of chocolate for a properly decadent dessert!
Jacq
Thanks. So glad you enjoyed. The simple traditional puddings are always the best!
veenaazmanov
This is such an easy and quick dessert. Chocolate will surely enhance the custard flavor to another level. Perfect dessert for a family treat.
Jacq
I agree! Chocolate definitely enhances the custard flavour! This custard dessert is especially good packed in little reusable pots and included with a packed lunch for work or school 🙂
Dannii
This looks so rich and delicious. Even better that it is vegan too!
Jacq
Thanks! I agree these little chocolate pots are so rich and tasty. Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Beth
Such a delicious chocolate pudding - the kids loved it!
Jacq
So glad the kids loved it! 🙂
Saif
I love chocolate pudding. I can tell it's moist and creamy. And the best part that it is vegan too.
Jacq
I totally agree! The best thing is that this chocolate custard pudding is vegan! And chocolatey, creamy and fresh 🙂