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Easy Chocolate Pudding Cakes. Made with both semi-sweet and dark chocolate, heavily whisked eggs, salted butter, vanilla, and espresso. Bake each rich, chocolate pudding cake with a single square of chocolate in the middle, then serve the pudding cakes warm with extra chocolate shavings and lightly whipped cream. The chocolate seeps into the cracks to create a rich pudding cake that’s a true chocolate lovers delight!
It might not be February quite yet (we’re just a day out), but I’m here to start the sharing of rich, chocolate Valentine’s Day desserts. Every year I have the most fun creating Valentines Day inspired recipes!
With the holidays behind us, I love that February brings us a fun, low-stress day of celebration, and of course – chocolate!
Whether you’re a Valentine’s Day lover or not, it’s always fun to bake chocolate mid-winter!
The second I found these ramekins on Anthropologie (the day after Christmas), I ordered them before they sold out. Originally I thought I might make a lava cake. But when my mom suggested a much easier chocolate pudding cake, I quickly changed my mind.
I’ve never made warm, molten pudding cakes, so the idea really excited me!
These took me a while to get right, but I adore this recipe. Easy to make and a totally delicious February treat!
These are the Details
Ingredients
- salted butter
- chocolate chips
- dark chocolate
- whole eggs and egg yolks
- granulated sugar
- flour
- instant coffee/espresso powder
- vanilla extract
And for serving –
- extra chocolate shavings
- lightly whipped cream – so delish
Special Tools
You’ll need 4 ramekins that are about 6 ounces in size. I used heart ramekins, but traditional ramekins will work just as well! You’ll also need a mixing bowl, and a medium pot for melting chocolate.
Steps
Step 1: melt the chocolate
First up, melt together the butter, semi-sweet chocolate chips, and dark chocolate chunks. Do this over low heat, stirring the chocolate often!
You could also use the microwave, stirring in 30-second intervals.
Step 2: whisk the eggs
Next, whisk up the eggs and egg yolks until they are pale in color. I like to do this first, before adding any additional ingredients, to create some air in the eggs.
Then, add the sugar, flour, espresso powder, and salt.
Step 3: add the chocolate
Mix the melted chocolate into the eggs and add the vanilla. Whisk until very smooth, and the batter is silky!
Step 4: bake
Divide the batter between the four ramekins. Add a chocolate square to each, then bake until the tops have just set and begin to crack.
This will take around 18 minutes.
Step 5: serve
For me, I love to use extra chocolate shavings and let them melt into the cake. Then I like to add homemade lightly whipped cream.
You can serve these with ice cream, but I really love the lightness of whipped cream. Once it melts, it makes these pudding cakes even more “pudding-like” with a gooey, creamy middle!
Looking for easy chocolate desserts? Here are a few ideas:
Chocolate Peanut Butter Pretzel Blondies
Giant Salted Espresso Hot Fudge Cookies
Lunchroom Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars
Retro-Style Chocolate Sheet Cake
Lastly, if you make these Easy Chocolate Pudding Cakes, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And, of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Easy Chocolate Pudding Cakes
Servings: 4 cakes
Calories Per Serving: 330 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Watch the How-To Reel
Ingredients
- 1 stick salted butter
- 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 3.2 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- 2 egg yolks, at room temperature
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons instant coffee granules
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4 squares semi-sweet or dark chocolate
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 400° F. Lightly butter 4 (6-ounce) ramekins. Place on a baking sheet.2. Melt the butter, chocolate chips, and chopped dark chocolate together over low heat, stirring often until smooth.3. In a bowl bowl, whisk the eggs and egg yolks for 1 minute until until pale yellow. Add the sugar, flour, espresso, and salt. Whisk the melted chocolate into the eggs. Add the vanilla. 4. Divide the batter between the prepared ramekins. Insert 1 chocolate square into each cake. Bake until the tops are just set, 18 to 20 minutes. Serve warm with chocolate shavings and lightly whipped cream.
This post was originally published on January 31, 2025
I am not sure what I did wrong because I usually love HBH recipes, but I followed faithfully (except eggs were not room temp) and this turned out dry and grainy and not enjoyable at all. I used high quality butter and chocolate. Oh well. Can’t love them all.
Hi Laura,
Thanks for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback, so sorry to hear the cakes did not turn out for you! Please let me know if I can help in anyway! xx
Hi! I love your recipes! I don’t have small ramekins- can I make it in one pan? If so, what size and what adjustments do I need?
Hey Melissa,
Thanks so much!! I would suggest a square brownie pan either 8×8 or 9×9. Try baking 30 minutes. I hope this helps! xT
Tieghan Gerard – I want to make this for Valentines day. Can I make ahead or mix up to a point and then bake after dinner? This sounds awesome!!!
Hi Kim,
Sure, you could have them ready to go in the ramekins and then bake as directed. I hope you love this recipe! xT
Awesome!!!
I followed the recipe and baked for about 19 min and these turned out perfectly! Not crunchy or hard at all. These were melty and gooey and delicious!
Hey Erin,
Happy Monday! So glad to hear this recipe was a hit, I appreciate you making it and your comment! xx
I made these last night with my daughter’s girl scout troop. The texture of the cake did not turn out like any pudding cake I have made before. It was quite dense actually and the top had a crispy crust. We actually took them out of the oven at 16 min because they looked done, maybe should have taken them out even earlier? The girls had fun making them though and frankly 10 year olds are not picky and ate them with icecream and valentines day sprinkles.
