Rich, comforting and totally oozy, this self saucing chocolate pudding recipe is just the perfect cosy dessert. This fluffy, moist chocolate sponge with a glistening, rich chocolate sauce is absolutely magical.

  • So quick and easy – just minutes to make.
  • The sauce and pudding are baked together in one dish.
  • Perfectly moist chocolate cake with rich chocolate sauce.
  • Simple, everyday ingredients.
  • Serve on it’s own or with ice cream, custard or cream.

What’s so magical, you ask? Well, aside from the indulgent chocolate flavour, the sauce that starts on top, seeps down to the base of the dish, under the cake by the time it’s finished baking. And it’s a true chocolate lovers dream.

You may love it’s lemon cousin to, this lemon self saucing pudding.

This recipe was originally published 30th August, 2018 and has been updated with new images and tips.

Top down view of the baked chocolate pudding in a pie dish.

FEATURED COMMENT

Cooorrr don’t pass this recipe by, its utterly wonderful!!! Beautiful sponge and perfect super chocolatey sauce.. highly recommend!!!!

Ells

Table of contents

Ingredients you’ll need

This easy chocolate pudding uses just pantry staples so you can make it any time and at a moments notice too.

Ingredients for chocolate self saucing pudding on a baking tray.

Detailed quantities and instructions in the recipe card below.

  • Flour: You’ll just need plain flour (all-purpose flour).
  • Cocoa powder: Just regular unsweetened cocoa powder is perfect.
  • Baking powder: Make sure to use baking powder, not baking soda (not bicarb soda). They do react differently so will have different results.
  • Sugar: You need just brown sugar which adds moisture and a slight caramel edge to this pudding.
  • Butter: Use unsalted butter then just add a pinch of salt. Different butter brands will use different amounts of salt in their salted butters.
  • Egg: Just one large egg, free range if you have the means.
  • Pure vanilla extract: Vanilla has both a balancing and flavour enhancing quality. Make sure to use extract, not essence – the latter is a synthetic flavouring.
  • Milk: I use whole milk (full cream milk) for the best flavour but you can get away with light or milk substitutes too.

Handy tools to have

To make this chocolate pudding you’ll need;

How to make chocolate self saucing pudding (step by step)

Chocolate self-saucing pudding is a very straightforward (aka simple & perfect anytime) recipe. Using melted butter in the batter means there’s no need for creaming butter and sugar together, plus it also helps to keep the cake moist.

A collage showing the steps to making the pudding.

Detailed quantities and instructions in the recipe card below.

  1. Dry ingredients: Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
  2. Wet ingredients: In a separate bowl, combine the butter, sugar, egg and vanilla.
  3. Combine: Now add the flour mixture to the wet mix, in 3 parts, alternating with the milk between those additions. So, flour, mix, milk, mix, flour mix and so on until it’s all gone.
  4. Make the sauce: The sauce is simple – 3 ingredient simple! Just combine cocoa, sugar and boiling water in a jug and mix to combine.
  5. Assemble: Spread the pudding batter into a greased pie dish or baking dish. Hold a spoon upturned, then pour the sauce over the top of the spoon onto the pudding moving it around to cover the whole pudding.
  6. Bake: Bake the pudding for 25-30 minutes until the top looks dry and a little springy.
  7. Serve: Chocolate self-saucing pudding is lovely served as is, being that it already has a sauce but a scoop of vanilla ice cream is great, or a dollop of whipped cream. I actually love a double hot sauce and serve it with warm runny custard (that’s my English heritage coming out).
Top down view of the pudding, showing a pool of glossy chocolate sauce.

Tips and tricks

That magical, luxurious chocolate sauce begins life as cocoa, sugar and boiling water. Mix them all together then carefully dribble it over the back of a spoon over the top of the batter.

I say ‘carefully’ because if you just pour the boiling water over it will likely just drill a hole straight through the delicate, uncooked pudding batter. The spoon helps to slow it and disperse it so the sauce sits on top before baking.

