No-Cook Instant Chocolate Pudding Mix
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Those little boxes of instant chocolate pudding mix are convenient, but they’re loaded with artificial flavors and colors. Replace them with this homemade version. It’s no-cook, just like the store-bought kind, but doesn’t contain all the junk.
I’ve included free, printable labels, so this pudding mix will be an easy addition to your pantry.
Instant Chocolate Pudding Mix Recipe
This recipe makes enough mix to replace four 3.9-ounce boxes of instant chocolate pudding mix. Use 1 cup of mix in place of 1 box of store-bought pudding mix, when making pudding, pie filling, frozen pudding pops or other no-bake desserts. Only need enough mix for a single batch of pudding? I’ve included a single batch instant pudding mix recipe, too.
Prep Time:
5 minutes
Ingredients:
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup cocoa powder (natural unsweetened or Dutch-processed)
- 1 cup Instant Clear Jel
Pro Tip: Ever struggled to get cocoa to dissolve in liquid? Use Dutch-processed cocoa in this recipe, and you won’t have that issue.
Instant Clear Jel is the secret ingredient that makes instant pudding instant. It’s a modified cornstarch that’s able to thicken foods without cooking. You probably won’t find it at your local grocery store, since it’s kind of a specialty item. I ordered mine from Amazon. Just be sure to buy Instant Clear Jel, not Clear Jel. Only the instant kind works without cooking.
Instant Clear Jel can also be used to make pie filling, since it’s able to withstand high temperatures and acidic ingredients. I bought a big container, so I could experiment with all its different uses.
Okay, now that you know a bit about Instant Clear Jel, let’s get on to our instant chocolate pudding mix, shall we?
What You Do:
Measure the ingredients into a large bowl. To get your measurements right, spoon the ingredients into your measuring cups, instead of using your measuring cup to scoop them out. Scooping will put extra ingredients in your recipe.
Mix all the ingredients together, and break up any clumps.
Then, transfer your finished instant chocolate pudding mix to an air-tight container. It fits nicely in a quart jar. I’ve been using these smooth-sided Ball jars, since labels go over them nicely. You can find them at craft stores, like Michael’s, or order them online.
Single-Batch Instant Chocolate Pudding Mix Recipe
If you only want to make enough pudding mix to replace one 3.9-ounce box of store-bought instant chocolate pudding mix, use:
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup cocoa (natural unsweetened or Dutch-processed)
- 1/4 cup Instant Clear Jel
Ready to try your pudding mix out? Let’s do it!
How to Make Chocolate Pudding From No-Cook Instant Pudding Mix
Ingredients:
- 2 cups cold milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup instant chocolate pudding mix (see recipe above)
What You Do:
Pour the wet ingredients into a large mixing bowl, and add the mix. Beat with a mixer or whisk, until the ingredients come together and the pudding begins to thicken, approximately 2 minutes. I like to use my immersion blender for this step.
Let your pudding sit for at least 5 minutes, before serving. Like store-bought pudding mix, it’ll be thicker and tastier, if you wait 30 minutes (or longer) before serving.
Variation: To create dairy-free or vegan chocolate pudding with this mix, just use soy, almond, coconut or rice milk instead.
For Pie: When making pie filling, store-bought pudding mixes call for using a bit less milk (1 3/4 cup) and cutting the beating time to 1 minute. Do the same with this homemade mix. If you already have a pie recipe that you like, just replace the store-bought pudding mix called for with an equal amount of this mix. The 3.9-oz boxes contain 3/4 cup of pudding mix.
Make Your Own Chocolate Pudding Cups
I’ve recently become enamored with 1/4-pint jars. They hold 1/2 cup each, so they’re the perfect size for portioning this chocolate pudding into individual servings. One batch of pudding makes enough to fill five 1/4-pint jars. That’s enough pudding cups for a week’s worth of school or work lunches!
But the really exciting thing about this pudding mix is that it can be used to make a quick and easy 3-ingredient chocolate ice cream.
Free Printable Instant Chocolate Pudding Mix Labels
Here are free, printable labels that you can use to label your instant chocolate pudding mix. They fit on full-sheet shipping labels. Use Avery 8165, if you have an inkjet, or Avery 5265, if you have a laser printer.
I’ve started using water-proof labels on my mix jars, so I can wash the jars without messing up the labels. I have a color laser printer, so I’ve been using these. If you have an inkjet, these are the ones you want.
If you’re using Google’s Chrome browser, our printables may not print properly. Click here for printing help.
No-Cook Instant Chocolate Pudding Mix
This no-cook chocolate pudding mix recipe is the perfect replacement for store-bought instant pudding mix.
- Total Time: 2 minutes
- Yield: Equivalent to four 3.9 ounce boxes of instant chocolate pudding mix 1x
Ingredients
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup cocoa powder (natural or Dutch-processed)
- 1 cup Instant Clear Jel
Instructions
Measure out the ingredients. Be sure to spoon the cocoa and Instant Clear Jel into your measure cups, so you don’t end up with extra dry ingredients in your recipe (scooping tends to do that).
