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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Could this be made with all allulose, no Swerve?
TY!
Please read the blog post as I already addressed this question! 🙂
Has anyone tried using gelatin. I don’t have either one of those thickeners, but lots of gelatin?
It’s not a good replacement… it will turn the pudding layer into jello.
How is it Dairy-Free with no EGG alternative?
I see that EGGS are not considered airy; BUT EGG ALLERGIES?
Pudding requires eggs.
Please stop giving my recipes downgraded star ratings when you haven’t made them.
Question: have you figured out a way to make a *completely* non-dairy pudding? I have a friend who is allergic to cassein (the protein in dairy; it’s in eggs and butter, milk and cheese) and I was going to share this because of the coconut milk option, but then I hit the eggs.
THANK YOU so much! I really appreciate your work doing the science of baking with keto-friendly options.
I am sorry but you are mistaken. Eggs are not dairy (they come from chickens, not cows) and they don’t contain any casein.
Holy Sh** this is amazing! I didn’t have any hemp or almond so I just used all hwc….omg…amazing!!!
Delicious chocolate pudding! I will make this again.
This pudding is excellent! It’s super easy to make and has a wonderful taste and texture to it.
Simply perfect in every way! Chocolatey, creamy, dense…can’t get enough!!
This pudding was easy to make with your directions. I followed the recipe in the blog and the video while I was making it. It came together in no time. The pudding just started getting thick all of a sudden as I was whisking. It really did go from hot chocolate consistency to a thick pudding. The taste is decadent and rich with a deep chocolate flavor. Your suggestion for adding whipped cream, made it perfection.
Oh my, this pudding is so good. Creamy and chocolatey and the perfect amount of sweetness. I accidentally added double the amount of gluccomanon, but it just gave it more of a chocolate pie texture. This would be good in a pie crust! Another great recipe!
J made the wonderful chocolate pudding and it was delicious! thank you
Is this the August giveaway ? 1
Yes, this is the recipe for the cooking challenge. 🙂
This time I put them in smaller containers…less calories and easier to store.
Well, we had to go buy another can of coconut cream! It was a HIT so I am making another batch tomorrow! Yum!!! Thanks for sharing your expertise in cooking sugar-free.
Did you use the thick can of coconut milk or did you use coconut cream? I get confused over the difference.
This is so delicious! I made this earlier in the month for our anniversary and loved it so much, I made it again today. So simple to make, comes together in a snap, and tastes so velvety and chocolatey! Definitely a keeper and one that will be in regular rotation. Thanks again, Carolyn, for another winner of a recipe!
I was quite impressed on how delicious this chocolate pudding is (was). Best sugar free chocolate pudding I ever tasted!! I made this for a friend and she was pleasantly surprised how chocolatey and creamy the pudding was. She had me give her the recipe before she left my house.
I am so glad!
Absolutely delicious. I have made it several times, always turns out wonderful!