Homemade Chocolate Custard

Skip the complicated French techniques and take a straightforward approach to making luxurious chocolate custard right at home.

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For anyone that loves creme brulee or pot de creme but not the tricky water bath, finicky egg tempering and long bake time, this chocolate custard comes to the rescue. It’s ridiculously simple, and takes the guesswork out of the usual French cooking techniques. Now, you can skip to the part where you plunge a spoon into the thick, silky custard and let the decadent chocolate bloom on your tongue. I love this with espresso or after-dinner drinks like vin santo or port.

Ingredients for Chocolate Custard

Sugar: Granulated sugar sweetens the chocolate custard.
Egg yolks: Separate the egg whites from the yolks and place the yolks in their own bowl. Like any good custard, this chocolate custard recipe only uses the egg yolks.
Whole milk: Whole milk adds richness to the custard.
Heavy whipping cream: This type of cream gives the custard body. Make sure you’re not buying plain whipping cream; it doesn’t have as much fat as heavy whipping cream.
Chocolate: Dark or semisweet chocolate can be used for this chocolate custard. Dark chocolate will lend the deepest, most chocolatey flavor, but semisweet chocolate may be more palatable to others.
Vanilla extract: Delicate, floral vanilla ties all the flavors together.
Toppings: Dollop homemade whipped cream on each serving, then scatter fresh berries and shaved chocolate on top if desired.

Directions

Step 1: Prepare the custard base

A saucepan filled with melted butter and a whisk on a blue potholder. Two glass containers filled with cream or milk are next to the saucepan on a marble countertop. Ellie Crowley for Taste of Home

In a large saucepan, whisk together the sugar and egg yolks until they’re well-combined. Whisk in the whole milk and heavy whipping cream until they’re smooth.

Step 2: Cook the custard

A hand holds a spoon over a saucepan containing smooth, creamy yellow sauce, possibly custard, on a light-colored surface. Ellie Crowley for Taste of Home

Place the saucepan on the stove over medium-low heat. Cook the custard mixture until it’s just slightly thickened, stirring constantly, for five to seven minutes.

Step 3: Add the flavorings

A saucepan on a blue trivet contains a yellow batter and chunks of dark chocolate, with a whisk resting inside. Nearby are a small bowl with chocolate shavings and a small cup of vanilla extract on a white marble surface. Ellie Crowley for Taste of Home

Remove the custard from the heat. Stir in the chopped chocolate, vanilla and salt. Let the custard sit for a minute or two until the chocolate has melted, then whisk it until the it’s nice and smooth.

Step 4: Chill the custard overnight

Four bowls of chocolate pudding are on a teal tray. Next to them is a saucepan with leftover chocolate residue and a wooden spatula, placed on a blue knitted mat on a marble surface. Ellie Crowley for Taste of Home

If you’re serving the custard in individual portions, divide it into ramekins and cover them. Otherwise, transfer the custard to a bowl and cover it with storage wrap to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate the custard for at least four hours or overnight.

Editor’s Tip: If you want the custard to be extra smooth, strain it through a fine mesh sieve and use a rubber spatula to push the custard through and into the bowl.

Step 5: Serve the chocolate custard

If desired, serve the chocolate custard with whipped cream, raspberries and shaved chocolate to garnish.

Three ramekins of chocolate mousse sit on a wooden board. One is garnished with whipped cream and raspberries, the second is plain with a spoon, and the third has raspberries and chocolate shavings. The background is a marble surface. Ellie Crowley for Taste of Home

Recipe Variations

Change the extract: Instead of vanilla extract, feel free to use orange, almond, peppermint or even chocolate extract for a deeper chocolate flavor.
Add a boozy component: If these chocolate custards will only be eaten by adults, considering adding a splash of liquor! Kahlua, amaretto or creme de cassis would be lovely here.

How to Store Chocolate Custard

Store any leftover chocolate custard in an airtight container or in glass jars with screw-top lids. It’s fine to keep it in glass cups, too, so long as you cover the tops with storage wrap so the custard doesn’t absorb any lingering fridge smells. The custard can last up to four days in the fridge.

Can you freeze chocolate custard?

No, you shouldn’t freeze chocolate custard. When the custard thaws, the texture will change from smooth and silky to grainy and loose.

Chocolate Custard Tips

Do you eat chocolate custard hot or cold?

Chocolate custard is typically eaten cold from the fridge. However, some prefer to let it sit at room temperature for a bit, which lets the chocolate flavor bloom. You can gently warm the custard in the microwave, too, if you prefer to eat it warm.

What do you serve with chocolate custard?

Besides the whipped cream, raspberries and shaved chocolate suggestions, chocolate custard can be served with a fruit sauce or jam, high-quality nuts like pistachios or hazelnuts, a drizzle of salted caramel sauce or—my personal favorite—a sprinkle of flaky Maldon sea salt.

What should you do with the extra egg whites?

There are a lot of great egg white recipes that can be used to take care of all those leftovers, so don’t discard the whites! Meringue cookies are so cute, and they would look and taste great on top of these chocolate custards, whether they’re crumbled or left whole. For something a little more substantial, try this almond-infused Swedish visiting cake. Or, relive sweet childhood nostalgia with our copycat Little Debbie cosmic brownies.

Test Kitchen Approved