Creamy Coffee Chocolate Custard (No Bake)

What's the difference between custard and pudding?

Classic pudding (we're not talking about the instant-powder packets here!) and custard are extremely similar. Both are typically made with milk or cream, sugar, and eggs.

The biggest difference is the thickening agent. Though many puddings do use eggs, the primary thickening agent is usually a starch - like cornstarch or flour.

Custard, on the other hand, thickens thanks to the egg itself - usually using the egg yolk, but sometimes the whole egg is used. Custards can be baked or made on the stovetop, and they're usually thicker than puddings.

I think of custards as dense, rich, and decadent, whereas puddings are silky, creamy, and sweet.

How to make no bake custard

Generally, people shy away from making treats like this coffee chocolate custard at home. But with a little patience, this decadent dessert will leave you feeling like a kitchen champ - with quite a prize at the end!

My favorite way to make custard is using a double boiler. In my experience, I'm less likely to cook the egg yolks that way - but if you're in a pinch, you can *carefully* make this custard without the double boiler, too.

If you don't have a double boiler, you can create a makeshift version! Set a metal colander or strainer over a pot. Then put a heat-safe bowl (I use a glass bowl) in the colander to serve as your top pot. Your cook time may be a little longer this way, as some heat escapes out the sides, but it works just fine in the end!

Once you've got your double boiler set, you'll heat the milk (here, we're using full-fat coconut milk) just to a simmer. You never want the custard to boil!

Then, pour the heated milk, carefully and slowly, into the egg yolks as you whisk. This is called tempering the eggs. Essentially, you're gently increasing the temperature of the eggs so they don't instantly cook when you add them to the milk.

Some recipe skip egg tempering and simply heat the whole mixture in a pot at once. I like including the tempering step, as I am less likely to cook the custard too quickly.

Then, you'll slowly and steadily heat the custard until it thick enough. Add the chopped chocolate and stir until the mixture's smooth. Refrigerate the chocolate custard, and you're good to go!

How do you know when the custard is done?

You'll know to turn off the heat when the custard coats the back of a spoon.

This is a pretty universal method for testing pudding, custard, pots de creme, and all sorts of sauces. If it coats the back of a spoon, it's thick enough!

Is my custard ruined if some of the eggs cooked?

Not at all! I've made this mistake a number of times.

Essentially, the eggs got too hot too fast. This means you either had the heat too high or didn't temper the eggs before adding them to the rest of the mixture.

That said, you don't want egg chunks in your finished chocolate custard cups.

Simple pour the custard through a fine-mesh strainer before pouring into their own individual cups. That should get any pieces of egg out of there!

Looking for more dessert inspiration? Here you go!

• Dark Chocolate Pots de Crème with Marshmallow Crème
• Chocolate Tahini Spread
• Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Flourless Plantain Skillet Brownie
• Chai Hot Chocolate (Dairy Free)

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