Cantucci Double Chocolate Pudding Parfait

If you are craving a chocolate pudding parfait that has some crunch, a lot of creaminess, plenty of chocolate, it’s sweet but not too sweet, and it’s inspired by Italy, well you’ ve just found it.

And on top of that, you can make this in under 30 minutes. I will also give you a variation to make it in 10 minutes.

What to expect: take a spoonful of this and slowly put it in your mouth. You’ll first meet the sweet mascarpone with chocolate chips, the crunchy cantucci biscuits, and finally the chocolate crema pasticcera that’s just divine. It’s a double chocolate feast!

Cantucci Double Chocolate Pudding Parfait

Alessia

This Italian double chocolate pudding parfait is delicious - chocolatey, milky, crunchy, sweet but not too sweet, and ready in under 30 mins.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine Italian

Servings 2 large servings

Calories 1200 kcal

Equipment

• 1 milk pot
• 1 small pot
• 1 small whisker preferably a soft one like silicone
• 1 sifter
• 1 medium bowl
• 1 chopping board
• 1 knife
• 2 tablespoons
• 2 dessert glasses

Ingredients

  

Ingredients for Homemade Crema Pasticcera with Chocolate

• 250 ml milk I used regular, full fat
• 1/2 tsp vanilla essence adjust quantity based on the strength of the vanilla you are using. Mine is pretty strong.
• 3 medium egg yolks
• 60 gr sugar I used coconut sugar to make this healthier but the classic crema pasticcera calls for white sugar.
• 20 gr rice or corn starch I used corn starch, which makes it thicker.
• 60 gr milk chocolate bar

Ingredients for the Chocolate Pudding Parfait

• 12 mini Cantucci biscuits or less if you are using the regular size
• 250 gr mascarpone
• 50 gr chocolate chips I used milk but dark is fine too.

Instructions

 

Making Homemade Crema Pasticcera with Chocolate

• Grate your chocolate bar and set aside.
  
• Add the milk in your pot together with the vanilla essence, and let it heat until it starts boiling.
  
• In another pot, add your egg yolks, but don't put them on the stove.
  
• Next, add the sugar.
  
• Follow by adding your starch of choice.
  
• Don't let those ingredients sit for long, and start mixing them right away with your whisker. You want to achieve a creamy consistency without too many lumps.
  
• Watch the milk so you can take it off the heat when it starts boiling.
  
• Take your sifter and pour half of the warm milk through it on top of the egg yolks.
  
• Start whisking the milk into the creamy yolks.
• Repeat with the rest of the milk.
• Next, put your pot over the heat, and continue whisking until the liquid mixture turns into a somewhat tick cream. You can whisk a little more if you want it extra thick but don't forget it tends to thicken more when it cools down.
  
• Quickly add the grated chocolate in and whisk that in off the heat, so that the chocolate melts into the crema while the latter is still warm.
  
• Let the crema rest and cool down while you prepare the other ingredients.
  

Prepare the Sweet Mascarpone

• Add your mascarpone to a medium bowl, with a tablespoon of sugar and the chocolate chips. Mix well and set aside.
  

Make the Chocolate Pudding Parfait

• Before you start making it, take your biscuits and cut them into tiny bites. Set aside in a plate.
  
• Take your dessert glasses and layer two tablespoons of chocolate crema pasticcera, which is the Italian equivalent to custard.
  
• Top with the cantucci bites you've just chopped.
  
• Top with one to two tablespoons mascarpone mix.
  
• Add one more layer of chocolate custard, a few biscuits and finish with the mascarpone.
  
• Put in the fridge for a couple of hours so that both the custard and the mascarpone can set, and dig in.
  

Notes

This is a caloric dessert because of the mascarpone and sugar. If you want to make it with less calories follow our tips in the article. Otherwise, you can simply make 4 servings out of this recipe and cut the calories by half per serving.

Keyword cantucci, chocolate, creamy, mascarpone, parfait, pudding

Recipe Variation 1: Chocolate Crema Pasticcera ready in 10 minutes

If you don’t want to make the crema pasticcera yourself, I suggest trying to get your hands on a pack of Paneangeli Crema Pasticcera mix. Look online as it’s likely you won’t find it in your local supermarket, unless you are in Italy.

That comes in a powder mix and all you need to do is add the milk and mix at room temperature. So you won’t need to wait while the custard cools down. You’ll also need to melt in the chocolate at the end.

Alternatively, you can replace this Italian mix with a custard mix and then add the chocolate, or buy a chocolate custard and use that instead.

Recipe Variation 2: Low Calories Chocolate Pudding Parfait

To cut the calories, do the following:

1. Replace the mascarpone with a Greek Yogurt
2. Leave the sugar out of the mascarpone/yogurt as the chocolate chips are already sweet
3. Use less sugar in the custard as the cantucci sweetness will compensate for that
4. Make smaller servings; our recipe can make 4 smaller servings instead of 2 large
5. Use dark chocolate instead of milk as it has less sugar.

Once you replace these ingredients, you can go ahead and follow the recipe above to make your low calorie version of this delicious chocolate pudding parfait.

Don’t fret, it will still be delicious.

More Simple Glass Desserts

These delicious and quick types of dessert are perfect for every season, whether Summer with a cold one or Winter with a mix of warm and cold.

Have a look at these other 2 Glass Dessert Recipes on the blog:

1. Healthy Tiramisu in a glass – simply follow our recipe but make yours in glasses.
2. Layered Easter Colomba with Italian Custard

Another great glass dessert idea is to layer Greek Yogurt with balsamic glazed strawberries. You can caramelise the strawberries in a pan using this Gold Balsamic Vinegar of Modena. Or you can keep everything uncooked and simple layer the two with a drizzle of balsamic on top.

What goes well with parfait?

Author: Alessia