This Five Spice Dark Chocolate Budino is a luxuriously decadent dessert that was made for chocolate lovers! It’s ridiculously easy to make and is uniquely flavored with Chinese five spice.
This Five Spice Dark Chocolate Budino was inspired by the spiced chocolate pudding at a local (and sadly closed) Austin sandwich shop called Noble Sandwich Co. We combined the richness of Italian-style pudding with a bit of Chinese five spice and cinnamon to get a super decadent, chocolatey dessert.
These budini are lightly sweet and have a warm, slightly licorice-like flavor from the combination of spices. The slight bitterness of the pudding is perfectly balanced by a dollop of sweet whipped cream. It’s heavenly!
If you’ve never tried Chinese five spice in desserts before, definitely give it a try. You’d be surprised at how versatile it can be for both sweet and savory foods! For more chocolate desserts, try our Brownie Crinkle Cookies and Malted Peanut Butter Brownies.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Satisfies Chocolate Cravings: This budino is intensely chocolatey from the dark chocolate and cocoa powder.
- Simple to Make: These may look fancy, but they’re surprisingly easy to make. The hardest part is waiting for them to set in the fridge for a few hours.
- Great for Entertaining: Since these have to stay in the fridge before serving, they’re perfect for making ahead of time for dinner or afternoon tea parties.
What is a Budino?
A budino (pl. budini) is a luscious Italian-style pudding that’s thickened with either eggs, flour, cornstarch, or a combination of some of these. It’s a lot thicker than American pudding and is much more rich and creamy.
It’s typically made on the stove by heating up the ingredients until thickened then chilling them in individual portions until set. They can even be put into stylish molds to create an elegantly shaped dessert.
Some popular flavors we’ve seen are chocolate, butterscotch, and caramel, but the possibilities are endless!
Ingredient Notes
Ingredient quantities are listed in the recipe card below. Here you’ll find notes on why we chose certain ingredients as well as any substitutions.
- Egg Yolks: These add richness as well as thicken and provide a base for the pudding.
- Dutch-Processed Cocoa Powder: We prefer the depth of dutch-processed vs natural cocoa powder.
- Granulated Sugar: 2 tbsp is just enough to sweeten the budino without it being too sweet.
- Chinese Five Spice: This is the main flavor besides the chocolate. It has a sweet, warm, and slightly licorice-like flavor. Make sure to get a salt-free blend.
- Ground Cinnamon: We like to add a bit more cinnamon than what’s in the five spice powder. It adds a bit more warmth and offsets some of the more savory spices in the blend like fennel.
- Flaky Sea Salt: To enhance the other flavors.
- Whole Milk: The texture is very important for this recipe, so it’s best to stick with whole milk.
- Heavy Cream: This helps to make the budino thick and decadent.
- 70% Dark Chocolate: Be sure to get a high-quality brand since it’s where a lot of the flavor comes from. We use Guittard, but Valrhona is another good option.
Kitchen Equipment
- Mixing Bowls
- Medium Saucepan
- Large Fine Mesh Sieve
- 4 5-oz Ramekins
- Small Baking Sheet
- Electric Hand Mixer
Step-by-Step Instructions
STEP 1: Combine the ingredients in a medium saucepan. Whisk together the egg yolks, cocoa powder, sugar, five spice powder, cinnamon, and salt. Then whisk in the milk and heavy cream.
STEP 2: Cook the pudding mixture. Place the saucepan over medium heat, whisking frequently. Once bubbling, whisk constantly until thickened and it coats the back of a spoon.
STEP 3: Add the chopped chocolate. Turn off the heat and whisk in the chopped chocolate until melted and the mixture is thick.
STEP 4: Strain the pudding and chill. Use a fine mesh sieve to strain out any cooked bits of egg. Then divide into 4 ramekins and place on a small baking sheet. Chill for at least 3 hours to allow the budini to set.
Once you’re ready to serve, add homemade whipped cream and chocolate shavings.
Expert Tips
- Use a high-quality dark chocolate. It’s one of the key ingredients so be sure to get a brand that you really enjoy.
- Keep and eye on it. Since we’re cooking eggs directly over the heat, overcooking it could cause the mixture to form large clumps.
- Don’t skip the straining step! Unless you want bits of coagulated egg yolks, we highly suggest straining the mixture before pouring them into the ramekins.
FAQ
Some blends have different variations, but the most common blend consists of star anise, cloves, cinnamon, Sichuan pepper, and fennel. It’s mostly used to season meats, but also gives desserts a uniquely spiced flavor. We use this salt free five spice from The Spice Hunter.
Yes, you can make these 1-2 days in advance and store them in the fridge. Once they’ve chilled for at least 3 hours, cover them tightly with plastic wrap until ready to serve. We recommend waiting to top them with whipped cream once you’re ready to serve them. That way the cream doesn’t weep into the budino.
Storage
Any leftover portions of this five spice dark chocolate budino can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days when covered tightly with plastic wrap.
If you tried this recipe, let us know how it turned out for you! Leave a star rating and review below and tag us on Instagram @fancifuleats so we can see your amazing kitchen creations!
📖 Recipe
Five Spice Dark Chocolate Budino
Ingredients
- 4 large egg yolks
- 1 tbsp Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- ½ tsp Chinese five spice powder*
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 pinch flaky sea salt
- ⅔ cup (160 ml) whole milk
- ⅓ cup (80 ml) heavy cream
- 4 oz (120 g) 70% dark chocolate chopped
Whipped Cream:
- ¼ cup (60 ml) heavy cream
- ⅛ tsp pure vanilla extract
- ½ tbsp powdered sugar
- Chocolate shavings
Instructions
- Set aside a large fine mesh sieve placed over a large bowl.
- In a medium saucepan, whisk together the egg yolks, cocoa powder, sugar, five spice powder, cinnamon, and salt.
- Add the milk and heavy cream then place the saucepan over medium heat and whisk frequently. As soon as the mixture starts to bubble, whisk constantly until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon, about 4-5 minutes. Test it by running a finger along the back of the spoon. If it leaves a trail, it's done.
- Turn off the heat and add the chopped chocolate. Whisk until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is thick.
- Strain the mixture through the fine mesh sieve, gently stirring and pressing the spoon against the sieve to get out as much pudding as possible without pushing through any egg chunks that may have formed. Be sure to scrape off any pudding that's on the underside of the sieve.
- Divide the strained budino mixture into 4 5-oz ramekins and place on a small baking sheet. Wiggle them around and give them a little tap to even out the surface then chill in the fridge for at least 3 hours until set.
Whipped Cream:
- In a small bowl using an electric hand mixer, whip the heavy cream, vanilla extract, and powdered sugar until soft peaks form.
- Place a dollop of whipped cream on top each budino and top with chocolate shavings. Enjoy!
Notes
- Chinese Five Spice: Make sure you get a salt free blend. We use this five spice from The Spice Hunter.
- The mixture heats up very quickly as it cooks, so be sure to keep a close eye on it and whisk frequently as instructed.
Mrs. Nettie Sustaita says
I love chocolate in any form…..I will make this and comment afterward. Need to order Chinese Spice Powder.