Chocolate Pudding with Self Sauce | Cooking with Nana Ling

A gooey chocolate sauce hiding beneath a warm, soft chocolate pudding, this self-sauce chocolate pudding recipe will help you create the ultimate chocolate treat.

Despite being a simple dessert, it has a comforting and decadent appeal that makes it perfect in so many situations – whether you’re craving a cozy treat on a cold winter’s evening or looking to impress at your next dinner party.

The recipe for chocolate pudding

This recipe has been popular for decades, and I’ve come across a similar version in many of the community cookbooks I’ve collected over the years along with a 1968 edition of The Australian Women’s Weekly.

The community cookbooks I’ve collected contain recipes that home cooks have tried and tested for years. Not surprisingly, the Chocolate Self Sauce Pudding recipe has been shared a lot.

So here I created a simple and classic old-fashioned chocolate pudding closely following these shared recipes.

Ingredients for chocolate pudding

The list of ingredients is also what makes this recipe so popular.

Chocolate Self-Saucing Pudding is made with ingredients you probably have in the pantry and fridge right now. No shopping necessary!

Here’s what you need:

• powdered sugar (fine sugar)
• egg
• cocoa
• SR flour (or plain flour + baking powder)
• milk
• butter
• Brown sugar
• boiling water.

You can find exact amounts of all ingredients in the recipe card at the end of this article.

How to make chocolate pudding

What makes this dessert so wonderful is the layered structure—a tender, cake-like layer that asserts itself in flavor and texture, and then beneath a heavenly puddle of warm, melted chocolate sauce.

And it all happens magically as it bakes, with the sauce sinking to the bottom to create that signature self-sucking effect.

So the method is actually surprisingly simple.

Prepare

Grease a casserole dish generously with butter and preheat the oven to 170 degrees.

Mix everything together

Sift the flour and the first portion of cocoa into a mixing bowl, then stir in the sugar.

Add lightly beaten egg, milk, and melted butter and whisk until well combined and smooth.

Pour into the greased casserole dish.

Spread the mixture out with a spoon or spatula to evenly coat the bottom of the pan.

Add topping/sauce

Mix together the brown sugar and cocoa for the topping and sprinkle over the mixture.

Carefully pour over the boiling water. You can use the back of a spoon to break up the frosting.

Bake

Bake for 40 minutes or until or until the top of the cake is a little crispy and springs back when you touch it lightly.

Serve your Chocolate Self Sauce Pudding

There’s nothing quite like enjoying this straight out of the oven. It’s great on its own and even better with ice cream and strawberries.

Scoop out the pudding with a large spoon, making sure everyone gets their fair share of the warm chocolate sauce.

Because this sauce is so good, there could be a serious fight!

You can also serve this pudding with a generous dollop of freshly whipped cream, sprinkle with chocolate shavings, coconut kernels, or dust with powdered (icing) sugar.

You can also replace the strawberries with another fruit. Banana, raspberries and cherries also go well with chocolate.

Variation Ideas

In my book, this classic recipe really can’t be beat.

However, you could experiment by:

• Add a touch of espresso powder for a mocha twist
• with a sprinkling of orange zest for a Jaffa-inspired pudding
• Substitute some milk for Bailey’s Irish Cream for even more indulgence.

Chocolate Pudding Recipe Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Can this Chocolate Self Sauce Pudding be reheated?

Yes. It is best reheated in the microwave to ensure the sticky sauce becomes gooey again.

Q. Which type of cocoa is best?

I use regular (or natural) cocoa powder, which is the most common type of cocoa powder and is widely available in stores. It is the cheapest option and is used more often in recipes.

However, you can also use Dutch cocoa powder, which has a softer and milder taste.

Q. Why wouldn’t I just use packet mix instead of this chocolate pudding recipe?

You could, but imagine it’s a cold, rainy night and you don’t have a packet mix in your closet.

You can’t get the chocolate pudding cravings under control, so you frantically search the internet and stumble upon this recipe.

You will be surprised to find that you already have all the ingredients at hand.

Then you’ll be happy to discover that this recipe really is just as easy to follow as preparing the packet mix.

You bake it off and when you try it you exclaim, “Oh my god, this is so much better than the packet version, I’ll never buy packet mix again.”

Q. Do you have any other pudding recipes?

Yes. You’ll find all the favorites here, including Sticky Date Pudding, Canary Pudding, Lemon Delicious, Carrot Pudding, Sago Plum Pudding, and Cold Mango Pudding.

You can also browse the entire dessert collection here.