Chocolate Pudding Cakes {Guinness Stout} (2024)

Chocolate pudding cakes with Guinness stout for an Irish twist on an old classic. A rich, dark chocolate pudding cake with a creamy center, perfect for St. Patrick’s Day! Top with salted caramel sauce and whipped cream for a truly decadent dessert.

I don’t drink beer. Not even “girly” beer, “lite”, pale or anything like that. I worked in a pub in London and learned how to pull a proper pint though. The pub was one of the few in London which brewed its own beers, ales and stouts right in the basem*nt. But of course, in addition to those beers, there was Guinness on tap.

(This post was originally published on March 17th, 2012 and has been updated to contain nutritional information. As an Amazon Affiliate I earn commission on qualifying purchases.)

For some reason Guinness is more appealing to me than a lager. A proper pull involves a tilt of the glass, (20 British Imperial ounces, not an American 16), finished off with a steady return to upright and a little foamy head. I do like to cook with beer and this Guinness Stew is another delicious way to cook with stout.

This chocolate pudding cake for St. Patrick’s Day was inspired by a local artisan ice cream shop. Carmela’s makes a Guinness Ice Cream which is delicious! What about chocolate pudding cakes? I was a little worried about creating a recipe from scratch, because I’m not crazy about tossing away food, especially chocolate and beer. When I tasted the batter I got a little excited…It already tasted good. Don’t expect a cake-y dessert, the inside is soft and creamy, not like a lava cake where the inside is almost liquid. Here’s a recipe if you’d like to try a Molten Lava Cake.

Are these chocolate pudding cakes gluten free?

If you’re craving a gluten free chocolate cake this will satisfy your sweet-tooth! The ingredients are simple, butter, Guinness, molasses, eggs,sugar and vanilla. Since making it the first time 9 years ago, I’ve adapted the recipe to cut back on the sugar with no noticeable taste difference.

Can you make these sugar free?

If you’re looking for a chocolate pudding cake that’s lower in carbs, you can make a few substitutions, however the Guinness and molasses give it that rich taste. You can certainly substitute the dark chocolate with a sugar free chocolate and the white sugar for swerve. These substitutions will definitely cut down on the sugar and carbs, but won’t eliminate them completely.

Can you make these chocolate pudding cakes ahead?

Absolutely! There are two ways you can make them ahead. First you can make the batter and fill the ramekins. Then refrigerate until ready to bake. Remove the from the fridge when you preheat the oven. They might need an extra minute or two in the oven if they are ice-cold.

The second way to make them ahead is to bake them and wrap them with plastic wrap. When ready to serve them, they need just 20-25 seconds in the microwave to warm up.

When I make a batch, which is usually 6-7, I’ll wrap them with plastic wrap and Spencer will grab one for an late night snack.

How do you serve pudding cakes?

If you’re serving the pudding cakes straight out of the oven, you’ll want to let them cool for about 10 minutes. Then carefully run a knife around the edge of the ramekin and turn it on to a plate. Top with caramel sauce and fresh whipped cream if desired. Sometimes I top the caramel sauce with a few flakes of fleur de sel.

The Caramel Sauce is also perfect for sundaes!

Looking for more Irish recipes?

Triple Whiskey Corned Beef