My Chocolate Pot de Crème is a decadent no bake chocolate dessert that’s quick and easy to make, and guaranteed to impress the people you love!
Chocolate pot de crème gets rave reviews
My chocolate pot de crème recipe is seriously easy, and seriously delish. In fact of all the fancy chocolate desserts out there (think chocolate soufflé, chocolate layer cake, or chocolate truffles) this is by far the simplest. It’s a rich chocolate dessert that’s made ahead and waits patiently in the fridge for date night, dinner guests, or just some indulgent ‘me‘ time.
pot de crème (pō də krem) Pot de crème is a French dessert that translates to “pot of cream” and dates back to the 17th century. It’s a velvety and smooth custard, baked and served in small pots or jars.
This recipe is no-bake! Traditional pot de crème is baked in a bain-marie or water bath. But guess what? This recipe is made in a fraction of the time because there’s no baking involved, and it results in the most decadent chocolate custard every time!
Let’s dig in:
Ingredients for chocolate pots de crème
The flavor in this recipe is perfect. I used vanilla along with a bit of instant espresso which helps to deepen the chocolate flavor.
- dark or bittersweet chocolate
- you want really good chocolate, so go with a reputable brand.
- egg yolks
- heavy cream
- salt
- vanilla extract
- instant espresso powder (optional)
- it gives the chocolate a richer more complex flavor.
Choosing the right chocolate for pot de crème
Chocolate is undeniably the star of this dessert, so it makes sense to choose wisely, but you have a lot of choices. Any type of chocolate will work in this recipe from white, to milk, to bittersweet. Bar chocolate tends to be the best quality, but you can definitely use good tasting chocolate chips if you like.
I used Ghirardelli 70% extra bittersweet chocolate, which produces an intensely rich but not too sweet pot de crème (I do not add any extra sugar to my custard.) You’ll need two 4-ounce bars for this recipe.
Pot de crème fun facts
National Pot de Crème Day is August 27th.
Pot de crème became so popular that by the 17th century, dedicated porcelain cups—also called pots de crème or petits pots (petite, or small, pots) were specially made to serve it.
Julia Child popularized pot de crème here in the US through her television shows and cookbooks.
The perfect topping for pot de crème
Whipped cream or chantilly cream, is the traditional topping for pot de crème and it works because, even though whipped cream is rich itself, it lightens and balances the even richer chocolate.
I love to whip cream in a mason jar ~ no need to haul out the electric beaters (see how to do it here.) Just pour about 1/2 cup of heavy cream in a small jar, add powdered sugar if you like, screw on the lid and shake vigorously until you no longer hear it sloshing around. Open it up and you’ll have perfectly whipped cream.
Garnish your whipped cream with chocolate shavings, a few berries, or crushed toasted hazelnuts.
How to serve chocolate pots de crème
Pot de crème is one of the richest desserts around, so it’s always served in very small portions ~ normal bowls are usually too large. A 4 ounce or 1/2 cup capacity is just about right.
Because this recipe is no-bake, you can use any type of jar, glass, or cup you like. I use these mini mold jars from the German company Weck. Here are some other choices:
- Custard cups or ramekins with straight sides
- Small wine glasses
- Espresso or demitasse cups
- Small half-cup mason jars
- Small cocktail glasses, especially vintage style
Variations on a chocolate pot de crème recipe
- White chocolate
- use finely chopped white chocolate and amp up the vanilla flavor with a vanilla bean or vanilla paste.
- Milk chocolate
- substitute milk chocolate for dark chocolate.
- Mexican chocolate
- use Mexican style chocolate and a hint of powdered chili for heat.
- Chocolate espresso
- use instant espresso powder and garnish your pots with chocolate covered coffee beans.
- Vegan chocolate
- use a vegan chocolate and full fat coconut milk or cream in place of dairy cream.
- Chocolate orange
- add a splash of orange liqueur (such as Grand Marnier) in the custard and/or the whipped cream, plus a garnish of orange zest.
- Spiked pot de crème
- I think a bit of liqueur would be wonderful in this recipe. Frangelico, Amaretto, Chambord, Cognac. So many to choose from; just add a tablespoon or so to the custard mixture, and/or the whipped cream topping.
