A family favorite for generations, this homemade chocolate pudding cake with a graham cookie crust is the perfect easy dessert recipe for any occasion. Garnish the simple Jello chocolate pudding cake with extra graham cookie crumbs, whipped cream, fresh berries or chocolate shavings. It is a fresh, creamy and rich delight that always wins rave reviews!

How to Make Chocolate Pudding Cake | 1-minute video

As you know, I love a recipe with a story or personal connection. This particular recipe comes from my mother’s best friend, “Miss Joyce,” as my kids call her. My mom insisted that “Miss Joyce” send me her tried and true family recipe for chocolate pudding cake, knowing it would be a huge hit in our house. I love an easy dessert recipe, and as Miss Joyce says, “it’s literally easy as cake!”

This is the same recipe Joyce’s grandmother made for her, and has been making for her friends and family for as long as she can remember. Joyce assured me that this Jell-O cooking and serving chocolate pudding cake recipe is always a guaranteed pleasure for the public, and now I know why!

Ingredients for Jello Chocolate Pudding Pie

This is just a quick overview of the simple ingredients you’ll need for an easy chocolate pudding cake. As always, specific measurements and step-by-step cooking instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the publication.

Gelatin Chocolate Pudding Mix:

• Be sure to buy a large box (5 ounces) of the Cook & Serve variety (don’t use instant chocolate pudding mix).
• Unsweetened baker’s chocolate: This baking bar is sugar-free cocoa, which is not the same as a regular chocolate bar. Find unsweetened chocolate in the baking aisle at almost any grocery store.
• Milk: I use 2% milk because that’s what I usually have on hand in the fridge, but whole milk is also a good option. Low-fat alternatives will not produce the same rich flavor and texture.
• Graham Cookie Crust: Buy a store-bought crust or make your own by following my recipe instructions below. You’ll need graham crackers, sugar, and butter to make a homemade crust.
• Whipped cream or Cool Whip: an optional garnish. If you make your own whipped cream, you will need a carton of heavy cream and these instructions. If you use Cool whip, be sure to defrost the whipped topping in the fridge before adding it to the cake.

How to Make Chocolate Cake

with

Pudding This easy chocolate cake comes along with just 5 ingredients (or a few more, if you make your own graham cookie crust)! With the help of a box of Jello chocolate pudding, you don’t have to worry about filling from scratch with eggs or egg yolks, cornstarch or cocoa powder, and it sets up perfectly every time.

1. Bake the graham cookie crust in an oven at 375°F for 8-10 minutes, or only until golden brown and firm. It’s much easier than working with pastry! Let the crust cool completely before preparing the filling.
2. For the easy filling of chocolate pudding, simply whisk the dry pudding mixture, milk and unsweetened baker’s chocolate in a saucepan over medium heat until boiling. The mixture should be perfectly smooth.
3. Let the filling cool and thicken for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, and then pour it into the prepared crust.
4. Sprinkle the top of the cake with reserved buttered graham cookie crumbs.
5. Cool in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours (or overnight), until the pudding sets in.
6. Garnish the cake with whipped cream or Cool Whip, fresh berries or chocolate shavings, then cut and serve!

What to serve

with chocolate pudding cake Serve this decadent chocolate cake with a tablespoon of whipped cream or whipped Cool Whip topping

for a light, fluffy and creamy contrast with rich dark chocolate. You can add the whipped cream

on each individual slice just before serving, or you can spread Cool Whip over the entire cake once the pudding has cooled. Additional side dishes include chocolate shavings (just use extra Baker’s chocolate and a vegetable peeler), sparks, miniature chocolate chips, and fresh berries.

It is

best to assemble this cake in advance so that it has enough time to cool and firm before slicing it. The perfect dessert to prepare in advance! I like to prepare the cake the day before serving it.

Storage

Chocolate pudding cake must be refrigerated. Wrap the cake pan in plastic wrap or foil, or store individual slices in an airtight container. The cake will keep up to 2 days.

Can you freeze chocolate pudding cake?

yes! Let the cake cool completely. Wrap tightly and freeze for up to 1 month.

Recipe variations

• For a shortcut, buy a store-bought graham cookie crust.

Use an Oreo cookie crust

• instead of a graham cookie crust. It will be extra-chocolatey!
• Try other pudding flavors to create variations on this recipe. For example, use a white chocolate pudding mix to make a white chocolate pudding cake, or an Oreo pudding cake by adding crushed Oreo cookies to the pudding or using the Oreo pudding mixture. A white chocolate and strawberry pudding cake with sliced fresh strawberries would be delicious, and so would an Oreo white chocolate pudding cake! The options are endless when you mix the flavor of the pudding and the flavor of the crust.

Tips for the best chocolate pudding cake recipe

• Be sure to use a 5-ounce box of Cook and Serve pudding. This is the largest box sold. Small boxes are only 3.4 ounces.
• DO NOT use instant pudding mix for this recipe. You want the “Cook and Serve” version.
• Make the graham cookie cake crust in your food processor. Simply press the graham cookies into crumbs, then add the sugar. Pulse to mix the sugar, and then flow into the butter. Press until the mixture resembles wet sand. If you use unsalted butter, add a pinch of salt to balance the sweetness in the crust.
• Bring the pudding mixture to a boil (you should see bubbles) before removing it from heat.
• Don’t forget the side dish! Make this chocolate pudding cake with graham cookie crust and fresh whip (or whipped cream) for a special treat! You can serve a tablespoon of whipped cream on each slice, or you can spread Cool Whip over the top of the entire cake before cutting and serving. Other good side dishes include chocolate shavings, fresh berries, miniature chocolate chips, and sparks.
• Use a vegetable peeler and the extra Baker’s chocolate bar to make chocolate curls to garnish your cake.

More cake recipes to try

Mom’s Easy Apple Pie Peanut butter cake Dutch apple pie Old-fashioned lemon buttermilk cake Ice cream cake Mom’s easy apple pie Lime cake Chocolate chess cake

• Easy nut
• cake Pumpkin

gauze cake

• Old-fashioned Damson

plum

• cake

the

• old-fashioned

way This recipe was originally published in July 2014. The photos were updated in July 2022.