Gluten-Free Chocolate Pudding

I’m not a big sweets person and chocolate is pretty much at the bottom of my “gotta-have-it-or-I’ll-die” list. But sometimes, chocolate is the only thing that’ll really hit the spot. Tonight, I wanted chocolate. Chocolate Mousse to be precise, but at 7pm, I knew I’d not be enjoying that until after midnight. So I hit on the next best thing – Chocolate Pudding. Rich, thick, darkly sweet. Yum…

I’m not big into these fancy puddings that require eggs and grated chocolate from south of Belgium. No, I’m a simple girl. Cocoa, sugar, milk, cornstarch. A simple pudding that tastes like you spent all day in the kitchen.

Besides being someone who can leave chocolate (most of the time!), I’m also not a huge pudding fan. So when I make pudding, it has to be spectacular. In this case, rich and dark. A grown-up’s pudding. So I add a few squares of unsweetened chocolate to help with this.

This pudding is ready to dish and chill in just 10-15 minutes. Quick, easy, delicious. The best kind of chocolate dessert!

Gluten-Free Chocolate Pudding
1 cup sugar
1/2 – 3/4 cup cocoa powder *
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbl vanilla
5 1/2 cups milk
2 squares unsweetened chocolate
1 tsp cinnamon, optional **
1/4 cup butter

Mix all ingredients except butter in large saucepan. Using whisk, cook over medium heat until pudding is thickened (approx 10 -15 minutes). Remove from heat and stir in butter.

Pour into serving bowls or into a large bowl and cover with plastic wrap, pushing the wrap down onto the surface of the pudding (unless you are a pudding skin fan – in that case just cover the top of the bowl(s) with the plastic wrap).

Cool for an hour or so and serve. You could let it sit all night so it’s super chilled – if you can last that long!

Serve with whipped cream and shaved chocolate. Yum!

* Increase cocoa to 3/4 cup if you like richer, darker pudding.
** Add cinnamon for a Mexican Chocolate Pudding. Spicy and warm. Something new and fantastically delicious!