Chocolate pots de creme on a white plate and grey background with ingredients and spoon nearby

These little chocolate balsamic pots de creme are one of my favorite desserts. They come together in less than five minutes and I make them in the blender - easy! The chocolate is similar in texture to a mousse, without the fuss of whipping egg whites or making a custard. It's rich, smooth, and creamy. The addition of balsamic vinegar lends a wonderfully sweet and acidic flavor.

Chocolate pots de creme on a grey background surrounded by the recipe ingredients

A traditional pot de creme - which translates to "pot of cream" in English, is a French custard dessert. It's often served in small porcelain cups that are specifically made for the purpose. Here, I opted for a simplified version that eliminates the need to separate eggs, use the stovetop to thicken a custard, or turn the oven on to bake the final dish. The recipe only has a few ingredients, and minus one, they all go into the blender together.

Angled backlit view of chocolate pots de creme on a white plate and grey background

Growing up, my mom often made a rendition of this dessert (without the balsamic) that she calls Liquid Chocolate. It's quick enough for a casual meal, yet fancy enough to serve at a formal party. It's a family staple that we turn to again and again. I've requested it for my birthday on numerous occasions.

Three chocolate pots de creme on white parchment paper and a grey background

RECIPE TESTING

With this version, I had fun tinkering with the quantities of cream and the amount and cacao percentage of the chocolate until I found just the right balance. Too much cream, and it became too firm and lost its airy mousse-like quality. Too dark of a chocolate (I started with a 72% cacao bar) and it was too strong, overpowering the flavor of the balsamic vinegar. The chocolate and balsamic are central to the flavor of this dish, so I really recommend using high quality ingredients. This was a recipe that was a joy for me to taste over and over until it was just right!

Four chocolate desserts in glasses on a white plate and grey background with chocolate and vanilla nearby

A high quality Balsamic Vinegar of Modena is thick, wonderfully dark, and has an amazing flavor with both sweet and acidic notes. I'd never thought to compare balsamic to a good wine - but indeed, a good bottle made me realize the potential of a good terroir and careful attention to traditional processes.

Chocolate pots de creme on a grey background with bottle of balsamic vinegar resting nearby on a pink linen napkin

If you want to make sure you are getting the best high quality, authentic balsamic vinegar, look for a blue and gold seal on the bottle with the words "protected geographical indication." This assures that you are getting a certified balsamic that has been produced in the Italian provinces of Modena and Reggio Emilia. You won't be sorry.

Four chocolate pots de creme on a grey background with chocolate and vanilla nearby

RECIPE NOTES

Cream + Milk - In this recipe, I use equal parts of heavy cream and whole milk. If you have access to a high quality half and half (with no additives) you could substitute half and half for each, for a total of 1 cup (8 oz) half and half.

Chocolate - After several tests, I really liked the results of this recipe using a chocolate bar with 54% cacao. You can certainly experiment with something with more or less cacao. My mom used to make them using semi-sweet chocolate chips, which tend to fall in the 50-58% chocolate range. My reason for avoiding chocolate chips is that they often contain stabilizers that help them retain their chip shape when baked. Definitely choose a quality chocolate that you would also enjoy eating plain.

Pots de creme - The name of the recipe is pronounced "POE du KREM" - in both singular and plural.

Mascarpone garnish - while the mascarpone garnish is completely optional (you could omit it completely, or go with lightly sweetened whipped cream instead), I find it adds an extra depth of richness and flavor to the final product.