This Sugar Free Chocolate Pudding is unbelievably smooth and creamy. It takes only 20 minutes to make and can be made dairy-free too. A wonderful keto-friendly treat for the whole family.
I was never really been much of a pudding person growing up. I’ve always loved keto chocolate mousse, keto cheesecake, and other creamy, rich desserts, but pudding wasn’t particularly high on my list.
That is, until I started making my own keto chocolate pudding at home. Boy did I change my tune quickly! It is so much better than the boxed varieties I remember from my childhood.
And I daresay it’s become one of my favorite desserts. I even used it as the filling for my keto chocolate cake!
Why you will love this recipe
If chocolate pudding evokes wonderful memories of childhood, but you no longer want to consume sugar, then this is the recipe for you. Done right, it’s an incredibly delicious treat that’s worthy of a spot at your dessert table.
Why make your own sugar free pudding at home?
- Smooth and creamy
- Deeper chocolate flavor
- Dairy free option
- No questionable ingredients
- Just as easy as making it from a box (seriously!)
- It has only 3.1g net carbs per serving
It beats out boxed mixes every time for flavor and consistency, and you have the advantage of knowing exactly what’s going into your dessert. And really is easy to make!
Reader Reviews
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“This recipe is awesome! I tried it yesterday and it’s the first time I’ve had chocolate pudding come out well (I’ve tried so many recipes). It had a mousse-like texture that I really loved.” – Carol
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“OMG you must make this! Seriously one of the best desserts ever, keto aside! Can’t keep it in the fridge for more than a day or 2 between my husband and I. It is perfect exactly as written (I do the dairy version).” – Nikki
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“Thank you for the wonderful recipes…this is one of our favorites!” – Mary
Ingredients needed
- Heavy cream (or coconut milk): Full fat dairy or coconut milk helps give this sugar-free pudding a rich, creamy consistency.
- Hemp or almond milk (or more coconut milk): Adding a little nut milk helps lighten it up a bit and make it less calorific. If you are making the dairy free option, just use more canned coconut milk.
- Sweetener: I like a mix of allulose and Swerve for this recipe. See the Expert Tips for more options.
- Eggs/egg yolks: You will need 1 whole egg and 2 egg yolks for this recipe.
- Glucomannan: You do need a thickening agent to help the pudding set properly. I have used both xanthan gum and glucomannan, and I like glucomannan better.
- Cocoa powder: Choose a good quality cocoa powder like Rodelle or Ghirardelli. Do not use natural cacao as it won’t mix in well and the pudding may end up lumpy.
- Butter: This makes the pudding smoother and richer in flavor and texture, and it helps set properly. You can use coconut oil for dairy-free.
- Pantry Staples: Vanilla extract and salt.
Step-by-step directions
1. Heat the liquid: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the heavy cream and hemp milk. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and whisk in the sweetener.
2. Temper the eggs: In a medium bowl, whisk the egg and egg yolks together until smooth. Slowly add 1/2 cup of the hot cream mixture into the eggs, whisking continuously.
3. Combine the mixtures: Slowly whisk the tempered eggs back into the saucepan of hot cream mixture.
4. Add the cocoa powder: Stir in the cocoa powder and return the mixture to medium low heat. Continue to whisk continuously until the mixture is smooth and begins to thicken, 3 to 5 minutes. Then sprinkle the surface with glucomannan and whisk vigorously to combine.
5. Add the butter: Remove from heat and add the butter and vanilla extract, whisking until smooth. Divide between 6 dessert cups and refrigerate until set, 2 to 3 hours.
6. Serve: Garnish with lightly sweetened whipped cream and some berries or chocolate shavings.
Expert tips
Tempering the eggs is a critical step for making homemade pudding so don’t rush it or skip it. It helps keep the mixture from curdling and becoming lumpy.
Keep your eye on the prize! This is not a dessert you can walk away from, as it can thicken up without warning, so keep your eye on it.
The process for the dairy and the dairy-free versions are identical. For dairy-free, use full fat canned coconut milk for all 2 cups of the liquid.
Sweetener Options
This Sugar Free Chocolate Pudding works best with a bulk (granular) sweetener rather than a concentrated extract. I like to use a combination of Swerve and allulose, but you can do one or the other. Allulose does make the pudding take a lot longer to set so be aware of that.
Frequently Asked Questions
Curdling happens when you add eggs too quickly to hot liquids without bringing them up to temperature first. That’s why tempering is an important step. However, there is an easy fix for curdled pudding. Simply transfer all of it into a blender and blend until smooth.
You can make this pudding up to three days in advance. Keep covered in the refrigerator. I don’t recommend freezing pudding as it changes the texture.
This sugar free pudding recipe has 4.9g of carbs and 1.8g of fiber per serving. That comes to 3.1g net carbs per serving.
More luscious chocolate dessert recipes
Sugar Free Chocolate Pudding Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups (295.74 ml) heavy whipping cream, (or full fat coconut milk)
- 3/4 cup (177.44 ml) almond/hemp/macadamia milk, (or more coconut milk)
- 3 tbsp Swerve Sweetener
- 3 tbsp allulose
- 1 large egg
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1/4 tsp glucomannan, (or xanthan gum)
- 6 tbsp (30.43 g) cocoa powder
- 3 tbsp (42.61 g) butter, cut into 3 pieces
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the heavy cream and hemp milk. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and whisk in the sweetener.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the egg and egg yolks together until smooth. Slowly add 1/2 cup of the hot cream mixture into the eggs, whisking continuously.
