Chocolate Budino

I am going to Italy in May, which means I am eating all of the Italian food to get ready! One of my favorite Italian desserts is a chocolate budino. It is a lesser known dessert, I had never even heard of it until culinary school, but once I had it, it quickly became my favorite dessert of all time!

What is Chocolate Budino?

Chocolate budino is a traditional Italian dessert that’s similar to pudding. It’s made with rich, chocolatey custard and served chilled. The texture of budino is thicker than pudding, making it a velvety and decadent dessert.

The word “budino” is Italian for pudding, so it’s no surprise that this dessert is a beloved staple in Italian cuisine. While budino can be enjoyed on its own, it’s often served with whipped cream, fresh fruit, or a sprinkle of cocoa powder. I personally love it with my homemade caramel and whipped cream!

Reasons I love making budino:

• There is no baking involved! I loathe baking, so any desserts that don’t involve using my oven are a win for me. Budinos are made completely stovetop!
• It is difficult to mess up, unlike other baked goods.
• You can make it in under 20 minutes (although it takes a few hours to set in the fridge)
• You can easily make it dairy free / refined sugar free, check out my paleo chocolate budino recipe here

Budino is my favorite dessert, and if you are a chocolate lover, I have a feeling it will be your favorite as well!

Ingredients:

• 5 large egg yolks
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1/2 cup sugar of choice
• pinch of salt
• 2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips

Preparation:

STEP 1.

In a pot, whisk the egg yolks together. Add the milks and whisk to combine. Add the sugar and pinch of salt and whisk in. Place over medium heat and whisk continuously until it starts to thicken, around 3-5 minutes. Once it is thick enough to coat a back of the spoon and not move, take it off the heat. Make sure to do this process over medium heat, not high! We don’t want to scramble the eggs, so you must slowly bring them up to temp.

STEP 2.

Whisk in the chocolate chips until combined.

STEP 3.

Pass the mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a clean bowl. Pour the mixture into 4 oz ramekins and transfer to the fridge. Allow the budinos to set in the fridge for 2-3 hours.

STEP 4.

Remove from the fridge and enjoy! Serve it topped with my homemade salted caramel, and whipped cream! Also if you are looking for a dairy free version, check out my paleo budino recipe.