Weeknight Cooking
by: Ella Quittner
May12,2021
5
15 Ratings
- Prep time 5 minutes
- Serves 1
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Author Notes
Patience may be a virtue, but it's not one of mine. At least not when it comes to chocolatey desserts. Sometimes—okay, pretty much all the time—a craving comes over me, and I just need sweets (checks watch) five minutes ago.
Enter: Greek Yogurt Chocolate "Pudding." It's my never-fail solution for when I require sweets ASAP. This godsend of a dessert comes together in less than five minutes, which is often the high end of how long I feel I can wait before consuming chocolate. It's a no-stove, one-bowl, zero-frills sort of operation, and it comes out perfectly every single time. Plus, I almost always have all of the ingredients already in my pantry and fridge—Greek yogurt, a splash of cream, vanilla extract, Dutch-processed cocoa powder, maple syrup, and a pinch of salt.
And it's more versatile than I give it credit for: It can swing pudding, sure, but it can also swing mousse—just pop it in the refrigerator for 20 minutes until it firms up. It can be dressed down (Thin Mint crumble!), or way up: reserve a little plain Greek yogurt to whisk with cinnamon and maple syrup, then dollop over the top with a sprinkling of berries.
It's not just a personal dessert for when you're so desperate for sweets you're about to start chewing on a framed photo of a brownie, it's also for your elegant dinner party guests who'll love the light, creamy texture and unique tanginess. (One of its best features is that it scales proportionally, but even at five or six times the batch size, it will still only take about five minutes to whip up.)
The method is quite flexible, as well. I've made an even lazier version just by whisking maple syrup, cocoa powder, vanilla, and salt directly into yogurt—it turns out denser, and just as delicious. I've followed my written recipe method, but with a hand mixer. I've experimented with different types of yogurt, and also Greek yogurt with a lower fat content. While the resulting aeration of the final "pudding" will vary (you can use an extra splash of cream to compensate for 2 percent fat Greek yogurt), the flavor is always spot-on and satisfying.
To me, Greek Yogurt Chocolate "Pudding" tastes like a cross between one of those tangy YoCrunch vanilla yogurts with Oreo crumbles and a chocolate Snack Pack. Yes, I've spent an unhealthy amount of time coming to that conclusion. No, I don't regret it for a second.
Try it for yourself, and let me know what you think.
Note: This also scales proportionally, and I've served it at many a dinner party. You can dress it up as much as you want with garnishes—account for having some leftover plain Greek yogurt, and you can whisk that with cinnamon and a splash of maple syrup to dollop attractively over guests' pudding bowls. —Ella Quittner
Test Kitchen Notes
This recipe is a part of Chocolate Week—seven days of recipes and stories, all chocolate—presented by our friends at Guittard. A fifth-generation family business, Guittard has been crafting an array of chocolate offerings (like top-quality baking chips, cocoa powder, and baking bars) in San Francisco since 1868. —The Editors
- Test Kitchen-Approved
What You'll Need
Watch This Recipe
Greek Yogurt Chocolate"Pudding"
Ingredients
- 1/2 cupfull fat Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoonsheavy cream
- 2 tablespoonsDutch-processed cocoa
- 1 tablespoonmaple syrup, plus more to taste
- 1 teaspoonvanilla extract
- 1 large pinch of kosher salt
Directions
- Whip all ingredients in a stand mixer with paddle attachment for 3 to 5 minutes until fluffy and glossy. Eat immediately, or chill for a few minutes until it firms up to be the texture of mousse, if preferred. Top with anything you have on hand—like raspberries, crumbled cookies, a drizzle of peanut butter, or sliced bananas.
Tags:
- Pudding
- American
- Chocolate
- Yogurt
- Milk/Cream
- Vanilla
- Weeknight Cooking
- Entertaining
- Valentine's Day
- Picnic
- Birthday
- Winter
See what other Food52ers are saying.
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Janaya Cassidy
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Jayne Pearson
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Sarah Rosenbaum
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Andrew Morgan
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Calisson
25 Reviews
Vanlun July 18, 2023
What an easy dessert to make. It has the texture of a mouse and a sweet tooth. P
lfree May 2, 2023
This is my new favorite thing. I accidentally doubled the maple syrup so I cut the heavy cream in half. It worked just fine. I used fa*ge 2% Greek yogurt and just whisked the ingredients. It was insanely good. I can’t wait to make it for a party and reveal that it’s basically just yogurt. Thanks for this recipe!
MarthaInTheKitchen February 20, 2023
We had a three-way Greek yogurt pudding/mousse taste-off. Sadly for this recipe, it came in third place. We found it bitter compared to our other contestants.
This was our second place recipient, made with store-brand milk chocolate morsels. (A semi-sweet morsel version also got a thumbs-up.)
https://food52.com/recipes/75482-maria-speck-s-greek-yogurt-chocolate-mousse
Our first-place winner was this white chocolate variant:
https://mariaspeck.com/2016/02/the-new-greek-yogurt-chocolate-mousse-is-white/
Hanna August 29, 2022
Oh my goodness! One of the best recipes! Made it last night and just whisked it for around 10 seconds/so good!!!!