- Slowly whisk the tempered eggs back into the saucepan of hot cream mixture.
- Stir in the cocoa powder and return the mixture to medium low heat. Continue to whisk continuously until the mixture is smooth and begins to thicken, 3 to 5 minutes. Then sprinkle the surface with glucomannan and whisk vigorously to combine.
- Remove from heat and add the butter and vanilla extract, whisking until smooth. Divide between 6 dessert cups and refrigerate until set, 2 to 3 hours.
- Garnish with lightly sweetened whipped cream and some berries or chocolate shavings
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.
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Made this recipe yesterday and it was great. I used my sweet neighbors as guinea pigs and we all gave it 2 thumbs up. Truthfully, I like my desserts pretty sweet (darn sweet tooth), so I used a heaping 1/3 cup of Swerve and it was perfect. I topped it with whipped cream and raspberries and OH so pretty! Thanks for another super recipe — that was incredibly easy to whip up!!
This recipe is awesome! I tried it yesterday and it’s the first time I’ve had chocolate pudding come out well (I’ve tried so many recipes). It had a mousse-like texture that I really loved. So many recipes include dairy (HWC or cream cheese), which causes issues for me. I can’t wait for more flavors, Carolyn! Well done!
Hi Carolyn the recipe sounds delicious. One question please why don”t you use the whole egg ?
Because it changes the consistency.
I do love pudding and your recipes are always good, so I can’t wait to try this one!
I do have a question…you used coconut milk, can it be made with coconut cream?
I did not try it with coconut cream but I think it may end up too thick.
Carolyn, the link for the coconut milk coffee creamer (just above the recipe) points to a different recipe. I would love to see your pick for the coffee creamer! Can you fix the link? Thank you. 🙂
Carolyn. How do you get your calcium ? I was just diagnosed with osteoporosis. I hope you do not mid my question.
Supplementation is not a good way to go apparently . I think in my case it was the amount of coffee I drank , which interferes with the absorption of calcium . I am in a panic since I have been advised to not even bend over in order to protect my back.
Your pudding was so delicious, I made it right away, lol.
Do we use the entire can of coconut milk including the water, or drain off the water and use only the thick part?
Entire can. I promise I am very specific in my recipes. If I wanted you to just use the coconut cream, I would be sure to say so! 🙂
You shouldn’t need xanthan gum to make pudding as lang as you have the right proportion of egg yolks and full fat coconut milk or heavy cream. If you want to use nut milks, you have to use a mix of cream and nut milk, too, or it won’t thicken because you do need fat for the emulsion. But the pudding wil thicken right up, if you cook it until it gets to between 175º and 180º on an instant read thermometer. The folks at America’s Test Kitchen measured it. Since I started using my thermometer, I’ve never had a problem with my puddings not setting and I don’t use xanthan gum in them. I ise it in other dishes, but not puddings. I think they started using cornstarch in order to be able to leave out the egg yolks or to get it to set faster so you don’t have to stand there and stir it os long.
Hi there. I honestly like my recipe just the way it is. But thanks.
I’m not a gastronomical expert, but I believe real sugar also helps conventional pudding set. Of course, Carolyn’s recipe is deliciously devoid of sugar.
Sugar certainly does have properties that low carb sweeteners lack. So we have to find ways to make up for that!
The reason to mix the two sweeteners is that erythritol has a cooling minty aftertaste. Stevia has a bitter aftertaste. When you mix them in the right proportion, they cancel out each other’s aftertaste and your dish just tastes sweet.
My can of organic coconut milk lists guar gum as an ingredient. Do you think I need to adjust the xantham gum or not. Just wondering if it will be too thick with both.
Most coconut milks have some sort of gum to help thicken them so I think it should be fine as is.
Love chocolate & pudding, great recipe!, how about other pudding flavors like – butterscotch, caramel, toffee, etc. made with coconut milk, what about having a grass fed gelatin version. Love your recipes!.
Can i use agave nectar for sweetening?and if so how much please? I don’t like stevia..
I suspect agave might add too much liquid, but if you want to try, I’d do about 1/4 cup.
Carolyn, this pudding looks so good! It’s got me thinking of Chocolate Cream Pie!! My hubby’s birthday is coming up and it’s a favorite of his. Have you ever used this recipe for chocolate pudding with the crust from your Coconut Cream Pie? If so, would I need to double the recipe for the chocolate pudding.
I haven’t ever done it but hey, why not double the filling and if you have leftover pudding just put it into some cups to set?
I’d love to try this recipe, but I’d rather use regular sugar instead of the sugar substitutes. Can you give me any advice on how much sugar to use? Thanks.
About 1/3 cup sugar…more if you tend to like it sweeter.
I just tried this today. I found it a little bitter and not quite sweet enough. It was also rather thick – maybe I cooked it too long. Next time I’ll make it with less xanthan and a little more sweetener. I may also try reducing the cocoa powder a smidge. So thankful that you posted this recipe because I love chocolate pudding!
do you think this could work without the egg yolks?perhaps subbing some gelatin?
thanks so much!!
You can certainly try but I haven’t made it that way before so I can’t really help with any guidance.