Chocolate Custard (with Cocoa Powder)
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This Chocolate Custard is a decadent pourable sauce that simply must be poured over your favourite chocolate cakes and desserts. It may look like the comfort dish you remember from school dinners but I assure you this custard tastes so much better. It’s not made with custard powder but cocoa powder and cornflour so it’s easy to make and richly flavoured.
Chocolate Custard is an easy way to turn an already fantastic chocolate dessert into sheer luxury. And bonus, this quick from scratch version is incredibly easy. You can make it in under 15 minutes, it can be made ahead of time for easy re-heating and can be served over so many different desserts.
Perfect for busy Sunday Lunches.
You don’t need custard powder or messing around with melting chocolate. This chocolate custard is economical and can be served to a large crowd. Plus it isn’t rich enough that it will make your dessert too sickly.
Let’s discuss the right cocoa powder to use, how to troubleshoot or fix any lumps and the easy swaps to make a dairy-free version.
Why You’ll Love Chocolate Custard
- Very easy to make. There’s no custard powder here – just easy store cupboard ingredients you’ll already have in.
- Flavour. Deep cocoa taste that’s balanced without being sickly or overly rich (since there’s no melted chocolate).
- Sweetness. Perfect level of sweetness so that it can balance out any dessert so it’s cosy not cloying.
- Versatile. It doesn’t just have to be poured over Chocolate cake. You’ll love pouring it over all your puddings.
- Gluten-free. We use cornflour (cornstarch) to thicken which is a naturally gluten-free flour.
- Easy to make dairy-free with 2 easy swaps.
Watch the Video
Sometimes it helps to see a visual of what I'm talking about. So watch the video to see what it looks like to make your Chocolate Custard.
Ingredients Needed
Egg yolks. This recipe uses medium sized egg yolks. The whole egg will weigh about 60g each with shell and the egg yolks weigh about 20g. Therefore you will need about 160g egg yolks in this recipe. The eggs used are often classified as large eggs in the US. I recommend weighing your eggs to ensure the correct amount.
Vanilla extract. You don’t need to use the best quality vanilla extract here as there's already a lot going on with the flavours and it won't make a difference. A supermarket brand is just fine.
Brown sugar. Gives lovely gentle molasses flavour
Cocoa powder. Choose a high quality organic brand if possible. This recipe was tested with Dutch-processed cocoa powder (which is the more common type in the UK – but do check the labels). I recommend Dr Oetker’s Fine Dark Cocoa Powder. This is typically a gluten-free produce but check each pack’s allergen panel to be sure for your batch.
Cornflour (cornstarch). Helps to avoid a curdled custard and makes your sauce velvety smooth.
Whole milk. Using full fat gives our custard more creaminess.
Double cream. Or you can sub heavy cream.
Salt. I like to use kosher salt in my baking as it has a round gentle flavour. Using salt in your baked goods lifts and sharpens all the other flavours.
How To Make Easy Chocolate Custard
For full recipe instructions go to the recipe card at the end of this post.
Whisk egg yolks, sugar, cocoa powder and cornflour in a large mixing bowl until thick and smooth.
Pour milk, double cream and vanilla into saucepan. Heat until just under a low boil.
Pour the warm milk mixture into the egg mixture in a slow steady stream, whisking all the while. Pour back into the saucepan. Whisk the custard continually on a medium heat until it thickens and starts to gently bubble. Turn off the heat and continue whisking for a minute to ensure the custard is smooth with no lumps.
Tips and Troubleshooting
Avoid boiling the cream/milk mixture, watch it heat carefully so that you remove it from the heat just as it starts to shimmer with bubbles forming under the surface. If you have a digital thermometre you want the temperature to be between 60-65°C (140-149°F). Remove off the heat immediately when you think it's ready, it can boil over very quickly.
Place a damp cloth underneath the mixing bowl to ensure the bowl doesn’t slide around the worktop as you are pouring and whisking at the same time.
You could strain the custard again before you add it back into the saucepan, just to ensure that there's no curdled egg in there.
If your custard is getting a bit lumpy when you return it to the saucepan then you have some choices: whisk your custard vigorously to disperse them, use an immersion blender in the saucepan to iron out any lumps or remove from the heat and sieve your custard.
If your custard is too thin then you can add a little more cornflour (cornstarch) at the end of cooking. Make a slurry by whisking together the cornflour (start with 2 teaspoons) and an equal amount of room temperature water until smooth. Whisk this cornflour slurry into the finished custard on a low heat and the custard should thicken. If it’s still too thin then repeat with more cornflour.
If your custard is too thick then whisk in a little milk to thin out.
If your custard isn’t sweet enough for you (this may happen if you are using a more bitter brand of cocoa powder) then add a little more brown sugar whilst the custard is still on the heat and whisk in until melted.
If you are not going to serve the custard immediately then place a piece of cling film (plastic wrap) or baking parchment to the surface of the custard so it doesn’t form a ‘skin.’