Thank you !
Janaya C. February 22, 2021
Tasty but too sweet for me, think I might make again and cut the maple in half and leave out the vanilla and see if that helps!
wbirdwell July 29, 2020
I joined this site just to review this AMAZING recipe. It turned out to be FANTASTIC! I had one lonesome 5 oz Greek yogurt container that needed to be used and I wanted chocolate. So I Googled yogurt pudding and the rest is a history. At long last a recipe worked for me! So Happy! I say that because I have yet to be able to successfully produce a muffin or even a no bake cookie. I only had almond milk so I used a tablespoon instead of the heavy cream (I was going to add a tablespoon of butter but I forgot) and I estimated 4 oz of the yogurt. If there was ever a reason to pull out the magic bullet mixing cup this is it. I think I only had to pulse it for about 2 seconds and dessert was ready. The recipe is very forgiving and apparently it is flexible according to all the other happy reviewers. I also tried a little whipped cream on it and even a little cinnamon just to play once I saw it was a winner. But it was perfect by itself! Ella, thank you soooo much for this recipe!
Ellen S. July 12, 2020
Great texture, just didn't like the tangy-chocolate combination. It's not a problem of bitterness, so I don't think adding sugar will solve this for me. Glad I tried it though.
s-chapstick April 21, 2019
I'm wondering if anyone had used either vanilla or honey flavored yogurt ??
If you did, how was it ?
Thanks, Susie
Ella Q. May 14, 2019
Hi! Yes, definitely—I often riff on this by using vanilla yogurt. Just adjust the sweetness to taste.
meme S. April 21, 2019
I have made this delish dessert many times. It always turned out great and loved by my family and friends. I lost a similar recipe and I Thank You Ella for printing it. Soooo Gooood!
I'm rating it 5*.
Ella Q. May 14, 2019
So happy you enjoyed it!
Jayne P. April 21, 2019
I mixed this as per the recipe (though had to sub golden syrup for maple, as I didn't have any) - I liked the tang of the yoghurt, but it was nowhere near chocolatey enough. So I melted a small knob of butter with a couple of tablespoons of bitter chocolate drops and stirred those in, along with 2 teaspoons brandy (well, it is Easter Sunday, and we're having friends over). The flavour was miles better and it also set beautifully into a firm, chocolatey mousse. I think the original recipe would be lovely for children, but nowhere near grown-up enough for us!
Sarah R. October 25, 2018
How far in advance can you make this if you keep it in the fridge?
Ella Q. October 25, 2018
Hi Sarah,
I've kept it covered in the fridge for a couple days with no problems. (Similar to whipped cream, longer than that and the cream will lose some of its aeration—but it will still taste good!)
Ella
SD V. October 22, 2018
Great after-school activity/snack with my 4 year old, thanks!
Andrew M. October 21, 2018
You really don’t need a mixer, just to be specific in how you put it together—cocoa powder is a pain to mix if its on top of a wet ingredient. It’s a little less fluffy, but let’s be honest, some days you just want chocolate and a mug of whiskey and not to wash the whisk attachment for a mixer.
Put the cocoa in first (I also add instant espresso powder; it makes terrible coffee but great flavor, just trust). Then add in the syrup and vanilla and mix with a spoon til you have a chocolate sauce consistency. The important part is that you start with a little liquid and increase as you go, so you don’t get dry clumps of cocoa. It’ll start as sandy bits, then muddy clumps, then magically hit perfect sauce status. Then mix in the cream and salt, then once that’s smooth, stir in the yogurt until all combined. It’s a bit thin, but you can chill it to make it firm up.
No mixer, and made with the spoon you’re gonna eat it with. And the cocoa mixing method is also makes a great base for a mocha.
Ella Q. October 21, 2018
Hi Andrew,
Totally agreed, no need to use the mixer unless you want to aerate the yogurt. But some days I just make this with a spoon and enjoy the denser texture, too!
Ella
Kathie P. October 27, 2018
I have been making yogurt pudding for years! Try making frozen yogurt pudding pops ! So good! Adding your favorite berries to them. Yummy
Calisson October 21, 2018
I do not usually have heavy cream on hand, and I wonder if a little melted butter would compensate if I used a low-fat milk instead.
MMOm January 14, 2020
Ditto! Hope someone answers you! Or if you figured it out - let me know! :-D
FrugalCat October 18, 2018
I used dark rum instead of vanilla extract. It came out great. Will make again. You don't need a stand mixer- I have a regular hand mixer.
Ella Q. October 19, 2018
Hi FrugalCat,
Thanks for the note. I'm so glad to hear it!
Ella
Corduval April 21, 2019
I subbed bourbon for the vanilla - delish!
Stephanie G. October 16, 2018
What a great idea for a recipe. Can't wait to try it!
Ella Q. October 17, 2018
Thanks Stephanie! I hope you like it. It's a trusty, back-pocket one for me :)
