Oat Milk Chocolate Pudding

Oat Milk Chocolate Pudding
David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
15 minutes
Rating
5(4,799)
Notes
Read community notes

Chocolate pudding is equal parts comfort and romance, which means it’s great accompanied by sweatpants, candlelight or both. This 15-minute version is inspired by a recipe from Alice Medrich, the cookbook author, in which she uses both cocoa powder and chocolate, and cornstarch instead of eggs for a pure chocolate flavor (eggs can dilute the subtle notes). Here, nondairy milk is swapped in for the milk and the cream with equally wonderful results. When developing this recipe, we found that oat milk created a pudding with the plushest texture. Soy, almond and coconut milks work, too, although they might impart their own flavor and the pudding texture may vary.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings
  • cup/65 grams granulated sugar
  • cup/30 grams unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 2tablespoons cornstarch
  • teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 2cups/480 milliliters nondairy milk, preferably oat
  • 3 to 4ounces/85 to 115 grams bittersweet bar chocolate, finely chopped (see Tip 1)
  • 1teaspoon vanilla extract
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

350 calories; 9 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 3 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 62 grams carbohydrates; 8 grams dietary fiber; 20 grams sugars; 11 grams protein; 53 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a medium saucepan, use a wooden spoon or silicone spatula to stir together the sugar, cocoa, cornstarch and salt. Slowly stir in the milk and keep stirring until smooth and combined.

  2. Step 2

    Stir the mixture constantly over medium-low heat, scraping the bottom, sides and corners of the pan, until the pudding thickens, begins to bubble, and coats the back of the spoon or spatula, 5 to 10 minutes. (If the pudding is coating the bottom of the pan too quickly, reduce the heat.)

  3. Step 3

    Add the chocolate and stir vigorously until the pudding is very thick and smooth, about 30 seconds longer.

  4. Step 4

    Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Spoon the pudding into a serving bowl or individual cups or ramekins. Serve warm, at room temperature or chilled (see Tip 2). It will thicken as it cools.

Tips
  • Use 4 ounces of chocolate with 60 to 65 percent cacao, or 3 ounces of chocolate with 66 to 70 percent cacao.
  • Before refrigerating, press plastic wrap onto the surface of the pudding to prevent a “skin” from forming on top. The pudding will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Ratings

5 out of 5
4,799 user ratings
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Cooking Notes

Why would anyone want to prevent skin from forming on top? Pudding-skin is the best thing ever!

I would recommend sifting the dry ingredients to prevent clumping when integrating into the oat milk. Delicious pudding!

Adding the zest of one orange with the chopped chocolate makes this already delicious dessert just that bit more luxurious!

To make oat milk for the recipe: 2 cups of water and 30 grams of dry oats. Blend on high for 2 minutes in a Vitamix and ready to go. Don't need to soak oats or filter milk. It ends up nice and smooth in the end. YUM!

There aren’t enough stars. I don’t want to eat anything else. I’m not going to brush my teeth.

I so appreciate this as the mom of two dairy-free littles. I sprinkled some flaked sea salt on my husband’s and my bowls, but could also see a good addition of some chili and cinnamon as well. I also used a silicone-coated whisk to prevent clumping. Worked great.

Borrowed a tip from Ina Garten and added a little espresso powder (1/4 teaspoon) to bring out even more chocolate flavor. Yum!

Cornstarch needs boiling temp + time to fully activate, so after the mixture gets to the "coating back of spoon" stage (5-10 min), I actually let it come to a fairly vigorous boil and constantly stir/monitor for at least 2 full minutes at that boil. I've made this numerous times and get chocolate soup every 3rd time because I forget about this step, which isn't specified in the recipe.

Holy Mother of God that’s delicious! A wonderful way to celebrate losing ten lbs!

This got rave reviews from husband who loves chocolate pudding but is allergic to dairy. Consistency with oat milk is incredibly creamy but the dessert has none of the unpleasant aftertaste of some other dairy alternatives. It tastes like essence of chocolate - I used Valrhona 70% for the bar chocolate and Trader Joe's 100% cocoa for the powder. I think the quality of chocolate is paramount in this recipe as the taste is so forward, unmasked by cream, eggs or other additions. Not too sweet!

