If you crave a warm, comforting dessert, self saucing chocolate pudding delivers. Rich, fudgy and indulgent, this classic baked pudding creates its own silky chocolate sauce as it cooks. It’s elegant enough for guests but easy enough to make on a weeknight using pantry staples.
I prefer to serve it warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a spoonful of double cream, though it’s also delicious on its own. The technique here produces a soft chocolate sponge with a hot, glossy sauce underneath — the ideal dessert for chocolate lovers.
Table of Contents
- Why you’ll love this recipe
- Ingredients
- Substitutions and variations
- How to make self saucing chocolate pudding
- Cooking tips
- Frequently asked questions
- Self Saucing Chocolate Pudding recipe card
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Quick and simple to prepare — great for weeknight baking when you want an indulgent dessert with minimal fuss.
- The pudding creates its own chocolate sauce during baking, so there’s no extra pan to make or wash.
- Deep chocolate flavour: a soft, cakey sponge paired with a glossy, saucy base for maximum chocolate satisfaction.
Ingredients
See the recipe card below for exact measurements and full ingredient list.
Self-raising flour – or use plain (all-purpose) flour with baking powder (see substitutions).
Cocoa powder – use unsweetened cocoa powder, not a hot chocolate mix.
Milk – full-fat (whole) milk gives the best flavour and texture.
Substitutions and Variations
Make your own self-raising flour: mix 250 g plain (all-purpose) flour with 2.5 tsp baking powder and a pinch of salt.
Sugar: the recipe uses soft light brown sugar for a subtle caramel note; caster sugar works if you don’t have brown sugar.
Individual portions: divide batter and sauce among oven-proof ramekins for personal puddings; reduce baking time — start checking from 10–15 minutes.
How to make Self Saucing Chocolate Pudding
The full recipe card below provides detailed measurements, but these steps summarize the process.
ONE: Preheat the oven to 160°C fan / 180°C conventional / 355°F. Grease a large oven-proof dish (about 1.25–1.5 L). In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, caster sugar, cocoa powder and a pinch of salt.
TWO: In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, melted butter and milk until combined.
THREE: Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and mix to a smooth batter.
FOUR: Pour the batter into the prepared dish and smooth the top. Set aside.
FIVE: For the sauce, stir together boiling water, sugar and cocoa powder in a jug until the sugar dissolves. Carefully pour this chocolate water over the batter — it will seem unusual but this is how the sauce forms.
SIX: Bake for 23–25 minutes or until the surface is risen, firm and lightly crisp. Allow to rest 1–2 minutes, then spoon into bowls so each portion gets plenty of the hot chocolate sauce beneath the sponge. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or cream.
Cooking Tips
Dish size: use a 1.25–1.5 L oven-proof dish. If unsure, test by pouring 1.5 L of water into the dish to check capacity.
Baking time: ovens vary — start checking at 20 minutes. The pudding should have a soft wobble and a set top; underbaked is better than overbaked to keep the sauce.
Reheating leftovers: store cooled portions in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat individual portions in short bursts in the microwave and add a splash of hot cream to refresh the sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions
A self saucing pudding is a baked dessert where a light sponge forms on top while a glossy sauce develops underneath. Sugar and cocoa are combined with boiling water and poured over the batter; during baking the wet mixture settles and thickens into sauce while steam lifts the sponge.
Yes. Cool leftovers, cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Reheat individual portions until hot, adding a splash of cream or milk to revive the sauce if needed.
Most likely it was overbaked or left to stand too long before serving. Bake until the top is just set and allow only a brief rest. If unsure, check earlier rather than later to preserve the sauce.
Preparing fully ahead will reduce the sauciness, but you can pre-mix dry ingredients and keep wet ingredients chilled separately. Combine and bake just before serving for best results.
Other recipes you might like
Try rich chocolate mousse, dark chocolate brownies with white chocolate chunks, or a moist chocolate courgette cake for other chocolate-forward desserts. For celebration cakes, a simple moist chocolate cake or a white chocolate and raspberry cake are excellent choices.
If you try this Self Saucing Chocolate Pudding, please leave a comment to share how it turned out.
Self Saucing Chocolate Pudding
Ingredients
For the pudding:
- 250 g self-raising flour (or 250 g plain flour + 2.5 tsp baking powder + pinch of salt)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 150 g caster (superfine) sugar
- 50 g unsweetened cocoa powder
- Pinch of salt
- 3 large eggs
- 100 g butter, melted, plus extra for greasing
- 150 ml full-fat milk
For the chocolate sauce:
- 300 ml boiling water
- 200 g soft light brown sugar
- 25 g unsweetened cocoa powder
To serve (optional):
- Vanilla ice cream
- Heavy cream (double cream)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 160°C fan / 180°C conventional / 355°F. Lightly butter a 1.25–1.5 L oven-proof dish.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, caster sugar, cocoa powder and a pinch of salt until combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, melted butter and milk. Pour into the dry ingredients and mix to a smooth batter.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and smooth the top. Set aside.
- For the sauce: stir the boiling water, brown sugar and cocoa powder in a jug until the sugar dissolves. Carefully pour this chocolate liquid over the batter — it will look odd at first, but this is normal.
- Bake for 23–25 minutes, or until the surface is risen, firm and lightly crisp. Baking time will vary by oven and dish size. Remove from the oven and let it stand 1–2 minutes to settle.
- Spoon generous portions into bowls, ensuring each serving includes plenty of the hot chocolate sauce beneath the sponge. Serve immediately with vanilla ice cream or cream if desired.
Notes
Storage: Keep any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Reheating: Reheat individual portions in the microwave for 20–30 seconds and add a splash of hot cream or milk to revive the sauce.
Make-ahead: Fully assembled and baked puddings lose some sauciness. To prepare ahead without losing texture, mix dry ingredients and keep wet ingredients chilled separately, then combine and bake when ready to serve.
Timing: Start checking the pudding from 20 minutes onward. Aim to preserve a soft, saucy center rather than overbaking.
Individual portions: If using ramekins, reduce the bake time and start checking from 10–15 minutes.
Nutrition
Calories: 569 kcal; Carbohydrates: 97 g; Protein: 11 g; Fat: 19 g; Saturated Fat: 11 g; Sugar: 59 g. Nutrition figures are approximate.