Stir everything together until well combined. Then, store your instant chocolate pudding mix in an air-tight container. This fits perfectly in a quart jar.
Small Batch Instant Chocolate Pudding Mix:
To replace one 3.9-ounce box of instant chocolate pudding mix, combine:
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup cocoa (natural or Dutch-processed)
- 1/4 cup Instant Clear Jel
To Use Your Instant Chocolate Pudding Mix:
In a large bowl, combine 2 cups cold milk, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract and 1 cup instant chocolate pudding mix.
Beat with a mixer or whisk, until everything comes together and the pudding begins to thicken, approximately 2 minutes. An immersion blender is great for this task.
Allow pudding to rest at least 5 minutes before serving. Like store-bought pudding mix, it’ll be thicker and tastier, if you wait 30 minutes (or longer) before you eat it.
Makes the same amount of pudding as one 3.9-ounce box of instant chocolate pudding mix.
Notes
Recipe Variation: To make dairy-free or vegan chocolate pudding with this mix, just use soy, almond, coconut or rice milk instead.
Pie Filling: Decrease milk to 1 3/4 cup, and cut beating time to 1 minute. Already have a pie recipe that you like? Just replace the store-bought pudding mix that’s called for with this homemade mix. One 3.9 oz. box contains 3/4 cup of mix.
Ice Cream: Use this pudding mix to make chocolate ice cream.
Nutrition facts are for 1/2 cup of prepared pudding made from mix, using 2% milk.
- Prep Time: 2 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Mix
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: no-cook chocolate pudding mix recipe, instant chocolate pudding mix recipe, homemade instant chocolate pudding mix
Like this mix recipe? Be sure to check out my complete collection of mix recipes. It includes cake mixes, soup mixes, drink mixes and more.
Also Check Out:
Stove-Top Chocolate Pudding Mix
THIS IS WONDERFUL INFO. HAVE TRIED FOREVER TO
OBTAIN THIS. PLAN TO EXPERIMENT O MAKE A
SUGAR-FREE VERSION.
THANKS….YOU MADE MY DAY!!!
PAM FROM K.C., MO.
Yay! Glad to hear it. I forgot to add sugar-free info to the recipe variations section, but you should be able to swap in any sugar replacement that’s designed to replace sugar measure for measure.
Wow, I learned something new today. I had no idea there was such as thing as instant clear jel.
Yes the pudding you buy is loaded with everything I don’t want to eat. I like the real recipes made from scratch too.
how much does this cost? have you figured out how much each serving cost compared to the pudding cups in the store?
Hey, Donna. I’ll have to crunch the numbers. I actually plan to add the cost on all of the recipes. Definitely an important details 🙂
Your instant clear jel powder is the exact same thing as Knox unflavored gelatin.
And the unflavored gelatin is less expensive
So I will be getting that instead for this recipe.
this looks good.
since this instant clear gel is like a modified cornstarch , can’t i use corn starch
or arrow root starch instead please? since they are all thickeners anyway.
please let me know by e-mailing me at midnight0675@frontier.com
i want to make this but i want to use a thickener that i am familiar with.
Unfortunately, cornstarch or arrowroot won’t work in this recipe because they both require heat to thicken.
This looks good. Can you please post a recipe for a do it yourself
instant chocolate fudge pudding mix that would taste exactly like the Jell-O brand chocolate Fudge instant pudding box mix, Without all the artificial ingredients in it?i use either for homemade pudding cookies which are really delicious with chopped real White chocolate chunks in it; Or I just make up a box and eat it in a bowl over a weeks time. However
I do not want all the artificial stuff in it. Please, please , please can you do this I would appreciate it.
Hi Heather,
I’ve added it to my to-do list. It may take me a while to get around to it, but it’s now on my list of mixes to develop.
I clicked on your link for Hoosier hill farms premium clear jel instant on amazon.com . However on amazon I found Hoosier Hill Farm Instant Clear Jel powder 1.5 Lbs.
Not the Hoosier Hill Farm premium clear Jel instant. Is what I found the same thing? Please help. I want to get the right item to make this diy pudding mix recipe.
Yes, I think they’ve just updated their label since I bought mine. As long as it says “instant,” you’re good to go.
Thank you so much for this, and for including information like where to find the smooth quart jars and providing printable labels. So helpful.
I’m trying to cut chemicals from our food but this means I’ve cut all dessert recipes that include vanilla instant pudding mix, so my family isn’t happy. Can I just leave out the cocoa from this recipe to create a vanilla version, and when I make the pudding, add the liquid vanilla flavoring along with the milk?
★★★★★
Hi Rebecca. It’s been on my to-do list to develop a instant vanilla pudding mix. Removing the cocoa powder from the recipe would eliminate a lot of the bulk from the recipe, so I think it would need to be replaced with something, like powdered milk to keep the volume right. I’ll try to move it up my project list.