Whisk the custard vigorously before serving to ensure it is smooth.
FAQs
This can happen depending on the brand of cocoa you use. If you used natural cocoa powder (rather than Dutch Processed) it can change the flavour. I recommend Dr Oetker’s Fine Dark Cocoa Powder (check each batch to ensure it’s still gluten-free – it was at the time of writing). You also might have had poor cocoa dispersion so you can blend your custard using an immersion blender to ensure better mixing. If you are still unhappy with the flavour you can add a splash more double cream to even out the taste.
You will need to add in another tablespoon of cornflour (cornstarch) if you would like to use this custard as the layer in a Chocolate Trifle, as otherwise it’s too runny.
The custard will keep for up to 3 days in an airtight container in the fridge.
Re-heat in a saucepan until it just reaches a boil, whisking well to smooth out any lumps.
I don’t recommend freezing custard as it tends to split or become grainy once thawed.
It’s easy to make this recipe dairy-free by swapping the whole milk with your favourite plant based version. I like oat milk (if you are not intolerant) or almond milk. You can also use plant based cream in lieu of dairy. I like Coconut Collab’s Double Cre&m.
It is possible to make a vegan custard but I would recommend you begin with a different recipe as there are too many eggs involved here to substitute.
Yes, this recipe for Chocolate Custard is gluten-free as we used naturally gluten-free cornflour (cornstarch) to thicken and stabilise.
Favourite Desserts To Serve with Chocolate Custard
Steamed Sponge Puddings. Chocolate pudding is obvious, but it’s also delicious with treacle or Coffee Sponge Pudding.
Other traditional puddings. Make your spotted dick or bread and butter pudding a step beyond by serving it with chocolate custard.
School Cake. Remember those easy sponge traybakes decorated in icing and sprinkles from school? Well, they are not complete without a liberal drowning in custard. Try it with Vanilla School Cake or Chocolate School Cake.
Brownies. Okay, it’s an overindulgence. But warmed brownie with chocolate custard turns a simple bake into a gorgeous dessert.
Banana Bread. Again, warm your banana bread and serve with chocolate custard. You will never look back.
Swiss Roll. Turning cake into dessert is my favourite thing. Chocolate Swiss Roll + Chocolate Custard = Heaven. See also, Marble Cake.
Recipe Variations
Luxury Chocolate Custard. Alt. for real indulgence – whisk in 25g melted chocolate at the end of cooking. This is a really rich custard, best served with a plain sponge cake/pudding or used as a trifle layer.
Baileys Chocolate Custard. Add 2-3 tablespoons of Baileys to this Chocolate Custard for something a little more special. Note. Although the ingredients in Baileys are considered gluten-free, if you have coeliac disease then it is a risk as they cannot guarantee any cross contamination or hidden gluten in flavourings/additives.
Dairy-Free Chocolate Custard. There are just two easy swaps you need to make for a dairy-free version of this recipe and it tastes just as good.
- Milk. Swap for your favourite brand of plant-based milk. I like oat milk the best but if you are intolerant you could also use almond milk or cashew milk.
- Cream. My favourite brand of plant-based double cream is Coconut Collab’s Double Cre&m. You can use it in a 1:1 swap and I can’t notice the difference.
More Homemade Custard Sauces You’ll Love
Make this gorgeous fresh Strawberry Custard towards the end of the strawberry season when cooler days are drawing in. This pouring pink custard is incredible with a light vanilla sponge but could also elevate your humble Apple Crumble into something a little bit more special.
This Lemon Custard Sauce for pouring over your favourite puddings and desserts is wonderfully zesty and beautifully comforting at the same time. It can accompany so many delicious desserts from cakes to crumbles to pies and even simply over sliced bananas.
And of course Simple Vanilla Custard. Made from easy ingredients and is richer, more flavourful and without the added colours or preservatives that you find in a tin of powder or even fresh custard from the supermarket.
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Chocolate Custard with Cocoa Powder
Ingredients
- 8 egg yolks
- 100 g soft light brown sugar
- 40 g cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons cornflour - cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoons salt
- 700 g whole milk
- 300 g double cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Whisk the egg yolks, brown sugar, cocoa powder, cornflour and salt until smooth in a large measuring jug or bowl.
- Pour the milk, double cream and vanilla into a large saucepan. Warm the ingredients at a medium heat until it reaches 60-65°C (140-149°F). If you don’t have a digital thermometer you can watch the surface carefully and when it starts to shimmer with tiny bubbles just underneath the surface then remove from the heat, it shouldn’t start boiling.
- Pour the heated cream into a large jug for easy pouring. Then pour into the chocolatey eggs in a long steady stream, whisking the eggs continually. Place a damp cloth under the egg bowl so it doesn’t move around.
- Pour the thin chocolate custard back into the original saucepan and heat to 80°C (176°F), stirring all the time until the custard thickens and starts to gently bubble.
- Remove from the heat and serve.
