Cornstarch has its uses

Including chocolate pudding!

I’ve been craving chocolate lately, and I realized tonight that I had all the ingredients for chocolate pudding. So I made up a batch, and ate a bunch of it warm. I adapted this recipe with some ideas from this recipe. I really, really like the five spice powder with the chocolate.

  • 6 3 T. cornstarch, dissolved in 1/4 c. cold water and set aside
  • 3 c. milk, soy milk, coconut milk or a combination (I used 1/2 c. coconut milk with 2-1/2 c. soymilk)
  • 1/2 c. sugar
  • 2/3 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/2 t. vanilla extract
  • pinch salt
  • 1 t. Chinese five spice powder

In a large saucepan over medium heat, whisk together sugar, cocoa powder and five spice powder with milk/milk analogue, cornstarch mixture and salt. Whisk constantly until mixture boils, then lower heat and cook for a few more minutes until mixture thickens. Take off heat and whisk in vanilla. Let cool about five minutes before chilling. Or serving, if you like hot pudding. Plastic wrap on the surface will keep skin from forming. Unless you like pudding skin, then be daring and leave it off.

* Note: this was way too thick the second day.  Try half the amount of cornstarch.

6 Responses to “Cornstarch has its uses”


  1. 1 Leeann

    Mmm, that sounds great! Thanks for posting it.

  2. 2 Kat

    Fun childhood memory: lots of homemade chocolate pudding
    Not-so-fun childhood memory: being drafted to stand at stove and stir said pudding for an eternity…. ;)

  3. 3 Interrobang

    Dairy-free chocolate pudding! Better, dairy-free chocolate pudding that sounds easy to make, doesn’t require eggs, and is made with all stuff I think I have in the house right this minute! Thank you for posting this! It looks awesome with awesome sauce!

  4. 4 Zuzu

    Fun childhood memory: lots of homemade chocolate pudding
    Not-so-fun childhood memory: being drafted to stand at stove and stir said pudding for an eternity…. ;)

    Ha! Yeah, what was the name of that book that Mom had that didn’t have a cover on it? That’s where her chocolate pudding recipe was from.

    I love the idea of chocolate with different spices, especially chilies and curry. I have a recipe somewhere for Mexican chocolate cookies that use cinnamon and cayenne, plus black pepper. I haven’t made them in ages, but I remember that they had a nice bite from the black pepper, plus a warm finish from the cayenne.

  5. 5 Zuzu

    Interrobang, just remember to reduce the amount of cornstarch from the original. It really set up too thick with those proportions.

  6. 6 jimvj

    Is arrowroot powder worth the buzz it is getting
    as a thickener?

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