Chocolate pots de crème are deeply chocolatey custards that taste like heaven, the recipe is easy to make at home using just 4 ingredients. My cooking method is easier than the traditional one, and yields foolproof results every time!
Chocolate pots de crème are at the tip top of all time decadent dark chocolate desserts. Also called pots au creme, or pots de creme au chocolat, they are rich, dense, smooth, creamy—a classic French recipe.
There are many ways to make them, with slight variations in technique. What makes my 4-ingredient dark chocolate pots de crème recipe so easy is that we are NOT cooking the custard first. NO worries about breaking, clumping, separating and not setting up.
Just melt the chocolate, mix everything together, then let the oven do the work. You do have to wait for dark chocolate pots de crème to cool properly, then chill. But I think you'll find it's worth the wait!
Craving more dark chocolate recipes? Try my Flourless Chocolate Torte or this easy Cranberry Pecan Dark Chocolate Bark.
Jump to:
- Chocolate pots de crème ingredients
- Easier cooking method
- How to make chocolate pots de crème
- Tips for perfect chocolate pots de crème
- Serving suggestions
- Storage instructions
- Chocolate pots de crème vs chocolate mousse
- More French chocolate dessert recipes
- Chocolate pots de crème are rich, decadent and easy to make!
- Recipe
Chocolate pots de crème ingredients
- Bittersweet chocolate: You want DARK chocolate when you make this pots de crème recipe. I used Guittard 74% cacao baking wafers here, I've also made this recipe with 60% Ghirardelli bittersweet chocolate chips. Both work very well.
- Egg yolks and one egg: This will help form our chocolate custard, the extra egg yolks add more richness to the custard.
- Granulated sugar: There's surprisingly little sugar in the recipe, just 2 tablespoons, to let the flavor of the dark chocolate shine.
- Heavy whipping cream: You must use 100% heavy cream or the pots de crème will not set up properly.
Easier cooking method
Oftentimes, pots de crème recipes are made by cooking a custard on the stovetop, then adding dark chocolate. Or by heating cream in a saucepan, then pouring it over the chocolate.
These two situations present opportunities for epic fails and I have eliminated BOTH of them for you! Instead, melt the chocolate and cream together over simmering water, then bake all the ingredients together. NO scorched cream, and the custard forms in the oven on its own. Yay! Foolproof!!
How to make chocolate pots de crème
Recipe adapted from Chocolate Epiphany by François Payard.
Step 1: Melt the dark chocolate and cream
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. We'll start by making the dark chocolate ganache which is the base of the recipe. Place the chocolate in a large mixing bowl and pour cream over the top.
Place the bowl of chocolate and cream on top of a pan of simmering (not boiling) water, making sure the bottom of the bowl isn't touching the water.
Whisk frequently until chocolate is completely melted. Set aside to cool briefly.
Step 2: Whisk the eggs and the sugar
Combine the egg, egg yolks, and sugar in a small bowl and whisk until completely incorporated.
Prep tip
I always remove that little bit of white membrane that clings to the yolks before I whisk everything together to ensure a smooth texture.
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Step 3: Make the dark chocolate custard
Transfer a little bit of the melted chocolate mixture into the eggs and whisk vigorously together. Then add the egg mixture back into the larger bowl of chocolate and whisk until thoroughly combined.
Prep tip
You need to mix a little bit of the warm dark chocolate into the eggs to temper the eggs so they don't scramble. If you just dumped them into a big bowl of warm chocolate, the eggs might start to cook. We want them to mix into the chocolate without cooking yet, so your pots de crème have the perfect silky smoothness.
Step 4: Pour, make a water bath
Use a ladle or a large liquid measuring cup and divide the pots de creme mixture between 6 ramekins.
Place the ramekins on a sheet pan or in a roasting pan. Fill the pan with warm water so it goes about ½ inch up the sides of the ramekins. Cover the pan tightly with foil.
Technique tip
A water bath is a gentle way to cook recipes with custard and/or cream in the oven. Small pans or containers like ramekins are placed inside a larger pan of warm water. The water surrounding each vessel ensures even cooking all the way through to the center. This technique is used to make desserts like cheesecake or savory dishes like baked eggs.
Step 5: Bake, cool, chill
Place the covered dark chocolate pots de crème in the oven, bake for 1 hour. Carefully remove from the oven (Remember there is hot water in there.) And allow to cool completely while still covered with foil, about 2 hours.
Cover each ramekin with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour or up to overnight before serving.
Tips for perfect chocolate pots de crème
- You need oven safe ramekins for this chocolate pots de crème recipe: You'll need at least a 6 ounce size, but you can use larger ones. Mine are actually the 8 ounce size, I just don't fill them all the way. If you're unsure of the size of your ramekins, pour 6 ounces of water into one of them to be sure it will hold the right amount of liquid.
- Take extra care if using a sheet pan: If you're using a sheet pan for your water bath, remember to be VERY careful when removing the chocolate pots de crème from the oven. The water is HOT and could easily slosh over the low sides of your sheet pan. This is why I prefer to use a roasting pan instead.