Thanks to Andy and EVR! I "sifted" the dry ingredients in a mini Cuisinart which I then used to chop the TCHO bittersweet chocolate, which is 66%. Per the Tip, I decided to go for the 4 iz but could have done 3.5. I used the silicone whisk in a non-stick pot so clean-up was easy. I used a combination of cashew almond milk I had on hand and the results were absolutely delicious! First time this lactose-free woman has had chocolate pudding in 35 years! What a treat!

No - that distinction only matters when baking with leavening agents (Dutch is often paired with baking powder, natural is paired with baking soda). You can use either cocoa here successfully, but the taste of each will be different - Dutch is mellower and deeper (like the cookie part of Oreos), natural is more conventional, like what those of us who grew up in the U.S. expected "chocolate" flavor to taste like (Hershey's). Some companies even offer a blend of Dutch and natural, like Penzey's.

Saw this and 15 min later, it was done. It’s THAT easy and quick.

Inspired by Magnolia’s pumpkin gingersnap banana pudding and the abundance of oat milk on hand, I made this recipe but nixed the cocoa powdered and chocolate, instead adding a few spoonfuls of canned pumpkin, cinnamon, pumpkin spice, and nutmeg. So easy, so amazing.

OMG this was so easy and amazing! Adding the oat milk in a bit at a time to the dry ingredients will allow it to incorporate more easily without need for sifting. Didn't realize we were out of corn starch so subbed double the amount of tapioca starch. It thickened well and is very smooth and creamy.

Above plus 1tbs sugar

I really like this pudding recipe. If you want to eat it cold and don't have a lot of time for it to cool in the fridge, you can take the pot you made the pudding in and submerge the bottom of it in ice water, then whisk the pudding until it cools down to room temperature or colder. When I do this, I do not notice a pudding skin form!

Delicious chocolate pudding, but a tad too sweet for me and will use 1/4 cup less sugar next time. For those that are experiencing lumpiness or having a difficult time getting the heat right, making this on a double boiler really helped so that it didn’t burn or congeal.

Please do yourself a favor and try freezing a batch in popsicle molds. If you can manage not to eat it all before you get it in the freezer, you'll be rewarded with the best pudding pops you can imagine. I always opt for 4 oz dark chocolate when I make this, along with some Vietnamese cinnamon and a pinch of cayenne. Heaven on earth in pudding and popsicle form.

Made this but substituted half and half for the oat milk … just because I’m Oat milk intolerant and live in an oat free house. It was very good and tasted like real chocolate pudding

Really enjoyed this recipe. I used 1/4 cup sugar instead of 1/3 since my wife does not like things too sweet. Turned out great! Whisked the pudding still in the sauce pot with the sauce pot partially submerged in an ice water bath to really quickly bring the temperature down to room temperature, then put in fridge. Did not notice a skin. Would recommend!

Probably my #1 favorite recipe out of the hundreds I've tried here. To ensure perfect smoothness, I give the pudding a quick blend with an immersion blender after stirring in the chopped chocolate.

Okay. I bit oat-forward. Try another recipe. 4/2024

Delicious. I made it exactly as stated, except with soy milk and dark chocolate. Very simple, easy, and yummy dessert.

This pudding is delicious. The 2nd time I cooked it I increased all ingredients by 50% ( i.e., made 9 servings) except the chocolate, which I kept the same. Using a 4 oz bar of Ghirardelli 60% cacao baking chocolate it is so rich, you don't need more chocolate. I also added espresso powder as recommended in the notes. Great recipe!!

Love this!

And stir constantly

Less chocolate, used 1/4 cup sugar and that was still too sweet.

Great texture and rich flavor. I added orange zest based on a suggestion here - love the flavor but not the bits between my teeth so I wouldn’t do that again. Maybe a little grand marnier

if you are dairy intolerant or simply avoiding it, this is a great alternative with great consistency and gorgeous deep chocolate color. That said, it tastes a bit thin to me, even after adding a bit more sea salt and vanilla. I used Droste cocoa and Lindt 70% chocolate. Give me a pudding made with milk and eggs any day.

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