Chocolate self-saucing pudding is the ultimate winter comfort food – fudgy and rich and warming. There are lots of recipes available for this pudding, as it is an Australian staple. My recipe however, has a little more cocoa than the standard ones, because I love the chocolate to predominate. Try to get some dutch process cocoa; it’s really superior in taste. The pudding is best served piping hot with cream or vanilla ice cream, and is a perfect finale to a family dinner. At our place I like to make it when we are having a roast dinner and put it into the oven just as we sit down to eat our lamb. Then it’s ready just at the right time for dessert.
Serves 6
1 cup self-raising flour
1/3 cup caster sugar
3 tablespoons cocoa
1/2 cup milk
45 g butter, melted, plus a little extra
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
sea salt
1 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons coca
1 cup boiling water
Heat oven to 170 C. Grease the base and sides of a 6 cup capacity pudding dish, either rectangular or oval, with the extra butter. In a medium-sized bowl combine the flour, caster sugar and 3 tablespoons of cocoa. In a jug whisk together the milk, melted butter, egg and vanilla with a pinch of salt. Don’t miss out the salt – it enhances the flavour of chocolate immeasurably. Pour the milk mixture into the dry ingerdients in the medium-sized bowl and beat togathr with a wooden spoon until well combined. Spread the poudding mixture into the dish. In another small bowl mix together the brown sugar and remaining cocoa, and then sprinkle over the top of the pudding mixture. Pour over the boiling water, drizzling onto the back of a spoon, first, so as to cover the pudding evenly. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the pudding is cooked. The sauce will sink and the pudding rise to the top (a wondrous experience for children). Dust with icing sugar and serve hot, with cream or ice cream.
Printable version: Chocolate self saucing pudding
Simple food 
This recipe looked so good, but what a disapointement. The pudding is flavourless and the sauce way too sugary. A total waste of ingredients which are quite expensive in my part of the world. Also, thought I could trust the comments but clearly cannot unless some people are ok with average desserts.
Sorry that you found this recipe disappointing. It’s always been positively received whenever I have cooked it, and comments from other readers of this blog very positive. It is meant to be sweet and fudgy, but I always use dutch process cocoa which has a stronger dark chocolate flavour, and serve it with cream or mascarpone on the side as a contrast.
Is was very very very good I love it a lot
Three verys! Thanks heaps. It is a delicious dessert. Glad you like it. margaret
Just made this for a dinner party tonight and it was a firm favourite!!!! Thanks for sharing such a lovely recipe 💛
HI Mara – thanks for you lovely comment. I love that this recipe is so simple, yet so rich and delicious and a crowd pleaser. Glad the dinner party went well. margaret
I meant to say ‘more cakey’ silly predictive text!
🙂
We make this pudding all the time but without the egg. It’s a family favourite I might try it with an egg as I’m sure the texture will change to make it more cakes and yes we definitely serve it after a roast dinner. I’m kiwi so it’s must be true we are cousins and like the same food. Thank you for sharing your recipe 😊
Absolutely delish, thankyou.
Thanks Sharon! One of the most popular recipes on my blog, and a firm favourite at our place. SO lovely to get feedback. margaret
Gorgeous pud and no tweaking with recipe at all. Made many times as it’s a fav in our house. Even made it for Christmas Dinner for those who didn’t want Christmas pudding.
Making one today so thought I’d leave a comment. Thanks for this scrummy recipe x
Thanks Essie! I love it when people leave comments, and I love it even more when recipes become family favourites. I just happened to be online (working on a new post) when your comment came through, so it was perfect timing. margaret
It bakes inconsistently
I’m sorry to hear that you had an inconsistent result. Some things to try – turn around in the oven half way through the cooking time; make sure that the brown sugar and cocoa is spread evenly over the surface of the pudding mixture; be very gentle drizzling the water over the back of a spoon and onto the top of the pudding. Also you could check your oven temperature and turn it down 5 – 10 degrees if you are using a fan-forced oven. Hope you give it a go again and it turns out better for you. margaret
Is it safe to assume that the pudding mixture you are referring to is the dry ingredients from the mixing bowl and the wet ingredients from the jug mixed together?
yes you are right…aand I’m going to add a sentence to the recipe notes because it’s not clear at all. Thanks for drawing it to my attention. margaret
That looks amazing!
Thanks Emma – it is pretty scrummy, and in your part of the world you are coming into the season where a good serve of chocolate pudding will be just the thing to warm you an an autumn evening. I am going to be planting spring vegetables today and loving the fact that the weather is warming up. Have a great day on the other side of the world. margaret.