Self-Saucing Chocolate Pudding

A family recipe passed down through generations.
Some recipes are more than just food. They are memories written in ingredients.

This Self-Saucing Chocolate Pudding is one of those recipes for my family. It is a dessert that has travelled through generations — from my mother’s kitchen, to mine, and now hopefully into the hands of my own children and grandchildren.

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My mum made this pudding for me and my siblings when I was growing up. I was born in the 1960s, and this recipe has been part of our family story for around 50 years. It was the kind of comforting homemade dessert that appeared on family tables when a warm pudding, a spoonful of custard, and everyone gathered together after dinner made a house feel like home.

My mother loved to cook, and many of my favourite childhood memories are connected to food she made for us. Looking back now, those simple moments feel even more precious. Life changed for our family when my father left when I was 15, and those carefree childhood years became memories I often return to with great fondness.

Now that my mum has dementia, recipes like this have taken on an even deeper meaning. They help me remember the mother who cooked, baked, and cared for her family through food.

A recipe that came full circle

Years later, I made this same pudding for my own children. It became one of those recipes that quietly became part of their childhood too.

I hadn’t made it for many years, but recently I decided to make it again for dessert. The next morning, my son – now 34, married, and with two children of his own – sent me a message:

“Have you got the chocolate pudding recipe too????
The chocolate sauce that’s underneath the browner part?? You know what I’m talking about??”

Of course I knew exactly what he meant.

He wasn’t asking for just any chocolate pudding recipe. He remembered the magic of this one – the soft chocolate pudding on top and the rich chocolate sauce hidden underneath.

That moment reminded me that food is more than just something we eat. Recipes carry memories. They connect us to people, places, and times in our lives that we never want to forget.

Why this recipe is special

This is one of those old-fashioned Australian recipes that has been passed around kitchens for generations.

I’m not sure where this recipe originally came from – it may have come from a community cookbook, a women’s organisation recipe collection, or simply been shared between family and friends, as so many treasured recipes were.

What I do know is that it has been loved and made in our family for decades.

Like many old family recipes, it has been adapted over time to suit the people around the table. The original quantities were smaller, but my family has always been made up of generous eaters. I would much rather make a bigger batch and have leftovers than have someone miss out on a second helping.

There is something wonderful about these old recipes. They don’t rely on fancy ingredients or complicated techniques – just simple pantry staples coming together to create something warm, comforting, and memorable.

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Self-Saucing Chocolate Pudding

This old-fashioned Self-Saucing Chocolate Pudding is rich, comforting and incredibly easy to make. Using simple pantry ingredients and just one bowl, it bakes into a soft chocolate pudding with a luscious chocolate sauce hidden underneath. A family favourite for generations, it's perfect served warm with custard, cream or vanilla ice cream on a cold winter's night.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Course:Dessert
Cuisine:Australian

Ingredients

Pudding

  • 2 cups Self-raising flour
  • 4 tablespoons Cocoa powder
  • 1 cup White sugar
  • 1 cup Milk
  • 2 teaspoons Vanilla essence
  • 2 Eggs
  • 120 g Butter, melted

Chocolate Sauce

  • 2 cups Brown sugar lightly packed
  • 2 tablespoons Cocoa powder
  • 3½ cups Boiling water

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Grease a deep baking dish suitable for the pudding batter and sauce.
  • Place the self-raising flour, cocoa powder, white sugar, milk, vanilla essence, eggs and melted butter into a large mixing bowl.
  • Beat everything together until combined and you have a thick pudding batter.
  • Spread the mixture into the prepared baking dish.

For the chocolate sauce

  • Sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over the pudding mixture, followed by the cocoa powder.
  • Carefully pour the boiling water over the top. Do not stir – as the pudding bakes, the sauce forms underneath, creating a rich chocolate layer beneath the soft pudding.
  • Bake for approx 45–50 minutes, or until the pudding has risen and the top feels firm.
  • To check if it is ready, insert a knife or skewer into the centre of the pudding. You are looking for cooked pudding on top – it should not have raw cake batter sticking to it. Remember, the chocolate sauce underneath is meant to stay soft and gooey.
  • Allow the pudding to rest for a few minutes before serving. The chocolate sauce will thicken as it cools slightly and becomes even richer.
  • Serve warm with custard, cream, or ice cream.

A little piece of family history

Every family has recipes that tell a story.

This pudding reminds me of my mum, my childhood, my own children growing up, and now the next generation who may one day make it for their own families.

Some recipes are written down. Others are carried in our hearts.
This one is both.

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