- No need to strain the mixture: Another reason my easier cooking method is so fab! You can strain the chocolate pots de crème mixture through a fine sieve before you fill the ramekins if you like. But since we're not cooking a custard first (which could create lumps) and since there is so little sugar in this recipe (which could fail to dissolve), I haven't found it necessary. I don't strain this and it's been smooth every time. Just make sure your chocolate is completely melted and you should be fine.
- Stand at room temp before serving: After they are chilled, I like to let the pots de crème sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes to soften up just a bit. The custard is rich and thick, this will allow your spoon to move through it more easily. Think: letting your ice cream soften so it's not frozen solid.
Serving suggestions
- Serve top with whipped cream or crème fraîche if desired.
- Dust with cocoa powder or chocolate shavings.
- Sprinkle with flaky sea salt.
- These dark chocolate pots de crème are a make-ahead recipe, so they are a perfect dinner party dessert. No stress!
- Great for holidays like Valentine's Day, Christmas dinner or New Year's Eve!
Storage instructions
Store your dark chocolate pots de crème in the refrigerator covered tightly with plastic wrap for up to 3 days. Freezing is not recommended.
Chocolate pots de crème vs chocolate mousse
What's the difference between chocolate pots de crème and chocolate mousse? You might be thinking, same ingredients, same thing, right? Nope. When you make a chocolate mousse, you don't cook it, and you whip the egg whites and cream to make it light and airy.
A chocolate pots de crème is a baked custard. We are whisking ingredients together, but not incorporating any air. So you get a thick, dense (in a good way), smooth consistency with no air bubbles to speak of.
More French chocolate dessert recipes
- This Chocolate Ganache Tart has an easy, press-in crust made of ground nuts.
- French Hot Chocolate (Chocolat Chaud) is rich and thick, and tastes just like the ones you find in a Parisian café.
Chocolate pots de crème are rich, decadent and easy to make!
- Only 4 ingredients!
- Quick and easy prep: Just melt chocolate and whisk ingredients together.
- We'll use dark chocolate for intense flavor.
- Chocolate pots de crème are already individually portioned for serving.
- It's a classic French chocolate recipe that will impress everyone!
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Recipe
Chocolate Pots de Crème Recipe
Equipment
- roasting pan or sheet pan
Ingredients
- 3⅓ cups heavy cream
- 7 ounces dark chocolate 70% cacao or above recommended
- 1 egg
- 3 egg yolks
- 2 tablespoon sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
- Place the chocolate in a large mixing bowl and pour cream over the top. Place the bowl of chocolate and cream on top of a pan of simmering (not boiling) water, making sure the bottom of the bowl isn't touching the water. Whisk frequently until chocolate is completely melted. Set aside to cool briefly.
- Combine the egg, egg yolks, and sugar in a small bowl and whisk until completely incorporated. (I always remove that little bit of white membrane that clings to the yolks before I whisk everything together to ensure a smooth texture.)
- Transfer a little bit of the melted chocolate mixture into the eggs and whisk vigorously together. Then add the egg mixture back into the larger bowl of chocolate and whisk until thoroughly combined. (You are tempering the eggs so that they don't scramble in the warm liquid.)
- Use a ladle or a large liquid measuring cup and divide the pots de creme mixture between 6 ramekins. (You can strain through a fine mesh sieve before pouring into ramekins if you want, but I don't. See tip below.)
- Place the ramekins on a sheet pan or in a roasting pan. Fill the pan with warm water so it goes about ½ inch up the sides of the ramekins. Cover the pan tightly with foil. Place the covered chocolate pots de crème in the oven, bake for 1 hour.
- Carefully remove from the oven (Remember there is hot water in there.) And allow to cool completely while still covered with foil, about 2 hours. Cover each ramekin with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour or up to overnight before serving.
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I will email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later!
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Notes
- If you're unsure of the size of your ramekins, pour 6 ounces of water into one of them to be sure it will hold the right amount of liquid.
- If you're using a sheet pan for your water bath, remember to be VERY careful when removing the chocolate pots de crème from the oven. The water is HOT and could easily slosh over the low sides of your sheet pan. This is why I prefer to use a roasting pan instead.
- After they have chilled and set, I like to let the pots de crème sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes to soften up just a bit before serving. The custard is rich and thick, this will allow your spoon to move through it more easily. Think: letting your ice cream soften so it's not frozen solid.
- You can strain the chocolate pots de crème mixture through a fine sieve before you fill the ramekins if you like. But since we're not cooking a custard first (which could create lumps) and since there is so little sugar in this recipe (which could fail to dissolve), I haven't found it necessary. I don't strain this and it's been smooth every time. Just make sure your chocolate is completely melted and you should be fine.
- Recipe adapted from Chocolate Epiphany by François Payard.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated as an estimate. Calorie accuracy is not guaranteed.
Gayelyn Ponce says
Can the pots de creme be baked in a glass deep pie dish or cassarole dish?
Debra says
Hi Gayelyn,
I think what you're asking is if you can pour the entire mixture into one larger vessel like a pie dish or casserole dish? If so, the answer to that would be no because the custard won't set in the middle. The custard needs to be baked in small, individual containers.
Thanks for the question and let me know how the recipe turns out for you!
Debra