The chocolate sponge recipe is adapted from my very favourite chocolate cupcake recipe that I’ve used in everything from these salted caramel chocolate cupcakes and these chocolate fudge cupcakes. This recipe is incredibly versatile and it works – EVERY SINGLE TIME! I love it.

Yield and storage

This recipe will serve 4-6 people, depending on how hungry they are and if you’re adding ice cream or another sauce.

The pudding is at it’s best served hot and fresh but if you don’t get through it all, just cover the dish in plastic wrap and store it in the fridge for 3-4 days. It’s great reheated either in the oven or in the microwave (for about 40 seconds per portion).

A scoop of chocolate pudding with glossy sauce on a dessert plate.

Quick and easy enough to make during the week but also a perfect crowd pleaser for entertaining on the weekend, chocolate self saucing pudding is seriously good whenever you want it. 

More comforting desserts

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Some of the pudding removed from the pie dish, showing a pool of chocolate sauce.

Chocolate Self Saucing Pudding

Yield: 6 serves
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
0 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
4.7 from 45 ratings
This chocolate self saucing pudding is such a quick and easy to make classic dessert. Moist chocolate sponge with a silky chocolate sauce, this chocolate pudding is all baked in one dish.
Print Rate Pin

Ingredients

For the cake batter

  • 1 cup plain (all-purp) flour (130g / 4.6oz)
  • ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (25g / 0.9oz)
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • pinch of salt
  • ½ cup brown sugar, packed (100g / 3.5oz)
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted (+ extra for greasing) (57g or ½ stick)
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • ½ cup whole milk (notes)

For the chocolate sauce

  • ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (or dutch processed) (25g / 0.9oz)
  • ½ cup brown sugar, packed (100g / 3.5oz)
  • 1 cup boiling water
  • Vanilla Ice cream or custard (crème anglaise), to serve

For best results, always weigh ingredients where a weight is provided

Instructions
 

  • FOR THE BATTER: Preheat your oven to 180C / 350F / 160C fan. Grease an (approximately) 8 inch pie dish or baking dish with butter.
  • In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Whisk together to combine.
  • In a separate mixing bowl with an electric beater, beat together the melted butter and sugar until smooth. Add the egg and vanilla and beat well, scraping down the sides of the bowl to make sure everything is combined and smooth before moving on.
  • Add ⅓ of the dry ingredients to the butter mixture. Stir through gently until just combined. Now add half of the milk, Mix gently again. Continue like this until all the flour and milk is combined… just. It is important not to overmix or be too heavy handed otherwise the cake may turn out dense and tough.
  • Pour the pudding batter into your prepared dish.
  • FOR THE SAUCE: Mix together the cocoa and sugar in a small bowl. Add the boiling water and mix well to combine.
  • With an upturned spoon in one hand, slowly dribble the chocolate sauce over it, moving it around so it is dribbled evenly over the whole cake (see notes)
  • Bake the pudding for 25-30 minutes. The top should look dry and be a little springy.
  • Please take a moment to leave a comment & rating. It's appreciated and so helpful.

Video

Notes

  1. Pouring the sauce over the back of a spoon very slowly will allow it to sit on top of the cake batter and not create holes in your cake batter.
  2. I use an 8 inch round pie dish. A larger dish will mean the pudding batter spreads out thinner. You can make it in an 8 inch cake tin too.
  3. For best results you should always weigh ingredients like flour and sugar. Kitchen scales are relatively cheap but if you can’t weigh the ingredients, use the spoon and level method (don’t scoop).
  4. All ovens vary – always test for doneness 3-5 minutes before the recipe suggests.
  5. This is lovely served with classic creme anglaise.
  6. Whole milk will give the best flavour but you can use light if it’s all you have on hand. You could also use dairy alternatives, like oat milk or soy milk.
MORE COMFORTING PUDDINGS!
Calories: 327kcal
Author: Marie Roffey
Course: Dessert, Sweets
Cuisine: English
Have you tried this recipe?Don’t forget to leave a rating and comment below and let me know how it was! I love hearing from you. Nutrition information is approximate and derived from an online calculator. The brands you use may cause variations.