Hi Lucy,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback! Sorry to hear you didn’t love them. What size were your ramekins? Let me know how I can help! xx
Excellent!!
Thanks so much, Patti!!
These tasted OK, nothing special, but they were more hard and crunchy than at all pudding like? I’m a bit confused by the name of the recipe.
Hi Molly,
Thanks for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback. So sorry to hear it was not enjoyed. Any chance they were over baked? xx
I cannot wait to make these !! Every recipe of yours that I make turns out amazing ! Love seeing your posts and getting inspired.
What brand chocolate do you usually use ?
Also what brand instant coffee granules?
Thanks so much
Thanks so much, Dhalia! I like using Chocolove bars and I get my instant coffee at Whole Foods, it’s their 365 brand. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
Hi Tieghan,
Regarding closing comments on your Sunday posts, I completely understand. People often leave some pretty wild comments on the regular posts as well. A solution that many of your readers have suggested (and even pleaded for) is moderating and pre-approving comments before publishing. While it would require someone on your team to manage this, it could significantly improve the quality of both the blog and the comment section.
Many food blogs require users to sign in with a verified email address linked to a username. Guests can still comment, but those comments can be moderated to filter out inappropriate content. By taking this approach, you could choose to publish only legitimate comments related to your content while blocking spam or harassment. You could also revoke posting access for anyone who behaves abusively.
I’m not sure why this hasn’t been considered, especially since supportive readers have suggested it in comments that were later deleted. It seems like a reasonable idea that would allow the community to engage while enabling your site admins to maintain a respectful, on-topic space.
Agree, I follow half a dozen popular food bloggers/influencers ( a few of who also have insane Reddit subs about them). NONE of them have the comments on their blog or IG like HBH does. I really think this year HBH and tieghan need to take a really hard look internally at the culture they have created on this site. You can blame haters but like I said other food bloggers have haters and Reddit pages etc but do not have the same insane comments. There is a bigger issue that has been created and fed of zero responsibility, self awareness or accountability. Be honest, don’t lie, don’t mention anything ( big project, trip, event) until it is 100% a done deal. There won’t be a fire if you don’t give people the fuel for it.
Joanne,
I totally agree with you but nothing will ever change here until Tieghan begins to own her part in this whole fiasco!
Yes, agree with both of you. There are rude people on both sides. My concern with having all comments get approved first is that HBH will not let through any that are focused on issues with the recipe. If folks aren’t able to see the good AND critical commentary, they’ll never really know if a recipe can be trusted. Case in point, these tumeric chicken tenders. The recipe is being questioned by many, but instead of responding or removing the recipe, HBH has changed it 3-5x just today without any log calling out the changes, so people know to adjust.
This is a good point Alison, and I would hope as part of taking accountability, and trying to be more authentic, Tieghan would of course publish comments (good or bad) about the recipes so the readers can actually discuss them and suggest improvements in a genuinely helpful way. It’s the vulgar comments and politically inflammatory rhetoric that have no place on the blog – but as long as there are no guardrails on the comments, (and no changes in how the business is run and approached) then the drama will continue.
Hey Tieghan,
Big fan of HBH! Can I make these ahead and bake just before I want to serve them?
Hi Eileen,
Sure, that would work nicely for you! I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xT
These sound so yummy! What is the difference between a pudding and lava cake – I love lava cakes!?
My birthday is on Valentine’s Day! I’m definitely going to make these for me! I’m a chocoholic and these look so good! I’ve never made a pudding cake before, so I’m excited to make these! Thanks Tieghan 🙂
Thanks so much, Sara! I hope you love this recipe! Happy Birthday! xx
Hey Tieghan. What if we don’t have ramekins and want to do one dish??? Any adjustments I need to make? Or is it even possible?
Also what I am wondering because I do not have the smaller dishes but would love to make this
I am just about ready to
Unsubscribe because of all the advertising that is on the recipes
If you read the recipes on a computer, it’s way better. No ads really.
I’m on a computer and there are currently 3 ads blasting me in the face. After the 2 pop up ads as I scrolled down to the recipe.
Unsubscribe then, and do it quietly
Why does anyone need to unsubscribe if Tieghan actually listened to feedback and wanted her followers to have a positive experience when visiting her site? It’s not the first complaint about this and it’s a valid complaint.
I’m at the same elevation as you – is there a way to make sure my baked goods don’t sink like yours? Thank you!! 🙂
Hi Sara,
I am not sure there is an easy answer to this because cooking and baking at different elevations is very scientific and involves more than cooking time, oven temp and changes in the amounts of specific ingredients. To be honest you’d have to do some reading and understand the science. That said this chart might be helpful for the elevations listed at the top of the page. https://www.aspenhospital.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/High-Altitude_Cooking-and-Baking-Chart_Download.pdf
Cari, there is a very easy answer to this. Either Tieghan tests the recipes at altitude and then adjusts her recipes for sea level followers based on the most common changes, or she has a recipe tester at sea level so that she can confirm it works at a lower altititude.
The fact that she always insists nothing should be adjusted in either direction is absolutely nuts, and it’s also not helpful. She needs to either be honest with WHERE this recipe was tested and how, or simply avoid posting baked goods, as this is always going to be asked because she makes such a big deal about living in the mountains, so people with any kind of experience will automatically know to ask about that factor.
No argument Gale! For what ever reason HBH denies the science of altitude with regard to cooking and baking. I was simply pointing out that adjustments are in fact complicated. Dismissing the issue is absurd and any good cook knows that.