Chocolate Pots de Crème

Chocolate pots de crème are deeply chocolatey custards that taste like heaven. They are easy to make at home using just 4 ingredients.

Chocolate pots de crème are at the tip top of all time decadent chocolate desserts. Also called pots au creme, or pots de creme au chocolat, they are rich, dense, smooth, creamy—a classic French treat.

There are many ways to make them, with slight variations in technique. What makes this 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.

We'll just melt the chocolate, mix everything together, then let the oven do the work. You do have to wait for 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
• How to make chocolate pots de crème
• About the cooking method
• Tips for perfect chocolate pots de crème
• Serving suggestions
• Storage instructions
• Chocolate pots de crème vs chocolate mousse
• More French chocolate desserts
• 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.
• Granulated sugar: Surprisingly little sugar.
• Heavy whipping cream: You must use 100% heavy cream or the pots de crème will not set up properly.

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.

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.

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.

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.

About the cooking method

Oftentimes, pots de crème recipes are made by cooking a custard on the stovetop, then adding 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, we melt the chocolate and cream together over simmering water, then we bake all the ingredients together. NO scorched cream, and the custard forms in the oven on its own. Yay! Foolproof!!

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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Chocolate pots de crème are made ahead, 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 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 desserts

• If you love this recipe, you'll love Chocolate Mousse!
• 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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