Greek yogurt chocolate pudding is a smooth and creamy, rich chocolate pudding, made from scratch. With Greek yogurt added for a healthy punch, it’s a sweet treat you can feel good about indulging in.
This post is sponsored by Milk Means More and the United Dairy Industry of Michigan. All opinions are my own.
Whoa. That’s just about all I can say about this Greek Yogurt Chocolate Pudding. Will all the cookies, cakes and cupcakes and pies being served up this season, sometimes I want something a little different. Preferably something with built-in portion control that I can’t just walk by and grab just one more because it’s the holidays. The other day I was battling the crowds at the grocery store–you know, because shopping on the Saturday afternoon before a holiday always sounds like a good idea in theory, but not so much when I’m hungry and trying to avoid playing bumper-carts with all the other shoppers in the store.
Anyhoo (spelling intended,) I was on my way to the yogurt aisle when I passed an end cap display full of those little packaged pudding cups. Nobody should trust me with those little cups of lusciousness, because I will methodically and systematically eat every last one of them before my kids ever realize that they’re in the house. It’s because I was never allowed to have packaged pudding cups as a kid, because of what I assumed was the expense involved. I later found out that my mom refused to buy them because she would eat every last one of them.
Genetics is real, my friends, as was the struggle to walk by the pudding cups.
I did what I usually do when it comes to impulse buys…I gave myself a rational pep talk and repeated the mantra, “It’s not on the list. It’s not on the list. Walk on by because it’s not on the list.” as I strolled over to grab our yogurt for the week. Fun fact: four continuously peckish boys and a morning or two of blueberry banana smoothies for breakfast necessitates a weekly stockpiling of yogurt as a healthy snack option, in quantities that would rival the quantity needed for a small military base.
All was well in good, except for the fact that I kept thinking about pudding for the rest of the trip, and half of the afternoon. I tried stirring a little unsweetened cocoa powder into a cup of vanilla yogurt to mimic pudding. It was good, but not anywhere near as creamy and satisfying as the real deal.
Knowing that such cravings don’t go away unless satiated, I knew that I had to make Greek yogurt chocolate pudding.
Did y’all know that it only takes about 5 minutes to make homemade pudding on the stove top? And that doing so is far less expensive and much tastier than buying the stuff already made? True story. Believe me when I tell you that once you make homemade pudding, you’ll never go back to those little pudding cups or boxed mixes again.
I started with the base to my extra creamy chocolate ice cream recipe, because it’s essentially a pudding. The difference between a pudding and a custard lies in the thickening agent. Cornstarch = pudding. Eggs = custard. I added a touch of instant espresso powder to enhance the chocolate flavor without overpowering it. Then, because I was feeling a touch guilty about my lack of will power, I decided to healthy-it-up by adding Greek yogurt to the mix. I mean, how can I feel anything but good about adding extra calcium and vitamins to a dessert?
The resulting Greek yogurt chocolate pudding not only satisfied my craving, but also exceeded my expectations.
Greek Yogurt Chocolate Pudding is silky smooth and rich with a satisfying tang. The flavor is almost reminiscent of a chocolate cheesecake. Talk about decadent! Just a few spoonfuls of this pudding fully sated my pudding craving.
I divided the pudding into half cup serving dishes, but in all honesty, the Greek yogurt chocolate pudding is so rich that you can cut the servings back to one-third or even one-quarter cup each. When topped with whipped cream, Greek yogurt chocolate pudding makes an elegant dessert to share after a nice meal.
For a more casual setting, make fun parfaits by layering the pudding with vanilla yogurt or whipped cream in clear serving dishes. Another option would be to serve the pudding in smaller ramekins, as small-bite pots de crème for a crowd.
Either way, Greek yogurt chocolate pudding is a nice alternative to the usual dessert fare.
Kirsten Kubert
Yields 6
A healthier version of smooth and creamy, rich chocolate pudding made from scratch with Greek yogurt.
5 minPrep Time
5 minCook Time
10 minTotal Time
Save RecipeIngredients
- 1 2/3 Cups 2% milk, divided
- 3 Tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/2 Cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3/4 Cup light brown sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 6 Tablespoon water
- 1/4 teaspoon instant espresso powder, optional
- 1 1/2 Cups (12 ounces) low fat vanilla Greek style yogurt
- 3/4 Cup whipped cream for serving, optional
Instructions
- Stir the Stir the cornstarch into 1/3 cup of the milk; set it aside.
- In a small saucepan, whisk the unsweetened cocoa powder, light brown sugar, salt, water, and instant espresso powder (if using) together until smooth. Stir continuously over medium heat until just bubbly. Give the cornstarch mixture a quick stir before pouring it into the pan. Whisk the remaining milk into the pan until all is combined. Continue to cook and stir over medium heat until the pudding becomes quite thick and bubbly. Remove pudding from the heat. Whisk the vanilla Greek yogurt into the pudding until well blended.
- Spoon the pudding into half cup serving dishes. Cover the surface of the pudding with plastic wrap to avoid the pudding forming a skin while cooling. To serve warm, let the pudding stand at room temperature for 10 minutes, and then remove the plastic wrap before serving. To serve cold, place the wrapped pudding into the refrigerator to chill for 2 hours. Serve chilled pudding with a tablespoon or two of whipped cream on top, if desired.
Notes
Greek Yogurt Chocolate Pudding can be scaled down one-quarter cup to double the amount of servings. Serving in small ramekins or shot glasses makes for an easy dessert for a crowd.
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