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    Home » Recipes » Cakes

    Chocolate Self-Saucing Pudding

    Published: Jun 8, 2020 · Modified: Sep 6, 2022 by Sally · 8 Comments

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    A rich, soft chocolate pudding that makes its own thick, gooey sauce and is ready to eat in just 45 minutes. This chocolate self-saucing pudding is a classic dessert and is perfect for cozy winter evenings.

    Chocolate Self-Saucing Pudding
    Lately on the blog I have loved sharing the classic dessert recipes that I grew up with. We started with my childhood favourite cinnamon tea cake, and then moved onto an easy, one bowl, egg free chocolate cake, and today we are talking about the ultimate winter dessert with a chocolate self-saucing pudding.

    This is the traditional recipe that I grew up eating. It produces a soft, cakey pudding under a lightly crispy top, and a thick, gooey chocolate sauce. That is just the way this dessert is meant to be. Serve it up with a big spoon straight out of the oven and top with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream (or cream if you are going full old-fashioned).

    This recipe is one of the early ones I remember making with Mum. I had the recipe typed out in the little cookbook I made and I baked it every chance I got. Unfortunately that little cookbook is long gone, but this recipe has survived and has travelled with me over the years.

    Chocolate Pudding
    I make this pudding whenever I need a delicious, quick and cozy dessert. In just 45 minutes you can turn pantry ingredients into something wonderful and for that, I will always love this recipe.

    This is a classic, old fashioned recipe and I’ve left it exactly as that. The only difference with this version to the one of my childhood is that I replace the butter and milk with dairy-free options to suit my allergy. You can do the same, or make it with regular milk and butter – it’s completely up to you and it’s going to be delicious whichever way you choose to go.

    It is a no fuss, simple dessert. This is the perfect for beginner bakers and you probably already have everything you need in your pantry.

    Chocolate pudding batter
    How to make chocolate self-saucing pudding

    Start by mixing up all the pudding ingredients into a thick batter. No fancy equipment needed, just a bowl and a whisk.

    Next comes the magic that makes the sauce. Sprinkle a mixture of sugar and cocoa powder over the top of the batter. Then, pour over the hot water. The trick here is to pour the hot water over the back of a metal spoon. This might seem a little silly but the reason is to evenly disperse the water and prevent the pour of the water from creating divots in the top of the pudding so you are left with a nice flat top.

    That is really all there is to it! Bake until the top is firm but it is kind of jiggly which means that gooey sauce has formed underneath.

    Chocolate Pudding
    This pudding is best served straight away however it does make a lot so any leftovers can be kept in the fridge. Give it a quick warm up in the microwave to serve again. The amount of sauce will have reduced but it will still taste delicious!

    This pudding is easy enough for midweek but also a total crowd pleaser and perfect to serve at a dinner party. It’s a back pocket recipe that you’ll want to make again and again.

    Chocolate Self Saucing Pudding with ice cream
    If you do make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and rating below! And tag any of your creations on Instagram with #eightforestlane as I would love to see.

    Chocolate Self-Saucing Pudding

    A rich, soft chocolate pudding that makes its own thick, gooey sauce and is ready to eat in just 45 minutes. This chocolate self-saucing pudding is a classic dessert and is perfect for cozy winter evenings.
    5 from 5 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: Australian
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 35 minutes
    Servings: 6 serves
    Author: Sally
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    Ingredients

    For the pudding:

    • ¼ cup (60 grams) dairy-free butter melted
    • 1 egg room temperature
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla
    • ½ cup white sugar
    • ½ cup dairy-free milk
    • 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
    • 1 cup plain flour
    • 2 teaspoons baking powder

    For the sauce:

    • ½ cup white sugar
    • 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
    • 1 ½ cups hot water

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 180°C. In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, egg and vanilla until just frothy. Add in the sugar and continue to whisk. Finally add in the dairy-free milk and continue to whisk until combined.
    • Sift the cocoa powder, plain flour and baking powder directly into the bowl and whisk until the batter is thick.
    • Pour the batter into an oven proof casserole dish. Mix the extra sugar and cocoa powder together and sprinkle over the top of the batter. Pour the hot water over the top by pouring it over the back of a metal spoon and place the pudding in the oven for 30-35 minutes or until the cake top is lightly spongy.
    • Serve immediately while warm with ice cream.

    Notes

    I use Nuttelex to replace butter in most of my recipes as it is vegan and gives a 'buttery' flavour without being greasy. As this is an Australian product, the closest US alternative I believe is Earth Balance. Otherwise any dairy-free spread will work.
    Not from Australia? Check out my US Conversion Guide.

    Nutritional information is provided as a guide only and is calculated using automated online tools, therefore we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We encourage you to make your own calculations based on the actual ingredients used in your recipe.

    Have you made this recipe?Leave a comment and a rating below and tag your creations with #eightforestlane on Instagram!
    Not fom Australia? Check out my US Conversion Guide

    More winter desserts:

    Vegan Sticky Date Pudding With Caramel Sauce
    Chocolate Lava Cakes
    No-Bake Chocolate Tart (Vegan)

    Save it for later:

    Easy Classic Chocolate Self-Saucing Pudding

    More Cakes

    • One Bowl Vegan Chocolate Cake
    • Chocolate Lava Cakes
    • Chocolate Torte (Gluten-Free)
    • Chocolate and Coconut Layer Cake (Dairy-Free)

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Robyn

      June 14, 2020 at 12:56 pm

      This sounds and looks absolutely amazing Sally! I love that you have managed to keep the recipe, despite the recipe book getting lost.

      Reply
    2. Sarah

      June 12, 2020 at 8:58 pm

      Gooey sticky chocolaty goodness, what’s not to love? And something I can whip up with things I have already, win win!

      Reply
      • Sally

        June 13, 2020 at 7:11 am

        Thanks Sarah, hope you enjoy it!

    3. Jaimie

      June 11, 2020 at 7:28 pm

      What a classic, and so easy! I look forward to trying this on the weekend – forecast cold and rainy…. it’s meant to be!

      Reply
      • Sally

        June 11, 2020 at 8:37 pm

        Sounds perfect for a cosy weekend!

    4. Gavin Sutherland

      June 11, 2020 at 7:32 am

      Lovin’ the simplicity of this recipe – I have a dinner party coming up soon, can I make the dessert in advance and store in the fridge until ready to bake? Cheers

      Reply
    5. Sylvie

      June 09, 2020 at 11:08 am

      I love how easy and quick this recipe is, and how delicious the dessert looks! It would make a great comforting dessert for the cold days ahead as well 🙂

      Reply
      • Sally

        June 10, 2020 at 7:13 am

        Thanks Sylvie, it really is a favourite for winter!

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    Hi! I'm Sally and welcome to Eight Forest Lane. Here you will find easy and delicious recipes for any special dietary needs. Let me show you how to make cooking fun! 

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