Chocolate budino is a rich Italian pudding thickened only with eggs—no cornstarch or gelatin. It’s dense, silky, and deeply chocolatey, like the center of a truffle.
Why I love it:
This chocolate budino is everything I want in a chocolate dessert. It’s firm yet spoonable, intensely chocolatey but balanced with just enough sugar, and so smooth it feels like eating the center of a truffle. A dollop of espresso cream and a sprinkle of flaky salt take it completely over the top.
I also love how simple it is to make. You whisk together a custard, pour it over chopped chocolate, and chill. That’s it. The magic is in the technique—using eggs alone to thicken the custard instead of starch or gelatin.
The result is a budino that’s richer and denser than chocolate panna cotta, with a texture closer to ganache. It’s pure Italian decadence in a jar.
how to make chocolate budino:
tips to make the best budino:
- Use high-quality chocolate. Bars melt more smoothly than chips, which contain stabilizers. Chop it finely so the hot custard melts every piece without reheating.
- Whisk constantly as the custard thickens. Egg yolks are delicate; overheating can scramble them. Slow, steady heat is the secret to a silky base.
- Chill completely. Warm, the budino will resemble a glossy chocolate sauce. After chilling, it firms into the luscious, truffled texture you’re after.
- Play with variations. Use all bittersweet for a darker, more intense budino, or swap in milk chocolate for extra sweetness. Add espresso powder for depth, or replace the milk with cream for pure luxury.
- Serve it like the Italians do. A little budino goes a long way—serve in small jars or glasses with espresso cream, or pair it with a scoop of stracciatella gelato or coffee ice cream for contrast.
Chocolate Budino
This decadent chocolate budino tastes like the center of a chocolate truffle: rich, silky smooth, and luscious. Top with espresso cream and a pinch of crunchy salt!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 8
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
chocolate budino
- 6 oz finely chopped bittersweet chocolate
- 2 oz finely chopped milk chocolate
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
- 6 large egg yolks
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 tbsp Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup whole milk
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Espresso cream, recipe below
- Flaky salt, for finishing
- Shaved chocolate, for finishing
espresso cream
- 1 ½ tsp instant espresso powder
- 2 tbsp powdered sugar
- ½ cup cold heavy cream
Instructions
chocolate budino
- Place chocolate and butter in a large bowl and set aside.
- Whisk together egg yolks, brown sugar, cocoa powder, heavy cream, milk, and salt in a medium saucepan. Gently cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon, 8- 10 minutes. Strain through a fine mesh sieve into the bowl with chocolate and let sit a few minutes.
- Add vanilla; stir until all of the chocolate is melted and the budino is well mixed. Divide into 8 small (4 oz) jars and refrigerate until chilled and set, about 3 hours.
- Serve chilled with a dollop of espresso cream and pinch of flaky salt and chocolate shavings.
espresso cream
- Combine espresso powder and powdered sugar in a large bowl. Pour in about half of the cream and whisk until smooth (espresso powder may not fully dissolve yet). Add remaining cream.
- Beat with an electric hand mixer on medium-high speed until soft, billowy peaks form, 3- 4 minutes. Use immediately, or cover and refrigerate for up to a day. Re-whip, briefly, if needed.
Notes
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ⅛ of recipe
- Calories: 376
- Sugar: 12g
- Sodium: 118mg
- Fat: 30g
- Saturated Fat: 18g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10.3g
- Trans Fat: 0.4g
- Carbohydrates: 19g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 7.7g
- Cholesterol: 181mg
Recipe originally posted 7/26/2021. Updated 9/29/2025.
Tori says
I was hesitant to try this for a NYE gathering without a backup, but I'm a sucker for a good budino. It was fantastic!
The recipe was simple and perfect. It resulted in a very thick and rich dessert much like a pot de creme. I was worried after pouring the mixture into the chocolate due to the odd texture and didn't have a sieve, but it smoothed out beautifully.
Thanks!
Indi Hampton says
Thank you! Isn't it so decadent?!
Ashley says
Probably the best dessert I've ever had....
Indi Hampton says
OMG right?! I could live off of it.
Kamryn says
What brand of instant espresso powder do you recommend?
Indi Hampton says
I love Delallo if you can find it, but generally, I'm not too picky when I use it in desserts.
jane blumberg says
how far in advance can these be made?
Indi Hampton says
2- 3 days, covered and refrigerated!
Sara says
Question - when do you add the kosher salt? I don't see it in the instructions
Indi Hampton says
Step 2 with the yolks and cream! Sorry for the super late response-- hope that helps in the future!
Christine Mayo says
If it doesn’t set up due to some sort of error on my part-can it be re-used to make something else?
I’ve made it at least 5 times and it’s come out perfect every time !
Debbie says
this is better than any chocolate pudding Ive ever had. Thank you!!!
Indi Hampton says
Gosh right? I wish we had it in our fridge all the time!
Charlie says
I messed up the custard (first time tempering egg) and wound up with SOME chocolate scrambled egg in my strainer but I’m excited to try this again until I get it right.
Pai Kilen says
I'm going to be brave and make for an Italy trip planning party, so need some clarification to make sure it turns out yummy! Can I just use regular eating chocolate bars? Or should I use the baking chocolate bars found in the baking aisle? Thank you!
Indi Hampton says
Regular chocolate bars are great! You've got this!!
Pai says
I'm going to be brave and make for an Italy trip planning party, so need some clarification to make sure it turns out yummy! Can I just use regular eating chocolate bars? Or should I use the baking chocolate bars found in the baking aisle? Thank you!
Laura says
Thank you so much for this recipe! This is the best tasting chocolate dessert I've ever had! Mine didn’t firm up after chilling! Everything seemed to go fine throughout the preparation, what might I have done wrong? I used 1 cup heavy cream 35% fat and 1 cup 10% fat regular cream instead of milk, and couldn't find Dutch processed chocolate where I live, so I used all natural instead, might one of these switches have altered the final consistency?