Featured comment:
“This is literally one of my favorites to make for dessert. Tried raspberry liquor and orange flavored liquor in different ones. It was so yummy we ate them first, before we grilled our steaks!” ~ Mary
Chocolate Pot de Crème
Equipment
- medium heavy bottomed saucepan
- Pyrex quart measuring cup with spout (or similar)
Ingredients
- 8 ounces semi sweet, dark, or bittersweet chocolate
- 4 large eggs yolks
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 tsp espresso powder or instant espresso, optional
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
garnish, optional
- whipped cream
- chocolate shavings
Instructions
- Finely chop the chocolate and put in a heatproof bowl or ideally a quart sized glass measuring cup or batter bowl with a spout. Note: make sure your chocolate is finely chopped/shredded. This helps it melt efficiently.
- In a medium heavy bottomed saucepan whisk the egg yolks and whisk in the heavy cream, salt (and the espresso powder if using.) Heat the mixture, whisking and then switching to a silicone spoonula, over medium heat until it just comes short of a boil. You want to pull it off the heat when you see the first sign of a simmer.
- Immediately pour the hot cream mixture over the chopped chocolate. Slowly stir the two together until you have a smooth glossy consistency and all the chocolate is melted. Stir in the vanilla.
- Immediately pour the mixture into 6 small vessels. Refrigerate for 2 hours or until they are chilled and firm. You can make these a day ahead if you like.
- Serve with a dollop of whipped cream and chocolate shavings.
Notes
- After chopping the chocolate place it in a blender and set aside.
- Follow step 2 in the above recipe.
- Pour the custard mixture over the chocolate in the blender. Cover properly and blend just until smooth and glossy.
- Proceed with step 4 and 5 in the above recipe.
So easy and soooo delicious!! Love your recipes, Sue!
Thinking about making these with Cognac. How much would you add, and would I need to subtract the equivalent amount from the cream? Thanks!
I think a couple of tablespoons might work, and I would probably subtract that from the cream.
OMG, made this with 2T of cognac for our Valentines Day dessert. Wowza! Thanks for much for a delicious, EASY finish to any meal. The fact that it’s so easy is dangerous! 😉
Wow, sounds so good!
This is literally one of my favorites to make for dessert. Tried raspberry liquor and orange flavored liquor in different ones. It was so yummy we ate them first then grilled our steaks.
Haha, I love that Mary!
This is my ultimate dessert and this recipe didn’t disappoint!
Every Christmas for many years, I make these chocolate pots de creme, they bake in a water bath in the oven. I make 4 sets of 4 and pour them into ramekins. It’s a lot of work! So I made your recipe to see how it compares, and wow, these were fudgy delicious! I used bittersweet chocolate and poured mine into ramekins as I do at Christmas, so the recipe only made 4. I think this recipe is denser than mine, but just as fantastic! My brother makes a peppermint whipped cream with peppermint candies, and its really great for Christmas. Thanks for this MUCH easier/faster recipe!
Oh gosh, I’m going to have to make that peppermint whipped cream, Sherry, that sounds so good. I’m really happy you liked this recipe, it does make things so much easier 🙂
I tried this with milk chocolate chips instead of dark chocolate, but followed the rest of the recipe. Unfortunately, it did not set. Could the different type of chocolate cause this? Any other ideas? 🙁
I’m not sure what could have happened Ellen, I haven’t tried it with milk chocolate. It can be somewhat of a soft set, but it should definitely set.
This was amazing!! I love anything chocolate, and so does everybody else in my family!
I love pot de creme, and haven’t had it for ages and ages. Yours is terrific! And easy to make is always a good thing. Love the presentation — Thanks for this.
Thanks John — I hadn’t had in a long time, either. I do remember ordering it in restaurants and being a bit disappointed in the small size! That’s another benefit of making it yourself, you can dole out the portions as you see fit!
Holy freakin’ moly!!! This is OUTSTANDING. I normally do a chocolate mousse. No longer. This is absolutely decadent. Red raspberries or blueberries with the whipped cream and you’ve hit a home run. Best ever.
Thanks Michael — I couldn’t have said it better myself 🙂
These are so pretty. It almost looks like mousse – and I bet it tastes wonderful. Love a good chocolate dessert.