This chocolate custard is an easy recipe with a rich chocolate flavor and a creamy, velvety texture.

Our recipe is without eggs and butter and suitable for gluten-free diets.

You can make this easy dessert recipe with five simple ingredients, including your dark chocolate of choice.

Chocolate custard in a white pot.

A recipe for chocolate lovers

Prepare yourself for a creamy and indulgent chocolate treat. This recipe is one of our easiest desserts and counts a few ingredients.

This custard is a 5-minute mouth-watering variation of our egg-free vanilla custard.

Chocolate custard follows the same simple steps but adds chopped dark chocolate, which melts and mixes with the custard base.

You will get a thick but not too firm cream with a smooth and velvety consistency.

Creamy chocolate custard in a white pot with a spoon.

Chocolate custard is wonderful for enriching other sweets.

We have tested it (and loved it) in vanilla cake and added a dollop to eggfree pancakes.

It’s also excellent to fill bomboloni or as the filling in strawberry tart.

For chocolate lovers who want a quick and easy treat, this custard is a great way to satisfy your cravings.

Louise and I enjoy the simplicity of chocolate custard with a spoon, a finish of whipped cream, and a strawberry.

Ingredients

Ingredients for chocolate custard.
  • Milk: you can make this recipe with any type of milk. We tried almond, oat, soy, and rice milk.
  • Sugar: you can use white or brown sugar.
  • Dark chocolate: pick your favorite dark chocolate brand. We recommend one with a percentage of cocoa of 50% plus; even better if it’s 70% plus. Substitute chocolate chips for dark chocolate.
  • Cornstarch: to thicken the custard. Substitute potato start for cornstarch.
  • Vanilla extract: for a light vanilla aroma, which is delicious with chocolate.

How to make chocolate custard

Chop the chocolate into small pieces. I recommend doing this on a cutting board with a sharp knife. Set aside.

To a saucepan of the heat, add milk, sugar, cornstarch, and vanilla extract.

Whisk until smooth.

Tip: when adding cornstarch to a liquid, the liquid should always be cold and off the heat to help the cornstarch dissolve and prevent lumps.

Cornstarch and milk in a white pot.

Bring the saucepan on the stovetop and set it to medium heat.

Now stir for 2 to 3 minutes until the liquid thickens into a custard.

Remove from the heat and add the dark chocolate chopped into small pieces.

Tip: smaller batches take less time while bigger batches can take up to 5 minutes.

Making the base pastry cream for chocolate custard.

Stir for one more minute. When the chocolate is fully melted, your custard is ready.

Tip: the custard keeps thickening as it cools down, so my advice is to remove it from the heat a few seconds before you think it is ready.

Chocolate custard with a smooth texture in a small pot.

If you’d like a thicker chocolate custard, keep cooking it for one more minute. If you want a thinner one, take it off the heat earlier.

Tip: To check if your custard is ready take a wooden or silicone spatula, dip it in the custard, then run a finger through it. If the spatula stays clean, the custard is ready.

Creaminess-test for chocolate custard in a pot.

How to cool it?

Before storing chocolate custard, you must bring it to room temperature quickly and while stirring.

I know it sounds tedious, but it’s actually pretty fast; plus, if you don’t do it, the custard will form a thin layer or a thin skin on top that will make it lumpy.

The best and fastest way to cool it is to transfer it to a cold glass or metal bowl.

Now put the bowl bain marie inside another bowl or pot filled with cold water and whisk it until you reach a lukewarm temperature.

Now cover it with plastic wrap and store it in the fridge. The wrap should touch the custard to prevent a dry layer from forming on top.

Storage

Refrigerator: you can store this chocolate custard in the refrigerator for 3 days.

Let it cool down, then cover it with plastic wrap. Make sure the wrap touches the surface of the custard to prevent a thin crust from forming.

Reheat: you can reheat the custard on low heat by adding a dash of plant milk while stirring.

We do not recommend freezing the custard unless you want to make ice cream out of it.

Troubleshooting lumps after storage: it is possible that during the cooling process, the custard will dry out on the surface, creating a thin skin that will result in annoying lumps.

If you are annoyed by the lumps, you can blend the custard with an immersion blender.

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Chocolate custard with a silver spoon.

Chocolate Custard

5 from 4 votes
This chocolate custard is an easy recipe with a rich chocolate flavor and a creamy, velvety texture.
Our recipe is without eggs and butter and suitable for gluten-free diets.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 6 people
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients 

  • 2 cups milk see notes
  • 7 tablespoons sugar
  • 5 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 2 ounces dark chocolate chopped
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions 

  • PREP INGREDIENTS: Chop 2 ounces dark chocolate into small pieces.
    To a saucepan off the heat, add 2 cups milk, 7 tablespoons sugar, 5 tablespoons cornstarch, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
    Whisk until the cornstarch is dissolved.
    Cornstarch and milk in a white pot.
  • COOK AND STIR: Bring the saucepan to the stove top and stir on medium heat until the liquid thickens (2 to 5 minutes depending on quantities).
    Turn the heat off and add the chopped chocolate. Whisk for 1 more minute or until the chocolate melts.
    When the chocolate is fully incorporated your custard is ready.
    Making the base pastry cream for chocolate custard.
  • COOL DOWN: The best and fastest way to cool it is to transfer it to a cold glass or metal bowl.
    Put the bowl bain marie inside another bowl or pot filled with cold water and whisk it until you reach a lukewarm temperature.
    Chocolate custard and a wooden spatula.

Notes

SUBSTITUTIONS
  • Milk: you can use cow’s milk or non-dairy milk such as soy, almond, oat, and rice milk.
  • Sugar: you can use white or brown sugar.
  • Dark chocolate: you can substitute your favorite chocolate for dark chocolate. Keep in mind that if you use a sweet chocolate you might want to reduce the sugar in the recipe.
  • Cornstarch: you can substitute potato starch.
  • Vanilla extract: you can substitute orange aroma or zest, or you can use both orange and vanilla extract.
STORAGE
  • Refrigerate up to 3 days after cooling, with plastic wrap touching the surface to prevent skin formation.
  • Not suitable for freezing.
  • Reheat on low heat with a little plant milk, stirring.
  • If lumps form during storage, use an immersion blender to smooth them out.
TIPS
  1. Always add cornstarch to a cold liquid off the heat to prevent lumps formation.
  2. Smaller batches take less cooking time while bigger batches can take up to 5 minutes.
  3. The custard keeps thickening as it cools down, so my advice is to remove it from the heat a few seconds before you think it is ready.
  4. To check if your custard is ready take a wooden or silicone spatula, dip it in the custard, then run a finger through it. If the spatula stays clean, the custard is ready.

Nutrition

Serving: 1out of 6, Calories: 143kcal, Carbohydrates: 23g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 0g, Cholesterol: 0.3mg, Sodium: 111mg, Potassium: 69mg, Dietary Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 16g, Vitamin A: 4IU, Vitamin B6: 0.003mg, Vitamin E: 0.1mg, Vitamin K: 1µg, Calcium: 107mg, Iron: 1mg, Manganese: 0.2mg, Magnesium: 22mg, Zinc: 0.3mg
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Hi! We are Nico & Louise

Welcome to The Plant-Based School, a food blog with vegetarian and vegan recipes.

5 from 4 votes (4 ratings without comment)

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