Budino al Cioccolato Recipe (Italian Chocolate Pudding) | Foodal (2024)

First things first, many of you out there are probably wondering: what is a budino?

Italian for pudding, this delicious dessert is prepared on the stove, and you can enjoy it warm or chilled. It’s sweet, creamy, and rich.

It’s made from scratch with simple ingredients – sugar, heavy cream, milk, egg yolks, vanilla, and dark chocolate. Essentially all the good stuff, you know?

It’s one of those recipes that you will want to break your diet for, trust me. Especially if you are all about the dreamy chocolate, like I am. You might have to forget that we have an equally delicious vegan chocolate pudding.

I first learned about budino when I lived in Italy, as a student studying abroad. It was one of those desserts that many of the locals that I interacted with seemed very familiar with, and they enjoyed it regularly.

When I let some friends from class know that I hadn’t tried it yet, I was immediately ushered to a small restaurant nearby, where we ate dinner and ended the meal with bowls of budino.

Every spoonful was pure bliss…

When you take your first bite of this delectable dessert, you will savor every second of it. It’s so smooth in your mouth and the rich, deep flavor dances across your taste buds in the best way possible.

This sweet treat is truly unforgettable, and it’s nothing like the pudding that I grew up with.

The most valuable piece of advice that I can offer when making this recipe is this:

Use high-quality ingredients. When you are making a wildly rich dessert, it’s kind of a must. This is not the time to skimp, and it really makes a difference.

That means you should get the really good dark chocolate. Invest in the dairy that has the richest and creamiest flavor. Buy the best vanilla.

Small portions are encouraged, and a little goes a long way with this chocolate custard. I love to accompany these bowls of rich and indulgent deliciousness with a small mug of espresso. You get this lovely mocha flavor that lingers in your mouth after every sip or spoonful.

Avoid overcooking it, because you will end up with pudding that sets up too quickly, and that is overly thick. Trust me, because I’m telling you this from experience. The key is to make sure the mixture coats the back of a spoon but isn’t super thick before you add the dark chocolate shavings on top, or your choice of finishing touches.

Above all else, please don’t let a single drop of this decadent treat go to waste. It’s too good to let that happen.

Print

Cooking By the Numbers…

Step 1 – Chop Chocolate, Separate Eggs, and Measure Remaining Ingredients

Coarsely chop 5 ounces of dark chocolate. Place it in a large mixing bowl and set it aside.

You can use 70 to 85% dark. I personally like to opt for the higher cocoa content because I love the deep, rich, slightly bitter flavor.

Carefully separate the eggs. Since we’re only using egg yolks for this recipe, you can reserve the whites for another use, like making meringues.

Measure out all of the remaining ingredients as they are listed on the ingredients list.

Step 2 – Make Custard

Add the milk and cream to a large saucepan. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat, then remove the pan from the heat and set it aside.

Add the egg yolks and sugar to a medium-sized bowl and whisk them together well, until the yolks are pale yellow and the sugar has dissolved.

Next, temper the egg mixture with the warmed milk and cream. You don’t want to accidentally scramble the eggs, creating lumps in your custard. This is an important step to increase the temperature of the yolks more gradually, so they thicken rather than cooking to a hard texture.

Slowly pour 1/3 cup of the warmed milk mixture into the egg mixture, whisking well as you add it. Continue this process of slowly whisking in more warmed milk about 1/3 cup at a time and then mixing thoroughly after each addition until it is combined well.

Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and place it over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until the custard has thickened.

It should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, but be careful to avoid overcooking it beyond that. Nobody likes tough custard!

Step 3 – Finish and Serve or Chill

Pour the custard over the chopped chocolate that you set aside earlier, and let it sit for 5 minutes. This should be enough time for it to melt.

Whisk the mixture together until it’s smooth and well-combined. Whisk in the butter, salt, and vanilla until combined.

You can serve this dessert immediately, in parfait glasses or small dessert dishes, or cover it with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour to enjoy it cold.

Leftovers will keep in an airtight container or covered with plastic in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.