Chocolate. Spice. Cream. This is one indulgent Cinco de Mayo dessert. Known in Britain as baked custard, but sounding much prettier with their French name, pots de creme, these are little pots of heaven.

Chocolate pots de crème are a sumptuous and indulgent French dessert. They are also among the best chocolate desserts worldwide. The origins of this dessert can be traced back to France in the 17th century. “Pots de crème” literally translates to “pots of cream,” which accurately describes the dessert’s primary ingredients – cream, eggs, and sugar. Over time, variations emerged, with chocolate being added to create the beloved chocolate crème de pot version that we know today.

Chocolate pot de crème is one of favourite dessert in the world — Bittersweet chocolate pots de creme

But rather than having a sweet, European flavor, my dark and spicy chocolate pot de crème recipe is distinctly Mexican.

As an avid traveler, I think there is nothing quite as decadent and sultry as chocolate in its Aztec form – dark, spicy, and molten. Which is what I have tried to recreate with these chocolate pots de crème.

I have a bit of a love affair with custard – it’s almost alchemy the way that egg yolks, sugar, cream, and milk come together to form such silken desserts.

To these basic ingredients, I added a good whack of Peruvian dark chocolate (Mexican wasn’t available, so that was the closest I could get) and a sprinkling of ginger and crushed dried chilies. And somehow, with just a warm oven and a bain marie, all those things just came together perfectly.

Best Chocolate pots de crème recipe — Easy recipe for chocolate pots de crème

Baking using a bain marie can make it sound a little technical, but it is incredibly simple: just a bit of hot water in a roasting tin. It helps custards to bake evenly. Hey presto, you have a dessert fit for a dinner party.

If you like chocolate, you will fall in love with this dessert. No wonder the Aztecs believed chocolate was a gift from god. To elevate the indulgent chocolate experience, you can have it with Chocolate Martini.

This is how to make chocolate pot de crème.

Ingredients

3 egg yolks
3 tbsp caster sugar
300 ml double cream reserve 50ml for cream topping
125 ml milk
75 g quality dark chocolate minimum 70% cocoa solids
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground dried chilies
1 tbsp icing sugar for cream topping

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 150^oC and have ready 4 ramekins and a roasting tin.
Sift caster sugar and whisk together with the egg yolks until frothy.
Break the chocolate into small pieces and place in a saucepan with 250ml of the cream, all the milk and the spices. Set over a low heat and stir continuously until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is warmed through. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
Boil the kettle.
Give the egg mixture another whisk, then pour in a small amount of the cream mixture, whisking all the time. Slowly add the rest of the cream mixture, continuing to whisk.
Pour the mixture into a jug, then fill each ramekin.
Place ramekins into the roasting tin and carefully pour the hot, just boiled water from the kettle into the tin around the ramekins. Fill to about halfway up the ramekins – this will ensure an even bake.
Put into the center of the oven and bake for about 45 minutes, or until the custards are set but still with a jiggle. The centers will continue to set as they cool.
Remove from oven and transfer ramekins onto a wire rack to cool.
Place in fridge to chill and set completely for 1-2 hours or overnight.
Before serving, make the cream topping by whipping the remaining 50ml of cream with 1 tbsp of icing sugar.
Spoon onto the custards, then sprinkle with ginger and finely chopped flakes of dark chocolate.
Grab a spoon – or if you have great restraint, save until after the main course.

Notes

– Pots de crème are more forgiving to make than you might imagine: you can open the oven to check on them during the baking time and they will be perfectly alright. However, if you want no-bake chocolate pots de crème, you can try sous vide technique with sous vide machine.

– To preserve chocolate pots de crème, securely seal them and store them in the refrigerator for a maximum of three days. Freezing this delicate dessert is not advisable, as this can compromise its exquisite texture and flavor.

– To make vegan chocolate pots de creme, use coconut oil instead of egg york to aid in solidifying the dessert while it chills in the refrigerator.

– While chocolate is a popular flavor for pots de crème, there are numerous variations to explore. You can create your recipe with coffee-infused pots de crème, caramel pots de crème, or even fruit-flavored versions with the addition of ingredients like chocolate orange pots de crème.